Zatopek was the star of the track events that year. At the previous Olympics held in London in 1948, he had won a gold medal in the 10,000-meter race and a silver medal in the 5,000. In Helsinki, Zatopek won the 10,000 meters with ease, setting a new Olympic world record by almost 43 seconds. In the 5,000, he was trailing until the final turn, where he sprinted and won by a little less than a second, setting another Olympic record.
Zatopek's wife, Dana Zatopkova, was also an athlete. After he won his second gold, he loaned the medal to her just before she began competing in the javelin throw. She put it in her bag for good luck, and with her first throw, set a new Olympic record and won the event.
Zatopek had never won a marathon before, but buoyed by his two wins, announced that he would compete in the Olympic marathon, three days after the 5,000-meter race.
"The Beast of Prague"
He was not a graceful runner, and was famous for his horrifying style.
This is a free page. This page contains 174 words. This
biography contains 1,897 words (approx. 6 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Biography with our Emil Zatopek Access Pass.
