Heavy pre-season winter training in Australia before the ‘84 LA Olympics and it was felt that Steve Ovett came back feeling fitter than ever. He did a road race mile in Paris against a strong field winning convincingly, if slightly laboured as you would expect in early season. Then came a bout of Bronchitis which led to the illness in LA. I thought he may be coming back earlier in the ‘86 Commonwealth 5000 when he beat Buckner and Hutchins quite easily but it wasn’t to be. This race was pretty much the end of Steve. It has been mentioned that of the big three of Ovett, Coe and Cram, Steve Ovett did the most endurance training, a prodigious amount according to some. That’s not to say the other two didn’t do a lot but I think maybe Steve’s body began to take too much of a pounding. I think he was the best, people forget that he had the World completely to himself in ‘77/‘78...just a shame he reached the top a year after the ‘76 Olympics.
He did have a few good races in 87 - 2nd to Aouita at La Caruna in a top notch field. And he had 10th at world 500m , which is not shit. He beat Maree, Ngugi, Tracey and Anton in that race.
@@martyn26.2 His performance at the 1987 World Championships showed his level as a 5,000 metre runner. He was beaten there also by Buckner and Hutchings. Had Buckner and Hutchings ran at 13 10-12 pace at the 1986 Commonwealth in my opinion Ovett would never have won. His winning time and PB for the distance was 13.24 - over 10 seconds slower than Buckner and Hutchings.
Great run from Buckner-shame the hot weather put Ovett out of it-would have been his. To qualify this statement look what happened in Edinburgh in the Commonwealths,Ovett looks v ill again here.His old rival Coe looks gutted for him,this is when i realised Coe was a good guy too,he was there for Ovett.The end
Nah. Buckner and Hutchings handed the Commonwealth title to Ovett, seemingly running in awe of his reputation and waiting to be outsprinted. If they'd increased the tempo (particularly Hutchings) and taken it out from further out (particularly Buckner) Ovett wouldn't have there to sail clear in the last 100m.
@@simonhindley65 I agree entirely. Had Buckner and Hutchings gone from the gun as it were in Edinburgh , they would have beaten Ovett there also. Probably Ovett would have dropped out there also as he did in the 1984 1500 final. He was a bad loser. There is no way in my opinion he could have run a sub 13.10 5000 which he would have needed to do to beat Buckner here. Ovett's winning time in Edinburgh was 13.24 and PB for 5000 13.20.
All hypothetical! The fact is Ovett beat them easily in Edinburgh and neither of them had the will to take it on early and try to beat Ovett. In fact, both were lucky that John Walker had an off day, otherwise both would have been fighting for the Bronze! Ovett dropped out of the LA 1500m for health reasons. It was a miracle that he was even in the final! Have you watched his series of 800m and 1500m in LA? Ovett was certainly not a bad loser. Compare Ovett's reaction on the podium for 1500m at Moscow 1980, to Coe's reaction after losing the 800m! Ovett certainly had the capability to run under 13:10 for 5000m, especially during his peak years. As a 21 year old, he ran 13:20 for 5000m in 1977 without any specific training! Given his proven endurance and mixing it with the best over 9 miles in the English National Cross Country Championships, beating the new World 5000m Record Holder at the time Henry Rono over 2 miles in a new WR and a variety of impressive performances over 5K on various terrain.
@@tommytempo1 Yes, what I stated is hypothetical. What you stated about Walker is even more hypothetical and unlikely to have happened. Yes, Ovett beat Buckner and Hutchings running off a 13.24 pace. Buckner and Hutchings demonstrated a few weeks later they capable of running 13-10 and 13.12 respectively. Ovett never showed at any time in his career he capable of running that fast for 5k. Yes, I watched the heats of the 800 and 1500 in LA. I attach below the film of the quarter final heat of the 800 when he ran 1.45, Not much signs of any illness is there? He ran 1.46 in the first round and in the semi-final virtually equalled his PB for the distance running 1.44. He then comes in last in the final in 1.52 . A time like that would indicate something was seriously wrong. However, he miraculously recovers to get through two heats of the 1500. In the final he Cram, Coe and Abaskal are clear of the rest of the field with less than a lap remaining and he steps off the track. As for his defeat by Coe in Moscow four years earlier that was different. He had already bagged the 800 gold and seemed content with that.th-cam.com/video/jSa_MBpuThY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=8eI_e3xr0HxlYEhb
@@anthonyquinn6009 As you stated previously, it is a matter of opinion and that is where we differ. Ovett showed plenty of times his potential to run a fast 5K over the years as mentioned previously. His good friend and rival Prof. Thomas Wessinghage ran 13:12 and Ovett more than always had the beating of him. I also mentioned the fact that Ovett beat the 5000m WR holder at the time in 1978, Henry Rono over 2 miles and breaking the WB for that distance. Had he concentrated on the 5000m in his peak years, a 13:10 would have been no problem. With regards to the LA 800m and 1500m, I watched all of the races back then and have them on tape. Ovett was clearly struggling in the semi-final of the 800m and had he been 100%, he would have smashed his 800m PB. To run 1:44 when unwell was a great performance. The medical advice was against him running the 1500m. His 1500m heat was run in a slow time and he was therefore comfortable. However, in the 1500m semi, he had to fight in the last 30m of the race to qualify and it was clear to all that he struggled. Not the actions of a fit Ovett! The 1500m Final was all about trying to hang on with the leaders for as long as possible, without killing himself! His overall performance in LA was courageous and not an athlete looking for excuses that you appear to be inferring. I don’t know where you get the bad loser image from? Anytime that I have seen Ovett lose, he would always congratulate the winner.
