Biography Franjo Mihalić

1 biography

1.1 life
1.2 entry athletics
1.3 international success

1.3.1 1956 summer olympics
1.3.2 1958 boston marathon


1.4 later career , retirement
1.5 veteran career

biography
early life

mihalić born in 1920 in village of ludina (part of kutina), in today sisak-moslavina county, croatia. father josip tailor, while mother veronika housewife. mihalić born tenth of twelve children. when 3 years old, family moved zagreb.

mihalić started playing sports @ age 10. in 1936, while playing football local club nk grafičar, mihalić met stjepan bobek, 3 years junior. @ time, bobek played nk ličanin, grafičar s main rivals. beginning of lifelong friendship, both mihalić , bobek (who become all-time top scorer yugoslav national football team) transferred belgrade after world war ii yugoslav star athletes.

mihalić started working @ age 16 printing house apprentice. first wages bought bicycle, joined olimp cycling club, , spent next 4 years racing them. successful, being able score top ten finishes competing against best croatian cyclists of era. however, enthusiasm sport dampened number of major crashes suffered in training , racing resulted in injuries , permanent scarring.

entry athletics

mihalić s entry athletics coincidental. in 1940, 1 of events of workers sports games in zagreb cross country race. mihalić nominated race football club grafičar fastest player. despite fact entered first foot race in life without training, placed second out of approximately 200 participants, narrowly losing experienced athlete. event crucial in decision leave cycling , take athletics. joined concordia zagreb athletics club , after several months of training set first national record in 5000 meters, followed shortly national record in 10,000 meters.

during world war ii mihalić represented independent state of croatia. won several international competitions, set 5 national records , named croatian sportsman of year 3 times. mihalić used top athlete status avoid being drafted , declined membership in ustasha party saying apolitical . first athletics coach milčo dobrin, jew had wear star of david barred attending competitions. later dobrin managed escape venezuela through switzerland.

following wwii mihalić ran newly formed mladost athletics club 1945 1947, of co-founder. in 1947 transferred belgrade new communist yugoslav authorities join partizan sports association. mihalić got well-paid job , conditions training new club, decided settle permanently in belgrade, married , became father.

international success

one of mihalić s international successes came @ 1951 mediterranean games in alexandria, won 10,000 m silver medal, behind alain mimoun. mihalić competed in 10,000 m event @ 1952 summer olympics in helsinki, finishing 18th.

the first major success came following year in paris, when mihalić became world cross country champion, winning international cross country championships, precursor of today s iaaf world cross country championships.

mihalić left mark on saint silvester road race in são paulo, brazil, won twice (1952 , 1954), once placed third (1951) , once second (1953, losing emil zátopek). won prestigious cinque mulini cross country race in italy 3 times (1957, 1958 , 1961).

apart later victory in boston, mihalić scored wins in international marathons in athens , moscow (both in 1957).

1956 summer olympics

mihalić won marathon silver medal @ 1956 summer olympics in melbourne. was, in view, greatest achievement of sports career. no yugoslav track , field athlete has managed win olympic medal since.

mihalić came melbourne in running shape; account, had been training more ever. alain mimoun of france , veikko karvonen of finland considered pre-race favorites. have seen mihalić 1 of favorites, enhanced reputation earlier in year winning balkan games marathon in belgrade in then-spectacular time of 2:16:25, have been fastest marathon race ever if course had not been found short. mihalić himself judged that, in field of 46 olympic marathon entrants, 15 better him, nevertheless felt had fighting chance winning medal.

the olympic marathon held in afternoon of hot day, , course provided little or no shade, except start , finish. mihalić kept leading group, gradually advancing in standings, had serious setback while approaching first water station @ 15th kilometer. in scramble refreshment tripped, collided water table , fell ground, injuring himself. despite bruising arms , legs managed , continue race reconnected head of pack @ 20th kilometer. shortly after that, mimoun broke away leading group. mihalić decided against chasing him until 35th kilometer, when realized none of other runners able follow. time mimoun had advantage of more minute, , mihalić unable catch him. in end, second cross finish line in time of 2:26:32, minute , half after mimoun, , minute in front of bronze medalist veikko karvonen.

1958 boston marathon

another highlight of mihalić s career came in 1958 boston marathon race, held on unusually warm day. scored decisive victory on field, besting defending champion john j. kelley took second place 5 minutes, , leaving third-placed einno pulkkinen more 11 minutes behind. mihalić s winning time of 2:25:54 5 minutes short of kelley s course record established in previous year, still impressive given hot weather in race held. heat-loving yugoslav s successes in hot conditions attributed unusual habit of training in middle of day, between noon , 2 pm.

mihalić s 1958 boston marathon win first – and, of 2015, – male eastern european athlete.

later career , retirement

mihalić participated in marathon @ 1960 summer olympics in rome, finishing 12th, in time of 2:21:52.6. third , final cinque mulini win in 1961, shortly before 41st birthday, last major international result. mihalić retired sport in 1966 winning last race, kadinjača mini-marathon in užice.

in active career, mihalić won 14 national championships (12 on 10,000 m , 2 on 5000 m), never won national marathon championship.

as of december 2009, 3 of mihalić s track records still survive serbian national records: 20,000 m (1952), 1 hour run (1952) , 25,000 m (1957).

veteran career

mihalić participated in 10 km runs until late 70s. had quit running on doctor s orders in 2000s when severely injured knee in cer-Šabac race. promptly switched racewalking , won 3 gold medals in 5 km event serbia , montenegro @ veteran balkan games, last 1 in 2005.

in late 2006, mimoun, mihalić , karvonen, 3 marathon medalists in 1956 olympics, met in paris in reunion organized french sports daily l Équipe on 50th anniversary of olympic marathon in melbourne.

in late 80s mihalić still walked 3 kilometers every day belgrade home partizan stadium, volunteered athletics coach. participated in 2009 summer universiade in belgrade athletic referee.