David Hemery Mexico 68 World Record

[MrMichaelrobinson]

Brilliant video I watch it again and again, had the privilege of spending a golden two hours with David and one other person walking on the Wiltshire Downs, an unforgetable privilege and honour I will never forget it one of those memourable highlights of your life.

[penntarun]

I was a track team walk-on nobody at BU in the late 70's. Hemery was the coach and treated

non-scorers like myself in the same manner as the superstars. He was a true

gentlemen and I'll never forget it.

[LANDAULAWSHOP]

David Hemery was track coach at Boston University in the 1970s-1980s, a gentlemen, smart & with a sense of humor. He was also a great runner who pushed us with creative workouts. I hope he figures prominently at this summer's Olympic Games in London.

[drtreg]

The black runners finished this race in the 1964 Olympics.

[sharplucy]

I just checked and yes it was .19 seconds faster than Dai Greene's time. Quite extraordinary.

[atreyufansrockk]

hemery started out as a high hurdler and returned to that event in the 1970 commonwealth which gave john sherwood the gold in the 400 m hurdles

[MrMichaelrobinson]

Extraditionary race ,David was 30 years ahead of his time the race time is amazing. Had the opportunity of meeting him on three ocassions a very graceful and humble man full of encouragement and wisdom.

[msrseps2]

A great time! John Sherwood got the bronze from Lane 8 with a real sprint at the end. His wife Sheila came second in the long jump.

[clivedxb]

@msrseps2 Who cares? ;)

[rc2869]

David Hemery - a British Athletic Legend. He'd still win today. A shame him and Ed Moses didn't meet in their prime, only maybe. I suspect Ed is quite glad.

[Jimothy10]

43 years ago and quicker than Dai Greene's time in the World Championships!

[converse91970]

Nice post Peter. I firmly believe this is the greatest win on the track by a Briton at Olympic Games. Your father dealt with the difficult conditions and just went hell for leather. As David Coleman said, he destroyed the field. As well as winning well, he was a gracious loser in Munich. It is on YT as well and he could have won that too, finishing 3rd! I was not born until 1970, but I know greatness when I see it and I never tire of watching this race. You must be really proud of him!

[juliansmith1965]

Thanks for sharing this. I live in Mexico City and often run or cycle here, so I appreciate what it means to run at such a high altitude! To achieve a world record was quite something and the time of 40.07 was over two tenths of a second better than Dai Greene World Championship win. I showed this to my two pre-teen sons and they were very inspired.

[juliansmith1965]

@juliansmith1965 sorry - 48.07, but still a magnificent time!!

[vicsmith5000]

I lost interest in watching athletics when David Coleman stopped commentating. He addded so much for the average viewer. Notice how many empty seats in the stadium watching this final. Spare a thought too for John Sherwood. If he got bronze today he'd be exalted and be a national celebrity. I guess we took it all for granted back in those days.

[jokergame]

Thanks for this. I remember so well your dad's race - I was 12 at the time & for me it's unforgettable - part of an indelible sporting memory. I think David Coleman's commentary just helps me recall the excitement. The Americans were so over confident but to be fair Vanderstock was very gracious when looking back after the event

[chanctonbury63]

Those werte the days when if we were lucky we might win one Gold every 4 years. Bit different now!

[xCobaltCatholic]

Coleman was fully aware that John Sherwood finished third, he was just impassioned by the fact that Hemery had won it. John Sherwood, husband of Sheila Sherwood who won the silver medal for the long jump at the same Olympics and are parents of David Sherwood who won the Davis cup along side Andy Murray in 2005. The family now help younger tennis players in Sheffield, such as myself, with Sheila and John as superb fitness and athletic trainers.

[Glat64]

Good god, I remember this. I don't know why but your Dad's name just popped into my head this morning ( well actually it was his image) then it took me a little while to remember his surname, the most amazing thing is though, is I would have been only four at the time!

[argylegeoff]

I sat next to the great man today on the train. Wish I'd told him I knew who he was - no-one else seemed to notice.

[bennevisplace]

I was watching on TV with a bunch of schoolmates, all in utter disbelief.

The field, the world record - it was slaughter, it was glorious.

[lesblakeman]

Had to get up at 2:00am to watch this because of the time difference , best early morning call ever , priceless.

[lulabelle82]

David was married/dating my aunt Gloria O'Leary a long time ago.

[29au81]

David Coleman was the BEST commentator ever,,full of emotion,,,wish i could hear the Ann Packer from 64 again!!!!,,,but the bloke wasn*t scared to show he was british and backed them to the Hilt..Superb commentary....

[goodbyemrchips]

@29au81 I agree with every word

[Scotty22ish]

Wow! He was miles ahead of everyone!! This video makes me proud to be British...

