Gary Lough
British middle-distance runner
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Gareth "Gary" James Lough (born 6 July 1970) is a British male former middle-distance runner.
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Northern Irish | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 6 July 1970 County Antrim, Northern Ireland | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||
Event | Middle-distance | |||||||||||||||||
| Club | Loughborough University Annadale Striders | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Biography
Born in Larne Moyle Hospital in County Antrim,[1] represented his country at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics, finishing the 1500 metres final in ninth place.[2] He won 1500 m bronze medals internationally at the 1993 Summer Universiade and the 1994 European Cup.[3][4] He also participated at the 1994 IAAF World Cup and the 1996 European Cup.[5][6]
At the top national level he reached the podium three times. He was third in the 1500 m at the 1993 UK Athletics Championships,[7] third over 800 m at the 1995 AAA Championships, and third in the 1500 m at the 1994 AAA Championships.[8] He was a four-time Northern Irish national champion in the 800 metres, taking straight victories from 1990 to 1993.[9] He was twice champion at the BUCS British Universities Athletics Championships, winning the 1500m title in both 1991 and 1995.[10]
Lough attended Loughborough University and it was there that he met fellow student-athlete Paula Radcliffe and the two became friends. Five years after the pair began dating and later married, having two children: a daughter, Isla (2007), and a son, Raphael (2010).[11] Lough suffered a knee injury which curtailed his competitive career and instead focused on training and managing his wife's career.[12] Radcliffe set the world record in the marathon while working with her husband.[13] He drew public criticism for his coaching style after her fourth-place performance at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. Radcliffe was distraught at missing a medal and Lough's trackside remonstration of her tactics was shown on television. Lough later apologised to his wife and the public for his reaction.[14][15]
Lough began working with multiple Olympic champion Mo Farah in February 2018, with Farah remarking that he appreciated Lough's strong will and attention to detail as a coach.[16]
Personal bests
- 1500 metres – 3:34.76 min (1995)
- Mile run – 3:55.91 min (1995)
- 3000 metres – 7:49.45 min (1995)
- 3000 metres steeplechase – 8:26.33 min (1996)
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Universiade | Buffalo, United States | 3rd | 1500 m | 3:46.77 |
| 1994 | European Cup | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 3rd | 1500 m | 3:49.57 |
| World Cup | London, United Kingdom | 5th | 1500 m | 3:44.10 | |
| 1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 9th | 1500 m | 3:37.59 |
| 1996 | European Cup | Madrid, Spain | 8th | 3000 m | 8:11.44 |
National titles
- Northern Irish Athletics Championships
- 800 m: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
