John Landy

John Michael Landy Template:Small (12 April 1930 – 24 February 2022) was an Australian middle-distance runner and state governor. He was the second man to break the four-minute mile barrier in the mile run and held the world records for the 1500-metre run and the mile race. He was also the 26th Governor of Victoria from 2001 to 2006.

Family

The son of Clarence Gordon Landy (1900-1970),<ref>Deaths: Landy, The Age, (Tuesday, 6 January 1970), p. 14.</ref> and Elva Katherine Landy (1906-1995), née Ashton,<ref>Marriages: Landy—Ashton, The Argus, (Wednesday, 15 February 1928), p. 1.</ref><ref>Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria Deaths Registration no.11277/1995.</ref> John Michael Landy was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on 12 April 1930.<ref name="commgamesaus">Template:Cite web</ref> He married English journalist Lynne Fisher at Upper Beaconsfield on 30 October 1971.<ref>Wedding Day, but Landy Missing, The Age, (Monday, 1 November 1971), p. 4.</ref><ref>Landy wed at Berwick, , The Age, (Tuesday, 2 November 1971), p. 2.</ref><ref>How Landy wed in secret, The (Sydney) Sun-Herald, (Sunday, 7 November 1971), p. 23.</ref> They had two children.

Education

He attended Malvern Memorial Grammar School and Geelong Grammar School. He was initially more interested in nature, and Australian rules football, though in his final year (1948) won the "Associated Public Schools Mile Championship" in a fierce race that resulted in his victory over P.B. Quin, of Xavier College, who was subsequently disqualified for his interference.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Disqualification in close finish to P.S. Sports, The Sun News-Pictorial, (Monday, 8 November 1948), p. 13.</ref><ref>Three records go in School Sports, The Age, (Monday, 8 November 1948), p.8.</ref>

He graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science in March 1954.<ref>University degrees conferred, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Wednesday, 10 March 1954), p. 9.</ref><ref>Landy gets his degree, The Argus, (Thursday, 11 March 1954), p. 5.</ref><ref>They Received Degrees, The Age, (Thursday, 11 March 1954, p. 5.</ref><ref>Kerville, Ben, "Brains have been Landy's handicap", The (Melbourne) Herald, (Saturday, 1 May 1954), p. 19.</ref>

Athletics

During his school years, Landy enjoyed watching middle-distance track events. He became a serious runner during his university years, joining the Geelong Guild Athletic Club in 1949. He was coached by Percy Cerutty, who trained him to cut his time for running a mile down to 4 minutes, 11 seconds, earning himself a place on the Australian Olympic team at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.<ref>IOC 1956 Summer Olympics. Olympic.org (6 September 2016). Retrieved on 20 September 2017.</ref><ref name=":0" /> While at the Helsinki Olympics, Landy befriended Emil Zatopek, the Czech four-time gold medal-winning runner, who persuaded him to increase the intensity of his training programme. He became faster still.<ref name=":0" />

In March 1954 he was awarded the Helms World Trophy for Australasia for his "athletic prowess".<ref>News of the Day, The Age, (Saturday, 27 March 1954), p. 2.</ref><ref>Landy, Australasia's Best Athlete in 1953: Helms Award, The Age, (Tuesday, 1 December 1953), p. 18.</ref> On 21 June 1954, at an international meet at Turku, Finland, Landy became the second man, after Roger Bannister, to achieve a sub-4-minute mile. He achieved a world record time of 3:57.9, ratified by the IAAF as 3:58.0 owing to the rounding rules then in effect. He held this record for more than three years.<ref name="nyt2022">Template:Cite news</ref>

Roger Bannister

Landy ran his second sub-4-minute mile on August 7, at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, held in Vancouver, British Columbia. He lost the Mile Race to Roger Bannister, who had his best-ever time. This was the first time in history that two men had run a mile in under four minutes in the same race.<ref name=":0" /> This meeting of the world's two fastest milers was alternately called "The Miracle Mile", the "Race of the Century", and the "Dream Race"; it was heard over the radio by 100 million people and seen on television by millions more.<ref>Radio broadcast of the Miracle Mile. The broadcast from an actual radio transcription disc of the time.</ref> On the final turn of the last lap, as Landy looked over his left shoulder, Bannister passed him on the right. A larger-than-life bronze sculpture of the two men at this moment was created by Vancouver sculptor Jack Harman in 1967 from a photograph by Vancouver Sun photographer Charlie Warner and stood for many years at the entrance to Empire Stadium; after the stadium was demolished, the sculpture was moved to the Hastings and Renfrew entrance of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) fairgrounds. In 2015, it returned to the site of the stadium.<ref>The rebirth of Empire Fields Template:Webarchive. Vancouversun.com (17 July 2015). Retrieved on 20 September 2017.</ref> Regarding this sculpture, Landy quipped that "While Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back, I am probably the only one ever turned into bronze for looking back."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ron Clarke

