10,000 metres, Men

There was no heavy favorite in 1960 in this event, although the 1958 European Champion, Poland’s Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak was likely a slight favorite, but he was by now more a steeplechaser and would win gold in that event in Roma. The 1958 Commonwealth Games champion, Dave Power of Australia, set the early pace. Only Soviets Pyotr Bolotnikov and Aleksey Desyatchikov and the GDR’s Hans Grodotzki could stay with him. Bolotnikov took a big lead on the penultimate lap and was never caught, winning by almost five seconds. Though it was his first major title, he would win the 1962 Europeans and set a world record in the event in October 1960 and broke that in 1962.