Cornelia Bürki (born October 3, 1953) is a retired long-distance runner from Switzerland, who represented her native country in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1980. She is a 47-time national champion outdoors, which includes a fifteen-year undefeated streak in cross country and fifteen consecutive titles over 1500 metres from 1975 to 1989.[1] She was voted the Swiss Sports Personality of the Year in 1978.[2] That year she had finished fifth in the long race at the 1978 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Contents |
At her Olympic debut in the 1980 Summer Olympics, she finished seventh in her semi-final over 1500 metres. That year she also won the women's 7 km race at the inaugural Greifenseelauf. She ran at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics, finishing tenth and eleventh in the 1500 m and 3000 metres, respectively. She was fifth in the women's 3000 m at the 1984 Summer Olympics and also took fifth in the long race at the 1985 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. She was selected to represent Switzerland at the 1986 European Athletics Championships and she was seventh in the 3000 m final. That season she was ranked third over 1500 m in the IAAF Grand Prix Final.[3]
She was seventh in the long race at the 1987 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and just missed out on a global medal on the track later that year, taking fourth place in the 1500 and 3000 meters m at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics. After bad luck with a severe upper leg injury she still managed to qualify for her final Olympics in 1988 in Seoul, she took on both the 1500 m and 3000 m. She was eliminated in the preliminary rounds in the former event, but went on to finish in eleventh in the 3000 m final.[4] She was also the national flag-bearer for Switzerland at the event. Cornelia Bürki had a lot of bad luck. Missing a medal at the World Championships in Rome in the 3000 meters by just 1/100 second. At the cross Swiss country championships in 1988 she slipped and pulled the satorius muscle so badly that she couldn't train for weeks. She still managed to qualify for Olympics in Seoul. The injury caused problems for the next 2 years. She decided to retire from the track. Since 1981, she has been the primary care-giver of her daughter Esther, who was in a coma for six months after a car accident and still uses a wheelchair today.
Cornelia is the owner of a Bed and Breakfast in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and takes care of her disabled daughter. She is also coaching middle distance runners in her hometown Rapperswil.[5]
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lise-Marie Morerod |
Swiss Sportswoman of the Year 1978 |
Succeeded by Denise Biellmann |