1988 Olympic 1500m Final

Steve Cram in the twilight of his career fighting for another medal....

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• 1500m
• Seoul
• Olympics
• Final
• Steve
• Cram
• Peter
• Elliot
• 1988

[RawMarketingSolution]

Coe would have won this by more than a second, would've pretty much been a replay of 1984 final.

[gpc31]

Coe would have won this going away.

[laLeeyo]

The fastest won. Coe didn't even qualify

[athleticscoach2012]

Rono deserved the gold though because he ran his best ever race when it mattered- at the Olympic Games

[athleticscoach2012]

@deano27671 Don't think Ovett was 100% fit before the Worlds having missed most of 82 injured. He was getting there but had not run fast times prior to the games and although doing 3:30 couple of weeks later don't think he was confident going into the race. His finish was never the same after that injury as well. I think Coe would have won in 88 as he had regained fitness by the time of the games. AB the only guy who could have beat him was missing as well.

[number17bus]

Marcus O'Sullivan, great runner, future world indoor champion, but that's a shocker of a haircut (0:18). Still, at least he's not dressed like Steve Scott!

[martynhanson]

No, it's a time and a place at that time. You and others say Coes is greatest 800m runner ever but he was 100% at time of both his 800m Olympic finals but was trounced in both for gold

By the way, Ovett was not 100% at time of 83 world champs and even though he ran fastest last lap it was clear Cram had something in hand and I say that as Ovett fan

[deano27671]

In probably every other major championship final run in the 70's & 80's, Coe's efforts in the LA 800 would have been enough to win gold. The reason Coe is considered one of the greatest of all time at 800 is the fact he held the WR for longer than any other athlete in the modern era (18 years) and had the greatest margin in time over the next best ever (1.71 secs) since WW2. Not to mention he accrued more world ranking points on the T&FNews system than any other runner before him.

[deano27671]

He had to use the 800 heats & final to get him race ready for retaining his 1500m title. He also had the misfortune of coming up against a man who put together the greatest series of championship 800m runs ever. Cruz on that day would have beaten anything that Ovett or Cram ever produced at 800m. Indeed, his 25.2 last 200m in a 1:43.0 is better than anything Kipketer or Rudisha have produced in subsequent years in Championship races.

[deano27671]

Both in fact had a better build up to LA than Coe. Ovett ran 3 international 800s & 4 international 1500s in the 2 months leading up to the Games; that's 7 races. Cram had 3 international outings at 800, 3 at 1000m & 1 over 1500m. That's also 7 races. Coe had 1 800m race in Oslo (where he said he was only 80-85% fit) 2 1500s in the AAAs and a solo slow mile at Haringey where he won by 10secs. That's 4 races. Therefore he had far fewer races at international level than either Steve.

[deano27671]

Ovett fans would rather remember him for his wins against lesser fields and not dwell on his Olympic bronze & World 4th. Seems like double standards to me!

As for the LA 800m, Coe's build up was hardly problem free and he certainly wasn't as race fit as most of the other entrants at the beginning of the 800m event. All this bull***t about Cram not being fit before the Games and "if Ovett hadn't been ill", doesn't stand up to much scrutiny.

[deano27671]

Yes, Coe was 100% fit in the Moscow 800m final, but lost it because he ran a diabolical tactical race. He was still the fastest over the last lap by quite some margin, just as Ovett was 100% fit in the 83 World 1500 final where he finished 4th! He was the fastest over the last lap there too, but ran a dreadful race. People don't go on "crucifying" Ovett for coming 4th when he was 100% in the same way they did Coe, who at least got the silver.