Thierry Toutain

Thierry Toutain (born February 14, 1962 in Fourmies ) is a former French athlete . In 1996, the 1.82 m tall and 75 kg heavy Toutain set the world record in 50,000-meter track walking.

Career

Toutain won its first French championship title on the 50 km route in 1988 . In the same year he took part in the Olympic Games in Seoul over 20 km and finished 18th there after 1:22:55 hours.

In 1989 he won his first championship title on the 20 km course, which he defended in 1990 and 1991. In 1990 at the European Championships in Split he went 1:23:22 hours and received bronze behind the Slovaks Pavol Blažek and the Czechoslovakia Spaniard Daniel Plaza . At the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo , he achieved the best World Cup result of his career: after 1:21:22 hours, he finished ninth and was exactly one minute behind bronze.

At the European Championships in Helsinki in 1994 , Toutain competed over 50 km. At the finish he was more than two and a half minutes behind the Russian winner Valeri Spizyn . Toutain fought a duel for silver with the Italian Giovanni Perricelli up to the finish line, after 3:43:52 hours Toutain had three seconds ahead of Perricelli at the finish.

His last top placement at a major international event reached Toutain at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta when he finished tenth after 1:21:56 hours. After Toutain had already set a European record in the 50,000 meter track walking in 1994, which René Piller had then undercut with a world record, he in turn improved the world record of his compatriot on September 29, 1996 in Héricourt to the record of 3:40:57, which is still valid today Hours. (As of 2007)

Championship title

• 20 km walking: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996
• 50 km walking: 1988, 1993, 1996, 1997

Best times

• 20 km walking: 1:20:43 hours (1997)
• 50,000 m walking: 3:40:57 hours (1996)

literature

• Peter Matthews (ed): Athletics 1999 . Surbiton 1999 ISBN 1899807-047

Web links

• Thierry Toutain in the database of World Athletics (English)