1968 Olympics 400m Women - Lillian Board

The very talented Lillian Board who met an untimely death to cancer at a very young age (I think in 1971?)

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[becknook1]

What a great loss, I also think of Florence Griffith-Joyner also known as Flo Jo who died at 38, both these athletes were loved on both sides of the Atlantic.

[Kevin Sibley]

I dont think Flo-Jo was loved at all! She was undre GREAT suspicion. There is no comparison with Lillian Board!

[1Lotusflower]

RIP Lillian Board and RIP Collette Besson.

I do not know much about Collette Besson at all, only that she pipped Lillian at the post in the 1968 400m Olympic final.

Watching the video brings home just how good and talented Lillian was and just how incredible Collette's run was to beat her.

I have admired Lillian Board for many years, even after her death her spirit remains - what an inspiration!

Bless them both

[1064graham]

I' am not going to enter into the discussion about Flo Jo. I was 18 at the time of the Mexico Olympics and just want to emphasise what a great athlete Lillian was, despite just winning Silver. She made up for it in the 1969 European Championships in the 800 metres and gained sweet revenge over Collette Besson in the 4x400m relay. Such a shame she died so young before she could reach her true potential. She would have gone onto greater achievements, no doubt about that.

[Mrcheshunt]

The fact that most records set by women (mainly East Germans and Flo Jo) pre-1990 have survived must mean something!

[andrew paul]

please dont mention lillians name in the same sentence as flo jo! nothing 2 compare the gr8 lady 2 the biggest cheat of all time[flo jo]!

[JorgeDan75]

What a great race!

[cbak12sg]

Sorry, but by the time of Munich 1972, The East Germans came along, specifically Monika Zehrt in the 400 metres. The East German women broke the world record for the 4x400 metres, which Britain had held in 1969 with that fantastic race in the European Championships.

The East German regime has been severely discredited since the fall of the Berlin Wall, but sadly the world records set by the likes of Marita Koch, as well as other Eastern European records, have not been scrubbed.

[converse91970]

RIP Lillian and Collette - I was actually born a few days before Lillian died in Dec1970 but know all about her talent. All this stuff about Flo-Jo should not be on here!

[dlamiss]

try reading it then you may understand. but i will keep it simple for you. Athletes only started to be tested OUTSIDE THE ARENA OF MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (in otherwords random mandatory out of competition drug tests )in 1989. the year after she retired. Is that simple enough for you ?

[jojo24love]

they never started testing athletes randomly until the mid 1980's, what the hell are you talking about

[dlamiss]

Joyner never failed any drugs tests at major championships. Joyner however retired at the age of 28 the year before RANDOM testing was established.Says it all for me

[Lewelltam]

No reasonable person doubts that Flo-Jo cheated. The series of events and her literally unbeatable times just leave no fucking doubt.

And I couldn't care less if an athlete is black or white, male or female.