Gordon Pirie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Competitor for  United Kingdom |
|||
| Men’s Athletics | |||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Silver | Melbourne 1956 | 5.000 metres | |
| European Championships | |||
| Bronze | Stockholm 1958 | 5.000 metres | |
Douglas Alistair Gordon Pirie (born February 10, 1931, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire – died December 7, 1991) was a middle-distance runner and orienteerer from England. In 1955 he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. He won silver in the 1956 Summer Olympics in the men's 5.000 metres. Gordon Pirie broke 5 world records in the course of his career, his annus mirabilis being 1956, when on June 19 in Bergen, Norway, he ran 13:36.8 for 5000m, beating Vladimir Kuts (USSR), and knocking 25 seconds from his own personal best. On June 22 in Trondheim, Norway, he broke the world 3000m record with 7:55.6, and on 14 September he reduced it again to 7:52.7. Pirie trained exceptionally hard and was advised by Woldemar Gerschler in Freiburg, Germany, who was a leading proponent of interval training. Gordon Pirie was an exceptional cross-country runner and won the English Championship three times.
[edit] External links
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
Preceded by Sandor Iharos |
Men's 3,000m World Record Holder June 22, 1956 – June 27, 1962 |
Succeeded by Michel Jazy |
| Awards | ||
Preceded by Christopher Chataway |
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 1955 |
Succeeded by Jim Laker |
This biographical article relating to British athletics (track and field) is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.   This article about a United Kingdom Olympic medalist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
