Courtesy EAA, WK ***************************************************** -- TITEL: Emil Zatopek 1922 - 2000 -- ***************************************************** The Czech Athletic Federation informed that on 21 November 2000 the most famous athletic hero of the Czech Republic, the great athlete and champion, EMIL ZATOPEK, passed away in the army hospital in Prague after a short, serious illness. Emil Zatopek died of a brain apoplexy. The day of his funeral is not known yet, but will be held next week. “The European and World Athletic Family mourns the death of one of the greatest athletes in the history of our sport” says Hansjörg Wirz, the President of the European Athletic Association, “and our sympathy is with his wife Dana who shared his life from Olympic triumphs to the misery when he was banned after his support of the democratic movement in the Prague Spring in 1968”. The EAA will never forget this great athlete and what he stood for: passion, self-discipline will-power, freedom and the dignity of the individual. Zatopek won four Olympic Gold Medals: 1948 in London the 10 000m and 1952 in Helsinki the 5 000m, 10 000m and the Marathon, a triple never achieved again by any athlete. He was European Champion 1950 (5 000m / 10 000m) and 1954 (10 000m). In his career he set a 5 000m world record 13:57.2 (30/5/1954) and bettered the 10 000m world record five times. He was the first runner under 29 minutes when he set his last 10 000m world record on 1 June 1954 in Brussels (28:54.2) and also the first athlete to run more than 20 km in an hour (20 052 m on 29/9/1951 Stara Boleslav). Ends European Athletic Federation Darmstadt 22.11.2000
