John Walker (athlete)
Walker in 1975
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | John George Walker | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |
 New Zealand
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| Born |
12 January 1952 Papakura, Auckland |
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| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 74 kg (163 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 800–5000 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Arch Jelley | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 800 m – 1:44.92 (1974) 1500 m – 3:32.4 (1975) Mile – 3:49.4 (1975) 5000 m – 13:19.28 (1986) |
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Medal record
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Sir John George Walker, KNZM, CBE (born 12 January 1952) is a former middle-distance runner from New Zealand who won the 1500 m event at the 1976 Olympics. He was also the first person to run the mile in under 3:50. In more recent years, Walker has been active in local government, as an Auckland Councillor and representing the Manurewa-Papakura ward.
Walker achieved world prominence in 1974 when he ran second to Filbert Bayi in the 1500 metre run at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand. In one of the greatest 1500 m races held to that time, Walker and Bayi both broke the existing world record, and others in the race recorded the fourth, fifth, and seventh fastest performances ever. Additionally, Walker won the bronze medal in the 800 metres in 1:44.92, his lifetime best for the distance, and still the second-fastest New Zealander ever, behind Peter Snell.
Throughout his career as a world-class miler Walker was coached by Arch Jelley, a school principal, and a middle distance runner himself, whose work with runners has been typified by meticulous training programmes on a scientific basis and effective communications in person.
Walker broke the World Record in the mile run with a time of 3:49.4 minutes set at Göteborg, Sweden, on 12 August 1975, bettering the previous time of 3:51.0 set earlier that year by Filbert Bayi. It was the first time that the Three minutes and 50 seconds time had been broken, and it was a full 10 seconds faster than Roger Bannister's historic sub-Four-Minute Mile of 3:59.4 that was run twenty-one years previous. He was named Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News the same year.
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