Zürcher Nachrichten - Coe pays tribute as Australian running great and Bannister rival John Landy dies

EUR -
AED 4.311132
AFN 81.889993
ALL 97.860241
AMD 450.034767
ANG 2.100522
AOA 1076.304459
ARS 1481.163161
AUD 1.794945
AWG 2.112702
AZN 1.996521
BAM 1.954615
BBD 2.366445
BDT 143.343077
BGN 1.954363
BHD 0.442386
BIF 3491.652912
BMD 1.173723
BND 1.499078
BOB 8.099158
BRL 6.443385
BSD 1.172079
BTN 100.618699
BWP 15.637451
BYN 3.835641
BYR 23004.975778
BZD 2.354252
CAD 1.60259
CDF 3386.191824
CHF 0.93554
CLF 0.028795
CLP 1104.989932
CNY 8.421348
CNH 8.419082
COP 4732.569532
CRC 591.938527
CUC 1.173723
CUP 31.103666
CVE 110.200052
CZK 24.645017
DJF 208.711659
DKK 7.46035
DOP 70.147164
DZD 152.144588
EGP 58.295432
ERN 17.605849
ETB 162.661969
FJD 2.634654
FKP 0.86074
GBP 0.86112
GEL 3.180759
GGP 0.86074
GHS 12.189712
GIP 0.86074
GMD 83.929948
GNF 10164.749491
GTQ 9.00969
GYD 245.213392
HKD 9.213669
HNL 30.621301
HRK 7.535063
HTG 153.325717
HUF 399.945615
IDR 19061.735134
ILS 3.932959
IMP 0.86074
INR 100.545418
IQD 1535.368952
IRR 49443.09205
ISK 142.61933
JEP 0.86074
JMD 187.065766
JOD 0.832199
JPY 171.456908
KES 151.703515
KGS 102.642003
KHR 4708.104892
KMF 493.57154
KPW 1056.348676
KRW 1604.667556
KWD 0.358397
KYD 0.976708
KZT 608.850793
LAK 25256.469289
LBP 105014.924211
LKR 352.633159
LRD 235.001499
LSL 20.810303
LTL 3.4657
LVL 0.709974
LYD 6.313118
MAD 10.549892
MDL 19.772841
MGA 5139.861291
MKD 61.546969
MMK 2463.896144
MNT 4212.272678
MOP 9.476953
MRU 46.472621
MUR 52.946411
MVR 18.074217
MWK 2031.959163
MXN 21.85752
MYR 4.974823
MZN 75.071604
NAD 20.810481
NGN 1794.024522
NIO 43.133476
NOK 11.847116
NPR 160.986692
NZD 1.95136
OMR 0.451288
PAB 1.171875
PEN 4.158978
PGK 4.913999
PHP 66.193885
PKR 333.007845
PLN 4.246373
PYG 9340.256488
QAR 4.284675
RON 5.063675
RSD 117.157494
RUB 92.368463
RWF 1692.466478
SAR 4.402068
SBD 9.785242
SCR 17.220349
SDG 704.822251
SEK 11.159473
SGD 1.499707
SHP 0.922362
SLE 26.392494
SLL 24612.394075
SOS 669.790985
SRD 43.724128
STD 24293.701619
SVC 10.255781
SYP 15260.594953
SZL 20.804296
THB 38.124288
TJS 11.281151
TMT 4.119769
TND 3.418385
TOP 2.748978
TRY 46.969429
TTD 7.944183
TWD 34.108486
TZS 3101.789097
UAH 49.036555
UGX 4204.48622
USD 1.173723
UYU 47.042275
UZS 14718.074956
VES 130.614564
VND 30661.759425
VUV 139.466502
WST 3.216575
XAF 655.556678
XAG 0.031926
XAU 0.000352
XCD 3.172046
XDR 0.815302
XOF 655.553887
XPF 119.331742
YER 284.217264
ZAR 20.895408
ZMK 10564.921183
ZMW 28.392541
ZWL 377.938409
  • CMSC

    0.0900

    22.314

    +0.4%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    22.285

    +0.11%

  • RBGPF

    0.0000

    69.04

    0%

  • SCS

    0.0400

    10.74

    +0.37%

  • RELX

    0.0300

    53

    +0.06%

  • RIO

    -0.1400

    59.33

    -0.24%

  • GSK

    0.1300

    41.45

    +0.31%

  • NGG

    0.2700

    71.48

    +0.38%

  • BP

    0.1750

    30.4

    +0.58%

  • BTI

    0.7150

    48.215

    +1.48%

  • BCC

    0.7900

    91.02

    +0.87%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.13

    +0.15%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.85

    +0.1%

  • BCE

    -0.0600

    22.445

    -0.27%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    12

    +0.83%

  • AZN

    -0.1200

    73.71

    -0.16%

Coe pays tribute as Australian running great and Bannister rival John Landy dies
Coe pays tribute as Australian running great and Bannister rival John Landy dies

Coe pays tribute as Australian running great and Bannister rival John Landy dies

John Landy, the second man to break the four-minute mile after arch-rival Roger Bannister, has died aged 91, with World Athletics President Sebastian Coe on Saturday saying the sport owed him "a huge debt".

Text size:

The Australian former mile and 1500m world record holder passed away at his home on Thursday, with the news announced Saturday.

Landy was renowned for his rivalry with England's Bannister as they both sought to make history and conquer the four-minute mark.

Bannister was first, clocking 3:59.4 in Oxford on May 6, 1954. But Landy went better 46 days later in Finland with a time of 3:58.0 -- a record that stood for the next three years.

"Our world is poorer without John Landy in it," said Coe, himself a two-time Olympic 1500m gold medallist.

"He lit the spark that led to the legendary chase for the four-minute mile between 1952 and 1954 and was one of the main protagonists in that quest.

"Ultimately Roger Bannister got there first but was also the first to recognise that Landy's excellence inspired him to reach that historic landmark."

Coe characterised their quest to breach the four-minute mile as doing "more to globalise our sport than any other event of that era", adding that "our sport owes him a huge debt".

Fellow Australian champion runner Cathy Freeman was among others to pay tribute, calling Landy "a giant of a man".

"A true athlete, scholar and gentleman. Rest In Peace," she tweeted.

The two-time Olympian will also be remembered for one of the most selfless sporting acts of the 20th century, during the mile at the 1956 Australian championships.

With about a lap and a half to go, young compatriot Ron Clarke tripped and fell.

Landy leapt over him but then turned back to help him to his feet as the field rushed past. Incredibly, Landy was still able to chase down the leaders and win.

It was voted the finest sporting moment of the century at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Gala in 1999.

"If Australia needed a role model, it is John Landy," said Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates.

"He was a pioneer -- and his rivalry with Roger Bannister, as the pair closed on the sub-four-minute mark for the mile, captured not only Australia's imagination, but that of the world."

In later life, Landy served as governor of Victoria state from 2001-2006.

F.Carpenteri--NZN