The UK's two premier middle distance athletes of the time had avoided each other for some time... No longer. The Clash of the Titans in the Moscow Games 800m final.
I was there. Managed to get seats in third row at first bend where Decathlon was taking place. We shouted and asked Daley to move a few feet and the legend gave us a thumbs up and he did! Saw 1500 on the Saturday as well but as Irish, was devastated with Coughlan coming fourth in 5000. Think paid £300 for bad tickets in 1979 but got brilliant tickets by selling a pair of Levi’s . Those days will never return
I agree. This was the great race of the modern era. It is impossible to explain to a young person today how these 2 were household names throughout the world for a couple of years, how obsessed we all became. That Ovett was the son of a market trader who sold bacon is just the icing on the cake of this incredible story.
Amazing. After all these years. Coe was manhandled out of the race. They couldn't do that to Ovett and Ovett hustled his way through the opposition and then went for it. What a race! Two class acts and Coe went on to win the 1500, beating Ovett. A complete reversal of form and expectation. Magic!
Yes. Beforehand, the received wisdom posited that Coe was the favourite to win the 800 Metres race and Ovett was the favourite to win the 1500 Metres race. So Coe showed real guts to come back again a couple of days later and win the 1500 Metres, having picked himself off the floor. But two great athletes in a great era.
@@oleggorky906 I also read that others , as well as Ovett himself , thought that maybe he lost a little edge going into the 1500 mtrs . Mainly because the pressure was off having already won a gold . Whether this was true or not , we'll never know. But if so , Ovett losing a little focus and Coe being so determined to not go home empty handed MUST have played a part .. no matter how small .
Everyone talks about Coe running badly but Ovett was in some shocking positions on that first lap. Coe went to sleep in the 3rd 200m and gave it to Ovett. I think Ovett would have won anyway, he had the experience and racing knowledge.
Yes I agree. It has sort of gone down as gospel that Coe ran a terrible tactical race, but is that really so? By that token Dave Wottle had run an even worse tactical race 8 years previously, but still came through to win.
@@geekpie100 Wottle ran a perfectly well judged race. Coe should have seen the pace was slow plus Ovett was boxed & put the hammer down at the bell. He’d lost before he started because he was scared.
SavageArfad in fairness whoever gets to the front on the last bend (at their peaks) and kicks...is the winner. People talk about how they both managed to cock up their favoured races. I think their supreme confidence in their own ability cost them I.E.. Coe let Ovett get too far in front because he thought he could out-kick anybody...Ovett never saw how far back Coe was in the 800 so he never felt Coe’s kick and I think Ovett went into the 1500 thinking he had Coe’s number thus underestimating Seb’s kick and allowing him to move to the front and kick first....Incidently, Jurgen Straub...Stasi National doping programme as was Olaf Beyer Euro 800 metres final in ‘78.
“Those blue eyes like chips of ice..” I still remember those words from the superb David Coleman. Arguably, one of the greatest ever sports commentators in the English language the world has known.
Warren did Ovett a huge favour by accelerating at 1:01; that finally gave Ovett the space he needed. Coe's "purist", non-contact race has left him in a bad position at 1:01. Coe tries to run like Mercury; Ovett runs like Hercules.
I remember watching this huddled around the TV as a kid with the whole family. I was rooting for Coe. My old man was rooting for Ovett. I still remember the tension - these guys had avoided each other in the run up to the Olympics. Both were household names in the UK. It was the day of reckoning. Happy days.
I used to see Coe on his training runs when he lived in Sheffield.He ran past me once (November 1979, the year that he broke all those world records).What a sight: slim, elegant, graceful and almost silent. Both he and Steve Ovett were truly magnificent.
I couldn't get enough of these 2 and I was a high school runner in Reno Nevada. Coe was my idol and I won large school (AAA) State in 83. Thanks Seb! Also, my coach was from England and a Ovett fan, definitely not a Coe fan lol
@@christopherlerude4 Lol. I was rooting for Coe back then as a kid, but I think I'd be an Ovett fan if I was rooting now. I was thinking of the 80 Olympics and how pissed US athletes must have been with the boycott.
Ovett is sensational, boxed badly twice. Coe does exactly what Coleman tells him not to do; he is obsessed with Ovett and forgets to treat it as a race with 8 athletes, so he has too may to get round when Ovett finds himself in the clear and accelerates, blue eyes like chips of ice.
Yeah and Steve shook his hand after the 1500 victory but Coe avoided eye contact on the podium for the 800 when he shook his hand begrudgingly. My dad supported Coe up to that moment. After that he rooted for Cram and Ovett
@@steffanhoffmann8937 Well, certainly Peter Coe (Seb's dad and coach) greatly admired Ovett. There is another video somewhere on TH-cam of a less important race showing Peter on the infield congratulating Ovett for a race victory at a meet in which Seb raced a different event. Peter Coe spoke very highly of Ovett.
I remember the line in news report that 'they both got it wrong' ie. Ovett won Coe's pet event - the 800m and Coe won Ovett's - the 1500m. What a time the late 70s and early 80s were for middle distance running. Juantorena, Coe, Ovett, Walker, Scott, Maree, Boit and then Cruz.
@@britbox4517when the bbc and itv shared coverage of the F.A. Cup final always watched the beeb simply because of Coleman and when motson took over switched to Brian Moore , how spoiled were we in those days ?
