Edwin Flack, versatile athlete

When the great athletes of all time are discussed, measured in terms of their versatility, different names inevitably pop up - men who have excelled in different venues. One that undoubtedly does not get mentioned very often is Edwin Flack, who was Australia's lone entry in the first modern Olympics in 1896. He was the first Olympic champion at 800 and 1500 meters, quite an accomplishment in itself. He had been in the lead in the marathon with only 300 meters to go, but collapsed. Before that, he had placed third in the Victorian ten mile cross country championships in 1892. Flack also competed in singles and doubles in tennis at the 1896 Olympics, making it to the semi-finals in doubles.