Lilian Board,European Championships,,Athens,1969.

[solefthanded2]

There is no one to replace David Coleman when it comes to the Olympics....

[TheNewPartyMovement]

Lillian Board is a legend, I was shocked and devastated when she died only 22yrs 13days old, and I stopped believing in god. I was 23 and had had a crush on her for a few years. I loved listening to her voice, in interviews, posh with a slight lisp.

If there is such a thing as a god would it allow cancer ? Yes? then it must be an evil thing, this god.

[ianeis777]

To me and many others Lillian was a legend, a great athlete at such a young age. She made her races very exciting, also avenging her defeat against the olympic champion. Lillian was tragically and very sadly taken away from us before she could be at her peak. We can only wonder what might have been and in my opinion would have been olympic champion at Munich & Montreal. Lillian's memory should be made to live on as a legend in British athletics forever, for sure she will live on in mine.

[MYBIGKINDHEART]

Why is this in black and white and yet the 1968 isn't? dosen't make sense to me

and why do good people keep dieing young and yet all the cunts seem to live on

[Dazzler23]

@MYBIGKINDHEART . I think it's because of Greek TV, which presumably had colour

later than other countries.

[teelineshort]

Lillian was the most talented athlete Britain ever had and her range was tremendous. I remember staying up to watch the Mexico Olympics 400m final and was so disappointed that she lost. However, Besson proved a wonderful friend to Lillian and she had to suffer reverse defeat on the last leg of the 4 x 400m final to Lillian a year later in Athens when Lillian had her greatest victory. Such a loss when she died at 22 - you are remembered Lillian with much affection.

[dinarathirty]

I always enjoyed Coleman's commentaries. And he always performed with such a great passion and feeling. And never more so than in this classic second encounter between Board and Besson. Undoubtedly it was the athletics race of the twentieth century. And perhaps will never be beaten for the sheer excitement that the two protagonists provided for us. R.I.P. both of them.

[cbak12sg]

This is the greatest athletics race I've ever seen. I'm biased I know, but the other great ones also involve British women, with Kelly Holmes (2004) and Sally Gunnell (1993 World championships) the others.

I think the stories of Lillian Board and Colette Besson would be excellent for a film. Sadly, the Americans wouldn't want to know, because these two rivals are nothing to them, and it's a story with a tragic ending.

Colette Besson was also taken from us through cancer a few years ago.

[spritefzr]

The whole lap was shown during an athletics programme hosted by Roger Black some years back. Unfortunetly cant find the whole lap on youtube anywhere. The back ground given prior to the clip of this race and Rogers commentry (he didnt talk over Colemans actual commentry) made for probably the most emotional piece of athletics footage I've seen. I lovey lay taken from us far to soon.

[msrseps2]

Lillian's revenge!

[wkbfutewc]

What a great moment touched with sadness. She was took from us too soon.

It's time we defeated that awful disease.

Nice touch at the games in Sydney though. One of the streets in the althlete's village was called Lilian Board Street.

Never forgotten.

[CNicol40]

Taken too soon.

[benoni45]

Lost cause's are not always what they seem, as Lillian Board showed here! Superb run from a superb athlete!

[ClaytonKenner]

til now have never seen Lilian Board in action read her life story and was moved by it.she was a phenonminal athelete

[Dazzler23]

@ClaytonKenner - Yes, her biography is a great read. David Emery wrote a superb book in what were obviously very difficult circumstances.

[nuipret]

the greatest of all female athletes. i loved this lass to bits. i watched every single time she was on tv ( i couldn't aafford to go to her meets). when lilian won i was on a huge high, when she lost i was on a bad downer all week. i cried like a baby at the news of her untimely death. i read her life story and that truly upset me when i read about her end. i never knew until i read that book that she was born 5 days before me. i'd love to meet her twin sister. LILIAN, YOU WERE THE GREATEST. X

[nuipret]

lilian board. the most talented, charismatic and attractive female athlete this country has ever had or will have. i never knew why at the time but this girl was my absolute heroine. i could never afford to go to her meets so i used to watch all her races on tv. i loved this lass to bits and when she won i was on a huge high,. when she lost i was so sad that i'd be on a bad downer all week. i cried like a baby when she died. i read her life story and found out she was born 5 days before me.

[jwnrtj]

A great race, immortalized by David Coleman's commentary.

[Shrubb1879]

Two great wins, despite not being fully fit due to a back injury. Still only 20 as well. Shows what a huge talent she was, and makes you wonder what more she would have achieved if given the chance.

[Dazzler23]

Agree the relay is a great race and it would be brilliant to see it in full. The BBC should do the decent thing and show it all during their coverage of the Euros next month. Athens in 1969 is the only time GB's women have won this title (our only w800m win too), so it has historical importance besides being a thrilling race.

The GB men's 4x4 win in Tokyo at the 1991 Worlds was a thriller, but this is even more exciting as we were never ahead until the last stride. World record too.

[sandyronnie]

@Dazzler23 Agree with all you say. The relay was fantastic. Let's not forget the great Janet Simpson who ran the 3rd leg and recorded the fastest time of the British quartet.

R.I.P. JANET AND LILLIAN.

[chatham43]

@Dazzler23 ...dont think it has been shown in its entirety since the actual coverage......hidden away in the BBC archive never to be seen again..

[Dazzler23]

@chatham43 You could be right there. Or maybe they don't have the whole race? They used to tape over lots of stuff in the 60s, so maybe the last 500 metres or so is all they've got. That was what they showed at Euro 2006, but nothing this time (unless I missed it).

[chatham43]

@Dazzler23 ....the whole lap was on youtube a while back....so it does exist.....but the Beeb have never shown it for some reason.....doubt whether the other relay legs still exist.............

[Dazzler23]

@chatham43 - Yes, it was on here and it's also on the 'Great Milers' DVD that is available on Amazon for a couple of quid. As for the other legs, who knows? Even if they do exist, we're unlikely to see them. Should have shown all the race last week as a tribute to Janet Simpson, who died a few months ago and ran a great leg. Still the only time GB have won that title, too.

So much in the BBC archives we never get to see, which is a real shame.

[chatham43]

@Dazzler23 ..yep....the BBC are so precious about their archive library...so much so that they never show any of it....for example I checked out the BBC archive of past recent olympics and world championships and I could not find any video footage....it was all audio interviews/comments and text information...unbelievable....­....

[mcf59]

@Dazzler23 -"Great Milers" DVD that I bought on Amazon for under 2 quid is now up to 5 quid!I think you may be to blame :) This was a truly great buy as this is a testament to British iconography and cultural landmarks from Bannister to Kelly Holmes. Anyone has to be proud of the accomplishments of these british runners who etched their names in athletics history but also in the hearts of us all. Lillian remains a supernova in the the firmament of World and British athletics, she still inspires.

[keleggfan]

Thank you so much for putting this back on - I saw it years ago and then it disappeared from YT - I agree with Sunny that it's one of the greatest races of all time and you have to know the story of the 68 Olympic final first. To know how she came back from that to reverse the result and then what happened to her soon after - makes me cry every time I watch it.

[SUNNYTOMORROW1]

The relay where Board beats Besson is one of the greatest races ever run in my opinion. Colette went off so fast but it was Lillian's eight hundred meter stamina that gained her the day as she just out stayed her great rival to put to rest that defeat in the Olympic final.

[Shrubb1879]

@SUNNYTOMORROW1 - Lillian also beat Besson over 400m in a GB-France match in August 1969, so that was another win that helped ease the pain of her defeat in Mexico.

The pair were friendly rivals though, and Colette even visited Lillian when she was ill in hospital in Munich.