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Incredible, but true. Zatopek himself had very little interest in running when he was in his teens. Incredible, but true. He was a very slow runner. Incredible, but true. His friends used to mock him because of his slow speed. Those friends, when he became Olympic champion, said: "Emil, you are a genius." Perhaps he was not born with natural ability. But by virtue of his indomitable will, he granted his body a supernatural capacity.