Ian Stewart (athlete)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ian Stewart (born January 15, 1949 in Handsworth, Birmingham ) is a former British long-distance runner who was European champion in the 5000-meter run in 1969 and world champion in cross-country running in 1975 .

Life

With 15 years Stewart began under the trainer Geoff Warr with the Birchfield Harriers with the competitive sports training. He had his first successes in cross-country skiing, in 1968 he became British youth champion. In the summer of 1968 Stewart set five European junior records over 3000 and 5000 meters.

In 1969 he won the European Indoor Games in Belgrade in 7: 55.4 minutes over 3000 meters. In the summer he won the European Championships in Athens over 5000 meters in 13: 44.8 minutes. His breakthrough into world class came in the final of the British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1970 . Starting for Scotland , he won with the European record of 13: 22.85 minutes ahead of his teammate Ian McCafferty in 13: 23.4 minutes, the Kenyan Kipchoge Keino went third , the Australian world record holder Ron Clarke finished fifth.

After Stewart could barely start in 1971 due to an injury, he returned in 1972. At the Olympic Games in Munich , the 5000 meter run was decided after a fast sprint race. The Finn Lasse Virén won ahead of the Tunisian Mohammed Gammoudi , Stewart was third in 13: 27.6 minutes, one second behind Virén. Even Steve Prefontaine (USA) and the Belgian Emiel Puttemans remained below the Olympic record, the Puttemans had set up in advance.

After Stewart was very dissatisfied with fifth place over 5000 meters and sixth place over 10,000 meters at the British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch in January 1974 , he tried his hand at cycling in the summer of 1974 . In winter he returned to athletics and won the year at the San Silvestre Vallecana . At the European Indoor Championships in 1975 in Katowice , he won over 3000 meters in 7: 58.6 minutes in a sprint ahead of the simultaneous Finn Pekka Päivärinta . A week later he won the World Cross Country Championships in Rabat by one second over the Spaniard Mariano Haro . At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal he was seventh over 5000 meters in 13: 27.65 min and was less than three seconds behind the winner Lasse Virén.

In 1977 he set a world best in road running with 45:13 minutes over the distance of 10 miles .

Ian Stewart is 1.78 m tall and weighed 65 kg when he competed. In 1979 he was awarded the Order of MBE . His brother Peter Stewart (* 1947) was European Indoor Champion over 3000 meters in 1971 and his sister Mary Stewart (* 1956) was European Indoor Champion over 1500 meters in 1977.

Top performances

  • 1500 m : 3: 39.12 min, September 1st 1969, London
  • 1 mile : 3:57.3 min, June 11, 1969, Reading
  • 2000 m : 5: 02.98 min, 4th July 1975, London
  • 3000 m: 7: 46.83 min, May 26th 1976, London
    • Hall: 7: 50.0 min, January 29, 1972, Cosford
  • 5000 m: 13: 22.85 min, 25 July 1970, Edinburgh
  • 10,000 m: 27: 43.03 min, September 9, 1977, London

literature

Web links