Helsinki, 1952. Games of the XV Olympiad. Men's Athletics. Emil ZATOPEK of Czechoslovakia: Triple gold medallist in the 5000m, 10000m and marathon events. Credit: IOC Olympic Museum Collections/Lothar Rübelt

Born: 19 September 1922

Deceased: 21 November 2000

Birthplace: Koprivnice (Czech Republic)

Nationality: Czech Republic

Sport: Athletics

ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

London 1948

Helsinki 1952

Melbourne / Stockholm 1956

AWARDS

Olympic medals:

Gold: 4

Silver: 1

Other results:

European Championships

Gold: 3 (50,54)

Bronze: 1 (54)

The Hero of Helsinki

Emil Zátopek began his illustrious Olympic career by running the 10,000m at the 1948 London Games. He took the lead during the tenth of 25 laps. Eventually he lapped all but two runners and won by more than 300m. Only three days later, Zátopek ran in the final of the 5,000m. At the start of the final lap, he trailed Gaston Reiff of Belgium by 50m. Zátopek thrilled the crowd with a sprint that pulled him closed and closer. Reiff noticed Zátopek just in time and won by 1½ metres. Zátopek's feats in 1948 were impressive, but they were only a prelude to what he accomplished at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He began by winning the 10,000m by 100m. In the 5,000m, he was in only fourth place with half a lap to go, but he sprinted into the lead in the final turn and won by five metres. Later that afternoon, Zátopek's wife, Dana, won a gold medal in the javelin throw. Zátopek himself was not finished. He entered the marathon even though he had never run one before. Nonetheless, he easily wore down all of the other runners and won by 2½ minutes as the appreciative Finnish spectators chanted his name. Emil Zátopek is the only runner to win the 5,000m, the 10,000m and the marathon at the same Olympics. He entered the Olympic marathon again in 1956, but developed a hernia only six weeks before the Games. He ran anyway and placed sixth.