Ron Clarke's Heart Stops at the Mexico Olympics
Altitude sickness caused 10,000m race favourite to collapse at the finishing line in 1968
Sporting Witness · BBC World Service
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (open.live.bbc.co.uk) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
At the 1968 Mexico Olympics, the world looked on in horror as the Australian runner, Ron Clarke the race favourite, collapsed at the finishing line of the 10,000 metres. His heart had stopped.
The Australian team doctor, Brian Corrigan, ran to him and managed to get his heart started again.
Clarke had run out of oxygen because of the high altitude in Mexico City.
Sporting Witness speaks to Ron Clarke and Brian Corrigan.
This programme broadcast in December 2011.
Picture: Ron Clarke, in second place, shortly before his collapse. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)