A Breathtaking finish between Emil Zátopek and Gaston Reiff in the 5,000m - London 1948 Olympics

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Classic highlights as of the incredible finish between Emil Zátopek and Gaston Reiff in the men's 5,000m at the London 1948 Olympic Games.
In the final of the 5,000m. Trailing by 50m at the start of the final lap, he closed the gap with a stunning sprint finish. But he had to settle for silver finishing just 1.5 metres behind the victor, Gaston Etienne Reiff of Belgium.
Zátopek had a distinctive running style. He would pant and wheeze and would look visibly shattered during a race. This led to him being nicknamed "The Locomotive". When asked about his rather inelegant looking style, he replied: "This isn't gymnastics or ice skating, you know."
Emil Zátopek is the only runner to win the 5,000m, the 10,000m and the marathon at the same Olympic Games at Helsinki 1952. He went undefeated in his first 38 races over 10,000m from 1948 through to 1954, and is recognised as one the greatest runners of all time.
Find more about Emil Zátopek: www.olympic.org/emil-zatopek
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[@blackdog6055]

Colour footage from 1948, very impressive. Can you imagine todays athletes running 5K in mud for an Olympic title. Zat-o-pek, Zat-o-pek, Zat-o-pek.

[@comeacross9]

I recall reading years ago that Zatopek's fans would chant his name in time with his pace. They would step up the chant to aid his finishing kick. It might be legend but it is interesting.

[@tundetheepic8631]

comeacross9 Agreeing with you

[@izabelaurbanova9193]

Our czech hero we miss you bro💘🇨🇿náš český hrdina chybíš nám brácho

[@johncampbell463]

God opened up a door that spend 6 hrs with Emil at his house in Prague in 1990. Such a gracious man who shared freely with me. Took many pictures of him one even running. I praise God!

[@gopher3737]

Great to see Zatopek run, one of the greatest distance runners of all time.

[@mtgne5351]

Emil Zátopek is a hero of my country Czech Republic.

[@kingwilson06ad]

Kudos to whoever edited this clip to make it look so crisp. Thanks!

[@babiskornezos4866]

Results: 1. Gaston Reiff (BEL) 14'.17''.6 Olympic Record 2. Emil Zatopek (TCH) 14'.17''.8 3. Willem Slijkhuis (NED) 14'.26''.8 4. Erik Ahlden (SWE) 14'.28''.6 5. Bertil Albertsson (SWE) 14'.39''.0 6. Curtis Stone (USA) 14'.39''.4 7. Vaino Koskela (FIN) 14'.41''.0 8. Vaino Makela (FIN) 14'.43''.0

[@opusdei1545]

Little did they know 4 years later.

[@jimmmy1941]

My hero, the great Zatopek.

[@raphaelledeutsch6159]

Gaston Reiff (and not gaston reiff, please, respect the capital letters), a legend of the Belgian athletics !

[@gakaface]

Incredible resolution film and digitisation. If only all great archive footage could be done to this standard. Great piece featuring Zatopek.

[@bachmannstudios860]

my favorite Czech olympiad!

[@tundetheepic8631]

heheheh

[@venedig893]

thanks for these. I am inspired to show these to my students!

[@rebbulldesertduke]

Hands down the most extraordinary runner of all time.

[@gastonlopez8547]

ÙNICO!!! Correr con llúvia es maravilloso!!

[@lease2coach1]

Thanks, thanks! Outstanding quality.

[@lease2coach170]

*This is badly MISTITLED. This is about the **_5,000_** meters and not about the **_10,000_**, which Zatopek had won in commanding fashion earlier in these 1948 London Olympic Games.*

[@lease2coach170]

Thanks for having corrected the title!

[@gabrielfriedel4754]

What a footage!

[@dooshunv.7429]

Just amazing !

[@pyrrusoverwinning]

まさかこんな映像が見られるなんて。感激！

[@raphaelledeutsch6159]

And this was the 5.000 m race. Zatopek won the 10.000 m, indeed.

