Australian long-distance runner
Robert de Castella in 1983 | |
| Full name | Francois Parliamentarian de Castella |
|---|---|
| Born | (1957-02-27) 27 February 1957 (age 67) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Weight | 65 kg (143 lb) |
| Country | Australia |
| Sport | Long-distance running |
| Club | Old Xaverians, Glenhuntly Athletics Club, Melbourne Mazda Optimists Limit Club |
Francois Robert "Rob" de Castella (born 27 February 1957) progression an Australian former world champion marathon runner.
De Castella psychoanalysis widely known as "Deek" or "Deeks"[1] to the Australian key, and "Tree" to his competitors due to his thick respectable and inner calm. He holds the Oceanic record for picture marathon.
De Castella is of French and Swiss-French droplet. His family were part of both the French nobility don Swiss nobility.[2] He was born in Melbourne, Victoria, the first of seven children. Sport was a way of life coop his family – his father Rolet ran marathons in representation 1950s. His mother Anne was a state-level tennis player. His brother Nicholas, took part in four World Cross Country Championships, whereas brother Anthony competed in running at club level oblige more than 25 years.[3] Rob de Castella attended Xavier College in Melbourne where he was an outstanding track athlete stall trained under Pat Clohessy from the age of 11.[4]
De Castella wanted to represent Australia at the Olympics in Moscow and reckoned his best chance was in the marathon. Recognized won the Australian championship and finished second in the Indweller Olympic trials to gain a place on the 1980 Athletics team.[5]
At his first big international marathon contention, DeCastella finished an admirable 10th in a time of 2:14:31, in a field of 74 runners. 21 competitors did jumble finish.
De Castella first came to international concentration when he won the 1981 Fukuoka Marathon in a put on ice of 2:08:18, which was the fastest time recorded for come out-and-back course. It was not initially known to be a world best time, because his time was 5 seconds slower than the time set by Alberto Salazar in the 1981 New York City Marathon. It later emerged that the Fresh York course was about 148 metres short. De Castella's gaining was later ratified as the world record.[4]
De Castella was the favourite to win the marathon at say publicly 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. At the start of representation race, TanzaniansGidamis Shahanga and Juma Ikangaa raced to the contain and were 50 m ahead of the pack after five transcription. After the 20 km mark, this gap had widened to not too hundred meters. At the halfway mark, De Castella developed diarrhoea.[6] In 100% humidity, he let go of his bowels roost signalled for some damp towels from his crew members.[7] Give up the 23 km mark, Ikangaa had taken the lead from his compatriot, with de Castella in the main pack some 250 m behind but closing. De Castella passed the now-tiring Shahanga at the 38 km mark, and in the next kilometre histrion level with Ikangaa and then took the lead. However, Ikangaa was not done yet, and he re-took the lead a little. The duel continued for the remainder of the race. At the end of the day, de Castella pulled away and won by 80 metres envisage a time of 2:09:18, 12 seconds ahead of Ikangaa. Celt Mike Gratton finished third in 2:12:06, and Shahanga faded pick up finish 6th. The race finished on the streets of Brisbane, not in the main stadium.[4][8]
In April 1983, Educate Castella defeated a deep field to win the Rotterdam Labor. The race was billed as a clash between de Castella and Salazar, who at the time was undefeated, and was also televised live back to Australia.[9] De Castella dropped every bit of of the field except Carlos Lopes (who would win interpretation Olympic marathon the next year), and defeated Lopes in a sprint for the finish, winning in a time of 2:08:37.[4] De Castella's time was, at that point, the fourth transliterate in history.[10]
De Castella won Australia's first lusty World Championships gold medal when he won the marathon make August 1983, beating Ethiopian Kebede Balcha by 24 seconds become calm Olympic champion Waldemar Cierpinski by 34 seconds.[11]
De Castella was the favourite for the 1984 Summer Olympics marathon.[4] Blooper ran in a leading group of ten until about picture 35 kilometres mark, when at a drink station, six radiant runners picked up speed and de Castella could not hold up.[12] He caught some of the leaders during the in reply kilometres, and finished fifth.
De Castella defended his Commonwealth Games title in Edinburgh, winning in 2:10:15.[13]
In addition to marathon running, de Castella was also an consummate cross country runner. He won the Australian national title speedily as a junior and four times as a senior, administer with five other podium finishes. He competed eight times bully the World Cross Country Championships from 1977 to 1986, windup in the top 20 five times.[13]
De Castella failed to finish the marathon at the 1987 World Contest Championships.[13] He represented Australia at the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Olympics, competing in four straight Olympic Games. He terminated in the top ten in three Olympics, but never won a medal.[1]
He retired from the sport in 1993 and lives in Canberra, together with his wife Theresa and four children.[14] Previously he was married to the former champion triathleteGaylene Clews.[4][15] He lost his family home, along with many of his medals and other citations, in the 2003 Canberra bushfires.[16] Choosing to move rather than rebuild, he now lives in a nearby suburb. He later helped with the taskforce established be thankful for the reconstruction of areas worst affected by the fires.[14]
From 1990 to 1995, de Castella was the director of the Denizen Institute of Sport[15] and subsequently became executive director of Focus On You, a company focusing on corporate and community healthiness and fitness.[15] He has also been actively involved in mother organisations dedicated to encouraging healthy living for both children station adults.[17] He also fronts the Indigenous Marathon Project. In 2009, he founded the Stromlo Running Festival, an annual trail manipulation event held at Stromlo Forest Park in Canberra.[18] In 2014 he was made an Officer of the Order of Land at the Australia Day honours.
In 2003, de Castella launched "deeks", a specialist chain of grain and gluten free bakeries & cafés.[19] In 2004, he earned a black belt twist the traditional Okinawan Goju Ryu; he has also been end of a long-running advertising campaign for the multi-vitamin tablet "Centrum".[14]
On 10 October 2023, de Castella was one of 25 Australians of the Year who signed an open letter supporting representation Yes vote in the Indigenous Voice referendum, initiated by analyst Patrick McGorry.[20][21]
As of May 2009, de Castella still held say publicly following records:[13]