Mark Rowland
Encyclopedia
Mark Robert Rowland is a retired British
athlete, who was a bronze medal
list at the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul
.
Rowland came third in the men's Men's 3000m Steeplechase behind the Kenya
n competitors Julius Kariuki
(gold) and Peter Koech
(silver). His time was 8 mins
7.96 second
s, which remains a UK record.
Rowland became the eighth and, thus far, final British athlete to pick up a medal in the steeplechase event at the Olympics. His post-race interview at the track-side was famous for his quote:
Two years later, Rowland was beaten to silver in the sprint finish in the same event at the European Championships
in Split
by the Italian
athlete Francesco Panetta
.
Rowland's career didn't hit such heights again and, after retiring, he became a coach
to many promising young British steeplechasers and was steeplechase and middle-distance coach for UK Athletics
.
He is now training athletes, including British middle-distance runner Jemma Simpson
, in the USA for the Oregon Track Club Elite.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
athlete, who was a bronze medal
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
list at the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
Rowland came third in the men's Men's 3000m Steeplechase behind the Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n competitors Julius Kariuki
Julius Kariuki
Julius Kariuki was the winner of the 3,000 m steeplechase at the 1988 Summer Olympics.Born in Nyahururu, Kenya, Kariuki's athletic career started slowly...
(gold) and Peter Koech
Peter Koech
Peter Koech is a former long-distance runner from Kenya who won a silver medal in the 3,000 meters steeplechase event at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He held the world record in this event for over three years, running 8:05.35 in 1989...
(silver). His time was 8 mins
Minute
A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units...
7.96 second
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
s, which remains a UK record.
Rowland became the eighth and, thus far, final British athlete to pick up a medal in the steeplechase event at the Olympics. His post-race interview at the track-side was famous for his quote:
Two years later, Rowland was beaten to silver in the sprint finish in the same event at the European Championships
European Championships in Athletics
The European Athletics Championships is an event organized by the European Athletic Association. It is organised every four years, the same year as the Commonwealth Games and between the Summer Olympic Games cycle. After the 2010 Championships in Barcelona, the European Championships will take...
in Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
athlete Francesco Panetta
Francesco Panetta
Francesco Panetta is a former Italian long-distance runner, who won several medals at international championships in the 1980s. His greatest achievement was the victory at the World Championships' final over 3000m steeplechase in Rome 1987...
.
Rowland's career didn't hit such heights again and, after retiring, he became a coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
to many promising young British steeplechasers and was steeplechase and middle-distance coach for UK Athletics
UK Athletics
UK Athletics is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as athletes, their development, and athletics officials....
.
He is now training athletes, including British middle-distance runner Jemma Simpson
Jemma Simpson
Jemma Louise Simpson is a Cornish and British athlete who competes in the 800 metres and 1500 metres. She is the current British champion over 800m, winning both 2007, 2009 and 2010 British Championships...
, in the USA for the Oregon Track Club Elite.