Sydney Maree

Sydney Maree ( born September 9, 1956 in Atteridgeville, Gauteng, South Africa ) is a former American middle and long distance runners of South African origin.

Life

Maree, who was classified as Coloured under the apartheid system, grew up in a township. He received his mother 's maiden name, as his father was sought as a member of the ANC Youth League by the security police. In high school, his running talent was recognized, and in 1976 he remained in his first race over a mile with 3:57,9 min under the magic four-minute limit. A year later, he funded the newspaper The Citizen, a trip to the U.S. ( Maree had no idea that the money for it, as it turned out later in the Mulder gate affair, in reality, by the South African government came who wanted to improve their image ). Maree was a college entrance test and took from Villanova University offering a sports scholarship at.

His athletic progress soon led to political complications, there were excluded because of the sports boycott of South Africans of international competitions. The end of 1980, he married the U.S. citizen Lisa Rhoden ( from the marriage that ended in divorce in 2004, five children ). Since Maree has now promised to become U.S. citizens in the near future, the IAAF freed in early 1981 to start it from the sanctions and let him under the U.S. flag. On September 9, he presented with 3:48,83 min on a U.S. record for the mile; Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett only had previously been faster. Shortly thereafter, he was victorious at the premiere of First Avenue Mile, a road run over a mile, min in 3:47,52. Until today, this time is the event record. In 1982, he ran with 3:32,12 min Weltjahresbestzeit above 1,500 meters.

While he did not it past at the World Athletics Championships 1983 in Helsinki over the semi-finals of the 1500 -meter run, him two weeks later succeeded on 28 August at the ASV - sports festival in Cologne with 3:31,24 min a world record over this distance.

In 1984, he received U.S. citizenship and qualified for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, but renounced because of an injury to a start.

In 1985, he delivered himself on 27 July at the Bislett Games in the 5000m a thrilling duel with Saïd Aouita in which the Moroccans finally with the world record of 13:00,40 min triumphed and Maree than then third fastest man at the distance of 13: 01.15 min a U.S. record aufstellte, which was broken in 1996 by Bob Kennedy. On August 25, Maree broke then as the third runner Steve Cram and Saïd Aouita the 3:30 minute mark for the 1500 m; this U.S. record of 3:29,77 min was improved in 2006 by Bernard Lagat.

Although he still occupied top positions in the annual world leaderboards, a medal success at major sporting events was denied. At the 1987 World Championships in Rome, he finished in eleventh place and at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul in fifth over 5000 meters. At the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Budapest in 1989, he went over 1500 m immediately after the start of the lead and fell to the last 100 meters back to fourth place. Competitions such as this earned him the reputation of a poor tactician; in 1984 had Steve Cram, asked about the prospects of his U.S. opponents for the Olympic Games, replied: " One out of seven races succeed him, but maybe he 'll get lucky. "

1991 Maree ended his sports career and began to work for the investment firm Fleming Martin. In 1995 he moved back to South Africa where he continued working as a businessman. As head of the National Empowerment Fund, he was accused in 2004 of fraud and (five on probation ) sentenced in 2008 to a prison term of ten years. Maree, who maintains his innocence, has appealed against the verdict.

Personal Best

• Hall: 3:52,40 min, February 9, 1985, East Rutherford

• Hall: 7:45,90 min, February 27, 1990, Seville

• Hall: 13:38,3 min, February 6, 1981, New York City