Lilian Board,European Championships,,Athens,1969.

This,sadly very short,clip,falls into the "what might have been"category. Board,having won a silver medal at the previous years Mexico Olympics,at just 19 years of age,competed at the 1969 European Championships,still only 20 years old. She won the 800m in a new Championship record and then anchored the 4x400m GB relay team to a gold in a new world record.Tragically,just over a year later she had died of cancer,one of the greatest talents in athletics never to fulfill their true potential.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Lillian Board
• 1969 European Championships
• Gold Medal
• World Record
• athletics

[jwnrtj]

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

[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.

[Dazzler23]

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

later than other countries.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.