@@edwardcooper5479 Yep,lots of good commentators.I thought Brian Moore was excellent with the ITV football coverage, and not to forget Peter Jones on Radio 2. I thought Ron Pickering was a pretty decent athletics commentator also.
@@britbox4517Ron Pickering and Stuart Storey, together, were outstanding commentators. Steve Cram made the transition to commentary and is an impressive commentator in my view. As for Coleman, he was a pretty good athletics commentator but I never particularly rated his football commentary: it seemed to me that Barry Davies was the BBC's finest football commentator but inexplicably he was always overlooked in favour of Coleman for the big finals and it's the same thing today with Steve Wilson, the best football commentator the BBC have had since Davies, equally inexplicably overlooked for the big finals in favour of the inferior Guy Mowbray.
Despite Ovett's obviously natural talent and dominance at the 1500 between 1977 to at least 1980, where Coe put doubts into his mind, he just didn't regard running as a life and death matter and as did Send still does. Coe knew that Steve could win anyway he liked to, so more things could go wrong for him and it bloody did. Forget his non sleeping etc, but he learned his lesson and never fucked up again, so his father's bluntness did combine with his fast tempo and kick to ensure that his mind was never blurred ever again!
it’s difficult to overtake on the bends in a bunched up race. Coe needed to put himself in a better position before the bend before the back straight. He was convinced he could sail through the field in the last 200 because he’d done that time after time in 1979, but never against Ovett.
That's true. He made up a lot of distance against the other athletes in the straight but Ovett had a similar kick to Coe. I still can't believe how he got so far back since he was in a better position than Ovett earlier in the race. It was like he was running in a daze.
Almost as fast as the almighty Jim Ryun at Dusseldorf, W.Germany in 1967 when he ran the last lap of his 1500m World Record in 49.8 sec and the last 100 meters in 11.6!! Ryun had the best kick of any middle distance runner!
Coe was a beaten man before the gun, and by the tape he realised it. Ovett was the master of this race, and I honestly believe he lost the 1500 metres because he couldn't be arsed. David Warren ran a cracking race here too.
Ovett said that after the 800m his attitude was "I've won my gold, I want to go home." and he didn't have the same edge in the 1500m. Coe said he felt exactly the same way after winning the 800m at the European Championships in 1986.
@@bfc3057 it’s sad because Ovett was in such strong shape prior to LA, it’s a shame he picked up a respiratory infection. Also if the Olympics were in 1977 and not 1976 he’d be a double Olympic champion at 1500m & 800m. He was absolutely brilliant from 77-81 prior to his knee gate-rail injury.
Terrific race. I expect today Ovett would have been disqualified for barging one of the other runners after they broke from their lanes. You can see what huge power he had down the home straight.
I watched that race live at the time. I wanted Ovett to win, his acceleration at the end was amazing. Coe ran a terrible tactical race, couldn’t catch up in the end.
Imagine going into this race not only had overt not lost over40 odd race's he was equaling COES 1500 WORLD RECORD ,WHILST WAVING TO THE CROWD ooooooh yeah,,,, his mum and Dad was in the stadium so ,,,this TITAN has just equalled sebs 1500(3:32'09) cruising into the finishing line loosing tenths of a second and looking like he could have run two seconds faster,,, not only is COE rightly Royally shitting himself in awe of this monster who he'd been in awe of from the time ovettwas16 he ran 3:59'9 mile !!!!!!!! And he was English schools 400 champion!!!!!! Overt had the fantastic experience of already going to the Olympics in 1976 MONTREAL,,,COE WITH ALL THE EXPECTATIONS WRAPPED AROUND HIS NECK DESTROYED HIS MORALE AND OVETT NO PRESSURE, RUNS 50'6 2nd lap after 40 years almost-STILL THE FASTEST IN ANY MAJOR!!!!!!! NOT ONLY THAT BUT COE HAD A SLIPPED DISC WHICH HE LET NOBODY KNOW ABOUT SO PAINFUL AND ONE LEG WAS SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE OTHER seb was not flowing like the year before when he established himself with 3 worlds records in 41 days!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A WEIGHT TO CARRY ON THOSE FRAIL SKINNY SHOULDERS!!!!! SEB MIGHT HAVE LOOKED FRAIL BUT HE WAS ALSO A TITAN AS HE PROVED BY DOING WHAT NOT ONE SOUL IN THE WORLD COULD DO,,,,AND WHAT HAPPENED JUST AFTER THE MOSCOW HORROR???? OVETT NOT ONLY ANNIHILATED COES 1500M WORLD RECORD BUT DRAGGED THE OTHER TWO GERMANS UNDER SEBS TIME AS WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It took COE until 1986 to beat ovetts time,,, TWICE OLYMPIC CHAMPION and COE had to Wait until 1986 to finally beat ovetts time no thanks to James Robinson,,, the other James (MAYS) was the MASTER PACEMAKER,,, AND TOM BYERS WHO ONCE WON ,,,BEAT OVETT WHILST PEACEMAKING,,, REMEMBE???1981 OSLO YEAH???
He obviously didn't have a good semifinal, and so started the final in lane 8, which is bad and couldn't have filled him with confidence. That's not a lane from which champions emerge.
Coe was too nervous in this final. Several days later, he won the 1,500-meter final, with East Germany's Jurgen Straub accelerating from 800 meters and finishing second. Ovett had to settle for the bronze medal.
