Page 47 - Summer2016Gazette

At the time of the
Olympiad he was
working as a building site
manager and the fact that
he had been selected for
the Great Britain team did
not universally attract much
support. As he recalled to the
Gazette in 2012 “I had no
time off work so was not able
to attend pre-games training”. those who came
His boss in the building firm after him.
would not even give him time He gained his selection for
off for the games. Telling the Olympic team by finishing
his story to Athletics Weekly in the top three in the Open
in 2011 he said “The team Championships at the White
manager got in touch with City Stadium. His training for
him and was told that ‘if he the games varied, consisting
wants to run, he runs in his of distance for stamina
own time not mine’. I asked or repetitions of routes at
him and he said the same”. various speeds with emphasis
In the end he took two days on stride patterns. He asked
off unpaid. There was no the B.A.A.B for a coach
help with training or food but they couldn’t supply
parcels and no special diets him one so he would rely on
were available; this was just advice from such athletes as
after the War and austerity Sydney Wooderson although
defined these games, especially he did not agree with all of “His 14 minutes of fame.”
for countries such as Great his recommendations for a his previous) and finished
Britain struggling to recover training program prior to fourth behind Dutchman
from the loss and damage the games. Training time was Wil Sliijkhuis. Other personal
of six years of war. In issue when not at work such as bests included 2:36.44 for the
658 of the Gazette covering weekends and evenings, Poly Marathon in which he
the Summer of 2012 I ran After the 1948 Olympics finished 6th and 13:51.10 for
a feature article called ‘The he was to compile many the Southern 3 miles, both of
Games they are a-changing’ achievements. He won the which were held within a week
which compared the various Surrey 3 miles title and held it of each other in 1955. By now
Olympic experiences of four until 1952 being succeeded by he was being trained by Franz
athletes at different eras of Gordon Pirie. At the AAAs Stampfl the famous Austrian
Olympic competition after the 3 miles championships he athletics coach who also
War. Jack’s own experience ran a lifetime best of 14:24.4, trained Roger Bannister and
was certainly in contrast to (20 seconds better than pioneered interval training.