The interesting story of British athlete Don Thompson, who won the gold medal in the 50-kilometer walking category at the 1960 Rome Olympics... Italians called him Il Topolino, meaning "the little mouse", inspired by Mickey Mouse.
Don Thompson was born in Hillingdon, London, in 1933. In his youth, he started spending time at the athletics club called Thames Valley Harriers. After all, a healthy mind resides in a healthy body. He appeared in road races for a while. It was neither good nor bad.
However, this passion for running would come to an end in March 1951. Don injured his Achilles tendon during a race and could no longer run at the level he desired. But he didn't need to be too upset. At least he could still walk.
Don decided to ride the rest of the way this way. At first, he started participating in short-distance walking races just for sports. This new endeavor seemed both fun and a little easy to Don. Even though he was new, he wasn't doing badly in the races he participated in. Maybe he should have taken this to even bigger stages. And so he did.
Donald James Thompson (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. He also won a bronze medal at the 1962 European Championships, also for the 50 km walk.
He decided to enter the 20-mile race at the Middlesex Championships. Until then, he had taken part in five-mile and 10-mile races, sometimes winning and sometimes falling behind. But there was something strange about this race. Although he covered the distance at the same speed as in previous races, he won the race much more comfortably.
Actually, this wasn't that strange. Because what Don didn't fully realize until that day was how durable he was. Maybe he wasn't as fast as the others, but he could maintain his speed for very long distances. Therefore, it was much more advantageous in long races. Since the Olympics were the starting point for long races, Don had determined his new target.
Don, who participated in the 50 km walking race at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, does not remember this race, which was run under the sun, very well. As you know, Don is used to the smoky weather of Britain. Who remembers a race in the hellish heat of Australia where he missed the water station and then fainted? Don may have been in the fifth position before he fainted, but of course that didn't matter. He should try his luck again later.
Don would have a different preparation period for the 1960 Rome Olympics. First of all, he should never, ever miss the water station again. Because he experienced the consequences of this in the most painful way. Additionally, he had to do something about the temperature and humidity issue. A "genius" idea came to his mind. The bathroom at his parents' house had a heater, so it could easily create an extremely humid environment.
Don turned the heater on full blast and blocked the doorways with towels. He put on thick sweatpants and walked left and right as much as the space allowed. But after half an hour, he started to feel dizzy. While Don considered this dizziness as a reaction of his body to get used to the conditions, he would learn much later that they were actually caused by carbon monoxide produced by the heater's fuel. Luckily nothing happened to him. Don, who continued his training with great discipline as well as these "experimental" studies, was now ready for Rome after buying a hat specially knitted by his mother to protect him from the sun.
“I knew Rome was probably my last chance to win an Olympic medal. At the same time, I was determined not to finish the race in the hospital this time. "The bathroom workout may sound a little weird, but I can say it definitely works."
If Don says it works, we don't mind. On the other hand, it can be said that the conditions when he reached the starting line in Rome were better than the artificial environment he created in his home bathroom. But the feelings it evoked in someone who saw it from the outside were not good. He was just a short athlete with funny glasses a hat and a strange walking style. He did not seem to be a threat to his opponents. This view would become stronger when the race started.
“When the start started everyone rushed forward for the first lap inside the stadium. They were showing themselves to the audience. I caught my standard pace and I think I was last as I left the stadium. But after two or three kilometers they all started to slow down. “At the end of 20 km, I was in fifth place.”
From here on, luck would smile for Don this time. Two of his opponents were penalized for technical errors, while the other two were exhausted from the heat. Now only his Swedish rival, 41-year-old Ljunggren, was behind Don. These two stayed with each other until the end of the race. But Don was always the one ahead. And when they entered the stadium again…
“In the last 25 km the race was just between me and Ljunggren and the only thing on my mind was that I had to beat him. But when we entered the stadium and heard the cheers of the audience, I suddenly realized: 'Oh my God, I'm walking for an Olympic medal.'"
His full name is Donald James Thompson, and he wrote in his diary for October 7, 1960, that he was an Olympic champion. A strange man, whom the Italians called Il Topolino, meaning "the little mouse", inspired by Mickey Mouse, who walked leaning forward, had funny glasses, and wore a hat made by his mother, surprised thousands of people that day. The reason behind this great success was that he simply loved doing sports. He did not give up on this love until he almost breathed his last breath. In fact, he was 71 years old when he participated in his last race.
What kind of a malady was this thing they call sport that would not let go of what it caught for a lifetime?