- Mark Rowland
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Mark Rowland Personal information Born March 7, 1963 Medal recordMen's Athletics Competitor for Great Britain Olympic Games Bronze 1988 Seoul 3000m Steeplechase European Championships Silver 1990 Split 3000 m steeplechase Mark Robert Rowland (born March 7, 1963 in Watersfield, West Sussex, England) is a retired British athlete, who was a bronze medallist at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
Rowland came third in the men's Men's 3000m Steeplechase behind the Kenyan competitors Julius Kariuki (gold) and Peter Koech (silver). His time was 8 mins 7.96 seconds, 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:[cite this quote]
“ I just kept telling myself to dig, dig, dig—and I did it! I've got a bloody medal! ” 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.[1]
References
- ^ Laggner, Kyle (December 15, 2008). "Former Olympian to coach Oregon Track Club Elite". OregonLive.com. http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2008/12/former_olympian_to_coach_orego.html. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
Categories:- 1963 births
- Living people
- English athletes
- People from Watersfield
- Olympic athletes of Great Britain
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Olympic bronze medalists for Great Britain
- Olympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
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