That is indeed amazing. The adrenaline levels must have gone through the roof with the bumping, but he somehow kept it together. It's like a superb pin-table, Wizard, Fireball, Magic City or World Fair.
YEAH??? OVETT WOULD DEFINITELY BE DISQUALIFIED TODAY FOR THOSE ELBOWING TACTICS AND AS FOR ,,,,WHAT A FUKKIN DISASTER !!!!!! TOTAL FUKKIN DISASTER,,,, SUPER HUMAN EFFORT AT THE FINISH,,,,AND TO BEAT OVETT A FEW DAYS LATER SHOW'S HOW MUCH THIS RACE TOOK THE ZAP FROM STEVE,,,,THAT AND STRAUBS RUN FROM 700 METRES OUT AT 1:46 PACE !!!!!!!!!!!! 54 THIRD LAP,,,52, 2 LAST LAP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 12,1 LAST 💯 METRES STILL THE FASTEST LAST 💯 METRES OF ALL TIME AFTER SUCH A FANTASTIC THIRD LAP FOLLOWED BY A 40 SECOND 300 METRES,,,then BAM 12,1 LAST 💯 METRES !!!!!!!!! THE RACE OF A LIFE TIME !!!!!!!!!!!
@@jeremyhomewood9573 At the time it was considered there was no way Ovett could win this race, fast or slow, as Coe held all the cards. Even though Ovett was physical, Coe laboured at the back at his own fault for too long. Ovett had set two world records before the games, so perhaps the zap had gone out his legs by the time of the 1500m. He even set another WR after the games (and squeezed two 5000m races in the space of four days, a 1st and 2nd). A monumental effort for a newly crowned 800m champ. That's why, as far as I recall, he was the named IAAF athlete of 1980. Something that is forgotten now. Though I can see why.
@@martynhanson How do Coe end up in lane 8--that's the question. He obviously had a poor semifinal run--but you rarely see a world-record holder and race favorite starting in the far outside lane, which is not a good place to be. I'm sure he'd not started in the lane in a race in ages, and he never looked comfortable in this race.
@@richardernsberger5692 Not sure why Coe did end up in lane 8. As you say he never looked comfortable at this snails pace race and i think the event got to him - Moorcroft had a similar race at 5000m euro in 82. He said he just never got going and that was a slow race too. To do with seeding things happened like that in those days. If you recall 1970 world cup. The holders and previous twice winners were drawn in the same group. No way would that happen today.
I was not surprised in the slightest that Ovett won this. However he pretty much said he lost some motivation after winning it and this seems to have affected his 1500 - I couldn’t believe it when he came third.
If I ever met David Coleman, I would like to ask, where did “Those blue eyes like chips of ice” come from. It’s a lovely metaphor: did he just think it up on the spur of the moment?
What happened between 1:55 and 2:05 (youtube time, not race time)? We will never really know, because the Moscow cameras were badly set up for that stretch. It seems to me to be the key to understanding this race. At some point in those 10 seconds Warren accelerates. Coe is so busy watching Ovett that he isn't watching the leader, but the move by Warren is key because it breaks things up and gives Ovett space. Apparently Ovett got bladdered after this race. It would be nice to think he raised a toast to Warren.
I often wonder what if Steve had stayed focused for the 1500 instead of nursing a hangover ---- in the end I am glad we got this 800 out of him --- olympic champion end of
Fair play to Ovett, he got this one right and benefited from Coe getting it horribly wrong. I'm glad he managed 1 Olympic Gold. If Coe had taken the lead at the bell no-one would have passed him, but that's racing for you. He stayed out wide and was left with too much to do down the final straight. Respect for staying on to win the silver though so 2 Golds and 2 Silvers overall in the Olympics wasn't too bad was it?
He should have gotten in the lane 1 going down backstrech. He is running in lane 3 the last 200. That is like a extra 8 meters. Those 2 and Cram ? Who else? Had great races for 5 years or so. Fun to watch.
I've often thought that Coe was so obsessed with Ovett in this race that he took his lead from the terrible positions Ovett found himself in for most of this race. Ovett was boxed in and yet, somehow, Coe - despite being clear of trouble - found himself at the back with just 300-350 metres to go. Both were classes above the rest of the field, but were clearly leery of one another. Ovett got "bottled up," says Coleman, and Coe "lost his way."
And then came the 1500m race at the same games, with Ovett being the 1500m specialist and Coe being the 800m specialist, I wonder what happened???? lol. 😝
Fighting his way out of those positions must have cost Ovett energy and rhythm. On the other hand, sometimes adversity gives one strength. ("That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger"). There's a comment below that says Coe's tactics weren't as bad as history judged them - I agree with that also. The "what-ifs" in this race stretch away to the end of time.
I was a huge fan of Coe as a child and it was almost as if Steve Ovett was the enemy for beating him, even though he was British. Of course I was too young to know about politics at the time so I had no idea that Coe would turn out to be a horrible Tory. I look back and wish I’d supported Ovett.
I so wanted Ovett to win the 1500m as well after this. Unfortunately, not to be . People always referred to the way Steve was quick to acknowledge Seb after both races , but Coe behaved like a spoilt child after losing
The British athletes were not competing under normal circumstances. Due to the boycott of the games by 66 countries, GB decided to send athletes under the Olympic flag and Olympic anthem, rather than represent their country officially.
