Sydney Wooderson

Sydney Wooderson ( born August 30, 1914 in Camberwell, † December 21, 2006 in Dorset ) was a British athlete who was successful in the years before and after the Second World War on the middle distance.

He ran three world records and was twice European champion. His parade route was the mile - the age of 18, he was the first student, who ran in less than 4:30 minutes.

From 1935 to 1939 he was on the mile five consecutive AAA champion.

The only 1,68 m wide trained paralegal launched for the Blackheath Harriers. His coach was Olympic champion Albert Hill.

Wooderson died on 21 December 2006 in a nursing home in Dorset.

Career

• On August 28, 1937 Wooderson improved in Motspur Park, the three -year-old record of American Glenn Cunningham by 4 tenths of a second and, with 4:06,4 min over 1 mile a world record, which is to have five years of existence.

• At the European Championships in Paris in 1938 Wooderson wins in 3:53,6 min gold over 1,500 m in front of the Belgian Joseph Mostert ( silver in 3:54,5 min ) and the Italian Luigi Beccali (Bronze in 3:55,2 min. ).
• On August 20, 1938 in Motspur Park Wooderson succeed two world records at once: 1:48,4 min over 800 m and
• 1:49,2 min over 880 y ( = 804.672 m).

• On 9 September in Gothenburg Wooderson achieved second behind the Swede Arne Andersson, two British records: 3:48,4 min above 1500 m and 4:04,2 minutes on the mile.

• At the European Championships 1946 in Oslo the now 32 -year-old Wooderson wins in the first 5,000 - meter race of his life at first the gold medal with more than 5 seconds ahead of the Dutchman Willem Slijkhuis. His time of 14:08,6 minutes is the second fastest, which was until then ever run (the British record had been standing at 14:31,6 min).
• At the end of his career interrupted by the war, he wins the AAA Championships in 1946 the title in cross-country running and remains as the first Briton over 3 miles under 15 minutes.