Athletics Australia mourns the passing of John Landy AC MBE.

Australian athletics has lost one of its trailblazers, following the passing on 24 February of John Landy AC MBE.

Landy was one of the first great Australian distance runners and became only the second man in the world to break the four-minute barrier for the mile. He held the world records for the 1500m and the mile, and won Olympic bronze in 1956 in the 1500m, and Commonwealth Games silver in 1954 Commonwealth Games for the mile.  

Outside of athletics, the Athletics Australia Hall of Famer was also the 26th Governor of Victoria from 2001 to 2006.

Athletics Australia President Jan Swinhoe said Landy’s contribution to Australian athletics was immeasurable and his loss will be deeply mourned by both the athletics community and the wider Australian community alike.

“We are incredibly saddened to learn of John’s passing and our sincere condolences are with Lynne, Alison and Matt, as well as the many people within the athletics community who were touched by John’s talent and humility,” Swinhoe said.

“John knew what it took to excel at the highest level, and his determination to reach new heights has inspired generations of Australian distance runners. His athleticism was only matched by his sportsmanship and his service to others, and those qualities have allowed him to leave behind a powerful legacy.”

Landy is most famously remembered in Australia for his performance in the 1500m final at the 1956 Australian Track and Field Championships. Both his talent and sportsmanship came into play, when during the mile event, a number of athletes fell in the third lap, with junior 1500m world record-holder Ron Clarke among them. Landy stopped to check if Clarke was uninjured, and after a moment, decided to chase down the leaders to win the event.

It was a testament to his athletic prowess that he won the race in a time of 4:04.2. His win is often considered one of the greatest moments in Australian sporting folklore and was voted the Finest Sporting Moment of the century at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Gala in 1999.

Landy’s success was recognised through the awarding of a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to amateur athletics, and in 2001, he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for service to research and development, increasing public awareness and for support of community and sporting activities.

Following his service as the Governor of Victoria, he was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) as Governor of Victoria during The Queen’s visit to Australia.

By Sascha Ryner and Brian Roe, Athletics Australia
Posted: 26/2/2022