A streetfighter's race! Coe was too used to staged record attempts and got mugged. He slipped up badly middle of first lap when he could have took off when Ovett was boxed in. Love this race cos I was an Ovett fan but Coe was a phenomenon and went on to prove it in 1500m and with silver and gold in 1984. And don't forget the controversy about his selection in '84 when a lot of people wanted Peter (ugghh) Elliot to go instead!!
Ovett already knew how to run and race. Fuck me as a Coe fan I was gutted. Ovett just beat up the field. And then a few days later I was all smiles. Coe learned quickly how to race (running was never an issue) when 1500m came by.
TWO GREAT ATHLETES. STEVE OVETT COULD RUN ANY DISTANCE 800.METERS .UP TO HALF MARATHONS.. SEB FANTASTIC RUNNER . THEN ALONG CAME .CRAMMY... GREAY ERA OF DISTANCE RUNNERS NOT FORGETTING PETER ELLIOT OLYMPIC SILVER MEDAL SEOUL 1988 .
@@Revolver1981 your right.. Spoilt little Cecils cant accept losing gracefully just like he couldn't. He behaved disgraceful on the medals rostrum. Really let himself down.
I always loved Ovett, Coe was always a smarmy git and this race was my all time favourite.
Agreed, I always rooted for Ovett when they raced.
Smugg rich kid
Then came Steve cram
Coe was an amazing athlete who usually came out on top, why do you have to be so disrespectful?
@@Cyprusmichalis A great athlete, just not a nice person. Ovett was both.
I was there. Managed to get seats in third row at first bend where Decathlon was taking place. We shouted and asked Daley to move a few feet and the legend gave us a thumbs up and he did!
Saw 1500 on the Saturday as well but as Irish, was devastated with Coughlan coming fourth in 5000.
Think paid £300 for bad tickets in 1979 but got brilliant tickets by selling a pair of Levi’s .
Those days will never return
Ovett's last 200m is quite superb. No man in the world would have caught him
That’s what I always said. Nice to hear someone repeat it after all these years.
@@martinsr5536 50.5 last lap as I recall, I don't think even Rudisha did that
Unforgettable race. Coleman nailed the commentary.
"THOSE BLUE EYES LIKE CHIPS OF ICE ",,,,FANTASTIC/ BRILLIANT IMMACULATE IMMORTAL WORDS!!!!!!!!!
Agreed, the best line I've ever heard during a race
Hardly. He referred to the Soviet athlete as Russian.
Thanks for pointing that out. Your life's work is now complete @@ronanrogers4127
@@ronanrogers4127wow 😮
"Those Blue Eyes Like Chips Of Ice" ..... nobody could commentate like David Coleman , Brilliant !!!! Also forgotten how rough that race was....
No athletics commentator could match him ..then..now..and ever
@@lessamuels3767 Is that why there is a regular feature in Private Eye named Colemanballs?
@@lessamuels3767I reckon he called Prefontaine 'the chunky American' in Munich 72
Great commentary. No pacers here; it was a real race, one which I can watch again and again.
I agree. This was the great race of the modern era. It is impossible to explain to a young person today how these 2 were household names throughout the world for a couple of years, how obsessed we all became. That Ovett was the son of a market trader who sold bacon is just the icing on the cake of this incredible story.
Amazing. After all these years. Coe was manhandled out of the race. They couldn't do that to Ovett and Ovett hustled his way through the opposition and then went for it. What a race! Two class acts and Coe went on to win the 1500, beating Ovett. A complete reversal of form and expectation. Magic!
Yes. Beforehand, the received wisdom posited that Coe was the favourite to win the 800 Metres race and Ovett was the favourite to win the 1500 Metres race. So Coe showed real guts to come back again a couple of days later and win the 1500 Metres, having picked himself off the floor.
But two great athletes in a great era.
@@oleggorky906 I also read that others , as well as Ovett himself , thought that maybe he lost a little edge going into the 1500 mtrs . Mainly because the pressure was off having already won a gold . Whether this was true or not , we'll never know. But if so , Ovett losing a little focus and Coe being so determined to not go home empty handed MUST have played a part .. no matter how small .
We were an Ovett household back then, nowadays were even more so :-)
Me too. COE SUCKS!
Everyone talks about Coe running badly but Ovett was in some shocking positions on that first lap. Coe went to sleep in the 3rd 200m and gave it to Ovett. I think Ovett would have won anyway, he had the experience and racing knowledge.
Yes I agree. It has sort of gone down as gospel that Coe ran a terrible tactical race, but is that really so? By that token Dave Wottle had run an even worse tactical race 8 years previously, but still came through to win.
@@geekpie100 Wottle ran a perfectly well judged race. Coe should have seen the pace was slow plus Ovett was boxed & put the hammer down at the bell. He’d lost before he started because he was scared.
Agree, Ovett still had his monster kick then.
@@geekpie100Yes but it’s rare people win the way Dave Wottle did. Youre banking on someone not having a better kick till just before the line.
@@matthewsenior4208Yes in hindsight, it’s very risky though. No coach was be advising that way to win.
Ovett natural racer and a great bloke got completely hammered after this and admitted he lost focus for the 1500 m
SavageArfad in fairness whoever gets to the front on the last bend (at their peaks) and kicks...is the winner. People talk about how they both managed to cock up their favoured races. I think their supreme confidence in their own ability cost them I.E.. Coe let Ovett get too far in front because he thought he could out-kick anybody...Ovett never saw how far back Coe was in the 800 so he never felt Coe’s kick and I think Ovett went into the 1500 thinking he had Coe’s number thus underestimating Seb’s kick and allowing him to move to the front and kick first....Incidently, Jurgen Straub...Stasi National doping programme as was Olaf Beyer Euro 800 metres final in ‘78.
