February 18 Birthdays

1947
Carlos Lopes, Portuguese long-distance runner. When Carlos Lopes won the IAAF world cross country title in 1976, he was only just getting started. Later that same year he won the silver medal at the Montreal Olympic 10,000m run, outkicked on the last lap by the great Lasse Virén. In 1984 he won a second IAAF world cross country championship, then struck gold in the Los Angeles Olympic marathon. The following year, 1985, he captured a third world cross country title at the IAAF championships in Lisbon. Only weeks later in Rotterdam he set a world best mark of 2:07:12 in the marathon, becoming the first man to run under 2:08:00.