Frenchman Michel Jazy set the World Record for the Mile 53 years ago clocking 3:53.6

DID YOU KNOW: 53 years ago, on Jun 9, 1965 – Frenchman Michael Jazy runs World Record mile in 3:53.6.  He won the 1,500 meters silver medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics, as well as two golds (in 1962 and 1966) and one silver (in 1966) at the European Championships. He set nine world records: in the mile (once), 2,000 meters (twice), 3,000 meters (twice), the two miles (twice) and the 4×1500 metres relay (twice).  Jazy was born into a poor coal-mining family from Poland. His grandfather, together with his wife and their daughter, emigrated from Poland to France after World War I. Michel's father was a coal miner, Michel's mother worked in a brewery in Lille. Michel was raised by his grandmother during much of his childhood. He was 12 years old when his father died.  When Michel was 14 years old, he, his mother and his older sister settled in Paris.  Michel was passionate about soccer when he was a schoolboy.  He would spend hours daily playing soccer.  He left school at the age of 14 and became a uniformed doorman and elevator operator at a bridge club near the Arc de Triomphe. At 16 he became an apprenticein a neighborhood printshop. Jazy won his first French national championship title in 1953 – the 1000 m race at the youth level.  Just 12 years later he sets his world record in the mile. 

posted Sunday June 10th
by Gary Cohen