Emil Zátopek  ^listen (September 19, 1922 - November 22, 2000) was a Czech athlete and Olympic gold medalist in long distance running. Zátopek was the first athlete to break the 29 minute barrier in the 10 000 m run (in 1954). Three years earlier, in 1951, he had broken the hour for running 20 km. To play the audio file do not click on the -image. ... September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... National motto: Truth prevails (Czech: Pravda vítězí) Official language Czech Capital Praha (Prague) President Václav Klaus Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 114th 78,866 km² 2% Population  - Total (2003)  - Density Ranked 76th 10. ... Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events. ... For months before the Olympic Games, runners relay the Olympic Flame from Olympia to the opening ceremony. ... Long-distance track event races requires runners to balance their energy. ... A minute is: a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour and to 60 seconds. ... metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation) The metre is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units. ... See also: 1953 in sports, 1955 in sports and the list of years in sports. Auto Racing NASCAR Championship - Lee Petty AAA Racing: Bill Vukovich won the Indianapolis 500 Jimmy Bryan won the season championship Formula One Championship - Argentina 24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Froilán Gonz... See also: 1950 in sports, 1952 in sports and the list of years in sports. Auto Racing NASCAR Championship - Herb Thomas AAA Racing: Tony Bettenhausen won the series championship Lee Wallard won the Indianapolis 500 Formula One Championship - Argentina 24 hours of Le Mans: Louis Rosier / Jean-Louis Rosier won... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ...

Biography

Born in Kopřivnice, Czech Republic, Zátopek is probably best known for his amazing feat at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki of winning three gold medals in athletics. He won gold for the 5000 m and the 10 000 m run, but his final medal came when he decided at the last minute to compete in the marathon event for the first time in his life and won. In each event, he also broke Olympic records. His victory in the 5000 m came after a ferocious last lap during which he went from fourth place to first while Chris Chataway, now second after being overtaken by Zátopek, tripped on the kerb and fell. National motto: Truth prevails (Czech: Pravda vítězí) Official language Czech Capital Praha (Prague) President Václav Klaus Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 114th 78,866 km² 2% Population  - Total (2003)  - Density Ranked 76th 10. ... The Games of the XV Olympiad were held in 1952 in Finland. ... Although marathon sometimes refers to any athletic event requiring great endurance, more specifically it refers to a long-distance track event of 42,195 m (26 miles and 385 yards). ... The Right Honourable Sir Christopher John Chataway (born January 31, 1931) was a champion athlete, pioneering television news broadcaster, and a Conservative politician. ...

Zátopek came into international athletics field at the 1948 Summer Olympics, by winning the 10 000 m (his second race on that distance) and coming second after Gaston Reiff from Belgium in 5000 m. The Games of the XIV Olympiad were held in 1948 in United Kingdom. ... Gaston Reiff (February 24, 1921 – May 8, 1992) was a Belgian athlete, winner of the 1948 Olympic title in the 5000 m. ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ...

At the next year, Zátopek broke the 10 000 m world record twice and broke his own record in three occasions over the next four seasons. He also broke the 5000 m record (1954), 20 km record (twice in 1951), One hour running record (twice in 1951), 25 km record (1952 and 1955) and 30 km record (1952). A world record is the best performance in a certain discipline, usually a sports event. ... 1954 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Global Metrics Human security Major Armed Conflicts: Total Deaths in Battle: 700,000 people Violent Deaths caused by Government (Other than War): Violent Deaths caused by other humans: Juvenile Violent Crime: Political security Nations Holding Multi-party Elections: Percentage Living under a Fully Democratic System of Governance: Free Countries: Percentage... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday. ...

He won the 5000 m and 10 000 m at the 1950 European Championships and 10 000 m at the next European Championships. Two weeks before the 1956 Summer Olympics, Zátopek had an hernia operation, but nevertheless finished sixth at the Olympic marathon. Zátopek retired from athletics after the next season. The Games of the XVI Olympiad were held in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia, although the equestrian events could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations. ...

Zátopek's running style was distinctive and very much at odds with what was considered to be an efficient style at the time. His head would often roll, face contorted with effort, while his torso swung from side to side. He often wheezed and panted audibly while running, which earned him the nickname of "the Czech Locomotive". When asked about his alarming facial expressions, Zátopek is said to have replied that "It isn't gymnastics or ice-skating, you know".

A hero in his native country, Zátopek was an influential figure in the Communist Party. However, he supported the party's democratic wing, and after the Prague Spring, he was removed from all important positions and forced to work in a uranium mine as punishment. Emil Zátopek died in Prague, after a long-lasting illness at the age of 78. He was awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal posthumously. This article refers to a period of history of Czechoslovakia in 1968. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Uranium, U, 92 Chemical series Actinides Period, Block 7 , f Density, Hardness 19050 kg/m3, ND Appearance silvery-white metal Atomic properties Atomic weight 238. ... Prague (Praha in Czech) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. ... The Pierre de Coubertin medal (also known as the De Coubertin medal or the True Spirit of Sportsmanship medal) is a special medal given by the International Olympic Committee to those athletes that demonstrate the spirit of sportsmanship in Olympics events. ...

His wife Dana Zátopková (born the same day as her husband) was an outstanding athlete in her own right in throwing the javelin. She won the gold medal for javelin in the 1952 Summer Olympics, and the silver medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics. The javelin throw is an athletics (track and field) throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear-like object made of metal and fibreglass. ... The Games of the XVII Olympiad were held in 1960 in Italy. ...

See also: list of Slavs. This is a list of famous Slavic people. ...