1976 Olympic 1500m Final

[milesjohnmabynross]

Nick Willis for Gold at London

[pamellaarias]

Bruce is one of the most amazing people of all times. He not only is a champion in sports, he is a champion in life! I admire him and feel he deserves a lot more than the media craving wife and daughters he fell into...but I guess maybe that is what that family needs, a good positive energy to balance everything.

[Blind47]

Coghlan ran stupid races for 2 fourth places in the games.

[bathtownship]

Go home waster, u would be laughed at today joker.

[ChampionDark1]

Africans like little babies did not come walker would have one anyway

[kiwizeppelin]

kia kaha Walker

[Bravo6Whiskey]

John Walker beat Bayi in 1975, more than once, in Europe. Walker ran the fastest 1500 meters in the world in 1975, the year before Montreal: 3:32.4. And Walker was undefeated in the mile in 1975 and 1976. Could Bayi have defeated Walker in 1976 at Montreal? Maybe. But he never beat Walker again, after the '74 Commonwealth Games--not in Europe, not in Jamaica, and not in the USA.

[xP3NGUINz]

Grim joggers Lol

[gunnshop]

Ivo Van Damme...Belgian legend...like Prefontaine, he died in an auto crash, in France, later in 1976... Check out the video of his second place finish in the 1976 Olympic 800m, behind Alberto Juantorena....Van Damme was only 22y/o when he died. Though the Africans boycotted in 76, his Olympic double silvers, showed the awesome potential of the man

[bootymanager]

@gunnshop So did Olympic steeple champ, Bronislaw Malinowski. He died in '81, one year after his brilliantly judged win in the Moscow games.

[capricious71]

Jean Claude Van Damme?

[TomsMVP]

WHERE ARE THE KENYANS ??????

[madscientistify]

@TomsMVP it was an african boycott

[TrackfanNZ]

Walker was a great runner - he ran against all opposition - living out of a suitcase throughout Europe - and made the Commonwealth Games final 14 years later in 1990!

[mahtivaari72]

John Walker looked like a Swedish woman in black suite.

[EdwardoCarusio]

You dont see many bearded runners these days.

[broadjumper1]

Walker was great, but Bayi would have given him a run for certain...

[bitrot66]

@broadjumper1

Not true. Bayi acknowledged that during that time he was still suffering the effects of an attack of malaria. Bayi would have not been in condition to challenge Walker. Winning the Olympic is about luck too - just look at Steve Cram's career. His greatest seasons were off-Olympic years.

[broadjumper1]

@bitrot66 - We'll never know. Yes, Bayi was recovering from malaria, but it's hard to imagine that he couldn't have challenged a 3:39 pace...the rest of these guys were just a little too wary of Walker.

[MakereNZ]

He is a Legend!!! Amazing.

[TheLatmac05]

Wouldman u dik get ya facts right has nothing to do with race but we probably wouldn't let u in our country ya freak

[5overlord]

I have no idea why Coghlan took up the running so far out.

[bitrot66]

@5overlord

His coach thought this would really confuse the field. Yeah great time for experimenting - the Olympic final was his or silver at least.

[TheWesternLeader]

that will be nick willis in two years...

[Wouldman2]

I guess the young kids don't know about why John wore the Black outfit. he chose it for his personal protest to the people wanting him banned from the Olympics beause of N.Z.'s immigration stance to not allow Blacks in. Team events use National colour or matching uniforms, but runners get numbers and John wore all Black to make a point. Check out the Soccer game today on TV, one fan from N.Z. wore all Black and waved a banner that read "All White" . FIFA let that one slip by.

[mooca513]

@Wouldman2 Well actually.. Black is our (NZ) national colour. All our sport teams (most famously the All Blacks rugby team) wear black uniforms. football is the only national team which wears white, to oppose our All Black rugby team.. (All whites..get it?). There was protest in relation to the NZ rugby tour of south africa, resulting in the boycott of the olympics by the africas - however the black singlet of walker had no relation to this.

[raysalsa1]

@mooca513 you know if arthur lydiard was his coach?

[mooca513]

@raysalsa1 Nah, he was coached by Arch Jelly.

[mooca513]

@Wouldman2 I'd like to add -there was NEVER an immigration stance to not let blacks in NZ. NZ has always been very multicultural. Your facts are totally false.

[howdyydaniel]

walker is the man

[bpfastfeet25]

38 second last 300m! monster kick!!!

