Ralph Doubell
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Ralph Douglas Doubell AM (born 11 February 1945) is an Australian former athlete, and gold medallist at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Athletic career
Doubell was born in Melbourne, was educated at Melbourne High School<ref name=sahof/> and graduated from the University of Melbourne, where he had come under the tutelage of Austrian-born coach Franz Stampfl.<ref>The Sports Factor – Ralph Doubell & Franz Stampfl. abc.net.au. 12 January 2001</ref>
Doubell's first major international victory in 800 metres was at the World Student Games in Tokyo in 1967 in a time of 1:46.7. His next season (the Olympic season) was severely curtailed by Achilles' tendon injuries, and he was unable to compete for six months prior to the Olympic Games in Mexico City.<ref name=sr/> Doubell, however, was able to recover in time for Mexico City and won the 800 m gold medal, passing the pre-race favourite Wilson Kiprugut of Kenya down the straight to win in a world record equalling time of 1:44.3.<ref name=sr/>
Doubell also won the 800 metres gold medal at the 1969 Pacific Conference Games, in a time of 1:48.0.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Doubell had planned to compete at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, but was prevented from doing so by calf injuries, which brought on his retirement from competitive athletics.<ref name=sahof>Template:Cite web</ref>
Post-athletic career
After retirement from sports, Doubell enrolled at Harvard Business School. He then worked as a Head of Relationship Management and a Director and Divisional Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking of the Deutsche Bank Group in Australia. He was a Director of Telstra Stadium in Sydney until 2007.<ref name=sr/>
Doubell was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985.<ref name=sahof/> On 12 June 2006, in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, he was made a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia, for "services to athletics through administrative roles, particularly with Athletics New South Wales, and as a competitor".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
References
External links
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- 1945 births
- Living people
- Businesspeople from Victoria (state)
- Australian men middle-distance runners
- World record setters in the sport of athletics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games
- Olympic gold medalists for Australia
- Athletes from Melbourne
- People educated at Melbourne High School
- Members of the Order of Australia
- Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees
- Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics
- Olympic gold medalists in athletics
- Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)
- FISU World University Games gold medalists for Australia
- University of Melbourne alumni
- Harvard Business School alumni
- Olympic athletes for Australia
- Medalists at the 1967 Summer Universiade
- Commonwealth Games athletes for Australia
- Sportsmen from Victoria (state)
- Australian Athletics Championships winners
- 20th-century Australian sportsmen