EMIL ZATOPEK TO RETIRE

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27747, 26 August 1955, Page 9

EMIL ZATOPEK TO RETIRE

ATHLETICS

LAST APPEARANCE AT MELBOURNE GAMES

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) „ VIENNA, August 23. Emil ZatopeK, the Czech world champion runner, will retire from athletics after the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games according to the Czech newspaper “Lidova Demokracie.” Zatopek told the paper: “With the Olympic Games I am saying good-bve to the race track. “I feel I am reaching the end of my active career. But I shall compete in the 10.000 metres and the marathon at Melbourne. “I certainly do not want to compete in the 5000 metres any more. I can no longer achieve a worthwhile result.” Zatopek said that a time of under 13min 50sec for this race would be achieved next year. The holder of nine world records, three Olympic titles and two European titles Zatopek was unknown when he went to Britain in 1946 and won a cross-country race. At the Olympic Games in London In 1948 he earned more notice by winning the 10,000 metres and coming second in the 5000 metres. His first sensational claim to fame came in 1951 when he set up new world records for the 10 miles, 20,000 metres, and for one hour’s running. In the following year at the Helsinki Olympic Games his name made world headlines when he won the 5000 metres, 10,000 metres, and the marathon in record time in one week.