Carlos Lopes
Encyclopedia
Carlos Alberto de Sousa Lopes, GCIH, (ˈkaɾluʃ ˈlɔpɨʃ, born February 18, 1947) is a former Portuguese
long-distance athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1984 Summer Olympics
, in Los Angeles
. He brought home Portugal
's first ever Olympic gold medal along with a new Olympic record - 2:09.21.
Born in Vildemoinhos, near Viseu
, Portugal, Carlos Lopes worked as a stonecutter's helper. He wanted to play football
at the local club, but his father opposed this, so he turned to other forms of athletics. In 1967 he was personally invited to join the athletics team of Sporting Clube de Portugal, and remained there until the end of his career in 1985. He was an average quality long distance runner, until he made an astonishing breakthrough in 1976, aged 29.
in Chepstow
, Wales
. Competing in the 10,000 meters at the Montreal
1976 Summer Olympics
, Lopes set the pace from the 4000m mark, and the only athlete to follow him was defending double Olympic champion Lasse Virén
. Virén passed Lopes with a lap to go to win the gold medal, and Lopes finished a comfortable second. Lopes ran the first 5,000 metres in 14 minutes 8.94 seconds, and the second 5,000 metres in 13:36.23, a remarkable proof of his ability to steadily accelerate his pace. What he generally lacked in the track races, however, was an ability to sharply increase his pace in the final lap or so (see, for example, Antero Raevuori, ed., "Lasse Virén: The Guilded Spikes" / Lasse Viren - Kullatut piikkarit, Helsinki: Weilin+Göös, 1976).
He failed to regain his Cross-Country title, in Düsseldorf
(1977), finishing second.
After the superb 1976 season, Lopes slipped back into the same relative obscurity in which he had been before 1976, failing to qualify for the Moscow Olympics
due to several injuries.
In 1982, he returned to top form, and in Oslo
, he broke the 10,000 m European record—27:24.39—which belonged to his teammate Fernando Mamede
. After setting the pace from 6,000 metres at the 1982 European Athletics Championships 10,000-metre race, he finished fourth in 27:47.95 (see, for example, Markku Siukonen, ed., "The Big European Championships Book" / Suuri EM-kirja,
Jyväskylä, Finland: Sportti Kustannus / Publishing Ltd., 1990). In 1983, he finished second in Gateshead
.
Lopes attempted his first marathon at the end of 1982 (New York
), but he did not finish due to an accident in which he crashed into a spectator. The following year, he made his second attempt at the marathon, this time at (Rotterdam
). He finished a close second in a European record time of 2:08:39, just two seconds behind the race victor, Rob de Castella of Australia
. Lopes decided to run a 10,000 m at the first World Championships
, in Helsinki
, where he finished a disappointing sixth. After that he decided to concentrate on the marathon.
1984 was Lopes' greatest year. In New Jersey
, he regained his cross-country world title in front of thousands of ecstatic Portuguese
emigrants. In Stockholm
, he helped teammate Fernando Mamede
to break Henry Rono
's 10,000 m world record of 27:22, with Mamede winning in 27 min 13.81 s and Lopes finishing second in 27:17.48.
An accident almost prevented Lopes from participating in the 1984 Olympics
when, a week before the Games, he was run over by a car in Lisbon
. Amazingly, he was not hurt. The Olympic marathon at Los Angeles
was run in very hot and humid conditions, and as the favorites gradually fell away, it was the 37-year-old Lopes who led the field into the stadium and won the gold medal with a 200m advantage and in an Olympic record 2:09:21. With this victory, he improved his reputation as a runner, because he could run the last 7.2 kilometres at an average speed of 2 minutes 55 seconds per kilometre, a remarkably quick pace at the end of a fast marathon (see, for example, "The Big Olympic Book" / Suuri Olympiakirja, Helsinki: "Runner" / Juoksija magazine, 1984). Portugal
erupted in celebration of its first ever Olympic gold. Lopes' Olympic record stood until the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing, when the young Kenyan sensation Sammy Wanjiru broke it in dominating fashion with a time of 2:06:32, bringing home to Kenya its long-overdue first gold medal in the Olympic marathon.
Portuguese prime minister
, Mário Soares
, decorated Lopes with the Grand-Cross of the Order of the Infant (Grã-Cruz da Ordem do Infante).
, for the 3rd time.
In the last major competitive race of his career, the 1985 Rotterdam
marathon, Lopes took 53 seconds off the world's best marathon time, setting a new standard of 2:07.12, and becoming the first man to run 42.195 km in less than 2 h 8 min.
