| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men’s Athletics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | 1980 Moscow | 400 metres | |
Richard ("Rick") Charles Mitchell (born 24 March 1955 in Sydney) was an Australian triple Olympian who competed in the 400 metres. The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Moscow in the Soviet Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.
Commencing in athletics at the relatively late age of seventeen, he joined the Waverley Athletics Club in Melbourne in 1972 with the aim of improving his fitness before the following rugby union season. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short After two seasons with Waverley, Mitchell met coach Norm Osborne, who coached at St Stephens Harriers. He transferred to St Stephens and they would work as coach and athlete for the remainder of Mitchell's career.
At age nineteen Mitchell placed second in the Australian 400 metre title in 1974 when five days too old to contest the junior title in a time of 47. 7s and things looked promising. However, he was to miss the full off season build up following a bout of glandular fever and despite lowering his personal best to 46. 8s, Mitchell placed second again to Steven Gee from New South Wales.
The following off season in 1975 saw Mitchell complete his first dedicated build up and he quickly emerged as the dominant 400 metre runner during the following summer, defeating Gee for the first time in December 1975, before equalling the Australian record of 45. 7s and claiming both the Victorian and Australian titles easily.
Mitchell was chosen in the Australian team for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and in a competition notable for disappointing Australian performances, he reached the Olympic Final in his international debut, finishing 6th in an Australian record. The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Montreal, Quebec Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec
Two years later Mitchell competed in his first 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada, where in extremely windy conditiond he proved too strong for his opponents, taking the individual 400 metre gold medal and anchoring the 4x400 metre relay team to third place. The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton Alberta, Canada from 3 August-12 1978 Edmonton (ˈɛdmɨntɨn is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta.
Mitchell elected not to contest the 1979 World Cup, preferring to remain in Australia to build up for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow in similar fashion to the preparation he followed in 1975. The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Moscow in the Soviet Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of He dominated the domestic season, lowering the national 400 metre record on four occasion as well as winning the Victorian 200 / 400 metre sprint double and again claiming the national title. In that race Mitchell lowered the national record to 45. 35s in thrashing a field where the runner up ran 46. 80.
Named as Australian team captain, Mitchell enjoyed good lead up form, defeating a strong American field in Stuttgart in an Australian record, before contesting the Olympics. Stuttgart (ˈʃtʊtgaɐ̯t is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. In Moscow he easily reached his second Olympic final. The race itself was won by Russian Viktor Markin in a European record of 44. Viktor Fyodorovich Markin (Виктор Фёдорович Маркин (born February 23, 1957 in the village of Oktyabrsky Ust-Tarksky District 60s (The fastest time in the world for three seasons), while Mitchell finished strongly to take the silver medal in 44. 84s. This time was the 12th fastest in history (full electronic timing) and was a Commonwealth record.
Mitchell then continued to race in Europe, where he frequently met American athletes who had not contested the Olympic Games following America's boycott of the meeting over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. However Mitchell defeated all of the prominent Americans during this time. He remained unbeaten against Billy Mullins with whom he shared the equal second fastest time of the year and was ranked second for the year over 400 metres by Track and Field News ahead of all American athletes.
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