“Those blue eyes like chips of ice..” I still remember those words from the superb David Coleman. Arguably, one of the greatest ever sports commentators in the English language the world has known.
Two amazing men.a golden age.
Warren did Ovett a huge favour by accelerating at 1:01; that finally gave Ovett the space he needed. Coe's "purist", non-contact race has left him in a bad position at 1:01.
Coe tries to run like Mercury; Ovett runs like Hercules.
I remember watching this huddled around the TV as a kid with the whole family. I was rooting for Coe. My old man was rooting for Ovett. I still remember the tension - these guys had avoided each other in the run up to the Olympics. Both were household names in the UK. It was the day of reckoning. Happy days.
I used to see Coe on his training runs when he lived in Sheffield.He ran past me once (November 1979, the year that he broke all those world records).What a sight: slim, elegant, graceful and almost silent. Both he and Steve Ovett were truly magnificent.
They didn't capitalise on the rivalry. Would have been great business for both of them.
I couldn't get enough of these 2 and I was a high school runner in Reno Nevada. Coe was my idol and I won large school (AAA) State in 83. Thanks Seb! Also, my coach was from England and a Ovett fan, definitely not a Coe fan lol
@@christopherlerude4 Lol. I was rooting for Coe back then as a kid, but I think I'd be an Ovett fan if I was rooting now. I was thinking of the 80 Olympics and how pissed US athletes must have been with the boycott.
marty dav that’s a good memory
Ovett is sensational, boxed badly twice. Coe does exactly what Coleman tells him not to do; he is obsessed with Ovett and forgets to treat it as a race with 8 athletes, so he has too may to get round when Ovett finds himself in the clear and accelerates, blue eyes like chips of ice.
Ovett should have been disqualified for pushing as good a runner he is.
Great comment
Well possibly @@johnmc3862 . However I don't remember anyone arguing that at the time, which makes me think you are judging it through today's lens.
Great memories. I remember watching it on television.
50.90 last lap. You can’t give someone like steve Ovett 8m in a last fast lap. Well done to Ovett !!! 🥇
50.6 last lap !!!!!!!! And still the FASTEST 2ND lap in an international major championship!!!!!!!!!!
Agree, he was the best man on the day.
Wouldn't think Coe got much sleep that night! Maybe he choked a bit. He showed great character to come back and win the 1500, a few days later.
Yeah and Steve shook his hand after the 1500 victory but Coe avoided eye contact on the podium for the 800 when he shook his hand begrudgingly. My dad supported Coe up to that moment. After that he rooted for Cram and Ovett
@@steffanhoffmann8937 Well, certainly Peter Coe (Seb's dad and coach) greatly admired Ovett. There is another video somewhere on TH-cam of a less important race showing Peter on the infield congratulating Ovett for a race victory at a meet in which Seb raced a different event. Peter Coe spoke very highly of Ovett.
I remember the line in news report that 'they both got it wrong' ie. Ovett won Coe's pet event - the 800m and Coe won Ovett's - the 1500m. What a time the late 70s and early 80s were for middle distance running. Juantorena, Coe, Ovett, Walker, Scott, Maree, Boit and then Cruz.
Roshan Fernando Cram?
@@jamescarpenter6585 Yes, of course Steve Cram was in there as well. Bad slip!
And imagine what would've happened if Ivo Van Damme had not died in an auto crash in 1977.
"Those blue eyes like chips of ice" ... classic
David Coleman really captured the mood. Loved his athletics commentary.
@@bfc3057 I think we loved the competition between Coe and Ovett, and Coleman stoked it up brilliantly:)
@@britbox4517when the bbc and itv shared coverage of the F.A. Cup final always watched the beeb simply because of Coleman and when motson took over switched to Brian Moore , how spoiled were we in those days ?
@@edwardcooper5479 Yep,lots of good commentators.I thought Brian Moore was excellent with the ITV football coverage, and not to forget Peter Jones on Radio 2. I thought Ron Pickering was a pretty decent athletics commentator also.
@@britbox4517Ron Pickering and Stuart Storey, together, were outstanding commentators. Steve Cram made the transition to commentary and is an impressive commentator in my view.
As for Coleman, he was a pretty good athletics commentator but I never particularly rated his football commentary: it seemed to me that Barry Davies was the BBC's finest football commentator but inexplicably he was always overlooked in favour of Coleman for the big finals and it's the same thing today with Steve Wilson, the best football commentator the BBC have had since Davies, equally inexplicably overlooked for the big finals in favour of the inferior Guy Mowbray.
Great athletes. It's a privilege to watch it again. Also just watched the 1500m. That's also special, with Steve Cram too.
Still a thrill after all these years.....
Part race part streetfight. Ovett had all the class and the speed as well as the grit required.
Awesome
Massive build up to this in the British media, these two great athletes, Coe and Ovett, the equal of one another. 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Incredible race! Amazed how Coe was so far back and able to finish 2nd.
Two extraordinary runners! What a great era for 800-1500 m runners!!!!🥇🥇🥇
Steve Ovett, enough said..
Despite Ovett's obviously natural talent and dominance at the 1500 between 1977 to at least 1980, where Coe put doubts into his mind, he just didn't regard running as a life and death matter and as did Send still does.
