Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa

Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa (born 30 April 1943) is a retired Malagasy athlete who specialized in the 100 metres.

At the 1964 Summer Olympics he was knocked out in the heats in both 100 and 200 metres. [ [http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/srathm1.html#1964 Athletics - Men's 100 m, 1964] - Full Olympians] [ [http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/srathm2.html#1964 Athletics - Men's 200 m, 1964] - Full Olympians]

At the 1968 Summer Olympics he was again knocked out in the heats of the 200 m, but reached the 100 metres final and placed eighth. [ [http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/srathm1.html#1968 Athletics - Men's 100 m, 1968] - Full Olympians] [ [http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/srathm2.html#1968 Athletics - Men's 200 m, 1968] - Full Olympians] At these Games he also set his career best time of 10.18 seconds in a tail wind of 2.0 m/s. This is the current Malagasy record. [ [http://www.athlerecords.net/Records/AFRIQUE/PLEINAIR/RECMAD.txt Malagasy athletics records] ]

At the 1972 Summer Olympics he reached the semi-final of the 100 metres and was knocked out in the heats with the Madagascar 4 x 100 metres relay team. [ [http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/srathm1.html#1972 Athletics - Men's 100 m, 1972] - Full Olympians] [ [http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/ssathmr1.html#1972 Athletics - Men's 4 x 100 m relay, 1972] - Full Olympians]

His main claim to fame, however, at least in Australia, is his status as the first of only two men to date to have won the Stawell Gift, the country's most prestigious professional race, running off the scratch mark, doing so in 1975. The race is run over 120 metres, but entrants are handicapped according to their competitive form, and most start at a mark a few metres ahead of the start line.

References

* [http://cgi2.westmont.edu/blogs/athletics/hall-of-fame/#Ravelomanantsoa Hall of Fame] at Westmont College