Hemery pays his respects to 'crusader' Gold

Former Olympic gold medallist David Hemery today led the tributes to Sir Arthur Gold CBE, one of the sport's most influential officials and a pioneering anti-drugs campaigner.

Gold died over the weekend in London at the age of 85.

Hemery, who won the 400metres hurdles in a world-record time at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and is now president of UK Athletics, said: "He was a significant figure in so many different ways. He'd been an international-athlete, so he understood some of what it took to perform at that standard. As a strong crusader against drug-taking in the sport, he was an upholder of some of the ethical values the sport would like to be famous for."

Gold served on the European AA as a council member and president, the British Amateur Athletics Board and the British Olympic Association. He also led the British athletics teams at three Olympic Games and three Commonwealth Games.

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