[KingLiopleurodon]

RIP Ivo van Damme. @futurmodal, Ovett did contest the 1500 at Montreal and was eliminated in his SF. Just. If he'd been in the final, and unlike his performance in the epic 800, Ovett would have won the race. Walker won this race by force of mind, not fleetness of foot... he was surrounded by 1:43 800m runners (Van Damme, Wohlhuter) and justifiably feared their finishes. This was pure mental domination.

[futuremodal]

@KingLiopleurodon Thanks. I did not know that Ovett was in the 1500 semis. What was the reason he didn't make the final, e.g. just ran poorly or did something happend aka did a Jim Ryun-like fall? Personally, I think this race was Coghlans if he'd just gone wide the last 100. Too bad about van Damme, would've been fun to see him in his prime against Coe and Ovett in their respective primes.

[mrcatohead]

@futuremodal ovett was only really an 800 runner in 76, 77 was his first year training for the 1500

[futuremodal]

One wonders what this race would have been like if the British federation had opted to enter a young lad by the name of Steve Ovett in the 1500 rather than the 800. The next four years it seemed Steve Ovett was nearly unbeatable in the mile/1500.

[papmjny]

blood doping

[papmjny]

blood doping

[futuremodal]

Coghlan had this race won if he had just gone wide.

[Zndwls]

Walker kicked the last 300 metres in just under 38 seconds, which sufficed for a narrow victory over Van Damme - 0.10 seconds. Wellmann ran the best race of his career by finishing third. Coghlan was disappointed in his fourth place, but in 1983 he won the 5,000-metre World Championship. Clement finished fifth, but closed in on Coghlan in the final tens of metres. Wohlhuter faded on the home straight, Moorcroft, Crouch and Zemen already earlier. This was a classic kicker's race.

[Aussiephil99]

For a small country New Zealand has a fantastic record in the 1500m at the olympics...........Jack Lovelock...Peter Snell....John Walker....all Olympic gold medalists

[tonespinner]

Is this because Arthur Lydiard trained them? I know he trained Snell.

[Aussiephil99]

@tonespinner...yes I believe he trained Walker as well

[basserase]

Those British announcers sort of make me think of Monty Python the whole time I'm watching this, and I keep expecting something silly to happen.

[brianclough]

So Johnny Walker can also run!

Nonetheless a huge moment for NZ in the Olympics.

Pity the video wasn't any clearer, but thanks all the same.

[ruasetepovos]

well fasanotampa obviously you don't know much about middle distance running!!!!

Walker was the 1st person to break the 3:50 mile, 1st person to run 100 sub 4 minute miles (135 completed by career end), numerous world records and is one if the greatest middle distance runners of all time and Olympic GOLD!!

[fasanotampa]

When Walker lost that semi I thought he was an overratted bum...he did make up for it. I did not know he won the 1500. For 30 years I just though he was a loser...

[franknjess]

Cram at his peak in 85 - 86 was a better 1500/mile runner. Cram's last 120 y in his WR mile was far faster than anything Coe managed at a similar pace (14.06). Coe was a great runner, but people come along who learn from the people before them and they put better races together, never mind the talent question. It's tough to compare different races - as anyone who's actually raced can tell you.

[futuremodal]

Everytime I watch Eamonn Coghlan in the last 100 of this race I keep thinking "go wide, laddy, go WIDE!!!! AAARRGGHH!"

[Zndwls]

Walker overcame his elimination in the 800-metre semifinals or 2nd round. He sprinted the last 300 metres in about 38 seconds.

Van Damme ran great, but didn't find the

final gear needed to win this race. Wellmann ran his best race in Montreal,

while Coghlan paid for his poor or

mediocre tactics - leading the race for

700 metres at a rather slow pace.

Clement managed to rise to fifth place

while Wohlhuter faded to sixth. Moorcroft

faded in the last 100 to 200 metres.

[futuremodal]

In spite of his horrible tactics, Coghlan still would have won this race if he had just gone outside the last 100 meters. Instead, he stayed inside and quite literally ran into a wall of Van Damme and Wellmann. That must have been frustrating, you can see it in his physical demeanor that last 50 meters.

[billyerdz]

i thought quenton cassidy was in this race?

