Roger Rochard

Roger Rochard ( born April 20, 1913 in Évreux, † 25 February 1993) was a French long-distance runner. The 1.72 m wide and its competition time 57 kg heavy runners went from 1931 to 1938 a total of 19 times for the French national team in athletics.

At the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles to Rochard qualified for the finals in the 5000 -meter run, but gave up in the finals.

1934 took place the first European Championships in Turin. Rochard won the 5000 -meter final with a new French record of 14:36,8 minutes. He suggested doing dan reigning Olympic champion in the 10,000 -meter run Janusz Kusocinski and its successor Ilmari Salminen, who won silver and bronze. Rochard was thus the only Frenchman who became European Champion in Turin.

At the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 Rochard already retired from the lead. Rochard 1938 reached the final again at the European Championships in Paris, but was only eighth in 14:55,6 minutes.

Rochard was four times French champion over 5000 meters, namely 1931, 1932, 1934 and 1935. Besides his 5000 -meter record of 1934 Rochard presented over 3000 meters three more French country records. On his last record, 1941, he was curiously only second but ran the same time as Raphael Pujazon.

Bests

• 3000 meters: 8:25,7 minutes ( 1941)
• 5000 meters: 14:36,8 minutes ( 1934)