Background
Doubell was born in Melbourne, was educated at Melbourne High School and graduated from the University of Melbourne, where he had come under the tutelage of Austrian-born coach Franz Stampfl.
Doubell was born in Melbourne, was educated at Melbourne High School and graduated from the University of Melbourne, where he had come under the tutelage of Austrian-born coach Franz Stampfl.
Melbourne High School.
Doubell"s first major international victory in 800 metres was at the World Student Games in Tokyo in 1967 in a time of 1:46.7. His next season (the Olympic season) was severely curtailed by Achilles" tendon injuries, and he was unable to compete for six months prior to the Olympic Games in Mexico City. Doubell had planned to compete at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, but was prevented in doing so by calf injuries, which brought on his retirement from competitive athletics.
After retirement from sports, Doubell worked as a Head of Relationship Management and a Director and Divisional Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking of the Deutsche Bank Group in Australia.
He was a Director of Telstra Stadium in Sydney until 2007. Doubell was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985.
He is also a member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and a Member (Department of Administration and Management) of the Order of Australia. Doubell, however, was able to recover in time for Mexico City and won the 800 m gold medal, passing the pre-race favourite Wilson Kiprugut of Kenya down the straight to win in a world record equalling time of 1:44.3. Doubell also won the 800 metres gold medal at the 1969 Pacific Conference Games in a time of 1:48.0. On 12 June 2006, in the Queen"s Birthday Honours List, he was made a Member (Department of Administration and Management) of the Order of Australia, for "services to athletics through administrative roles, particularly with Athletics New South Wales, and as a competitor".
