16 days of glory - Coe and Ovett 1500m

From the official film of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett defend their 1500m and 800m titles. Copyright 1985 Bud Greenspan and IOC.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• 1984
• Olympic
• Games
• Los
• Angeles
• 1500m
• Sebastian
• Coe
• Steve
• Ovett

[odysseyintime]

ovett was never really the same after the church railings incident. by the LA olympics, the rivalry wasnt as intense as it had been before

[ynotlleb]

Well Ovett hit the railings in 1982 and broke the WR in 1983. Coe was ill in 1982-3 and went on to win the Olympics again. If Ovett hadn't been ill in LA it could have been Moscow all over again.

[syrett76]

Where have all the great english middle distance runners gone? Thanks for posting.

[ynotlleb]

Glad you enjoyed it, watch out for Andy Baddeley in Beijing.

[wayzotoichi]

Ovett's stride at full gallop = poetry in motion. Coe was a beast of a competitor. I see him beating anyone today with current athletic training and technology..look how quickly the mile record fell after Bannister.

[wayzotoichi]

yep - Ovett perhaps didn't 'back himself', in the psychobabble of today, enough.

I think Seb Coe was better at backing himself, his personality was more of a 'type A' selfishly striving to beat someone like it meant the universe to him, (the essence of that Teutonic grit our football teams always succumb to?)more than Ovett did.

[jegspillerpiano]

@wayzotoichi You're quite right, which is why Coe was never popular with the british press. When he went thorugh a bad time they merely got on his back, instead of having faith that he would peak for the big event. 'They almost unanimously disapproved his selection for LA' - ha, assholes! Coe singled-handled showed up the British loser-mentality, and his achievements embarrass them all still, especially the vacuous British youth of today who never much as lace a pair of running shoes!

[runnerdude1990]

Did anyone else notice that they played "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" after a British man won the race?

[Bullitt54321]

@KenfromDublin. Agree with you 100% 1:41.73 on 10th June 1981 was an amazing time - took 16 years for it to be equalled by Kipketer.

[KenfromDublin]

@Bullitt54321 Hmmm... perhaps, but his long standing 800 meter world record time still stands as a superhuman achievement, especially given how long it took to be broken.

[Bullitt54321]

@KenfromDublin. I don't think it was due to Steroids...I think it was because Coe had taken an almighty and relentless slagging from the British tabloid press after his Silver medal in the 800 metres, calling him (amongst other things) a 'has been' and 'washed up' (the polite words!)

[KenfromDublin]

Coe's bizarre behaviour after he crossed the line is omitted from this footage, an unconvincing excuse for it is offered by Coe instead.

It was a display of wild eyed, finger waving aggression, which is completely at odds with the calm and docile man we are all familiar with.

I believe it was the result of steroid abuse, which heightens aggressive tendencies in the abuser, but a price he was prepared to pay to win/cheat.

[Bertleach999]

@PONYBOY430

Who the fuck are you? You must be mentally deranged to continually only mention that Scott bloke and Canada!!

Tell us who the fuck you are, or fuck off and get a life. BTW, unless you are this mike Scott bloke, could you stop glorifying him and make your own achievements?

[vymmas]

It would have been funny if Coe had given Ovett the finger as he passed him on the stretcher.

[linglingjr]

tht was cool

[linglingjr]

@PONYBOY430 really tht has nuttin to do with this but i agree