Emil Zatopek

Czech great Zatopek is best known as the only athlete to win ever to win gold medals in the 5,000 metres, 10,000m and the marathon at the same Olympics.

He also revolutionised distance running with his training methods as his brutal regime of punishing intervals and workouts in heavy winter snow helped him steal a march on the competition.

His running style - shoulders hunched, upper body rocking, head swinging from side to side - may not have been the most pleasing on the eye, but its effectiveness could not be argued over.

The 5,000m and 10,000m double narrowly eluded Zatopek at the London Olympics in 1948 as he comfortably won the latter but just missed out on gold in the former.

But finest hour of the 'Czech Locomotive' was to come in Helsinki four years later, a campaign that started with him comfortably retaining his 10,000m title.

His win in the 5,000m came after one of the most thrilling finishes in Olympic history. Leading into the back straight of the final lap, Zatopek was passed by Alain Mimoun, Herbert Schade and Chris Chataway but recovered to hit the front again coming out of the final bend and held his advantage to the line.

He also decided to enter the marathon despite having never competed in the event before, but his unrelenting training methods would prove to be perfect preparation.

Zatopek eased away from the specialists to take victory by over two-and-a-half minutes and claim an incredible treble that is unlikely to ever be equalled.

Hampered by injury, he could only manage sixth in the marathon in 1956 and subsequently retired. Zatopek was posthumously awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal after his death in 2000.

Fascinating fact: Zatopek gave one of his gold medals away as a gift to Australian runner Ron Clarke, a 10,000m world record holder who had come away from two Olympics empty handed.