1977 World Cup 1500m - Steve Ovett

Steve Ovett in one of his finest races

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• 1977
• World
• Cup
• 1500m
• Steve
• Ovett
• John
• Walker

[deano27671]

@bootymanager I think Cram & Hutchings are the best commentators at the moment. Can't stand Brendan Foster as a commentator. He tends to witter on, is biased and is full of hyperbole.

[deano27671]

@mahtivaari72 He already is one of the all time great milers courtesy of 2 x 1500 WRs (plus a sort of = it), 2 x 1 Mile WRs and 2 golds in the 1500m World cups of 77 and 81. In my mind both are equivalent to being world champion in an era just before the World Champs existed. Not to mention of course his Olympic 800 gold. The important thing to be considered an all time great is to win an individual Olympic gold, the exact event is of secondary importance.

[TheEctomorph]

@bootymanager It is funny that you should mention Pat Butcher (the distinguished athletics writer) on the very day that his namesake - the 'EastEnders' character - passed away in 'soapland' !!

[TheEctomorph]

@bootymanager [continuing on from my previous 'post' about Mr John Rodda.]

autobiography, "Ovett", which was originally published in October 1984. You may well have read the book to which I refer.

Let me take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year.

[TheEctomorph]

@bootymanager Yes ... John Rodda, who was the athletics correspondent of 'The Guardian' newspaper for many years, was indeed a great writer, and a man with an exceptional knowledge of the sport. I don't think that the good Mr Rodda ever turned his hand, as it were, to commentating (that is to say, broadcasting) on athletics - but if he had done, he would probably have been very good at it.

Incidentally, Mr Rodda co-wrote Steve Ovett's

[bootymanager]

@TheEctomorph Shame John Rodda's gone. He was one of the greatest athletics writers of the modern era. There's Pat Butcher, Duncan Mackay and even Frank Horwill. Coleman and Bruce MacAvaney (Aussie) are the best commentators. Crammie's good, so's Ovett - Bren, not so much (with all due respect to one of the great driving forces in the promotion of running in th UK). What do you other people think? Ectomorph? Deano?

[mahtivaari72]

It's a pity that Ovett never won olympic gold in 1500m. He would have earned it as one of the all time greatest milers.

[whitbyjet65]

I loved the way he held up his hand before the race was even over. That must have totally crushed the opposition. Cocky bastard lol.

[phuketjamie]

Amazing last 250m, and amazing that in the next few years the world record would drop by several seconds thanks to Ovett, Coe and then Cram. In 1977, in this race Ovett ran a British record of over 3:34!

[TheEctomorph]

What a superlative performance by the 'big O', on that evening in September 1977. Even if John Walker, the renowned Kiwi athlete, had still been in his vintage [1975] form, I doubt whether he would have been able to live with Ovett. The Brightonian had a very formidable finishing kick at that stage in his career ...... in addition to the high degree of endurance required of a world class 1500 metres runner/miler.

It's a pity that the IAAF World Championships weren't held in 1977, eh Steve?!