 Roger Moens in 1961 | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1930-04-26)26 April 1930 (age 94) Erembodegem,Belgium | |||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||
| Weight | 70 kg (154 lb) | |||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||
| Event(s) | 400 m, 800 m | |||||||||||
| Club | RCB/VS | |||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||
| Personalbest(s) | 400 m – 47.3 (1955) 800 m – 1:45.7 (1955) | |||||||||||
Medal record
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Roger Moens (born 26 April 1930)[1] is aBelgian formermiddle-distance runner. In 1955 he brokeRudolf Harbig's long-standingworld record over800 meters.[2] At the1960 Summer Olympics inRome he won asilver medal in the 800 m.[3]
On 3 August 1955, in theBislett Stadium inOslo, Moens improved Rudolf Harbig's 16-year-old 800-meter world record of 1:46.6, running 1.45.7. He finished two-tenths of a second ahead of NorwegianAudun Boysen, who was also under the previous world record.
Moens' global record would stand for seven years, until it was improved in 1962 by New ZealanderPeter Snell. As a Belgian record it stood for 20 years until broken in 1975 byIvo Van Damme, who ran 1:45.31.
On 8 August 1956, Moens along with his teammates set a world record in the 4 × 800 meter relay with a time of 7.15.8. Yet he did not go to theMelbourne Olympic Games, which took place in November. In training at night on a tennis court, he ran into a pole, injured himself, and, as world record holder and Olympic favorite, was forced to withdraw from the Games.
At theRome Olympic Games in 1960, Moens at the age of 30 felt confident about the 800 meters. Biding his time in the race, Moens followed the pack, waiting to unleash his final sprint in the straightaway. Coming off the final turn and into the straight, Moens moved strongly into the lead and appeared to have the race won but Snell, a complete unknown at the time, passed him on the left shortly before the finish tape. Snell won by inches in 1:46.3 to Moens' 1:46.5. Immediately after the finish Moens threw himself on the grass and stayed there with his head in his hands. Years later, when asked whether the final in Rome still haunted him, he said, "Ah, it makes no sense to look back."[4]
After retiring from competitions Moens served as a sports commentator forVRT; he interviewed his former rival Snell at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. Acriminology graduate he also worked for the Belgian judicial police, eventually becoming a commissioner general.[5]
| Event | Year |
|---|---|
| 400 m | 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957 |
| 800 m | 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961 |
| Event | Time | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 m | 47.3 | 9 October 1955 | Sofia |
| 800 m | 1:45.7 (WR) | 3 August 1955 | Oslo |
| 1500 m | 3:41.4 | 19 June 1960 | Antwerp |
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Men's 800 metres World Record Holder 1955-08-03 – 1962-02-02 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | European Record Holder Men's 800m 3 August 1955 – 6 August 1966 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
