| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Athletics | ||
| Silver | 1964 Tokyo | 1500m |
Josef Odložil (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjozɛf ˈodloʒɪl]; November 11, 1938 in Otrokovice – September 10, 1993 in Domašov) was a Czech middle distance runner. He was a national champion many times in the 1960s, but had mixed success at the international level.
At his first ever major competition, the 1962 European Championships in Belgrade, Odložil was eliminated in the 800 metres semi-final. Two years later he decided to try at the 1500 metres, bringing himself fame at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
The 1500 m final in Tokyo was won easily by Peter Snell from New Zealand. Josef Odložil managed to run for silver in the same time as Snell's compatriot John Davies, who reached bronze. In 1965 Josef Odložil set a world record on 2000 m (5:01,2).
The 1966 European Championships were disastrous for Odložil as he was eliminated already in the heats. He did better again at the European Indoor Championships in Prague, taking silver in the 1500m.
The wedding in Mexico during the 1968 Summer Olympics of Josef Odložil and Věra Čáslavská, the Czechoslovak seven-fold Olympic Champion in gymnastics, attracted wide public attention.
In the summer of 1993, at the age of 55, Odložil was killed in a drunken fight by his 19-year-old son Martin, whom he had with his ex-wife, gymnast Věra Čáslavská. Martin was subsequently convicted to 4 years of imprisonment. However, he was pardoned by president Vaclav Havel.
Since 1994 an athletic meeting - Josef Odložil Memorial (Czech: Memoriál Josefa Odložila) is held annually in Prague in memory of the late athlete.