Johan Fourie
Encyclopedia
Johan Fourie is a South Africa
n middle-distance
athlete who was one of the world's leading 1500m/mile exponents in the 1980s but was prevented from competing internationally in his prime by reason of the sporting sanctions
imposed on South Africa in condemnation of the policy of apartheid.
Fourie's best 1500m performance was 3:33.87, a time recorded at the SA Championships in Stellenbosch in 1987 without significant opposition or pacemakers and his best mile time was 3:51.82 recorded in also 1987. During the mid-1980s he trained with Swiss star Pierre Deleuze in Europe. Deleuze, who defeated Sebastian Coe over 1500m in Zurich
in 1985 believe that Fourie was capable of running a sub 3:30 1500m given the appropriate race conditions
He was born in Vereeniging in Gauteng Province where he attended school and won his first national 1500m in 1979 while still a junior.
Prevented from competing on international stage, he nevertheless managed to entertain athletics followers in the 1980s which has been characterised as a golden age of South African middle and long distance running. Apart from running more than 50 sub-four miles, he also ran two sub-four miles in one meeting and in 1984 was awarded the Beinart award by the South African Athletics Statisticians
for being the top ranked South African athlete in the world in 1983.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n middle-distance
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
athlete who was one of the world's leading 1500m/mile exponents in the 1980s but was prevented from competing internationally in his prime by reason of the sporting sanctions
International sanctions
International sanctions are actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally.There are several types of sanctions....
imposed on South Africa in condemnation of the policy of apartheid.
Fourie's best 1500m performance was 3:33.87, a time recorded at the SA Championships in Stellenbosch in 1987 without significant opposition or pacemakers and his best mile time was 3:51.82 recorded in also 1987. During the mid-1980s he trained with Swiss star Pierre Deleuze in Europe. Deleuze, who defeated Sebastian Coe over 1500m in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
in 1985 believe that Fourie was capable of running a sub 3:30 1500m given the appropriate race conditions
He was born in Vereeniging in Gauteng Province where he attended school and won his first national 1500m in 1979 while still a junior.
Prevented from competing on international stage, he nevertheless managed to entertain athletics followers in the 1980s which has been characterised as a golden age of South African middle and long distance running. Apart from running more than 50 sub-four miles, he also ran two sub-four miles in one meeting and in 1984 was awarded the Beinart award by the South African Athletics Statisticians
South African Athletics Statisticians
The South African Athletics Statisticians is a voluntary non-profit organisation which was founded in 1952 by Harry Beinart, Alistair Matthews and Arrie Joubert to promote the maintenance of sound athletics statistics in South Africa...
for being the top ranked South African athlete in the world in 1983.