Zatopek, Emil (1922–2000)

Czech runner. At the Olympic Games in Helsinki 1952 he won gold medals for the 5,000 metres, the 10,000 metres, and the marathon. He retired as a runner 1958, having set 18 world records during his career, including those for 10 miles, 15 miles, and 30,000 metres.

He broke 13 world long-distance records between 1948 and 1954, winning the gold medal for the 10,000-metre world record of 28 minutes 54.2 seconds 1949.

Zatopek was born in Koprövnice, Czechoslovakia. He began running in the early 1940s, and in 1946 cycled from Prague to Berlin to run in a 5,000-metre race. He was deprived of his rank of colonel after voicing his opposition to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia 1968, and later involved himself with the work of the Czech national sports institute.