Carlos Lopes facts for kids
Lopes at the 1985 Rotterdam Marathon
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Carlos Alberto de Sousa Lopes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |  Portugal |
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| Born | 18 February 1947 Vildemoinhos, Viseu, Portugal |
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| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics/Track, Long-distance running | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 5000 metres, 10,000 metres, Marathon, Cross country | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Sporting Clube de Portugal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 5000 m: 13:16.38 10,000 m: 27:17.48 Marathon: 2:07:12 |
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Medal record
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Carlos Alberto de Sousa Lopes is a famous Portuguese long-distance runner. He once held the world record for the marathon. Carlos Lopes made history by winning the marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. This made him Portugal's first ever Olympic gold medalist. He was 37 years old, making him the oldest Olympic marathon winner at that time. His Olympic record for the marathon lasted for 24 years.
On April 20, 1985, Carlos Lopes set a new men's marathon world record. He finished the Rotterdam Marathon in an amazing time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 12 seconds. Throughout his career, he ran for the Sporting CP club. Many people consider Carlos Lopes to be one of Portugal's greatest athletes ever. He was the last European runner to hold the men's marathon world record, from 1985 to 1988. He also won three World Cross Country Championships.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Sports
Carlos Lopes was born on February 18, 1947. His hometown was Vildemoinhos, which is close to Viseu, Portugal. He was the oldest of eight children in his family. To help his family, Carlos started working when he was just 13 years old. He took on different jobs, like helping a stonemason and working with metal.
Carlos first wanted to play soccer for a local team called Lusitano. However, his father did not agree with this choice. So, Carlos decided to try other sports instead. In 1967, he received an invitation to join the athletics team. This team was part of Sporting Clube de Portugal. He stayed with this team for his entire running career. His coach there was Mário Moniz Pereira. Carlos Lopes continued to run for Sporting CP until he retired in 1985.
Running Career Highlights
Carlos Lopes achieved many great things in his running career. He became a world champion in cross country running.
First World Cross Country Win
In 1976, Carlos Lopes won the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. This big race took place in Chepstow, Wales. It was one of his first major international victories.
Olympic Silver in Montreal
Carlos Lopes competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He ran in the 10,000 metres race. During the race, Lopes took the lead after 4,000 metres. Only one other runner, Lasse Virén, could keep up with him. Virén was a double Olympic champion. With one lap left, Virén passed Lopes to win the gold medal. Carlos Lopes finished comfortably in second place, earning a silver medal.
He ran the first half of the race (5,000 metres) in 14 minutes and 8.94 seconds. He ran the second half even faster, in 13 minutes and 36.23 seconds. This showed how well he could speed up his pace during a long race. However, he often found it hard to sprint very fast in the final moments of track races.
Challenges and Comeback
The year after his Olympic silver, Lopes placed second. This was at the World Cross Country Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany. He finished behind Leon Schots. After this, Carlos Lopes faced some challenges. He had several injuries that kept him from running. Because of these injuries, he did not qualify for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.
In 1982, Carlos Lopes returned to his top form. He broke the European record for the 10,000 metres. This happened in Oslo, Norway. His new record time was 27 minutes and 24.39 seconds. The previous record belonged to his teammate, Fernando Mamede.
At the 1982 European Athletics Championships in Athens, Greece, Lopes finished fourth. He ran the 10,000 metres in 27 minutes and 47.95 seconds. He led most of the race, from 6,000 metres to 9,800 metres. But he was passed on the very last lap.
Carlos Lopes tried his first marathon in 1982. This was at the New York City Marathon. However, he could not finish the race. He had an accident where he ran into a spectator. In 1983, he finished second again at the World Cross Country Championships. This race was held in Gateshead, England.
He ran his second marathon at the Rotterdam Marathon in 1983. He finished second with a European record time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 39 seconds. He was only two seconds behind the winner, Robert de Castella. After this, he decided to focus on marathon and cross country running.
More Cross Country Success
In 1984, Carlos Lopes won his second World Cross Country Championships. This event took place in East Rutherford, United States. Later that year, in Stockholm, Sweden, he helped his teammate Fernando Mamede. Lopes set the pace for Mamede to break the 10,000 metres world record. Mamede won the race, and Lopes finished second.
Olympic Champion and World Record
Carlos Lopes's biggest achievements came in 1984 and 1985.
Becoming an Olympic Champion
An accident almost stopped Lopes from going to the 1984 Summer Olympics. Just one week before the Games, a car hit him in Lisbon. Luckily, he was not hurt.
The Olympic marathon in Los Angeles was run in very hot weather. Many of the top runners struggled and fell behind. But Carlos Lopes kept going strong. He won the gold medal with a big lead. His time was 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 21 seconds. This was a new Olympic record. He was 37 years old when he won. This victory made him famous as a world-class runner. He ran the last 7.2 kilometers (about 4.5 miles) incredibly fast. His Olympic record stood until the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. That's when Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya won with a faster time.
In 1985, Carlos Lopes won the World Cross Country Championships for the third time. This final victory happened in Lisbon, Portugal.
Setting a Marathon World Record
Carlos Lopes ran his last major race at the 1985 Rotterdam Marathon. He made history by setting a new world record for the marathon. He finished the race in 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 12 seconds. This was 53 seconds faster than the previous record. He was also the first person to run the 42.195 kilometers (26.2 miles) in less than 2 hours and 8 minutes.
Honours and Awards
Carlos Lopes has received several important awards in Portugal for his achievements.
See also
In Spanish: Carlos Lopes para niños
