Roger Black facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Roger Black
MBE

Black in 2011
Personal information
Nationality	British (English)
Born	(1966-03-31) 31 March 1966 (age 59) Gosport, Hampshire, England
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	400 m
Club	Southampton & Eastleigh A.A.C./Team Solent
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Silver 1996 Atlanta 400 m Silver 1996 Atlanta 4 × 400 m relay Bronze 1992 Barcelona 4 × 400 m relay World Championships Gold 1991 Tokyo 4 × 400 m relay Gold 1997 Athens 4 × 400 m relay Silver 1987 Rome 4 × 400 m relay Silver 1991 Tokyo 400 m European Championships Gold 1986 Stuttgart 400 m Gold 1986 Stuttgart 4 × 400 m relay Gold 1990 Split 400 m Gold 1990 Split 4 × 400 m relay Gold 1994 Helsinki 4 × 400 m relay Silver 1994 Helsinki 400 m Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 1986 Edinburgh 400 m Gold 1986 Edinburgh 4 × 400 m relay

Roger Anthony Black is a famous British athlete. He was born on March 31, 1966. He competed for Great Britain and England in track and field. Roger is best known for his amazing speed in the 400 metres sprint.

During his career, he won many important medals. These include silver medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships. He also earned gold medals at the European Championships. Roger was also part of relay teams that won gold medals.

After he stopped running professionally, Roger became a television presenter. He also works as a motivational speaker. He has won a total of fifteen medals from major athletics competitions. He also won two gold medals when he was a junior athlete in Europe.

Roger Black won five national championships in the 400 meters race. He also won one national championship in the 200 meters race. He is still one of the fastest British runners ever in the 400 meters.

Early Life and School

Roger Black was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England. His father, David, was a doctor. Roger has a twin sister named Julia. He went to Alverstoke Church of England Primary School. Later, he attended Portsmouth Grammar School. He was even the Head Boy there in 1983-1984.

Roger first showed how fast he was while playing football. He was a forward and scored many goals. He would often run past other players easily. After that, he joined athletics clubs. He started studying medicine at the University of Southampton. However, he left after three months. This was because his athletics career was starting to take off!

Roger Black's Athletics Career

Roger Black became well-known in athletics when he was 19 years old. He won the 400 meters race at the 1985 European Athletics Junior Championships. His winning time was 45.43 seconds.

Early Success in 1986

In 1986, Roger started competing against older athletes. He made a big impact right away. First, he won a gold medal for England in Edinburgh. His time was 45.57 seconds. Then, he won another gold medal at the European Championships in Stuttgart. He set a new British Record with a time of 44.59 seconds. He also won gold medals in the 4 × 400 meters relay at both events. This meant he won four gold medals in 1986!

Overcoming Injuries and Return in 1990

Roger faced some tough times after 1986. He had illnesses and injuries for the next three years. He barely made it onto the relay team for the 1987 World Championships in Rome. Even so, the British team won a silver medal there.

He made a strong comeback in 1990. His good form led him to the European Championships in Split. Roger won the 400 meters final again, keeping his title. He finished in 45.11 seconds. He also helped the British team win the 4 × 400 meters relay easily. They won by 15 meters and set a European record of 2:58.23. Roger ran his part of the relay in an amazing 43.9 seconds. This meant he won two gold medals at two championships in a row!

World Championships in Tokyo 1991

After his great 1990 season, there were high hopes for Roger in 1991. At the World Championships in Tokyo, Roger finished second in the individual 400 meters race. He ran very fast in the middle of the race. He was ahead as he entered the final straight. However, he got tired and was caught at the finish line. His time was 44.62 seconds.

In the last event of the Tokyo Championships, the men's 4 × 400 relay was a big race. It was expected to be a close fight between Great Britain and the United States. The British team decided to try something different. Roger Black ran the first part of the race. Then came Derek Redmond, John Regis, and finally Kriss Akabusi. Roger's job was to give the team a good start or keep them close to the lead.

Roger ran his part in 44.6 seconds. The British team kept up with the Americans. In the final lap, Kriss Akabusi ran incredibly well. He passed the American runner in the last 80 meters. Great Britain won in a time of 2:57.53. This was a new British and European record!

