Athletic Legends – Part V,
- “Birds fly, fish swim, humans run”: the Czech Locomotive, Emil Zatopek
The mid-20th century was a hectic time of the world's history. At that time, there was nearly not a peaceful day during the two times World War and Cold War caused by ideological conflicts. Emil Zatopek was at that time a hero athletic who lived in the age of turbulence.
He was born in Koprivnice, Czechoslovakia on 19 Sep, 1922 as the sixth child of carpenter father. Due to the difficult family circumstances, he had to work in a shoe factory at the age of 16. When he was 18 years old, shoe factory owner ordered his workers to participate in cross-country competition held at the nearby factory. Emil Zatopek was chosen as one of athletes.
Emil was very keen to win the 100 meter run but ended as a second position of that time. After that second place winning, he began to take a serious interest in running. His personality was quiet and calm but he had a high competitive spirit that became the basis of his accomplishments later.
Only four years later, in 1944, he broke the Czech records for 2,000, 3,000, and 5,000 m. After the records he was selected to the Czech national team for the 1946 European Championships. In the championships he finished fifth position in the 5,000m event.
After 2 years, Emil participated the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. In Olympics he won the 10,000 m event and came second in the 5,000 event.
Zatopek was at his best on the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He won gold in 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon. Especially the Marathon event was a surprise for people because he decided to participate in the marathon just before the start. As this is not enough, his wife Dana Zatopek won the gold in the javelin throw at the same Olympic Games.
Zatopek tried to defend his first place in the 1956 Summer Olympics marathon in Melbourne. However he suffered a groin injury and was hospitalized for six weeks, finishing sixth in final and retired from competition in 1957.
His homeland, Czechoslovakia had history with many twist and turns. Czech greeted the golden age in the Kingdom of medieval and also was the centre of Holy Roman Empire but till the end became colony of the Austrian Empire from late 19th century to early 20th century. Czech achieved independence in 1918 through fierce independent movement. But lost the territory for Germany and was occupied by Germany during World War II.
After World War II, communist government ruled the country and transformed into socialist state through bloodless coup carried out by Communist Party.
In Czechoslovakia, Zatopek was served as a national hero even though he was retired.
Like most of the dictatorial political system, there was a frequent conflict and crash between government’s control and people’s demands for Czech liberalization. There were lots of communist in the Party who opposed to the iron ruling system. Zatopek was one of them.
In 1968, there was reform called “Prague Spring” which included an independent of trial, parliamentary system, the abolition of prior censorship, democratic elections, freedom of speech, freedom of publishing, foreign travel and the freedom of movement. But the 'Prague Spring' was cruelly taken by the Soviet Union’s invasion. On 20 Aug 1968, 200,000 Warsaw Pact troops and 2,000 tanks invaded Prague and by the morning of 21 Aug Czech was occupied.
Zatopek 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. Afterwards 1972 he was invited Munich Summer Olympics.
Although he was under strict surveillance by authorities, his neighborhood still treated him as a hero. While he was forced to work hard, groceries just secretly piled up in his house.
He was rehabilitated in 1990 after the communist regime stepped down. However, he suffered a disease caused by unknown virus which caused heart troubles for 10 years.
On 27 Nov, 2000, Czech authorities gave funeral with state honors for quadruple Olympic gold medalist Emil Zatopek, who died at nearly the age of 78.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Juan Antonio Samaranch and International Amateur Athletic Federation President Lamine Diack attended the ceremony for the greatest Czech athlete of all time.
"This is a sad day not only for sports people, who saw embodied in Zatopek all the virtues of a champion, but also for the common people who recognized in Zatopek an honest and intransigent defender of the fundamental principles of dignity and freedom of the individual".
-Lamine Diack in a statement