 Elliott at the 1960 Olympics | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
Nickname | Herb |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born | Herbert James Elliott (1938-02-25)25 February 1938 (age 87) Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1] |
| Weight | 150 lb (68 kg)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Country | Australia |
| Sport | Middle-distance running |
| Coached by | Percy Cerutty |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Olympic finals | Rome 1960 |
| Personalbests | |
Medal record | |
Herbert James ElliottAC MBE (born 25 February 1938) is a former Australian athlete and arguably the world's greatestmiddle-distance runner of his era. In August 1958 he set theworld record in themile run, clocking 3:54.5, 2.7 seconds under the record held byDerek Ibbotson; later in the month he set the1500 metres world record, running 3:36.0, 2.1 seconds under the record held byStanislav Jungwirth. In the 1500 metres at the1960 Rome Olympics, he won the gold medal and bettered his own world record with a time of 3:35.6.
Herb Elliot never lost a mile run and accomplished 36 wins over this distance.[2] During his career, he brokefour minutes for the mile on 17 occasions.[3]
Elliott retired from athletics soon after the 1960 Olympics, at the age of 22.[4] He made a career in business, and at one time waschairman ofFortescue. He was also chairman of Global Corporate Challenge health initiative.
Elliott was born on 25 February 1938 at Kensington Hospital,Perth,Western Australia, to Herb[a] and Eileen Elliott, née Carmody.[6] He attendedAquinas College, Perth, where he was Head Prefect in the Class of 1955. The intense sporting culture at Aquinas provided an ideal grounding for Elliott to reach the highest levels of athletic achievement.
On 6 August 1958, Elliott set a newworld record for the mile (3:54.5) atMorton Stadium inDublin. Later that month he broke the 1500 metres world record inGothenburg with a time of 3:36.0. His closest Australian rival at the time wasMerv Lincoln.
At the 1958Commonwealth Games inCardiff, Wales, he won gold in the 880 yards and the mile. Two years later, at the1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Elliott won the 1500 m gold medal in world record time (3:35.6), finishing 2.6 seconds ahead of second placedMichel Jazy ofFrance.
Elliott credited his visionary and iconoclastic coach,Percy Cerutty, with inspiration to train harder and more naturally than anyone of his era. Cerutty was known to avoid the track, talk about role models outside athletics (such asLeonardo da Vinci and Jesus), and bring his athletes to the unspoiled seaside beauty of Portsea training camp south of Melbourne, where Elliott would sprint up sand dunes until he dropped. "Faster", Cerutty would say, "it's only pain."
Elliott originally studied at theUniversity of Melbourne, where he was funded by aShell Australia university scholarship.[7] After winning in Rome in 1960, he started a further degree course in natural sciences at theUniversity of Cambridge, having been awarded another scholarship by Shell at the behest ofLewis Luxton, an Australian executive at the company who had rowed for Cambridge in the1932 Boat Race.[8] Elliott matriculated atJesus College, Cambridge, and received athird class in Part I of the natural sciencestripos in 1963.[9] He retired from athletics after running the half-mile in the 1962 University vAAA match.[1][10] During his years at Cambridge Elliott lived outside of college, residing with his family in a house inFulbourn,Cambridgeshire.[10][11]
Elliott served as the CEO ofPuma North America and between 2001 and 2006 as a board member atAnsell.[1] From May 2005, he served as deputy chairman ofFortescue Metals Group, the world's fifth largest iron ore miner by capacity, and was the non-executive chairman of the firm from March 2007.[12][13] On 18 August 2011, Elliott was expected to move from chairman to deputy chairman, handing over the role of chairman toAndrew Forrest.[14]
Elliott was one of theOlympic Torch bearers at the opening ceremony of the2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and entered the stadium for the final segment before the lighting of theOlympic Flame.[15]
On 2 May 1959, Elliott married Anne Dudley, a hairdresser fromPerth. They have six children.[16][17]
Elliott carried the torch of peace to theMCG whenPope John Paul II visitedMelbourne in 1986.[18]
His career inspired the 1962 Australian television playThe Runner written byAlan Seymour.
In the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 1964, he was appointed a Member of theOrder of the British Empire (MBE). In the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2002, he was appointed a Companion of theOrder of Australia (AC), to wit:
For service to community leadership through the development of sport in Australia, continuing involvement in the Olympic movement at national and international levels, and as a supporter and benefactor of community and charitable organisations for youth, health promotion and cultural understanding.
He is anAustralian Living Treasure.[citation needed]
He was inducted into theSport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985.[4]
Fortescue Metals Group named a new port at Point Anderson (nearPort Hedland,Western Australia) for him.[19]
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Men's 1500 m World Record Holder 28 August 1958 – 8 July 1967 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Men's Mile World Record Holder 6 August 1958 – 27 January 1962 | Succeeded by |
|
Commonwealth Games champions in men's800 metres | |
|---|---|
| 880 yards (1930–1966) | |
| 800 metres (1970–present) |
|
Commonwealth Games champions in men's1500 metres | |
|---|---|
| 1 mile (1930–1966) | |
| 1500 metres (1970–present) |
|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
