The only American to win Olympic 5000m gold used his withering sprint finish to beat a top-class field 60 years ago

When Bob Schul sprinted past Michel Jazy to victory in the 5000m in Tokyo in 1964, he won Olympic gold and earned athletics immortality. It is 60 years since his famous triumph at those Games and he remains the only American man or woman to win that title.

Schul died on June 16 aged 86 after living with dementia in recent years. But the memories of his brilliant win in 1964 will live on.

In a race where the early pace had been slow and cagey, Schul won by eight tenths of a second in 13:48.8 from Harald Norpoth of Germany and Bill Dellinger of the United States with Jazy, who led with 100m to go, fading to fourth. Such was the quality of the line-up, Kip Keino of Kenya was fifth and multiple world record-breaker Ron Clarke of Australia ninth. It completed a glorious distance running Games for the Americans as Billy Mills had won the 10,000m a few days earlier.

Despite suffering from asthma as a child, where he grew up on a farm in Ohio, he prospered under the training of Hungarian coach Mihály Iglói and became a feared athlete in the early 1960s.

Unlike the surprise package Mills at those Tokyo Games, Schul came into his race expected to do well, though. Earlier that year he set US records at three miles indoors, 5000m outdoors and had set a world two miles record of 8:26.4.

The Olympic final was run on a rain-sodden cinder track which sapped the energy of the runners. But Schul prevailed with an inspired finishing burst.

Here is an extract from Mel Watmans report for AW at the time. We pick it up from around halfway

The race came to life halfway around the next lap when Clarke made the first of many killing bursts. The Australian introduced at least one such burst (of some 100m) into each lap (he covered the 6th, lap in 62.4) but most of the field stayed within contact. It looked for all the word like a bunch of clubmen working through an interval training session on a Sunday morning! What was noticeable was that one man refused to alter his speed in order to match Clarkes bursts: Schul. He merely kept going at a level pace, wise fellow. Clarke reached 3000m in 8:22.2, followed by Jazy (8:22.4), Norpoth (8:22.8), Dutov (8:23.2), Baillie (8:24.2) and Schul (8:25.0).

Shortly before 4000m Clarke relinquished the lead, broken by his own tactics, leaving out in front to his apparent surprise Jazy. The Frenchman passed 4000m in 11:15.6, with eight men grouped together within seven yards. Only Wiggs and Baidyuk were definitely out of contention. Two laps to go and it was Jazy from Clarke, Norpoth, Dutov, Baillie, Schul, Dellinger, Keino and Helland.

With a lap and a half remaining, Dellinger eased into the lead and at the bell he and Jazy were abreast. The French-man made his strike for home early much too early. He sprinted away from Dellinger and the others around the first turn and streaked along the back straight. At the 200m mark he held a ten yard lead over Norpoth, with Schul a couple of strides further back.

The ecstatic cheering of the French supporters turned to cries of horror and finally groans of disappointment as their hero tied up around the last turn and was passed in the straight by first Schul running at a devilish tempo and then Norpoth. Worse was to come, though, for Jazy gave up a couple of strides from the finish and was deprived even of the bronze medal by the astonishing Dellinger, who stole by him on the inside.

Schul truly lived up to his reputation as the fastest finisher in the world. Despite the soggy nature of the track he covered the final 300m in 38.5 (51.3 pace for 400m), for a time of 13:48.8. Schuls career is only just beginning. He has risen in one season from near obscurity to Olympic champion and world record holder for 2 miles; next year he plans to set world 18 records at 2000m, 3000m, 5000m . . . and his first love, the steeplechase.

Schuls post-Olympic plans did not come to fruition, though. A knee injury began to scupper his training and, despite this, he ran an American three miles record of 13:10.4 in 1965 plus PBs for 1500m of 3:40.7 and 3000m in 7:59.9.

He retired in late 1965 aged 28 due to the persistent injury, however, before a failed comeback in 1968 and then as an athletics coach, history teacher and owner of a running store.

Sadly, his Olympic medal was stolen in 1971, though. While coaching in Malaysia it was taken from a locked cabinet back home in the United States.