Great athletes, I remember watching this and was very pleased for Jack Buckner, and for Tim - who ran for the same team as me - Crawley!
Heavy pre-season winter training in Australia before the ‘84 LA Olympics and it was felt that Steve Ovett came back feeling fitter than ever. He did a road race mile in Paris against a strong field winning convincingly, if slightly laboured as you would expect in early season. Then came a bout of Bronchitis which led to the illness in LA. I thought he may be coming back earlier in the ‘86 Commonwealth 5000 when he beat Buckner and Hutchins quite easily but it wasn’t to be. This race was pretty much the end of Steve. It has been mentioned that of the big three of Ovett, Coe and Cram, Steve Ovett did the most endurance training, a prodigious amount according to some. That’s not to say the other two didn’t do a lot but I think maybe Steve’s body began to take too much of a pounding. I think he was the best, people forget that he had the World completely to himself in ‘77/‘78...just a shame he reached the top a year after the ‘76 Olympics.
He did have a few good races in 87 - 2nd to Aouita at La Caruna in a top notch field. And he had 10th at world 500m , which is not shit. He beat Maree, Ngugi, Tracey and Anton in that race.
@@martyn26.2 His performance at the 1987 World Championships showed his level as a 5,000 metre runner. He was beaten there also by Buckner and Hutchings. Had Buckner and Hutchings ran at 13 10-12 pace at the 1986 Commonwealth in my opinion Ovett would never have won. His winning time and PB for the distance was 13.24 - over 10 seconds slower than Buckner and Hutchings.
@@anthonyquinn6009 a healthy Ovett could have ruled the world at 5,000m. His two mile races showed that and he had endurance in spades.
A great achievement by Buckner. And a 56 second last 400m in a 5,000m race finishing in 13:10s is very, very impressive.
@Rotsac93 Very sorry to hear of the passing of Antonio Leitao today. A great athlete. May he rest in peace.
What a run by the Brits!
That run by Buckner reminded me of Viren in 1972 - Buckner let the Italian go past him - knowing full well he still had a kick finish left.
Those were the days!
24 years later, Mo Farah won the 5,000m European title in Barcelona as well as the 10000m. Memorable race there. Britain gold and bronze.
Awesome! Great race and the best ever result for the best ever bulgarian 5000 m runner!
Great upload - world class field. What 1 and 3 for the Brits
The Best Runner in World...
Super Steve Ovett...
My favorite..
awesome race
Drug cheat Vainio in the race just two years after being banned - unbelievable!
The complete results: 1.Buckner (Britain) 13:10.15; 2.Mei (Italy) 13:11.57; 3.Hutchings (Britain) 13:12.88; 4.Ignatov (Bulgaria) 13:13.15; 5.Leitão (Portugal) 13:17.67; 6.Vainio (Finland) 13:22.67; 7.Délèze (Switzerland) 13:28.80; 8.Cova (Italy) 13:35.86; 9.Uvizl (Czechoslovakia) 13:37.26; 10.Antibo (Italy) 13:38.25; 11.Mönckemeyer (West Germany) 13:40.52; 12.Couto (Portugal) 13:42.39; 13.Rousseau (Belgium) 13:51.69; dropped out: Ovett (Britain) and Ryffel (Switzerland).
Thanks a lot from Spain
Love the screen at the final stretch. It's hysterical that the European record was 0.01 slower than the world record.
Astonishing race, wow!!
After this Buckner went on to run an apple farm in New Zealand!
Did you notice Seb Coe?
