Emil Zátopek: The Bouncing Czech

Emil Zátopek, known as the “bouncing Czech,” didn’t look like the picture of Olympic grace. Although he set a new standard for distance running, his contorted running methods and facial grimaces made observers believe he was about to collapse. Instead, he used his unorthodox style to build a stellar career.

Zátopek had won gold in the 10,000 metres and silver in the 5,000 metres at the 1948 Olympic Games in London, and he arrived at the 1952 Games in Helsinki, Finland, poised to take the gold medal in both. He nearly didn’t compete, however. Six weeks before the Games, he collapsed with a virus, and doctors recommended three months rest to stave off heart damage. Zátopek took little notice, fashioning his own remedy with a diet of tea and lemons.

Zátopek defended his 10,000-metre title with ease: his even pace annihilated the field, and he shattered the Olympic record. In the 5,000 metres he faced very real opposition in Germany’s Herbert Schade, France’s Alain Mimoun, and Great Britain’s Christopher Chataway, but his epic final sprint secured the victory and another Olympic record. To add to the Zátopek family glory, a few yards away, his wife, Dana, won a gold medal for the javelin that day.

Despite these triumphs, Zátopek was not satisfied. He entered the marathon, a distance he had never competed in before. Feeling his way, he stayed close to Jim Peters of Great Britain, the favourite. Believing Peters’s remark during the race that the pace was too slow, Zátopek accelerated and left Peters far behind. He won before anyone else had even entered the stadium; his only accompaniment was the Olympic record. Zátopek’s three gold medals at Helsinki remain a benchmark in Olympic distance-running history.

Zátopek’s success was based upon groundbreaking fitness routines. His tough military-style training became the stuff of legends—sometimes he would run 50 intervals of 200 metres with just a 200-metre recovery jog in between. His preparation helped him develop a mental as well as physical dominance over his opponents.

A hernia slowed Zátopek’s training for the 1956 Games in Melbourne, Australia, and he finished in sixth place in the marathon, his only event. A virtuous and popular national hero who was also beloved by his competitors, Zátopek retired in 1958 with 18 world records and four gold medals.