[Holtyholty]

your dad was at my school today lol :) what a legend i got his autograph he might remembre me i was the first person to get it then :D

[CrAiGRtHeSuPeRsTaR]

@Holtyholty HOLTYYY lol

[Psionic1000]

dude ur dads awesome....enough said

[crlbertone]

I sent this video to my father. He competed in Mexico 68 for Guatemala and met your father in the olympic village. In the heat of the emotion of your father's victory my father was first to shake hands with him as he was exiting the track. They saw each other four years later in Munich again. He says your father was very friendly with him even though neither one of them spoke their respective languages. I also hope your father is featured in 2012 in London!

[TonmajiMaste]

Hemery had an excellent hurdling technique, unlike the 400m hurdlers nowdays...

[2010going]

NBdweller, what a great thought. This is still one of my favourite olimpic races.

[sleeplessinsale]

bloody hell, first time i've seen that. he won it by miles! great performance!

[robeynf1]

Great to see this again. It was one of the most momentous athletic nights and sights ever. Good to hear the original commentary which included David Coleman's 'who cares who came third' - it was another Brit John Sherwood but the Beeb removed that from the re-runs!

[1948richo]

i was 20 at the time david hemery winning the 400 mtrs hurdles i will always remember the event we had to stay up through the  night and alttough david coleman made a gaff of 3rd place he was a great commentator on all sports he just got so excited at hemerys performance agreat olympics year was 1968

[aliboy1960]

John Sherwood was third not Robbie Brightwell. Hemery's run was one of the greatest ever by a British ahlete. 42 years on only Kris Akabusi among Brits has gone faster

[UlsterGroundhopper]

@aliboy1960 Love the 'who cares who got third' comment . As a commentator who always wore his heart on his sleeve and lived every moment with british athletes. I'm sure David Coleman probably beat himself up about that when he realised Sherwood had won the bronze.

[Shrubb1879]

This must be the most convincing win by a British athlete in an OIympic final. He demolished the field and shattered the world record, taking the event into new territory. Only a handful of British athletes have won gold and set a world record at the Olympics and his is the most comprehensive and authoritative victory.

[nomatesman]

superb! First time I've seen the whole race

[KingLiopleurodon]

As so many others have said, David Hemery is a world-class act. I too had the pleasure of meeting him, years ago. @drnwokoro, fantastic! That's it!

As for the 68 final, he annihilates his opponents. He displays a beautiful sustained rhythm at max speed, which was the product of fanatical dedication to practice, and he seemed to save something for the run-in, despite the WR pace. @1989, it was John Sherwood who finished 3rd here, also a great run. Brightwell ran the open 400 at the 64OG.

[1989809]

Useless coleman says at the end who cares who's 3rd it really dosn't matter and yet it was a Brit Robbie Brightwell If i had been I would have thumped him.

[UFCtrainer]

wow , was that from lane one

[TheTzdope]

i'm an american and i was 7 years old during these olympic games. i remember this moment because i was spoiled that the american track & field team was the greatest team in u.s. history did not win this race! Hats off to hemery

[xandy1959]

he won bronze and silver olympic medals to.

[GEMSTEPHKIM1]

A great childhood memory of mine, fantastic athlete and the comentary still sends shivers down the spine. Just have to watch it every now and then. Pleasure to have worked with him at one of his coaching skills courses. A real gent and inspiration.Youngest daughter now wants to take up running,I just show her this vid!

[NBdweller]

I will be very disappointed if David Hemery doesn't feature in the 2012 opening ceremonies!

[HemPeter]

dunno if he actually has plans to 'feature' but he'll definately be there to watch!

[NBdweller]

I hope he'll be more than watching in the stadium! This was one of the finest moments in British athletics. Ever.

[drnwokoro]

Was running 400m reps at the track in Cambridge in the dark and the rain 2 hrs ago. No floodlights. Only company my bicycle lights and the words of encouragement from a stranger in a darkened car - turned out to be that man Hemery - a gentleman and a legend.

[MrMichaelrobinson]

Brilliant race have watched it hundreds of time constantly inspires me, and also had the prilvage to meet David, on several ocassions and be to mentored by him for one golden hour

[timtak1]

"he pulverised them!" I remember him from Superstars.

[captainbeecher]

eerrrrr I meant to say Sherwood took the bronze

[pigolabenny]

Certo che a leggere del distacco e una cosa e a vederlo un' altra!

Frinolli purtroppo volle tenere il ritmo di Hemery e gli andò male arrivando spompato e ultimo. Mannaggia!

[kieran4949]

I remember watching this as a child, still very exciting to watch and great commentary from David Coleman.

[borninparis]

Thnaks and best of health to the Hemery family, I remember how your Dad became a sensation over night with that win, and world record shattered.

[jpww1979]

gold and bronze and world record nice

[Mazurka1001]

For 1968 this was amazingly fast, taking into account this was still largely a drug-free era (for the athletes of course)...thanks for posting!

[Treganhorne]

Today I met a childhood hero. The spirit he portrayed is what led me to become a PE teacher. It was as if I was transported to the very day when I came off the beach to watch the final. It was etched in my mind. So glad to watch it here on You Tube. Thank you. And the best of all? The real person is every bit as good as the dream. He is the greatest athlete I have had the privilege to meet. Totally overwhelmed!

