Christopher Chataway

Sir Christopher John Chataway ( born January 31, 1931 in Chelsea, London, † January 19, 2014 in the City of Westminster, London ) was a British athlete and politician.

Sporting career

1952 Chataway won his first title when he was AAA champion in the 3- mile run. At the Olympic Games in Helsinki in 1952 he reached the final over 5000 meters. In the last round Chataway took the lead, but was immediately attacked and overtaken by Emil Zatopek and Alain Mimoun, beginning the final stretch crashed Chataway. He picked himself back on it now, but was overtaken in the meantime also by Herbert Schade and Gordon Pirie. Coinciding with Pirie Chataway was fifth in 14:18,0 minutes. His first world record was set Chataway on 1 August 1953 in the mile relay on.

The next world record, was involved in the Chataway, set up his fellow student from Oxford, Roger Bannister. On May 6, 1954 Chataway was one of the pace -setter for Bannister, as this could improve the world record in the mile run at the four-minute limit. Six weeks later, Chataway took pace for the Australian John Landy, as this Bannisters undercutting world record. On July 10, 1954 Chataway set his first world record on a single line, as he corrected the record in the 3- mile run in the final of the AAA Championship on 13:32,2 minutes, but the race was won by Fred Green at equal times. On August 3, 1954 Chataway won the final of the 3 -mile run, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954 in Vancouver before Fred Green, however, remained for three seconds over the world record. On 29 August 1954, the 5000 -meter final of the European Championships took place in Bern. Volodymyr Kuz took the lead early on and undercut with 13:56,6 minutes Zatopeks world record in alone. Chataway and Zatopek could not follow the pace, with over ten seconds behind Chataway won silver before Zatopek. On October 13, 1954 Kuz and Chataway met when compared to other cities London / Moscow at White City Stadium each other. Again ran Kuz from the outset fast pace, but Chataway was always tuned to Kuz. Move undercutting Kuz the 3 -mile world record of Green and Chataway, but in the 5000 -meter target Chataway had a tenth of a second ahead of Kuz and placed in 13:51,6 a new world record. Ten days later, Kuz undercut this world record again. For his successes in 1954 Chataway was honored with the first ever title BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

At the successes of 1954 Chataway was unable to build again. Although he won again in 1955 the AAA title in the 3- mile run, but after he was at the 1956 Olympic Games become weakened by illness only in eleventh over 5000 meters, Chataway ended his athletic career.

World Records

Bests

Life outside of sport

As early as 1955 began Chataway its popularity for a new career: he performed as a first newscaster for Independent Television News front of the camera, the first competitor of the BBC. Chataway joined the Conservative Party and won the 1959 parliamentary seat of North Lewisham. He held this seat until 1966. During his maiden speech in Parliament he spoke out against the fact that the English Cricket team made ​​a tour by the imprinted by apartheid South Africa. For his campaign in World Refugee Year 1960, he was awarded the Nansen Refugee Award.

After being voted out in 1966 Chataway was chairman of the London Education Authority ( Inner London Education Authority ). In May 1969, Chataway was elected to the British House of Commons again in a by-election in Chichester. After Edward Heath in 1970 surprisingly won the parliamentary majority, Chataway became a member of the Cabinet. From June 1970 to April 1972 Chataway was Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. During his tenure, the radio monopoly of the BBC was abolished and the commercial radio approved. After a cabinet reshuffle Chataway was from April 1972 Minister for Industrial Development. When the Conservative Party was voted out in 1974, Chataway left with 43 ​​years of politics.

From 1974 to 1988 he was director of Orion Bank. After that, he held several honorary positions. He was chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority (Civil Aviation Authority ), Chris Brasher assisted in the establishment of the London Marathon, and since 1990 he was chairman of the Commonwealth Games Committee for England. 1995 Chataway was knighted.