Coe knew that Steve could win anyway he liked to, so more things could go wrong for him and it bloody did. Forget his non sleeping etc, but he learned his lesson and never fucked up again, so his father's bluntness did combine with his fast tempo and kick to ensure that his mind was never blurred ever again!
it’s difficult to overtake on the bends in a bunched up race. Coe needed to put himself in a better position before the bend before the back straight. He was convinced he could sail through the field in the last 200 because he’d done that time after time in 1979, but never against Ovett.
That's true. He made up a lot of distance against the other athletes in the straight but Ovett had a similar kick to Coe. I still can't believe how he got so far back since he was in a better position than Ovett earlier in the race. It was like he was running in a daze.
Ovett's wacking everyone to get through, but Coe on the outside should have taken up the lead at half way and didn't respond.
That' s a 50,50 sec last lap from Ovett! Probably the fastest I have ever seen.
yea I just noticed that too how do you have that type of turn around speed and hold it ....?
Almost as fast as the almighty Jim Ryun at Dusseldorf, W.Germany in 1967 when he ran the last lap of his 1500m World Record in 49.8 sec and the last 100 meters in 11.6!! Ryun had the best kick of any middle distance runner!
@@richardmilliken5651 Yes, but Ryan never won an Olympic gold medal, sadly.
@@jayzuniga4470 THIS REMARKABLE FEAT
Coe was a beaten man before the gun, and by the tape he realised it. Ovett was the master of this race, and I honestly believe he lost the 1500 metres because he couldn't be arsed. David Warren ran a cracking race here too.
Ovett said that after the 800m his attitude was "I've won my gold, I want to go home." and he didn't have the same edge in the 1500m. Coe said he felt exactly the same way after winning the 800m at the European Championships in 1986.
Couldn't be arsed loll
Watching this live I still thought Coe would win at 600m. Now I can appreciate the perfection of Coleman's commentary, as well as Ovett's tactics.
Coe's tactics were not as bad as history has judged them.
Those Olympic Gold medals hard to win - even a talent such as Ovett made 5 Olympic finals to win once
@@bfc3057 it’s sad because Ovett was in such strong shape prior to LA, it’s a shame he picked up a respiratory infection. Also if the Olympics were in 1977 and not 1976 he’d be a double Olympic champion at 1500m & 800m. He was absolutely brilliant from 77-81 prior to his knee gate-rail injury.
Great commentary from David Coleman
One forgets that there was 3 british runners in the final.
Terrific race. I expect today Ovett would have been disqualified for barging one of the other runners after they broke from their lanes. You can see what huge power he had down the home straight.
Good race. Legendary commentary.
They are legend they are the ideals
Wow, Ovett was the Mark Messier of track. Vicious elbows.
Awesome memories of golden times legend Steve Ovett legend Sebastian Coe and legend David Coleman just a magnificent race
I watched that race live at the time. I wanted Ovett to win, his acceleration at the end was amazing. Coe ran a terrible tactical race, couldn’t catch up in the end.
British athletics would love and Ovett and Coe today.
Mr Warren deserved all praise for setting up a cracking finish - a guts effort from the cool Steve Ovett.
I wish this were photographed on motion picture film
A proper competitive rivalry , two absolute legends .😁😁👍👍
Coe had a fear of ovett, always looks depressed in 800s
@Brian Wyse, Maybe you're right. I think he choked a bit in this race. Never even gave himself the chance to win the race.
Imagine going into this race not only had overt not lost over40 odd race's he was equaling COES 1500 WORLD RECORD ,WHILST WAVING TO THE CROWD ooooooh yeah,,,, his mum and Dad was in the stadium so ,,,this TITAN has just equalled sebs 1500(3:32'09) cruising into the finishing line loosing tenths of a second and looking like he could have run two seconds faster,,, not only is COE rightly Royally shitting himself in awe of this monster who he'd been in awe of from the time ovettwas16 he ran 3:59'9 mile !!!!!!!! And he was English schools 400 champion!!!!!! Overt had the fantastic experience of already going to the Olympics in 1976 MONTREAL,,,COE WITH ALL THE EXPECTATIONS WRAPPED AROUND HIS NECK DESTROYED HIS MORALE AND OVETT NO PRESSURE, RUNS 50'6 2nd lap after 40 years almost-STILL THE FASTEST IN ANY MAJOR!!!!!!! NOT ONLY THAT BUT COE HAD A SLIPPED DISC WHICH HE LET NOBODY KNOW ABOUT SO PAINFUL AND ONE LEG WAS SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE OTHER seb was not flowing like the year before when he established himself with 3 worlds records in 41 days!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A WEIGHT TO CARRY ON THOSE FRAIL SKINNY SHOULDERS!!!!! SEB MIGHT HAVE LOOKED FRAIL BUT HE WAS ALSO A TITAN AS HE PROVED BY DOING WHAT NOT ONE SOUL IN THE WORLD COULD DO,,,,AND WHAT HAPPENED JUST AFTER THE MOSCOW HORROR???? OVETT NOT ONLY ANNIHILATED COES 1500M WORLD RECORD BUT DRAGGED THE OTHER TWO GERMANS UNDER SEBS TIME AS WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It took COE until 1986 to beat ovetts time,,, TWICE OLYMPIC CHAMPION and COE had to Wait until 1986 to finally beat ovetts time no thanks to James Robinson,,, the other James (MAYS) was the MASTER PACEMAKER,,, AND TOM BYERS WHO ONCE WON ,,,BEAT OVETT WHILST PEACEMAKING,,, REMEMBE???1981 OSLO YEAH???