[rc2869]

Thank you for posting this. Was born a few years after though never ever tire of watching this race - Grandstand did a re-run in 1980. I dare say this race may have acted as an inspiration for Mr Coe and Mr Ovett

David Hemery always comes across interviews as a typical Enlgish gent - determined, polite and modest.

A true sporting hero - like to see some of the top footballers follow his lead.

[minutegongcoughs]

Terrific run. Hard race 400h. David Coleman... Hemery Hemery Hemery from start to finish. It's like word salad.

[captainbeecher]

And who cares whose third?? but wasn't it another Brit who got bronze?

[Shrubb1879]

Yes, John Sherwood.

[birchual]

haha i thought that. if a commentator said that now they would be lynched

[captainbeecher]

Best of it is it was John Sherwood of Britain who took the gold. Bet his family were royally pissed off as David Coleman

[mikebaas]

Great job with the sync. I can't believe the professional media organizations don't archive this stuff!

[gdv42]

Thanks for posting this great piece of Olympic athletic history. I remember watching this as an 8 year old on the BBC before heading off for school. All we talked about all day was DH's world record and his gold. He destroyed the rest of the field. You must be very proud of his athletic achievments...rightly so!!!

[teebee1984]

I was only 12 but I clearly remember chanting 'Easy. Easy!!.

I just loved watching this race again

[cyberstench]

Our family of seven cheered you on all those years ago (I am now 51)and today had the good fortune to read your fathers aricle in the paper today-what an open generous of spiritthoughtful person he is-very uplifting many thanks

[gtown332]

i remember this like it was yesterday it still sends a shiver down my spine

[nuipret]

considering the drawbacks you've done a great job on splicing and the end result is a moment in sporting history that i remember very very well. i was a young guy of 19 when i cheered your dad home from my home in middlesbrough in that glorious summer of 68.your dad is a real nice guy,modest and respectful.a role model for many lads of that age i should imagine.well done pete.

[musik102]

It's a pity we haven't got Adrian Metcalf's commentary on this race. He read it so well that it made Coleman's sound like a rank amateur. Indeed, Metcalf was -in my opinion - the greatest athletic commentator ever.

[thebob64]

has the 2nd best 400hurdles time in the UK of all time

[united990121]

One of the greatest athletes we have ever had. He won in an Ed Moses like canter. He hammered them with his world record - got bronze in Munich. I was a little boy and remember it very well. Other glowing memory as a boy was Celtic 67.

[zoophonic1958]

David Coleman's commentary on this race is priceless.

At the end listen for "And who cares who's third"

It was John Sherwood of GB! A great achievement!

[jokergame]

Thank you for this priceless video. Like an earlier comment I watched this on the breakfast roundup as a child and can remember this so vividly. I also remember just about 30 seconds after the clip shown DC realised that Sherwood had got the bronze. No-one can commentate with the sheer emotion of Coleman!

[benji84]

What a brilliant race, one of the best GB wins ever, I'm sure he will be one of the torch carriers in the 2012 opening ceremony!!

[broomybank]

Thanks Peter. I was 11 at the time and I remember watching the Mexico Olympics on TV with my Dad at breakfast time before school. The euphoria in David Colman's commentary is touching.

[broomybank]

Thanks Peter. I was 11 at the time and I remember watching the Mexico Olympics on TV with my Dad at breakfast time before school. The euphoria in David Colman's commentary is touching.

[Heartbeat4]

Funny how we mexicans can't see those Olympic games the way you guys can. There was a brutal mass murder on October that same year commited against many students by the government, just before the beginning of the Olympic games.

[briansacks]

I was just weeks away from my 17th birthday when I saw this live in '68. I had been at the White City earlier in the year and seen Hemery do 49.6 (it may have been 49.8, but anyway a British record)and the amazing thing is, you'd swear his feet never lifted more than a foot (that is, 12 inches) off the ground, he had such a beautiful and efficient technique.

David Coleman's commentary was brilliant.

I think watching this lifts one's spirits more than almost anything else that's legal. THANKS!!

[morristonian]

Thank you so much Peter, I have longed for years to see that again. I was 17 at the time and in those days we gave a damn about the amateur games and walked on air at a British victory. I think that your dad's win and Anne Packer in '64 were the best.

[dcasey77]

Incredible he wins a 400 metre race by about 100 metres!!!!

[thebob64]

better quality btw

[Shrubb1879]

very good job with the video. Really has to include David Coleman's classic line, 'Who cares who's third?'.

Great run, he won very easily. Even today nearly 40 years on, only one Briton, Kriss Akabusi, has run faster.

[londonbangkok]

Remember John Sherwood got the bronze coming from 7th to 3rd in the last 20 metres. His wife, Sheila , won the silver in the long jump the same day. Cue to David Coleman having to grovel that evening when he interviewed them!!!!!

[Shrubb1879]

Video of that would be good to watch!