Jack Lovelock

John Edward "Jack" Lovelock Date of Birth: January 5, 1910 Place of Birth: Crushington, New Zealand Date of Death: December 28, 1949 Place of Death: New York Occupation: Physician Remarks: Olympic athletein 1932, 1936

John ("Jack") Edward Lovelock (January 5, 1910 – December 28, 1949) was a New Zealand athlete, and a 1936 Olympic champion.

Born in the town of Crushington (near Reefton) as the son of English immigrants, Lovelock showed a talent for sports while at Timaru Boys' High School. He studied medicine at the University of Otago, while competing for the university team in the New Zealand 1-mile championships. In 1931 he became a Rhodes Scholar at Exeter College, Oxford. He graduated as a medical practitioner.

1934 British Empire Games Gold Medal

In 1932 - by then holder of the British Empire record for the mile - Lovelock competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and was placed 7th in the final.

The following year, he set a new world record in the mile: 4:07.6, and in 1934 he won the gold medal in the mile at the British Empire Games. He lost some races, and he believed that he could only make one supreme effort in a season.

1936 Berlin Olympics Gold Medal

The highlight of Lovelock's career came in 1936, when he won the gold medal in the 1500 m at the Berlin Olympics, setting a new world record in the final (3:47.8). In that race, he beat Glenn Cunningham into second place. Glenn, who also broke the world record in the race, was considered by many to be the greatest American miler of all time.

Later life

In WW II he was in the R.A.M.C. He married Cynthia James in 1945; they had two daughters. In 1946 was appointed to the staff of the Manhattan Hospital, New York. In 1949 he fell under a train of the New York Subway; probably from his dizzy-spells he oftenly had.He was at work one day; he had a dizzy-spell and rang his wife, from work and said he was coming home early because he wasn't feeling to well. he was waiting for the train and collapsed in front of a train and was instantly killed by the on coming train.

Bibliography

*"Lovelock: New Zealand's Olympic gold miler" by Christopher Tobin, Dunedin, 1984
*"Jack Lovelock - Athlete & Doctor" by Dr Graeme Woodfield, Wellington, 2007
*"As If Running on Air: The Journals of Jack Lovelock" edited by David Colquhoun, Wellington 2008

External links

* [http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=4L14 Extensive biography from the Dictionary of New Zealand]
* [http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/L/LovelockJohnEdward/LovelockJohnEdward/en Biography from 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand]
* [http://www.olympic.org.nz/Athletes/AthleteProfile.aspx?Print=&ContactID=885&id=3774 Biography at New Zealand Olympic Committee]
* [http://www.jacklovelock.com Jack Lovelock Athlete & Doctor Latest Biography]
* [http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/jack-lovelock-after-mile-century Jack Lovelock, photo after "Mile of the Century" in 1935]
* [http://www.jacklovelock.co.nz As If Running on Air: The Journals of Jack Lovelock]