After this, he went to Japan
ran Tokyo
's marathon, in honor of his late master Koboyashi, but (out-of-shape) he quit early. That was his last marathon, as he was later injured and said goodbye to Athletics, in late 1985.
In the 1982 European Athletics Championships 10,000-metre race, Lopes took the lead after 6,000 metres and kept it until 9,800 metres. He finished fourth, behind Italy's Alberto Cova, East Germany's Werner Schildhauer, and Finland's Martti Vainio (see, for
example, some Finnish-language sports books, such as "Highlights of Top Sports" / Huippu-urheilun tähtihetkiä; see also the related video clip about the final 600 metres of the 1982 European Athletics Championships 10,000-metre race in YLE's Living Archives,
www.yle.fi/elavaarkisto/; the following links should be used: Sports / Urheilu, Athletics / Yleisurheilu, European Athletics
Championships / Yleisurheilun EM-kisat, 1982 European Athletics Championships / 1982 yleisurheilun EM-kisat, European Athletics Championships bronze medal for Vainio / EM-pronssia Vainiolle)
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
long-distance athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He brought home Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's first ever Olympic gold medal along with a new Olympic record - 2:09.21.
Born in Vildemoinhos, near Viseu
Viseu
Viseu is both a city and a municipality in the Dão-Lafões Subregion of Centro Region, Portugal. The municipality, with an area of 507.1 km², has a population of 99,593 , and the city proper has 47,250...
, Portugal, Carlos Lopes worked as a stonecutter's helper. He wanted to play football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
at the local club, but his father opposed this, so he turned to other forms of athletics. In 1967 he was personally invited to join the athletics team of Sporting Clube de Portugal, and remained there until the end of his career in 1985. He was an average quality long distance runner, until he made an astonishing breakthrough in 1976, aged 29.
Career
His 1976 campaign began with a victory at the prestigious IAAF World Cross Country ChampionshipsIAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
in Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Competing in the 10,000 meters at the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
, Lopes set the pace from the 4000m mark, and the only athlete to follow him was defending double Olympic champion Lasse Virén
Lasse Virén
Lasse Artturi Virén is a former Finnish long-distance runner, winner of four gold medals at the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics...
. Virén passed Lopes with a lap to go to win the gold medal, and Lopes finished a comfortable second. Lopes ran the first 5,000 metres in 14 minutes 8.94 seconds, and the second 5,000 metres in 13:36.23, a remarkable proof of his ability to steadily accelerate his pace. What he generally lacked in the track races, however, was an ability to sharply increase his pace in the final lap or so (see, for example, Antero Raevuori, ed., "Lasse Virén: The Guilded Spikes" / Lasse Viren - Kullatut piikkarit, Helsinki: Weilin+Göös, 1976).
He failed to regain his Cross-Country title, in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
(1977), finishing second.
After the superb 1976 season, Lopes slipped back into the same relative obscurity in which he had been before 1976, failing to qualify for the Moscow Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
due to several injuries.
In 1982, he returned to top form, and in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, he broke the 10,000 m European record—27:24.39—which belonged to his teammate Fernando Mamede
Fernando Mamede
Fernando Eugénio Pacheco Mamede is a former Portuguese athlete, a long distance running specialist. He was born in Beja. Together with Carlos Lopes, he is one of the best Portuguese male long distance runners ever, and held the 10,000 metres world record with a time of 27:13.81 until bested by...
. After setting the pace from 6,000 metres at the 1982 European Athletics Championships 10,000-metre race, he finished fourth in 27:47.95 (see, for example, Markku Siukonen, ed., "The Big European Championships Book" / Suuri EM-kirja,
Jyväskylä, Finland: Sportti Kustannus / Publishing Ltd., 1990). In 1983, he finished second in Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
.
Lopes attempted his first marathon at the end of 1982 (New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
), but he did not finish due to an accident in which he crashed into a spectator. The following year, he made his second attempt at the marathon, this time at (Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
). He finished a close second in a European record time of 2:08:39, just two seconds behind the race victor, Rob de Castella of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Lopes decided to run a 10,000 m at the first World Championships
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
, in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, where he finished a disappointing sixth. After that he decided to concentrate on the marathon.
1984 was Lopes' greatest year. In New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, he regained his cross-country world title in front of thousands of ecstatic Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
emigrants. In Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, he helped teammate Fernando Mamede
Fernando Mamede
Fernando Eugénio Pacheco Mamede is a former Portuguese athlete, a long distance running specialist. He was born in Beja. Together with Carlos Lopes, he is one of the best Portuguese male long distance runners ever, and held the 10,000 metres world record with a time of 27:13.81 until bested by...
to break Henry Rono
Henry Rono
Henry Rono is a Kenyan former athlete.-Biography:Rono was born in Nandi Hills, Kenya, into the Nandi tribe. He started running while at primary school. Starting in 1976 he attended the Washington State University, along with his compatriot Samson Kimobwa, who broke the 10,000 meter world record in...
