In a few months’ time, we will reach the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
They were memorable because of tremendous athletic feats achieved at altitude, such as Bob Beamon’s legendary long jump that set a world record by what seemed like a country mile.
Most people who follow athletics will know that Dick Fosbury won the high jump with the eponymous Flop that revolutionised the discipline.
There were other great performances such as Czechoslovakian gymnast Vera Caslavska’s four gold and two silver medals, just months after her country was invaded by the USSR and she lost her training facilities.
David Hemery’s gold medal was a highlight for the UK, as was Scots-born Rodney Pattisson’s gold in yachting Flying Dutchman, along with the magnificently named Iain Somerled MacDonald-Smith, The latter sounded Scottish but was English while Pattisson was born in Campbeltown but always claimed to be English. His father was posted there as an airman during the Second World War and the family left Scotland just two months after Rodney’s birth.
We look forward to seeing re-runs of those achievements on television come the anniversary in October, not least because those games were the first to be seen on colour television and the memories always seem better than when in monochrome.
Colour also played a part in the games in a different way, namely the Black Power salutes by sprinters Tommy Smith and John Carlos after they took gold and bronze in the 200m. Their gestures came at a time when civil rights were such a huge issue in the USA. Athough hundreds of people were killed by the Mexican state during student protests before the Games, it is the black gloves of the American athletes which are remembered to this day.
Black was also the colour of the shirt worn by the successful Scottish athlete whose name is nearly always forgotten in the roster of great achievements in Mexico City during that Olympiad. In his native land he is almost forgotten, but that’s because Mike Ryan’s bronze medal in the marathon was won in the black shirt of New Zealand.
I am very grateful to National reader Hugh Stephen Gallagher for reminding us about Ryan, who was born in Bannockburn in December 1941 and lived in Fallin.
Ryan attended St Modan’s High in Stirling and happened to be a classmate of Billy Bremner, no less. Ryan’s English teacher was Joe McGhee winner of the Commonwealth Games marathon in Vancouver in 1954, so it was probably no surprise that Ryan was spotted as a runner. He was a national junior champion and ran for Scotland up until 1963 when he emigrated to New Zealand.
It should be noted that he competed in both track and cross country here in Scotland and did the same when he went to New Zealand but almost immediately had a go at the marathon, although he continued to run distance races on track and cross country.
Gallagher said: “I’m sure if he was competing today then we would have flown him back to ensure he was a GB athlete but these were days of lesser air transport and telecommunication.”
In a quite extraordinary turn of events, Ryan was selected for New Zealand’s 1966 Commonwealth Games team, and came third in the marathon, behind Scotland’s Jim Alder – as a youth he had beaten the great Alder in cross country races.
That marathon took place in Jamaica, and the heat took its toll, but nothing like as much as Ryan suffered in Mexico.
The race began at 3pm local time in temperatures of 23C. It only got warmer and the 7000ft altitude was devastating – no fewer than 18 runners failed to finish.
Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia was way out in front when Ryan suffered stomach cramps and fell back, allowing Kenji Kimihara of Japan to pass. Ismail Ackay of Turkey attempted to close but Ryan held on for third and – considering the punishing circumstances – a magnificent bronze medal.
He raced on for some years but always said that Mexico marathon had affected his health. Last year Ryan survived an abdominal aortic aneurysm and he is now living in Auckland. Well in to his 70s, he still works as a part-time landscape gardener.
If you want to know more about Ryan, check out YouTube where there is a video of the race at www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4n_8hpkDEg.
Ryan is well-remembered and respected in New Zealand. Hopefully come October, many more Scots will be aware of this remarkable athlete.
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