[VAeskimo93]

haha i just finished that book

[WaryBuck1]

John L. Parker, Jr.'s sequel, Again to Carthage is out now after a LONG wait. It is a more difficult read, but in many ways a more mature book. Very good and worth the purchase. And apparently Once A Runner is being printed again so if you are someone who doesn't have it, better get on the stick. I've got one of the first editions! :)

[WaryBuck1]

I just finished that book for about the 20th time, and yes, didn't Cassidy get silver. Ha. I always wondered what John Walker thought of that book, which in many ways was quite a nod to the great New Zealander who was my idol growing up. I wish someone could come up with footage of Walker's 3:49.4 mile from Goteberg. I still recall the finish line photo which showed the strain of the race.

[knightsxc06]

Haha. Yep. Quentin Cassidy= Ivo Van Damme!

[WINFIELD120]

Sir John Walker

[JumpatSanDiego]

Isnt this the year a lot of countries boycotted the Olympics due to political issues?

[MemberNo2]

28 African nations boycotted the event in prostest of (ironically) New Zealand's participation in the games. They wanted the IOC to ban New Zealand because of its continued sporting links with aparthied South Africa.

[futuremodal]

Hmmmm..........I guess there's a "Fourth Street" in Ireland too!

[wolfdog45]

walker did'nt have the strongest kick but he did it at the perfect time

[disgruntledathlete]

If Bayi had been there, I think Walker still would hae won - barely. But the time would have been several seconds faster.

[WaryBuck1]

Agree. The winning time would've been 3:32 or so and the pack would've been strung out big time. Walker once said him getting beat in the semis(?) of the 800 was probably a blessing in disguise and allowed him to regather. Van Damme was hitting his peak; too bad he would soon be dead as well as the Polish steeplechaser Bronislaw Malinowski (I think) who medaled in the 3000SC.

[kgarty]

Walker was so strong mentally that he had that race won before the gun.Other guys in the race have said they were running for second. They had conceded to Walker as he was just so dominating in the day. He made me a proud young Kiwi that day.

[wolfdog45]

he ran a slow race because he said that every record set at montreal would eventully be broken and forgotten but the gold medal was the one thing they could never take away from him, and that is where the soul of the sport lies

[TroyeHaryanto]

Sebastian Coe was a greater runner and more lasting... But Walker was great too - pity Filbert Bayi didnt compete agst him bec of the boycoott .... still a great mile race - one of the best !!

[roscoredbull]

Frank Clement. Legend!!!!!!! Did Scotland Proud. Beard and All.

[emmetpbarry]

what about coughlan shaving his legs the night before the race,how stupid could you be.

[bootymanager]

I don't know why he would've done that. Coghlan had a chance here, but was badly placed tactically. Walker ran the perfect last lap. He surprised everyone, kicked hard, but had enough left to hang on. A bit like Cram's tactics. Coe won this way in LA, when he got to the front before the 200, even though he could've waited til 100m to go.

[runningstranger]

another proof why Walker is so unbelievable, last 300m 37,95 sec!!! it took 12,32sec/100m

[runningstranger]

sorry i mean 12,65/100m but still very fast, if you,ve ever tried 100m sprint, it's hard to get 12,xx for even one!

[1MCmagma]

It's pretty slow when you compare to it the likes of coe and cram who would run much quicker than that for the last 200 . Still a great runner and arguably the best in the 1970s .

[deano27671]

The last 200m wasn't slow; 25.2 was "bloody" fast! It was the perfect type of race for Walker, though he would have been equally well suited had the pace been 5 or 6 secs faster. The other athletes played into his hands tactics wise. Had someone gone "all out" with 700m to go (a la Straub in Moscow) then it might have drawn the sting out of Walker's kick.

[deano27671]

Coe's last 200 in Moscow was 24.9/25.0 in a similar overall run time. The difference being, however that Coe's was off a last 800 of 1:48.5 compared to Walker's 1:50.7. Also, while Walker's last 100m was 12.9, Coe's was 12.1!

[franknjess]

Deano27671 is wrong. Coe's last 200 in Moscow was the exact same time as Walker's in Montreal: 25.4. Coe, Ovett, Straub all waited until the home straight for their final kick. Walker ran the curve in 12.2 to try and shake off the field, while Coe ran 13.3 and Ovett 13.1. Walker's last 300 in this race was 37.9, Coe's in Moscow was 38.9. Different types of races. The last 800 was faster in Moscow, but no one was really making a move in Montreal until the last 300! ; )

[franknjess]

Also, deano has Coe's last 800 wrong. It was 1:49.2, not 1:48.5. Walker ran 1:51.0, but again, different type of race. Hard to compare runners from different eras. When Coe arrived on scene, Walker was past his prime. Coe was speedier, but Walker was far stronger.