[@International1ify]

No no the title is correct. This occurred in an alternate universe where Gaston Reiff and Zatopek switched places.

[@MilanBroz]

:-D

[@oneputtsteven]

The Title is completely messed up. Zatopek's amazing triple was in 1952, not 1948 and this is the 5000M from 1948 not the 10,000M in 1952

[@englishman1960]

it does say the 10000m from 1948 though even though the clip is from the 5000m of that year

[@ronaldparker6726]

💀Madame butterfly

[@linglingjr]

Is thid super edited and remastered? It looks amazing.

[@leomurillo9381]

Zapotek was not very talented but for sure the most determined and psychological strong runner in history. What he developed (modern day training-e.g. 50 X 400's in approximately 65-70 each with resting 15 to 20 seconds in army boots-runs in the forest every single day) and did during those training sessions (for years) made him accomplish things that were unthinkable then and even today.

[@jonglewongle3438]

He had that bit of starch. I don't that that he ever did, but he was quite well capable of, run the 16 miles to the next village in time for the fete, and someone goes, " What ? Nah. Give us five and we'll run over you there by auto. ", and he replies, " Nah, I'll do it anyway. I'll be there in well under 2 short hours. ".

[@user-de4pj2by7f]

Добиваться успехов позволяют природные данные Тренировки позволяют набирать соревновательный тонус и не более того Не понятно как он не угробил свое здоровье таким числом повторений Если это не дезинформация

[@andreagaribaldi1966]

Ho conosciuto personalmente Wim Slijkhuis a metà anni '90; veniva in vacanza nel campeggio dove ho lavorato per alcuni anni, a Cervo Ligure; una persona semplice e modesta.

[@skiddo1243]

What a guy.

[@AlexCheng42]

now that, fellas, is how and why you finish strong.

[@facundozuniga]

Un genio Zatopek

[@ObscureAuteur]

Great footage and in colour! (as they write in London). Good clear compression on the upload video, not pixelated and grainy beyond recognition like so many. Unfortunately, it is Gaston Rieff (also balding to confuse matters) winning the race barely holding off Zatopek's late charge as they lap what appears to be a Finn. probably Helge Perälä.

[@mnottri1041]

»Vogel fliegt, Fisch schwimmt, Mensch läuft« Emil Zátopek "Bird flies, fish swims, Human runs"

[@silvanofraga6476]

Melhor de todos os tempos

[@ivansanders8459]

Cinder tracks were rarely that messy. I've never before seen track runners with such filthy uniforms.

[@222mozart]

Sunday, August, 2nd 1 Gaston Reiff BEL 14:17,6 OR 2 Emil Zátopek TCH 14:17,8 3 Willem Slijkhuis NED 14:26,8 4 Erik Ahldén SWE 14:28,6 5 Bertil Albertsson SWE 14:39,0 6 Curtis Stone USA 14:39,4 7 Väinö Koskela FIN 14:41,0 8 Väinö Mäkelä FIN 14:43,0

[@raffaojeda]

This video is not from the title!!

[@ObscureAuteur]

The uploader should edit his title to reflect the actual outcome of the race.

[@mariowildner5874]

In Krasna Lipa is a brewery that named a fine tasting light beer after Emil Zatopek. Falkenštejn Brewery🍺🇨🇿

[@stephanweaver1960]

Color!

[@222mozart]

great old testamenticly

[@stephanweaver1960]

Love running in the mud usually, but not when I'm in the Olympics (-:

[@thomhill7540]

0:27 nice hat

[@turniptod12]

It is almost hard to believe that this video is from the 1950's!

[@KF-cx8bm]

It clearly says in the title 1948, so not the 50,s

[@alevit3442]

Nejrychlejší čech😀

[@emildegra9423]

Bol Moravak ty blbečku...

[@CowCommander1]

It looks way newer! This camera must of been expensive!!!

