C. FISHER

As one of the country’s best amateur middle distance athletes in the early 1970s, Chris Fisher won three open national 1500m titles from 1970 to 1972, four SA state titles over 800 metres and 1500 metres and represented Australia in the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh and the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Chris was the first SA athlete to break the four minute mile barrier when he won the Herb Elliott mile at an international meet in Melbourne on 18th March 1971. His best ever time for the mile was 3min 57.3sec.

After the 1972 Olympics in Munich, he was enticed to turn professional by the American based International Track Association and ran on the international professional track circuit, winning several ITA events over 800m and 1500m.

Returning to Australia and Stawell, Chris won the 1975 1500m Herb Hedemann Invitation from scratch in 3mins 43.7sec – a new professional Australian record. In 1979 he won the Energy Mile from scratch in 4mins 10.0sec.

In 1980, Chris again won the Herb Hedemann Invitation 1500m off scratch in 3mins 46.7sec. He also raced very successfully at Bendigo and dominated the 1979, 80 and 81 Australian Championship series by winning all three events over 800m, 1600m and 3200m off scratch on each occasion.