's 10,000 m world record of 27:22, with Mamede winning in 27 min 13.81 s and Lopes finishing second in 27:17.48.
An accident almost prevented Lopes from participating in the 1984 Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
when, a week before the Games, he was run over by a car in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. Amazingly, he was not hurt. The Olympic marathon at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
was run in very hot and humid conditions, and as the favorites gradually fell away, it was the 37-year-old Lopes who led the field into the stadium and won the gold medal with a 200m advantage and in an Olympic record 2:09:21. With this victory, he improved his reputation as a runner, because he could run the last 7.2 kilometres at an average speed of 2 minutes 55 seconds per kilometre, a remarkably quick pace at the end of a fast marathon (see, for example, "The Big Olympic Book" / Suuri Olympiakirja, Helsinki: "Runner" / Juoksija magazine, 1984). Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
erupted in celebration of its first ever Olympic gold. Lopes' Olympic record stood until the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing, when the young Kenyan sensation Sammy Wanjiru broke it in dominating fashion with a time of 2:06:32, bringing home to Kenya its long-overdue first gold medal in the Olympic marathon.
Portuguese prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, Mário Soares
Mário Soares
Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares, GColTE, GCC, GColL, KE , Portuguese politician, served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985, and subsequently as the 17th President of Portugal from 1986 to 1996.-Family:...
, decorated Lopes with the Grand-Cross of the Order of the Infant (Grã-Cruz da Ordem do Infante).
Last race
A year later, he won the cross-country world championship, held in LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, for the 3rd time.
In the last major competitive race of his career, the 1985 Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
marathon, Lopes took 53 seconds off the world's best marathon time, setting a new standard of 2:07.12, and becoming the first man to run 42.195 km in less than 2 h 8 min.
- L'Équipe: "Fantastic! Extraordinary! There aren't enough strong words to label Lopes Rotterdam achievement. In less than 3 years, he became the first man to approach the unreal. Who would think, 20 years ago, that a man would run the marathon at 20 km/h?"'
- Rotterdam press: "With his magic talent, Carlos Lopes took 54 seconds off the previous world best. With his fabulous pace he reached the world record with apparent ease. It's said he received US$150,000 just to come to Rotterdam, plus US$67,000 in prizes. A lot of money for a single man. But, in marathons' fantasy world, only a man—aged 38—is able to run it in 2:07.12: Carlos Lopes".
After this, he went to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ran Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
's marathon, in honor of his late master Koboyashi, but (out-of-shape) he quit early. That was his last marathon, as he was later injured and said goodbye to Athletics, in late 1985.
In the 1982 European Athletics Championships 10,000-metre race, Lopes took the lead after 6,000 metres and kept it until 9,800 metres. He finished fourth, behind Italy's Alberto Cova, East Germany's Werner Schildhauer, and Finland's Martti Vainio (see, for
example, some Finnish-language sports books, such as "Highlights of Top Sports" / Huippu-urheilun tähtihetkiä; see also the related video clip about the final 600 metres of the 1982 European Athletics Championships 10,000-metre race in YLE's Living Archives,
www.yle.fi/elavaarkisto/; the following links should be used: Sports / Urheilu, Athletics / Yleisurheilu, European Athletics
Championships / Yleisurheilun EM-kisat, 1982 European Athletics Championships / 1982 yleisurheilun EM-kisat, European Athletics Championships bronze medal for Vainio / EM-pronssia Vainiolle)
Popular culture
- Carlos Lopes appears in the 14th episodeNew Kids on the Blecch"New Kids on the Blecch" is the fourteenth episode from the twelfth season of The Simpsons. In the episode, a music producer selects Bart, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph to be members of the next hit boyband, who record subliminal songs about joining the Navy....
of the season 12The Simpsons (season 12)The Simpsons 12th season began on Wednesday, November 1, 2000 with "Treehouse of Horror XI".The season contains four hold over episodes from the season 11 production line. The show runner for the twelfth production was Mike Scully. The season features three episodes that were produced for the...
of The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, as Homer is watching great moments of the Olympic history. He is credited with being the oldest ever winner of the MarathonMarathonThe marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
, at 38, and inspires Homer, who claims to be almost his age, to enter Springfield Marathon. The age presented is inaccurate because Lopes was 37 when he won the marathon. His name however is correctly pronounced in Portuguese (Lope's).