[@roblee1909]

...must HAVE been.....

[@CowCommander1]

@@roblee1909 Dude this comment is literally almost a decade old what the heck? lol

[@simonhindley65]

I bet Rob Lee us fun at parties.

[@Watkinsstudio]

Showing a running event in slow-motion is a bad idea. Smh.

[@lakycz2435]

Yes I'm from Czechia

[@jby8768]

Reiff 14mn 17 s 6 Zatopek 14mn 17s 8 Slijkhuis 14mn 26 s 8....... Zatopek "Le terrassier de Prague". Quelle course.

[@stevelafler]

Zatopek finishes 2nd in this1948 Olympic 5000 meter race for the silver medal. That is Gaston Reiff of Belgium taking the gold. Emil later took the 5000 gold in Helsinki in 1952.

[@doposud]

actualy 3 gold medals in 1952 -one from marathon which he ran for the first time , and his wife Dana won gold in Javelin throw at same olympic games

[@avdreader1]

Mine too.

[@qq331002556]

i like

[@zsuzsapfeffernevolgyi9169]

Igen, volt ilyen is.Mindenért küzdeni kellett, nem is kicsit.

[@avdreader1]

Zatopek discribed his strategy in this race as "very very stupid."

[@green_harp]

but latter in 1952 he got 3 Gold medals (besides the gold medal in 10 000 m in London 1948) and made Greater achievement than Gaston Reiff who still got just this gold medal in all life

[@user-jo3gy2ff9s]

Бег в грязи. Неужели в 1948 году нельзя было технологичней дорожку сделать?

[@jamesball5743]

Zatopek is a legend wow. This footage is stunning. But sad to see an Olympics without black athletes.

[@TheLutrien]

There were black athletes in other disciplines. They won gold medals in the 100m, 400m, 800m and long jump. In the long distances, Ethiopia and Kenya had not yet emerged.

[@jeanmariebasset2544]

>Zatopek,un nom qui sonne bien et que l'on retiens

[@tundetheepic8631]

Zaropek!

[@tundetheepic8631]

whoops wrong spelling

[@reinismartinsons]

Zatopek looks like an upgraded version of Danny DeVito

[@saminieminen4871]

It´s not Zatopek, it´s Gaston Reiff who wins the race.

[@willtheprodigy3819]

Why is some black and white and some color?

[@HamzaKhan-yb6ev]

Lol

[@jakubjanik5901]

Czech forest gump

[@javiervegaluna5217]

¿Que chocho le abran puesto?

[@matthewcrook4663]

Ummm...Zatopek didn't win!!

[@athleticscoach2012]

The uploader of this know nothing about athletics history and has not even bothered watch their own video and see or listen to who actually won the race.

[@carloseduardovalim]

I believe it is the European Championship, before the Olympic Games.... maybe 1946

[@lease2coach170]

Nope, OG 5,000 metres of 1948.

[@reinismartinsons]

Why is Danny Devito here

[@eddie4324]

Probably the last steroid free Olympics. By 52 the Soviet weightlifters were using gear, with the USA soon following.

[@zeroceiling]

My father went to athletic trainer school and his teacher was non other then..Emil.. After 1968...whet the Prague Spring was crushed and Zatopek ..having signed a Charter of human rights, The communist government created a new job for him....he became a garbage collector for a number of years.

[@fanuelafela8152]

Cross country in stadium

[@nickbamber268]

hopeless editing

[@jacure123]

At least we know a white guy will win.lol

[@bazs6472]

Amazing, however, all the runners are white - where are the Africans?

[@simonhindley65]

Yet to achieve independence.

[@saminieminen4871]

Black athletes won many gold medals in those games. Arthur Wint, JAM 400m, Harrison Dillard, USA 100m, Mal Whitfield, USA 800m, Willie Steele, USA long jump.

[@roustabout4fun]

I am grateful for the spirit that moves US! An extremely amazing competitor. 🤎😸