Gunnar Nielsen (athlete)

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Gunnar Nielsen
Medal record
Men's
athletics
Representing  Denmark
European Championships
Silver medal – second place
1954 Bern
 1500 m

Niels Gunnar Nielsen (25 March 1928 – 29 May 1985) was a

middle distance runner who equalled the world record over both 880 yards and 1500 metres.[1][2] He represented the Østerbro-based club Københavns Idræts Forening throughout his career.[3]

Friidrett, Bislet - L0020 342Fo30141605030038.jpg
Audun Boysen, Gunnar Nielsen and László Tábori in Oslo, 1955

Nielsen participated in three major championships - two Olympic Games and one European Championships. He made his international breakthrough at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, where he finished fourth in the 800 metres - finishing with exactly the same time, 1:49.7, as the bronze medal winner, Heinz Ulzheimer.[4] At the 1954 European Championships in Bern, Nielsen set a new Danish record of 3:44.4 in the final of the 1500 metres, in which he finished second behind Roger Bannister.[5]

Nielsen was Denmark's greatest male athlete during the 1950s and his ability to draw large crowds meant that he was much in demand by his country's promoters.

Ronnie Delany.[8]

Following his athletic career Nielsen worked as a

Det Berlingske Officin.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Index of Who's Who in Running". runtheplanet.com. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  2. ^ "World Record Progression - 1,500 m. men". www.athletix.org. Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Historie" (in Danish). Københavns Idræts Forening. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  4. ^ "Athletics at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games: Men's 800 metres Final". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  5. ^ "European Championships - Bern 1954". www.athletix.org. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  6. ^
    St. Petersburg Times
    . 29 September 1956. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  7. ^ "Gunnar Nielsen". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  8. ^ "Athletics at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games: Men's 1,500 metres Final". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  9. Berlingske Tidende
    . Retrieved 10 April 2010.
Records
Preceded by Men's 880 yards World Record Holder
30 September 1954 – 26 March 1955 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's 1500 metres World Record Holder
6 September 1955 – 3 August 1956 		Succeeded by
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