Derek Johnson

Olympic medal record
Men’s Athletics
Competitor for  United Kingdom
Silver	1956 Melbourne	800 metres
Bronze	1956 Melbourne	4x400 metre relay

Derek Johnson (5 January 1933 – 30 August 2004) was a British athlete, who was born in Chigwell, Essex. He did his National Service in Egypt before going up to Lincoln College, Oxford to read medicine in 1953. Whilst at Oxford, he pursued an athletics career and, in the 1954 Empire Games won gold medals both in the 800 m and the 4x400 m relay.

Johnson went on to win a silver medal in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, in the 800 metres. A leading light in the setting up of the "athletes' union", the International Athletes' Club, he led opposition to Margaret Thatcher's call for sportsmen to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

In the 1980s, Derek was a member of the Serpentine Running Club and ran several London Marathons. A great ally of David Bedford and a leading administrator in athletics.

Persondata
Name	Johnson, Derek
Alternative names
Short description	British athlete
Date of birth	5 January 1933
Place of birth
Date of death	30 August 2004
Place of death