17th July 2013 01:02
European Athletics is on Wednesday mourning the death of one of its finest competitors of the 1980s, the Great Britain 400m runner Todd Bennett.
Bennett, who was only 51, passed away on Monday after a battle with cancer.
Tributes have flowed in for a runner who won silver in the 4x400m relay at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984, 12 months after being part of the relay team that won bronze at the first World Championships in Helsinki.
British 400m record holder and 1998 European champion Iwan Thomas wrote on twitter: 'RIP Todd Bennett, a truly great athlete, man, husband and father.'
It was indoors where Bennett achieved his greatest individual success after showing the signs of his outstanding talent when he won the European Athletics Junior 400m title in Ultrecht in 1981.
He lifted his first major senior title at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Pireas in 1985 - and in some style too.
With a run where he controlled the first 600m before stepping up his power, Bennett won gold in a 400m world indoor record of 45.56 ahead of West Germany's Klaus Just in 45.90. His time remains the seventh best by a European.
Two years later in Paris, Bennett was back on top of the podium when he was crowned European indoor champion again, winning gold in 46.81 from Bulgaria's Momchil Kharizanov in 46.89.
He remained in the sport after retiring and was a team manager at Southampton AC-Team Southampton.
The club said in a statement: 'Todd was dedicated to the sport of athletics during his life as an athlete, coach and team manager and was an inspiration to a huge number of young athletes and school children who he coached and supported.
'Todd had considerable success as an athlete, holding the World Indoor 400m record and winning medals in the 400m and 4 x 400m relays at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and European Championships and was part of a successful era in British athletics and 400m running in particular.
'Following his retirement as an athlete, he encouraged many to take up and participate in the sport he loved. Vanessa, his wife, and children, Aaron and Daena, will miss him dearly.'
Former British 400m runner Mark Richardson â€í¢€ªtweeted: 'A gutsy competitor - one of the key architects of the GB 4x400m dynastyí¢€ª.'
And Mike McFarlane, who won 60m gold at those European Athletics Indoor Championships in 1985, wrote: 'Great Man, Great Athlete. My prayers are with your family.'
European Athletics extends its condolences to Bennett's wife, children and family at this sad time.