@@simonsedwards1513 Coe's a bastard.
He obviously didn't have a good semifinal, and so started the final in lane 8, which is bad and couldn't have filled him with confidence. That's not a lane from which champions emerge.
Brilliant performance by Ovett, abysmally poor tactics by Coe.
I used to enjoy watching both runners, but Steve Ovett was always my favourite of the two.
Coe was too nervous in this final. Several days later, he won the 1,500-meter final, with East Germany's Jurgen Straub accelerating from 800 meters and finishing second. Ovett had to settle for the bronze medal.
I miss those days of Great British middle distance runners
What is more amazing is Ovett crashing twice like a pinball 💥 then into overdrive on the final turn😗
That is indeed amazing. The adrenaline levels must have gone through the roof with the bumping, but he somehow kept it together. It's like a superb pin-table, Wizard, Fireball, Magic City or World Fair.
The golden era for British men's middle distance running 💥
Watched this in real time, and what a race, all that bumping and barging, But Ovett found the way through.
The great Steve Ovett..master tactician
YEAH??? OVETT WOULD DEFINITELY BE DISQUALIFIED TODAY FOR THOSE ELBOWING TACTICS AND AS FOR ,,,,WHAT A FUKKIN DISASTER !!!!!! TOTAL FUKKIN DISASTER,,,, SUPER HUMAN EFFORT AT THE FINISH,,,,AND TO BEAT OVETT A FEW DAYS LATER SHOW'S HOW MUCH THIS RACE TOOK THE ZAP FROM STEVE,,,,THAT AND STRAUBS RUN FROM 700 METRES OUT AT 1:46 PACE !!!!!!!!!!!! 54 THIRD LAP,,,52, 2 LAST LAP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 12,1 LAST 💯 METRES STILL THE FASTEST LAST 💯 METRES OF ALL TIME AFTER SUCH A FANTASTIC THIRD LAP FOLLOWED BY A 40 SECOND 300 METRES,,,then BAM 12,1 LAST 💯 METRES !!!!!!!!! THE RACE OF A LIFE TIME !!!!!!!!!!!
@@jeremyhomewood9573 At the time it was considered there was no way Ovett could win this race, fast or slow, as Coe held all the cards. Even though Ovett was physical, Coe laboured at the back at his own fault for too long. Ovett had set two world records before the games, so perhaps the zap had gone out his legs by the time of the 1500m. He even set another WR after the games (and squeezed two 5000m races in the space of four days, a 1st and 2nd). A monumental effort for a newly crowned 800m champ. That's why, as far as I recall, he was the named IAAF athlete of 1980. Something that is forgotten now. Though I can see why.
@@martynhanson Rumour has it Ovett celebrated a bit too much after the 800 Gold. Even if that's false, he definitely seemed too relaxed in the 1500.
@@martynhanson How do Coe end up in lane 8--that's the question. He obviously had a poor semifinal run--but you rarely see a world-record holder and race favorite starting in the far outside lane, which is not a good place to be. I'm sure he'd not started in the lane in a race in ages, and he never looked comfortable in this race.
@@richardernsberger5692 Not sure why Coe did end up in lane 8. As you say he never looked comfortable at this snails pace race and i think the event got to him - Moorcroft had a similar race at 5000m euro in 82. He said he just never got going and that was a slow race too. To do with seeding things happened like that in those days. If you recall 1970 world cup. The holders and previous twice winners were drawn in the same group. No way would that happen today.
I was not surprised in the slightest that Ovett won this. However he pretty much said he lost some motivation after winning it and this seems to have affected his 1500 - I couldn’t believe it when he came third.
If I ever met David Coleman, I would like to ask, where did “Those blue eyes like chips of ice” come from. It’s a lovely metaphor: did he just think it up on the spur of the moment?
I think so... he came out with some crap... but that was one of his positive gems. Overall, a good commentator. RIP.
@@britbox4517 He wasnt just good . He was the best.
@@Lord_Hillcrest01 Fat man Brendan Foster is better.
@@Revolver1981 At running.
@@Lord_Hillcrest01 No the fat man was a great commentator. I don't think the fat man could run for a bus these days. Hahaha!!!
Someone wrote that David Coleman had such an emotional delivery he sounded as if he had “tear ducts in his tonsils”
What happened between 1:55 and 2:05 (youtube time, not race time)? We will never really know, because the Moscow cameras were badly set up for that stretch. It seems to me to be the key to understanding this race. At some point in those 10 seconds Warren accelerates. Coe is so busy watching Ovett that he isn't watching the leader, but the move by Warren is key because it breaks things up and gives Ovett space.
Apparently Ovett got bladdered after this race. It would be nice to think he raised a toast to Warren.
@@bfc3057 Interesting to hear about the foreword by Mary Peters; often we put these people on a pedestal that they don't live up to.
Will we ever see their likes again?
No. Never
S Pandian we’ve seen better 🤷🏾♂️I’m sure the Kenyan runners nowadays are better
It shows how good Coe was that despite a terrible (or no) strategy he still got silver.
