John Whetton
Encyclopedia
John Whetton is a retired British athlete. He is best noted for winning gold in the 1500 metres
at the 1969 European Athletics Championships and reaching the 1500 metre final in both the 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics.
held at Porto Alegre
, Brazil. In 1964 Whetton qualified to represent Great Britain at the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, and was one of three British competitors who ran the 1500 metres; the other two being William McKim and fellow Harriers club-mate Alan Simpson. Whetton qualified through the first heat, coming third with a time of 3:44.2. He and Simpson both qualified to the semi-finals and then the finals, with Whetton taking the final slot as the fastest non-qualifying athlete. In the final Whetton finished eighth out of nine, recording a time of 2:42.4, while Simpson ended fourth.
In 1966 Whetton participated in the European Indoor Games
taking his first major gold medal when he won the race by nearly three seconds over second placed Oleg Rayko. Whetton managed to retain the European Indoor title over the next two years, at Prague
and Madrid
. In 1968 Whetton again represented Great Britain in the Olympics, and again qualified for the final. In the final Whetton finished fifth, though a full four seconds outside the medal places. His final major medal came in the 1969 European Athletics Championships when he won the 1500 metres in Athens. In a close final Whetton beat Ireland's Francis Murphy to take the gold.
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
at the 1969 European Athletics Championships and reaching the 1500 metre final in both the 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics.
Athletics career
Whetton ran amateur athletics for local club Sutton-in-Ashfield Harriers. One of Whetton's first titles was the gold in 1500 metres at the 1963 Summer Universiade1963 Summer Universiade
The 1963 Summer Universiade, also known as the III Summer Universiade, took place in Porto Alegre, Brazil.-Medal table:-Sports at the 1963 Summer Universiade:*Athletics*Basketball*Diving*Fencing*Gymnastics*Swimming*Tennis*Volleyball*Water polo...
held at Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
, Brazil. In 1964 Whetton qualified to represent Great Britain at the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, and was one of three British competitors who ran the 1500 metres; the other two being William McKim and fellow Harriers club-mate Alan Simpson. Whetton qualified through the first heat, coming third with a time of 3:44.2. He and Simpson both qualified to the semi-finals and then the finals, with Whetton taking the final slot as the fastest non-qualifying athlete. In the final Whetton finished eighth out of nine, recording a time of 2:42.4, while Simpson ended fourth.
In 1966 Whetton participated in the European Indoor Games
1966 European Indoor Games
The 1966 European Indoor Games were the very first edition of what later became the European Athletics Indoor Championships. These games were held in 1966 at Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, a city of West Germany.- Track :- Field :- Medal table :...
taking his first major gold medal when he won the race by nearly three seconds over second placed Oleg Rayko. Whetton managed to retain the European Indoor title over the next two years, at Prague
1967 European Indoor Games
The 2nd European Indoor Games were held at Sportovní hala, Prague, Czechoslovakia from 11 march to 12 march 1977.-Track:-Field:-Medal table:- External links :* on the website of Maik Richter* at gbrathletics* at gbrathletics...
and Madrid
1968 European Indoor Games
The 3rd European Indoor Games were held in 1968 at Palacio de Deportes, Madrid, the capital of Spain.-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com* at GBRathletics.com...
. In 1968 Whetton again represented Great Britain in the Olympics, and again qualified for the final. In the final Whetton finished fifth, though a full four seconds outside the medal places. His final major medal came in the 1969 European Athletics Championships when he won the 1500 metres in Athens. In a close final Whetton beat Ireland's Francis Murphy to take the gold.