It was good to see Coe be one of the first to console Steve Ovett when he came off the track. A lot of respect between them both.
He was there wanting/expecting to congratulate Ovett,then he saw him struggle,great sportmanship from Seb that day
gotta love how the commentator says his name wrong.
Great run by Buckner but hutchings made that race.
Great run from Buckner-shame the hot weather put Ovett out of it-would have been his. To qualify this statement look what happened in Edinburgh in the Commonwealths,Ovett looks v ill again here.His old rival Coe looks gutted for him,this is when i realised Coe was a good guy too,he was there for Ovett.The end
Nah. Buckner and Hutchings handed the Commonwealth title to Ovett, seemingly running in awe of his reputation and waiting to be outsprinted. If they'd increased the tempo (particularly Hutchings) and taken it out from further out (particularly Buckner) Ovett wouldn't have there to sail clear in the last 100m.
@@simonhindley65 I agree entirely. Had Buckner and Hutchings gone from the gun as it were in Edinburgh , they would have beaten Ovett there also. Probably Ovett would have dropped out there also as he did in the 1984 1500 final. He was a bad loser. There is no way in my opinion he could have run a sub 13.10 5000 which he would have needed to do to beat
Buckner here. Ovett's winning time in Edinburgh was 13.24 and PB for 5000 13.20.
All hypothetical!
The fact is Ovett beat them easily in Edinburgh and neither of them had the will to take it on early and try to beat Ovett. In fact, both were lucky that John Walker had an off day, otherwise both would have been fighting for the Bronze!
Ovett dropped out of the LA 1500m for health reasons. It was a miracle that he was even in the final! Have you watched his series of 800m and 1500m in LA?
Ovett was certainly not a bad loser. Compare Ovett's reaction on the podium for 1500m at Moscow 1980, to Coe's reaction after losing the 800m!
Ovett certainly had the capability to run under 13:10 for 5000m, especially during his peak years. As a 21 year old, he ran 13:20 for 5000m in 1977 without any specific training! Given his proven endurance and mixing it with the best over 9 miles in the English National Cross Country Championships, beating the new World 5000m Record Holder at the time Henry Rono over 2 miles in a new WR and a variety of impressive performances over 5K on various terrain.
@@tommytempo1 Yes, what I stated is hypothetical. What you stated about Walker is even more hypothetical and unlikely to have happened. Yes, Ovett beat Buckner and Hutchings running off a 13.24 pace. Buckner and Hutchings demonstrated a few weeks later they capable of running 13-10 and 13.12 respectively. Ovett never showed at any time in his career he capable of running that fast for 5k. Yes, I watched the heats of the 800 and 1500 in LA. I attach below the film of the quarter final heat of the 800 when he ran 1.45, Not much signs of any illness is there? He ran 1.46 in the first round and in the semi-final virtually equalled his PB for the distance running 1.44. He then comes in last in the final in 1.52 . A time like that would indicate something was seriously wrong. However, he miraculously recovers to get through two heats of the 1500. In the final he Cram, Coe and Abaskal are clear of the rest of the field with less than a lap remaining and he steps off the track. As for his defeat by Coe in Moscow four years earlier that was different. He had already bagged the 800 gold and seemed content with that.th-cam.com/video/jSa_MBpuThY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=8eI_e3xr0HxlYEhb
@@anthonyquinn6009 As you stated previously, it is a matter of opinion and that is where we differ.
Ovett showed plenty of times his potential to run a fast 5K over the years as mentioned previously. His good friend and rival Prof. Thomas Wessinghage ran 13:12 and Ovett more than always had the beating of him. I also mentioned the fact that Ovett beat the 5000m WR holder at the time in 1978, Henry Rono over 2 miles and breaking the WB for that distance. Had he concentrated on the 5000m in his peak years, a 13:10 would have been no problem.
With regards to the LA 800m and 1500m, I watched all of the races back then and have them on tape. Ovett was clearly struggling in the semi-final of the 800m and had he been 100%, he would have smashed his 800m PB. To run 1:44 when unwell was a great performance. The medical advice was against him running the 1500m. His 1500m heat was run in a slow time and he was therefore comfortable. However, in the 1500m semi, he had to fight in the last 30m of the race to qualify and it was clear to all that he struggled. Not the actions of a fit Ovett!
The 1500m Final was all about trying to hang on with the leaders for as long as possible, without killing himself! His overall performance in LA was courageous and not an athlete looking for excuses that you appear to be inferring.
I don’t know where you get the bad loser image from? Anytime that I have seen Ovett lose, he would always congratulate the winner.