RUNNING THE DISTANCE

av Buckner, Jack

HEINEMANN KINGSWOOD. 1989. 220 s. Språk: Engelska. Inbunden med skyddsomslag. Något gulnad på skyddsomslaget. Gott skick. Text från skyddsomslagets innerflik: Jack Buckner is one of the world's top 5000 metre runners. He has been the world number two behind the Moroccan, Said Aouita, and since 1986 has won European Gold, Commonwealth Silver and World Bronze titles. The greatest challenge in any sportsperson's career is the Olympic Games. Years of dedicated training are focused on a single goal- an elusive gold medal. But athletics is no longer the simple sport of Chariots of Fire. It is now a multi?million dollar business, and today's athlete must balance the high- profile status of the sport with the rigorous demands and often lonely life of training. Although this is Jack Buckner's account of life leading up to the Olympics in Seoul, it looks further than his personal horizons. Buckner describes the modern world of athletics, which is so greatly changed from that of only ten years ago. He provides insight into the problems and challenges facing athletes today: funding an amateur career, the co-operation needed with sponsors, and the occupational hazard of injuries. He comments on some of the controversies, such as the Zola Budd saga; the selection policies which so bedevilled Sebastian Coe, among others; and the issue of drug- taking in sport which climaxed with Ben Johnson's public disgrace at Seoul. Buckner also describes the atmosphere and tension ofthe big races, the split-second tactical decisions which must be made on the track, and the frustration when months of work can go un- rewarded in a finish where only fractions of a second separate the winners. Finally, he relates the story of the vital Olympic races themselves, where four years of preparation come to fruition in only a few minutes on the track. Jack Buckner graduated from Loughborough University in 1983. He has since worked for a sports promotion company, sold computers, and writes from time to time about athletics. These, however, are only part-time activities, while pursuing his major occupation - running. His record includes: 1985: National 10k road champion 1986: Silver medal, 5000m, Commonwealth Games Gold medal, 5000m, European Championships 1987: Bronze medal, 5000m, World Championships 1988: 6th, 5000m, Seoul Olympics.