See Ran Quit

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today (Tuesday) to an Olympic champion who was the "Track & Field News Athlete of the Year".

You may know that our birthday athlete competed in two Olympic Games and in a different event at each of those two Games.

At the age of 23, this champion became part of track and field history at a meet in Europe.

Don't concern yourself with the hurdles when thinking about an event for our birthday individual.

Born 69 years ago today, this athlete was 33 years old when accomplishing a major feat in our sport.

Take the ten letters found in our title, rearrange those ten letters, and come up with a one-word clue for our mystery person.

Time to name this birthday champion on this second Tuesday of 2021.

[gmak]

John Walker.

[dukehjsteve]

Darn it gmak, you beat me by 10 minutes as that's my guess too.

[DoubleRBar]

Happy 69th birthday today to John Walker. Very good, gmak. You were close, dukehjsteve.

John Walker ran the 800 and the 1,500 at the Montreal Olympic Games. He didn't make the 800 final, however he did win the Olympic gold medal in the 1,500.

Eight years later in Los Angeles, John Walker placed eighth in the 5,000.

Most of you remember that in August of 1975, Walker became the first person to run the mile under 3:50 when he went 3:49.4 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Ten years later (1985) he became the first person to run 100 sub-four minute miles.

Walker and his wife (Helen) own an equestrian shop in New Zealand on the North Island. I'm not certain if this shop is still open today.

Thank you gmak and dukehjsteve.

[Tuariki]

John's family still operate "Stirrups" equestrian shop in the Newmarket suburb of Auckland. He was a City Councillor for quite a few years but retired from that at last year's elections.

His Parkinson's has steadily gotten worse.

[DoubleRBar]

Thank you, Tuariki.