Don Thompson

Donald James Thompson MBE (20 January 1933 – 3 October 2006) was an English racewalker. He was the only British man to win a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics, in the 50 km walk.

Biography Thompson was born in Hillingdon, London, and taught maths at Southland's comprehensive school, New Romney, from the mid-1970s. A small man, only 1.65m tall, he was originally a runner, but an injury to his Achilles' tendon forced him to take up race walking instead. He came second in the 52½ miles London to Brighton road race in 1954, and then won the event in each of the following eight years. He raced in the 50 km walk in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, but withdrew dehydrated after 45 km while in fifth place. He was voted Sportsman of the Year in 1960 by the Sports Writers' Association.

He won a bronze medal at the European Championships in 1962, and was tenth at the 1964 Summer Olympics, both in the 50 km walk. He represented the England team at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, in the 20 miles walk event.

He continued racing for another 40 years, until the early 1990s and completing more than 150 marathons and a 100 mile racewalk in 1978. He habitually woke at 4am to run 13 km each morning. In 1983, he fell and broke his collarbone during a marathon walk in Thanet; undeterred, he completed the race before seeking treatment. He represented Britain in a race in France in 1991, aged 58 years and 89 days, becoming the oldest person to represent Britain in an international athletics event. He collapsed at home and died at Frimley Park Hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm. He married in 1967, and was survived by his wife, and their son and daughter.