PRINT PAGE

John Landy

John Landy (athletics) won a silver medal in the mile at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver in an epic tussle with Roger Bannister of England. The race is an iconic moment in Commonwealth Games history known as ‘The Miracle Mile’ after both Bannister and Landy broke the four minute mark. Landy also competed in the 1952 Helsinki and 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, where he won the bronze medal in the 1500m and took the Athletes’ Oath at the opening ceremony. Landy was the second man to break the four minute mile and held world records over 1500m and the mile during his career, before going on to achieve many accomplishments post his running career, serving as Governor of Victoria from 2001 to 2006, including during the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. Landy presented the Queen’s Baton to Her Majesty the Queen at the Games opening. Two sculptures mark Landy’s legacy, one at Vancouver’s Empire stadium of the epic 1954 mile with Bannister, the other in Melbourne at the site of the old Olympic Park, depicting the 1956 Australian Championships mile where Landy stopped and went back to help up a fallen Ron Clarke before going on to win the race. Honoured with legend status in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Landy is also a member of the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame.

Sport / Discipline

Athletics

Birth Place

Melbourne

Birth state

VIC

Date of Birth

12/04/1930

Date of Death

24/02/2022

Vancouver, 1954

Results History

GAMES SPORT / DISCIPLINE EVENT / PHASE OPPONENT PERFORMANCE RESULT MEDAL

Use the options above to search athlete records

JOIN TODAY!

Become part of our Commonwealth Games Australia family and get all the latest news our team members!

JOIN NOW