AFP
5 December 2000 – Prague - The procession for the state funeral of quadruple Olympic champion Emil Zatopek will begin on Wednesday at the national theatre in Prague, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced.
IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, along with eminent sports personalities, members of the Olympic movement and members of the Czech Republic government will attend Zatopek's funeral.
Zatopek, who won the 10,000m gold at the London Olympics in 1948 and at Helsinki in 1952, where he added the 5,000m and the marathon titles, died on November 21 following a long illness.
The secretary of the Czech National Olympic Committee (COV), Karel Spacek, said that International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) president Lamine Diack, ex-Olympic champions Alain Mimoun of France and Lasse Viren of Finland would be among the thousands of people expected to pay hommage to the Czech legend.
Also in attendance will be Prime minister Milos Zeman and the head of the houses of parliament Vaclav Klaus.
IOC president Samaranch will be joined by COV president Milan Jirasek in reading a homage to Zatopek, however at the request of Zatopek's wife, Dana Zatopkova, the recital will be kept short, according to COV secretary Spacek.
The ceremony will begin with folk music from Moravia, the birth region of both Zatopek and Zatopkova, and will end with the national hymn accompanied by salvoes from the Czech army.
A true hero in his homeland, Zatopek fell from official grace after the Prague Spring where he took the microphone in Wenceslas square to speak out against the presence of Soviet tanks.
Pro-Soviet military officials bounced him out of the Czech army and he was forced into manual jobs at the age of 45.
It was not until 1974, six years after the Soviet invasion, that he was transferred to an administrative post.
In recognition of the "exceptional services rendered to athletics and the example he set to youngsters everywhere", Zatopek will be posthumously awarded the "Golden Order of Merit" by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF).
