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Ronald ("Ron") William Clarke (born February 21 , 1937 in Victoria ) was an Australia n athlete, and one of the best known middle and long distance runners in the 1960s . He attended Melbourne High School . leaps over Ron Clarke in the 1956 Australian National Championships 1500 m final.]] He is best remembered for setting seventeen World Record s, but also for never winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games . He did win the bronze medal in the 10,000 m at the 1964 Summer Olympics , however. At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City , Clarke collapsed and nearly died from altitude sickness sustained during the grueling 10,000 m race final. He suffered permanent heart damage from this event, as he was not conditioned to running in high altitudes as were some competitors. In 1956, when Clarke was still a promising youngster, he was chosen to light the Olympic Flame in the Stadium during the opening ceremonies of the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne . On March 15 2006 , Ron Clarke was one of the final four runners who carried the Queen's Baton around the MCG stadium during the 2006 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia . He currently serves as Mayor of the Gold Coast, Queensland , a position to which he was elected at the 2004 local government elections in which he defeated the incumbent Gary Baildon . Clarke is the brother of former VFL star Jack Clarke . EXTERNAL LINKS
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