Steve Prefontaine

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Steve Prefontaine athletics
Full name Steve Roland Prefontaine
nation United StatesUnited States United States
birthday January 25, 1951
place of birth Coos Bay, Oregon
date of death May 30, 1975
Place of death Eugene (Oregon)
Career
last change: November 28, 2018

Steve Roland Prefontaine (born January 25, 1951 in Coos Bay , Oregon , † May 30, 1975 in Eugene , Oregon) was an American athlete and Olympian (1972).

Career

His career began at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay, Oregon.

In 1969 Prefontaine was accepted into the Track & Field team at the University of Oregon , which was trained by the legendary coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman , who also made all the running shoes for his protégés himself. There he won seven NCAA titles in four years , and he also held eight American best times, two of which are still in place today. During his career, he broke his own American records 14 times. He was also known for his philosophical insights into long distance running as a competition and lifestyle, which also impressed his coach Bill Bowerman.

In 1972, at the age of 21, Steve Prefontaine started the Olympic Games in Munich as the second youngest 5,000 meter runner of all time in Olympic history. Before him, the then nineteen-year-old Louis Zamperini ran the same route as the youngest 5000 m participant to date in 1936 at the Berlin Olympic Games . He finished the race itself in fourth place behind Lasse Virén ( Finland ), Mohamed Gammoudi ( Tunisia ) and Ian Stewart ( Great Britain ).

The race was tactically and strategically unfavorable for "Pre", as he was called by his fans. As a speed runner who loved a consistently fast race with cyclical changes in speed, slow opening laps did not fit into his concept at all, as this favored the athletes with strong final sprints. Thus Prefontaine took over the lead and increased the speed considerably. Nevertheless, he did not succeed in significantly distancing the world's best runners Virén, Gammoudi and Stewart. After several tempo changes and attacks, the American had to admit defeat to the Tunisian's tactical cleverness and the Finn's outstanding form at the time. On the last meters and with the last of his strength to steer towards the finish line, he was overtaken by the British Stewart, which ultimately meant fourth place for him.

Death site

Prefontaine turned down an offer to become a professional runner in order to continue participating in the Olympic Games. He was instrumental in advocating the rights of amateur athletes in the USA. His big goal was the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, where he wanted to win the 5000 m this time.

Steve Prefontaine died on May 30, 1975 at the age of 24 in a car accident.

Dedications

Film adaptations

Prefontaine's life has been filmed twice. In 1997 he was portrayed by Jared Leto in "Prefontaine," and in 1998 Billy Crudup starred in "Without Limits ."

Personal best

  • 1500 meters - 3: 38.1
  • 1 mile - 3: 54.6
  • 2000 meters - 5: 01.4
  • 3000 meters - 7: 42.6
  • 3 miles - 12: 51.4
  • 5000 meters - 13: 21.87
  • 10,000 meters - 27: 43.6

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The bizarre inspiration behind Nike's first pair of running shoes (July 6, 2015)
  2. ↑ 5 Quotes to Remember the Late Steve Prefontaine By (English article on the philosophy of Steve Prefontaine)
personal data
SURNAME Prefontaine, Steve
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Prefontaine, Steve Roland
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American athlete
DATE OF BIRTH January 25, 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH Coos Bay , Oregon
DATE OF DEATH May 30, 1975
Place of death Eugene , Oregon