I often wonder what if Steve had stayed focused for the 1500 instead of nursing a hangover ---- in the end I am glad we got this 800 out of him --- olympic champion end of
Fair play to Ovett, he got this one right and benefited from Coe getting it horribly wrong. I'm glad he managed 1 Olympic Gold. If Coe had taken the lead at the bell no-one would have passed him, but that's racing for you. He stayed out wide and was left with too much to do down the final straight. Respect for staying on to win the silver though so 2 Golds and 2 Silvers overall in the Olympics wasn't too bad was it?
I grew up in Edinburgh and everyone wanted Ovett to win
Hardest run ever by Coe seemed enormous effort, never got a piece of lane 1, mostly was in 3.
He should have gotten in the lane 1 going down backstrech. He is running in lane 3 the last 200. That is like a extra 8 meters. Those 2 and Cram ? Who else? Had great races for 5 years or so. Fun to watch.
Coe is afraid to go to the front after his experience in the Euros 800 in 1978.
Yes! Brilliant Steve!
Ovett handled the race like he was conducting a symphony orchestra, with his arms.
I've often thought that Coe was so obsessed with Ovett in this race that he took his lead from the terrible positions Ovett found himself in for most of this race. Ovett was boxed in and yet, somehow, Coe - despite being clear of trouble - found himself at the back with just 300-350 metres to go. Both were classes above the rest of the field, but were clearly leery of one another. Ovett got "bottled up," says Coleman, and Coe "lost his way."
Ovett had a gorgeous running style.
Those were the days 🙂. Strange that we haven’t heard much from Ovett since.
He was lower class and a real man. Lives in Australia now
where there are still some white people.
GB had such an abundance of middle distance talent at that time-not forgetting Brendan Foster who blazed a trail before that.
GET OUT OF MY WAY FOR THE WHOLE RACE SAID STEVE OVETT
elbows not as dangerous as all the heel clipping that goes on nowadays out of sight of cameras.
"Those blue eyes like chips of ice."
And then came the 1500m race at the same games, with Ovett being the 1500m specialist and Coe being the 800m specialist, I wonder what happened???? lol. 😝
Legendary matchup.
Fighting his way out of those positions must have cost Ovett energy and rhythm. On the other hand, sometimes adversity gives one strength. ("That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger"). There's a comment below that says Coe's tactics weren't as bad as history judged them - I agree with that also. The "what-ifs" in this race stretch away to the end of time.
Brazilian and my countryman from Pará Agberto Guimarães cried after😢😢 that race for not being a medalist in that race
Ovett would have been disqualified for running like that in 2023 but he did so well to push and barge his way forward.
Poor Don Paige and James Robinson who would have likely medaled . Paige had the top 800 time in 1980
Iconic.
The last of the great races
God what a race
Coe was pretty ungracious in defeat. Ovett was brilliant here.
I was a huge fan of Coe as a child and it was almost as if Steve Ovett was the enemy for beating him, even though he was British. Of course I was too young to know about politics at the time so I had no idea that Coe would turn out to be a horrible Tory. I look back and wish I’d supported Ovett.
I so wanted Ovett to win the 1500m as well after this. Unfortunately, not to be . People always referred to the way Steve was quick to acknowledge Seb after both races , but Coe behaved like a spoilt child after losing
Who's here after Kerr vs Ingebrigtsen?
David Coleman could get the adrenaline pumping.
Coe paniced right from the start due to the bizarre lane 8 assignment. Who gives a WR holder lane 8 in any sport? He was intentionally disadvantaged.
That was not our national anthem. Did the Russians have a local YTS Scheme band playing the anthems that day?
The British athletes were not competing under normal circumstances. Due to the boycott of the games by 66 countries, GB decided to send athletes under the Olympic flag and Olympic anthem, rather than represent their country officially.
A streetfighter's race! Coe was too used to staged record attempts and got mugged. He slipped up badly middle of first lap when he could have took off when Ovett was boxed in. Love this race cos I was an Ovett fan but Coe was a phenomenon and went on to prove it in 1500m and with silver and gold in 1984. And don't forget the controversy about his selection in '84 when a lot of people wanted Peter (ugghh) Elliot to go instead!!
I’m sure had Steve Ovett lost this race he would have won the 1500m.
I think Coe's dad's last words to him were, "Stay out of trouble".
Coe was convinced he would win as long as he didn't get tripped or barged.
Great performance.I wish Kenya was there,things have changed.
Ovett already knew how to run and race. Fuck me as a Coe fan I was gutted. Ovett just beat up the field.
And then a few days later I was all smiles. Coe learned quickly how to race (running was never an issue) when 1500m came by.
Worst statue in the world is the one of Steve Ovett down in Brighton. You have to see it to believe it 😂😂😂
When they were Kings!
TWO GREAT ATHLETES. STEVE OVETT COULD RUN ANY DISTANCE 800.METERS .UP TO HALF MARATHONS.. SEB FANTASTIC RUNNER . THEN ALONG CAME .CRAMMY... GREAY ERA OF DISTANCE RUNNERS NOT FORGETTING PETER ELLIOT OLYMPIC SILVER MEDAL SEOUL 1988 .
When it was worth watching the Olympics
2 people have disliked this. why would anyone dislike it?
16 now... kind of weird!
@@britbox4517 Coe fans lol.
@@Revolver1981 your right..
Spoilt little Cecils cant accept losing gracefully just like he couldn't. He behaved disgraceful on the medals rostrum. Really let himself down.
I didn't dislike it, but have you heard the "British" anthem at the end??
Seb Coe and his Dad