Gaston Reiff

Gaston Étienne Ghislaine Reiff (24 February 1921 – 6 May 1992) was a Belgian runner. He competed at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics in the 5000 m event and won it in 1948, defeating Emil Zátopek in the final and becoming the first Belgian track and field athlete to win an Olympic title. He lost to Zátopek at the 1950 European Championships, placing third.[2]

Gaston Reiff
Gaston Reiff in 1949
Personal information
Born24 February 1921
Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
Died6 May 1992 (aged 71)
Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Weight61 kg (134 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)1000-10,000 m
ClubUSG
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)1500 m – 3:45.2 (1952)
Mile – 4:02.8 (1952)
5000 m – 14:10.8 (1951)
10,000 m – 30:18.8 (1951)[1]

Reiff competed in boxing and football before changing to athletics. Besides his Olympic gold medal he set world records in the 2000 m, 3000 m and 2 miles and won 24 national titles; in 1951 he held Belgian records on distances ranging from 1000 m to 10000 m. A street in Braine-l'Alleud and the town's stadium are named after Reiff in his home town of Braine-l'Alleud.[2]

References

  1. Gaston Reiff. trackfield.brinkster.net
  2. Gaston Reiff Archived 22 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. sports-reference.com
Records
Preceded by
Gunder Hägg
Men's 3000 m World Record Holder
12 August 1949 14 May 1955
Succeeded by
Sandor Iharos


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