Derek Johnson

Derek Johnson ( Derek James Neville Johnson, born January 5, 1933, Chigwell, Essex; † 30 August 2004) was a British middle-distance runner, who specializes in the 800 - meter track, but also in the 4-by- 400 meter relay was successful.

Life

In 1954, he won, starting for England, at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver over 880 yards in 1:50,7 min gold ahead of compatriot Brian Hewson. As a finisher of the English team he won the 4x440 - yard relay team in 3:11,2 another gold medal min. Shortly thereafter, he was at the European Athletics Championships in Bern Fourth than 800 m. In 1:47,4 min the same time has stopped for him as for the third-placed Norwegian Audun Boysen, while the Hungarian Lajos Szentgali won in 1:47,1 min. The British In the 4 x 400 - meter relay came the British quartet with Johnson as the final runners finish first, but was disqualified.

At the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956 Johnson won silver in 1:47,8 min behind the Americans Tom Courtney and above Boysen. The British relay in the occupation of John Salisbury, Michael Wheeler, Peter Higgins and Johnson as the final runners won in 3:07,1 min bronze behind the teams in the United States and Australia.

1957, Johnson his personal best with a British record of 1:46,6 min. In the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958 in Cardiff he won in the 4x440 yards relay in 3:09,61 min silver behind the team from South Africa. At the European Championships in Stockholm Johnson was more than 800 m in 1:49,2 min seventh.

Derek Johnson was 1.76 m tall and weighed 66 kg in siner active time. He studied medicine at Lincoln College, Oxford University. After he had in 1959 to give up his athletic career because of tuberculosis, he was later sports politically active. As a member of the International Athletes Club 1980 he turned vigorously and ultimately successfully against the objectives pursued by the Thatcher government boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.

After a long illness he died in 2004 from leukemia.

Bests

  • 400 meters: 47.7 s, 1958
  • 800 meters: 1:46,6 min, 1957
  • 1500 meters: 3:42,9 min, 1959
  • Mile: 4:05,0 min, 1957
August 30 4 × 400 metres relay 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games 1954 European Athletics Championships Lajos Szentgáli John Salisbury (athlete) Michael Wheeler (athlete) Peter Higgins (athlete) 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games 1958 European Athletics Championships Lincoln College (Oxford) 400 metres Mile run
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