[deano27671]

I don't recall Walker's strength seeing him through 7 hard races in 9 days culminating in a 3:32 and lasting better than anyone else! Walker only run faster than Coe's winning time in LA twice- 3:32.4 and 3:32.52; both of which were races on the circuit.

[deano27671]

No, I am not wrong thanks! I have both these races on dvd. Just because you see splits given in a book doesn't make them correct. Even the IAAF's official "Progression of IAAF World Records 2007" book is littered with mistakes, which I have already forwarded on to R. Hymans (ex editor and member of ATFS). T&FN quoted Coe's last 200m as 25.4, even though no official splits were given for the last 200m of the race. Elsewhere his last 200 was given as 24.7!

[deano27671]

Luckily I have all the heats for the Moscow 800 & 1500 on dvd also, and on one of the heats you can clearly see the 200m from home mark. Ovett's last 200m in the 800 was 25.0 and Coe hit the same point (the middle of the shot put circle which can clearly be seen on both recordings) 22.5 secs from the finish, as Ovett did:- Ovett 1:22.9, Coe 3:15.9. You're not telling me that in the c.20m between 200 from home and that point, that Coe ran it 0.4 secs slower than Ovett!

[deano27671]

Again Coe's last 300m was 38.7. Look at the video of the race. Straub passed 1200m in 2:59.44, with Coe 3m behind. That is at least 0.3 in time, meaning a conservative estimate of Coe's time at 1200m was 2:59.7. Again the camera doesn't show a side angle of the athletes going through 700m, but it's easy enough to calculate the time by using other marks nearby and comparing that to other laps/races where you do see the finish line. Coe's last 800m WAS 1:48.5-1:48.6.

[deano27671]

1:49.2 given in T&FN is wrong. Just like their account of the LA final is wrong. They state Coe's last 200m was 26.1 and last 100 was 13.1. Both are wrong and you can pause the race yourself at those points to see that the times were 25.7 and 12.7. Walker's penultimate 100m in Montreal was 12.4 not 12.2, & his last 800 was 1:50.7.

[deano27671]

This is how they compare over last couple of laps:

700- W~ 1:35.7, C~1:33.2

400m- W ~52.5, C~52.2

300m - W~37.9, C~38.7

200m-W~ 25.2, C ~ 25.0

100m- W~12.8, C-12.1.

Don't take what is written down in reference books as gospel. They're littered with mistakes. Always best to find them out for yourself.

[LPCLASSICAL]

Deano - while I admire your dilligence on this issue I think you need to clam down a bit. Nobody is suggesting that Walker in his prime could have matched Coe in 79/80/81/84. Off the kind of pace we see in this 76 final - I would have thought Coe could have put himself 10m ahead of the field at the end.

[deano27671]

I wasn't getting worked up over that at all. Walker was a great runner & all-time great. I was more interested in pointing out that the split times I gave were correct after someone doubted them. The Montreal & Moscow runs were v. different races. In 76 there was a strong kick at 300 & Walker hung on to the pace the best and slowed down the least in the last 100. Moscow was a gradual increase from 700 out with Coe able to increase pace in last 100. Many splits published in T&FN & AW are wrong.

[Siavod]

poor coughlan i heard it was his coach who told him to run from the front which he wasnt used to and that messed it up

[philster61]

John Walker is a legend.1st man to run 100 sub 4 minute miles.

[xxxDAPROBLEMxxx]

@philster61 Who gives a s*it how many sub 4's someone has run. It's pretty irrelevant dude. A 3:55 miler could run tons of sub 4's but he still isn't world class (today).

[thebo28]

Go new Zealand

[marcellin20]

awesome. Nick Willis continues a great winning tradition that has been missing for a while by winning bronze in Beijing!! Go NZ!

[donnybrooklads]

Coughlan book is out now and he was sick the day before in this race. Walker played him perfect with the early sprint. I remember this night all too well and cried for an hour. I think Athletics Ireland's budget was similar in size to that of Malta's then.

[Uptoyourfacelads]

And in Moscow 1980 - same story

[lilstudman07]

GO Walker Hes The Man!! Dont Lie He Just Is!