At the 1956 Australian National Championships prior to the Melbourne Olympic Games, in the final of the mile race, Landy stopped and doubled back to check on fellow runner Ron Clarke after another runner clipped Clarke's heel, causing him to fall early in the third lap of the race. Landy, who was close behind, leaped to clear his body but scraped his spikes on Clarke's shoulder. Clarke, the then-junior mile world record holder, had been leading the race. Landy apologised, helped him back to his feet and they both started running again. In the final two laps Landy made up the deficit and won the race.<ref name=":0" /> The National Centre for History and Education in Australia said that "[i]t was a spontaneous gesture of sportsmanship and it has never been forgotten."<ref>The Finest Sporting Gesture in the History of Sport? . Hyperhistory.org. Retrieved on 20 September 2017.</ref> Sculptor Mitch Mitchell created a bronze sculpture of the moment when Landy helps Clarke to his feet. The sculpture was dedicated in June 2002 and is on Olympic Boulevard, Olympic Park in Melbourne.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sportsmanship sculpture of John Landy, Melbourne Australia

Governor of Victoria

Landy (right) with Roger Bannister in 2004

On 1 January 2001, Landy was sworn in as the 26th Governor of Victoria, succeeding Sir James Gobbo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on the recommendation of Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> who remained premier throughout his term. Landy retired as governor on 7 April 2006, and was succeeded by David de Kretser.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 15 March 2006, in the final month of his term as governor, Landy was the final runner in the Queen's Baton relay during the 2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Ground stadium in Melbourne, presenting the baton to the Queen.<ref name="sahof"/>

Other accomplishments

Landy worked as senior manager at ICI Australia, and had a public speaking career. For eight years (1971–78), he served on the Victorian Land Conservation Council, contributing to debates and recommendations about the balanced use of public land across Victoria.<ref>Danielle Clode (2006) As if for a thousand years: A history of Victoria's Land Conservation and Environment Conservation Councils, Victorian Environmental Assessment Council</ref> Landy authored two books on natural history: Close to Nature (1984) and A Coastal Diary (Pan Macmillan Australia, 1993).<ref>Mr John Landy, University of Melbourne.</ref>

Landy was commissioner-general for the Australian pavilion at Expo 86 Vancouver. On 12 February 2009, he was appointed the chair of the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund Advisory Panel.<ref>TheAustralian.news.au, "Bereavement fund for bushfire victims".</ref> He stood down from the position on 7 September that same year.<ref name="bushfire-standdown">Template:Cite news</ref>

Death

Landy died on 24 February 2022 at his home in Castlemaine, Victoria, aged 91.<ref name="abcnews">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="second_man_to_break_four_minute_mile_barrier_landy_dies_2022">Template:Cite news</ref> He had Parkinson's disease for a period of time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

His life was commemorated in a State Memorial Service at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 20 December 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Honours and awards

Landy in 1954

In 1949 and 1950, Landy played Australian rules football for Dookie College<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> when he was at the University of Melbourne's Dookie College campus and won the 1950 Central Goulburn Valley Football League's best and fairest award.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1955, Landy was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to amateur athletics in Australia,<ref>Australia list: Template:London Gazette</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in 2001 was awarded the Centenary Medal,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a Knight of Grace of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem. In 2006 he was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) during the Queen's visit to Australia.<ref>It's an Honour – Commander of the Royal Victorian Order</ref> Landy was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985.<ref name="sahof">Template:Cite web</ref>

Over the years, Landy was awarded honorary degrees, the first being a Doctor of Laws from the University of Victoria in 1994 then, in 1997, a Doctor of Rural Science from the University of New England,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> followed by a Doctor of Laws from the University of Melbourne in 2003, and Doctor of Laws from Deakin University in 2009.<ref name="deakin">Template:Cite web</ref>

On 12 July 2008, Landy was the guest speaker at his club's centenary dinner held in North Geelong. He had been a life member of the Geelong Guild Athletic Club since April 1958. Named after Landy, Landy Field in South Geelong is the Geelong region's major athletic facility.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> East Doncaster Secondary College has a VCE centre dedicated in Landy's honour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Central Park, in Malvern East, Melbourne, has a sports oval dedicated to Landy with a plaque which reads in part "Named in honour of John Landy, resident of Central Park Road, who used this oval for his training."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In media

In the 1988 television miniseries The Four Minute Mile, detailing the rivalry between Landy and Sir Roger Bannister, Landy was portrayed by actor Nique Needles and Bannister was portrayed by actor Richard Huw.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

See also

• List of Caulfield Grammar School people

Further reading

• Template:Cite book
• The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It, by Neal Bascomb, 2004, Template:ISBN