István Rózsavölgyi

István Rózsavölgyi [ iʃtva ː ro ː n ʒɒvølɟi ] ( born March 30, 1929 in Budapest, † 27 January 2012) was a Hungarian athlete. The middle-distance runner presented on three individual world records and four relay world records. In 1960 he won the Olympic bronze medal in the 1500 meter race.

Career

Mid-1950s, managed to medium-haul numerous Hungarian athletes breakthrough to the top. Most of them trained under Mihály Igloi at Honvéd Budapest. The first world record set maintained by the Igloi runner on 23 September 1953 in the 4- times -1500- meter relay. The European Athletics Championships 1954 in Bern Rózsavölgyi already retired from the lead.

On 28 July 1955 international match between Finland and Hungary took place in Helsinki. On the 1500 -meter stretch of the Hungarian Sándor Iharos beat the existing world record of the Australian John Landy by one second at 3:40,8 minutes Rózsavölgyi was in this run in 3:42,8 minutes in second. On September 5, the world record from Hungary László Tábori and by the Dane Gunnar Nielsen has been set. From mid-September 1955, the Hungarian runners met for the purposes of training and competitions to simulate the extended season in 1956 with the Olympic Games in November. In this phase Rózsavölgyi set three world records on non-Olympic distances, one of them with the 4 × 1500 - meter relay.

On August 3rd 1956, he improved in Tata existing world record over 1500 meters at 3:40,6 minutes, second in this race was László Sándor Tábori before Rozsnyói. Shortly before the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne the Hungarian national uprising was crushed. The Hungarian runners were in Melbourne physically not in top form and attacked mentally. Nevertheless, Sándor József Kovács Rosznyói and won two silver medals, László Tábori was fourth over 1500 meters. Rózsavölgyi, however, was far from his form and was eliminated in the run- off. After the games, Mihály Igloi not returned with some runners his training group back to Hungary. Rózsavölgyi drew it as a family man from Melbourne immediately back to Budapest, Iharos came later, Igloi and Tábori remained in the United States.

After a weak 1957, in which he lost his 1500 -meter world record, Rózsavölgyi came back in 1958. At the European Championships 1958 in Stockholm, the Finn Olavi Vuorisalo won the first and fastest forward in 3:40,8 minutes before the Briton Brian Hewson and Rózsavölgyi. The second heat was won by the Irish Olympic champion Ron Delany, the Swede Dan Waern prevailed in the third lead. In the final on 24 August Waern made ​​for a fairly high pace and the beginning of the last lap, he sat down with Vuorisalo easily from the field, Rózsavölgyi led to the rest of the field and made sure that the two leaders could not solve crucial. On the home stretch Waern kept his pace, Vuorisalo could not follow from the field and sprinted Hewson and Delany forward. Hewson ultimately won before Waern and Delany, Rózsavölgyi was in 3:42,7 minutes fourth ahead Vuorisola.

1959 undercutting Rózsavölgyi first time the mark of 3:40 on the 1500 meter course, with 3:38,9 minutes he led the annual world leaderboard. However, the Australian world record holder Herb Elliott in 1959 did not start on the metric distance, but only in the mile race.

At the Olympic Games 1960, the unbeaten Herb Elliott was the clear favorite. He won the first heat safe from Rózsavölgyi. The second heat was won by Frenchman Michel Bernard. In the third preliminary Dan Waern prevailed ahead of Frenchman Michel Jazy. In the final on September 6, 1960 Bernard and Waern ensured a high pace and led to the 800 -meter mark. Then Elliott took the lead and set out clearly from the rest of the field. In the world record time of 3:35,6 minutes he had about 20 meters ahead of Michel Jazy at the finish. Another five meters behind Rózsavölgyi won bronze in 3:39,2 minutes.

1960 Rózsavölgyis was last year in the world rankings. After the 1962 season, he finished his career.

At a height of 1.77 m his competition weight was 58 kg.

World Records

• September 23, 1953 in Budapest: 4 × 1500 meters in 15:29,2 minutes by Sándor Garay, Ernő Béres, Istvan Rózsavölgyi, Sándor Iharos
• July 14, 1954 in Budapest: 4 × 1500 meters in 15:21,2 minutes by László Tábori, Istvan Rózsavölgyi, Ferenc Mikes, Sándor Iharos
• September 21, 1955 in Tata: 1000 meters in 2:19,0 minutes
• September 29, 1955 in Budapest: 4 × 1500 meters in 15:14,8 minutes by Ferenc Mikes, László Tábori, István Rózsavölgyi, Sándor Iharos
• October 2, 1955 in Budapest: 2000 meters in 5:02,2 minutes
• August 3, 1956 in Tata: 1500 meters in 3:40,6 minutes
• September 29, 1959 in Budapest: 4 × 1 mile in 16:25,2 minutes by Lajos Kovács, Béla Szekeres, Sándor Iharos, István Rózsavölgyi

Bests

• 800 m: 1:48,4 min
• 1000 m: 2:19,0 min, 1955
• 1500 m: 3:38,8 min, 1960
• 1 miles: 3:59,0 min,
• 2000 m: 5:05,2 min, 1955
• 3000 m: 7:53,4 min, 1956
• 5000 m: 13:59,8 min, 1961