Zatopek critically ill after stroke

Zatopek leads the Helsinki marathon

Olympic track legend Emil Zatopek is in a critical condition after suffering a stroke.

The Czech athlete won 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon gold in the space of eight days at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

He also managed to achieve all three of his wins in Olympic record time.

"His condition is very serious," said Dr. Jaroslav Elis, head of neurology at the Prague Central Military hospital where the 78-year-old is being treated.

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"It is a common thing in these situations that it is not just an illness of the brain but other organs suffer as well, heart, lungs, kidneys."

Zatopek has been in hospital since 30 October - the third time this year he has been admitted.

He is widely regarded as the greatest long-distance runners of all time.

His marathon win was particularly spectacular as he casually asked fellow competitors if the pace was fast enough before going on to win by 700 metres.

Zatopek was expelled from the army and the Communist party for supporting the 1968 democratic movement known as the Prague Spring, but was eventually rehired by the Ministry of Sport until he retired in 1982.