[koolkurd82]

it wasn't even a great time then

[marcellin20]

the guy who won then was the world record holder. Of course times in almost every sport are inevitably going to be improved since then. Just look at swimming.

[Sqid101]

True, but it was a very slow race even for those times and just about the opposite of what Walker wanted.

[marcellin20]

yes a slow race due to that pacemaker as mentioned in this commentary who was missing from this race but John Walker was still the world record holder of that time.

[Sqid101]

True, but I wonder if he couldn't have forced the pace himself a bit. Still he got there I suppose.

[LPCLASSICAL]

No - Bayi held the 1500 WR at this time - and would have won this final in about 3.32 if he had run though Walker would have run him close.

[franknjess]

Actually Bayi had a losing record against Walker going into Montreal. He started out ahead of Walker but from 75 on could only manage one win against him. Walker kept getting stronger while Bayi seemed to have peaked out - which even Bayi thought, which is why he began to run other events, eventually medaling in the steeplechase in 1980.

[LPCLASSICAL]

I didn't know that about bayi/walker - thanks.

As for Coe's moscow run - it was more impressive - he did not go all out for home from 300 out as walker did - if he had his winning margin i think would have been greater - he did what was necessary to win. Walker just edged this one - and the race up to the last 3 hundred was a jog.

[rc2869]

Walker a Legend. Coughlan got his tactics wrong. A sprint would have seen him 2nd

[haldenver]

Coughlan had this won - before the final; it must of been fear that made him take the lead.

Yet, maybe this was just Walker time!

Great times then ; sad times for fans now ....

[blaspherion22]

German could beat them all skipping rope.

[j0wled]

Might it have been different with 9 rather than 12? I doubt Walker would have hung back quite so much if there were three extra men on the track.

[j0wled]

12 rather than 9, I mean. I guess he had every reason to be the most confident man in the field, and ran like it.

[orbandsceptre27]

Jesus Christ that was Coughlans race to loose and he screwed up his tactics- what was he doing going to the front?

[twinytwo]

exactly he always ran from behind.. why change something that works?

[luvacoldone]

watching again Walker was impressive with his tactics..steering clear of trouble and using his size and presence, particularly crowding in on Coghlan with 400 to go, using left shoulder and elbow and then sprinting with 300 to go, they prob thought he'd go then, but they'd pick him up in the straight ...but Walker could always hold his max speed longer than anyone else ..his strength/stamina was awesome

[Cheessa]

I was there and saw this live back in '76

Walker is impressive!

[haldenver]

There is a massive psychological problem with many middle-distance events: FEAR. That's why we have slow times and many random champions.

Jesus, I remember watching this in ireland: why did Coghlan panic? He was tha man for the slow race!

JW : hero

[kinridge]

I agree. You have got to take a chance and force the others to play their cards (knowing your hand)....otherwise it becomes a trot to the final 400m...this is coming from a 29:00 10k runner w/ no leg speed that would never let a pack slog around ahead of me.

[bootymanager]

Coghlan was a good finisher, but remember that Walker and Van Damme were much faster 800m runners. Van Damme, had he lived, may have been the one to challenge Coe and Ovett in Moscow. He was a great young talent and probably would've improved - especially in the 1500m.

[WaryBuck1]

Agreed.

[Lyndehouse]

They should have a rabbit in the olympics and world championship events--who wants to watch a tactical race? This race should have been a 3:32, not a 3:40

[prrolg]

It's best to keep the Olympic ideal of the best man instead of rabbiting. Rabbiting will cause it to become more country vs country which is against the Olympic ideal.

[janet928]

Walker...you are a GOD!!!

[dO62ow6]

All whities - incredible now. How come there weren't more Africans??

[Bryantom67]

There was an African Boycott for those games.

[malcolmjacobson]

awesome. one of nz's great sporting moments

[vitoduval]

Bayi of Tanzania boycotted, might have been a classic had he been there.

[noizy]

might have been if he hadn't had malaria at the time!

[zim83]

Poor Ivo Van Damme.

[Amras1]

Walker was really a flyer...

[kerrigan2]

Everytime I see this I think Coghlan is still gonna get a medal down the home straight. Drifting out from lane one off the last bend cost hime the bronze allowing Wellman to pass. Ah well...

[kewlklutzklan]

glory daze.

[pzhelev]

Remarkable! Walker was great!