"Zátopek! Zátopek! Zátopek!"

"The joyous rhythmic cry rang out from tens of thousands of spectators of every nationality in stadiums throughout Europe during the late 1940s and 1950s. Emil Zátopek was a Czech Army officer - from behind the impenetrable Iron Curtain. Yet his wondrous running ability, his cheery personality and his abundantly generous nature swept away all political and geographical barriers as readily as he swept aside the opposition he faced on the track".

Born in Moravia in 1922, Emile Zatopek,  Zátopek became a household name when he won the Olympic gold in the 10,000 metres and silver in the 5,000 meters at Wembley in 1948. Zatopoek would replace legendary Paavo Nurmi as a folk hero, becoming a star in the next three Olympids.

Emile Zatopek arrived at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and surpassed all his previous achievements. In the space of two weeks, Zatopek or the "Engine" as he was universally known, completed arguably the greatest achievement in Olympic history, winning gold medals in the 5000 metres, 10 000 m and the marathon. The Guardian recorded Zatopek's triumph in the 10,000m. "Zatopek retained his Olympic 10,000 metres title here yesterday. It was yet another of his remorseless, almost cruel races, in which he looked ready to give up through exhaustion at any moment and yet ground down his opponents one after another."  Peter Lovesey describes the scene as Zatopek emerges from the tunnel and into a stadium of 70,000 people on his way to gold in the marathon - "He was frowning, dazzled perhaps by the glinting sunlight of early evening as he emerged from the tunnel. On his chest the number 203 proclaimed that its wearer was simply one of several thousand men and women that had come to compete in the Games. The short metallic movements of his legs, devoid of elasticity, spoke of the infernal test to which they had been subjected....Zatopek smiled as he broke the tape,  it was 2 minutes and 31.8 seconds before the second man Gorno crossed the line.

He competed in his third Olymipc Games in Melbourne in 1956, despite a hernia operation only weeks before the games. Alain Mimoun, a silver winner in both the 1948 and 1952 Olympics, finally got his gold, besting his personal nemesis Emil Zatopek. Algerian-born Mimoun first represented France at the 1948 Olympics. In the 10,000m, he finished second behind Emil Zatopek. In 1952, Mimoun again came second in the 10,000m and again it was Zatopek who won. Four days later, Mimoun earned his third silver medal, this time in the 5,000m. The winner? Emil Zatopek. For the 1956 Olympics, Mimoun switched to the marathon...and faced Zatopek in one last race. This time it was Mimoun who surged ahead just before the halfway mark and pulled away to a minute-and-a-half victory. Mimoun waited at the finish line for his old friend Emil Zatopek, who trotted home in sixth place. "Emil," said Mimoun"...It is I who won." Zatopek took off his cap, saluted Mimoun and embraced him. "For me" Mimoun later recalled, "that was better than the medal". Looking back on his Olympic races, Mimoun observed, "I look at my career as a castle: my London silver medal is the foundation; my two Helsinki silver medals are the walls; my gold medal in Melbourne, the roof".

Emile Zatopek broke a multitude of World records, at one stage holding world records at every distance from 5,000 to 30,000 metres, and his Herculean training methods, sometimes running 400 metres 80 times in succession, inspired an entire generation. His commitment and achievements completely changed the face of athletics, and even when he was stripped of his military and civic honours after speaking out against the repressive Czech regime he remained forever a sporting legend in his lifetime. When Zatopek died in a Prague Army hospital on the 20th November 2000, at the age of 78, a host of Olympic heroes travelled from around the globe to honour him at his burial.

His cheery personality and abundantly generous nature is recalled by Australian runner Ron Clarke, himself a prolific record breaker, but never an Olympic champion, after paying a visit to Zatopek in Prague " As he marched me through customs and onto the plane on my way out of Prague, he shook hands and, in so doing, secretly transferred a small package into my grip.  I thought I was smuggling some message to the outside world for him, so did not dare to open the little parcel until the plane was well outside Czechoslovakian territory.  When I opened it up, it was his 1952 Olympic Gold medal.  I thought back to the words he said as he passed it across to me, 'because you deserved it' he said. I do know no-one cherishes any gift more than I do, my only Olympic gold medal, and not because of what it is, but because of the man whose spirit it represents".