Olympic Silver in Atlanta 1996

Roger Black set a new British Record of 44.37 seconds on July 3, 1996. This happened in Lausanne, Switzerland. This record was later broken by Iwan Thomas. Roger's time is still one of the fastest ever by a British runner.

His biggest individual achievement was at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. In the 400 meters final, he won a silver medal. He finished second behind the legendary runner Michael Johnson. After this, Roger faced more injuries. He retired from the sport in 1998.

1997 World Championships Gold

At the 1997 World Championships, the USA team originally won the 4 × 400 meters relay. Great Britain finished very close behind them. Later, the USA team was disqualified. This meant that Great Britain's 1997 World Championship 4 × 400 meters relay team was awarded the gold medal. This announcement was made on January 7, 2010.

Roger Black ran the second part of the relay. Jamie Baulch and Mark Richardson helped keep the team in second place. Great Britain's winning time was 2:56.65.

Awards and Recognition

Roger Black was given the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This was in 1992 for his great contributions to athletics. In 1995, Southampton University gave him an honorary degree. This is a special award from a university.

Life After Running

After retiring from athletics, Roger Black started a career in television. In 1998, he appeared on the children's news show Newsround. He reported on childhood obesity with fellow athlete Iwan Thomas.

Roger has worked for the BBC on shows like Tomorrow's World and Grandstand. In 2004, he was a contestant on the dancing show Strictly Come Dancing. In 2006, he took part in Celebrity MasterChef and reached the final.

In 1999, he was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life. This show surprises famous people by telling their life story.

Writing a Book

Roger Black has written a book about his life. It is called How Long's the Course?. This book shares his experiences and journey.

Personal Life

Roger Black is married to Julia Burgess. They have twin boys named George and Max, who were born in 2006. Roger also has a daughter named Isabelle from his previous marriage. Even though he was born in Gosport, Roger supports Southampton F.C., a football team.

In 2014, Roger Black was one of many public figures who signed a letter. This letter was published in The Guardian newspaper. It expressed opposition to Scottish independence before a vote on the issue.

In January 2025, Roger had open heart surgery. He had been diagnosed with a heart condition when he was 11 years old. The condition had become worse over time.

Major Achievements

• 1985
  • European Junior Championships – Cottbus, Germany
    • 400 metres gold medal – 45.36 seconds
    • 4 × 400 m. relay gold medal – 3:07.18
• 1986
  • Commonwealth Games – Edinburgh, Scotland
    • 400 m. gold medal – 45.57 sec.
    • 4 × 400 m. relay gold medal – 3:07.19
  • European Championships – Stuttgart, Germany
    • 400 m. gold medal – 44.59 sec.
    • 4 × 400 m. relay gold medal – 2:59.84
• 1987
  • World Championships – Rome, Italy
    • 4 × 400 m. relay silver medal
• 1990
  • European Championships – Split, Yugoslavia
    • 400 m. gold medal – 45.08 sec.
    • 4 × 400 m. relay gold medal – 2:58.22
• 1991
  • World Championships – Tokyo, Japan
    • 400 m. silver medal – 44.62 sec.
    • 4 × 400 m. relay gold medal – 2:57.53
• 1992
  • Summer Olympics – Barcelona, Spain
    • 4 × 400 m. relay bronze medal – 2:59.73
• 1994
  • European Championships – Helsinki, Finland
    • 400 m. silver medal – 45.2 sec.
    • 4 × 400 m. relay gold medal – 2:59.13
• 1996
  • Summer Olympics – Atlanta, USA
    • 400 m. silver medal – 44.41 sec.
    • 4 × 400 m. relay silver medal – 2:56.60
• 1997
  • World Championships – Athens, Greece
    • 4 × 400 m. relay gold medal – 2:56.65

Roger Black still holds the track record for the men's 400 meters in Frankfurt. On June 29, 1991, when he was 25, he ran 44.91 seconds. He is the only person to have run under 45 seconds on that track.

See also

In Spanish: Roger Black para niños