1978 European 1500m men

[@neillycoll]

Ovett was a legend & my hero. I always loved the wave to the crowd on the home straight. Thanks for posting

[@choppy249]

Vintage Ovett here . On form the best middle distance runner I have ever seen .

[@phillipsargeant1936]

Ovett....an absolute joy to watch.... I guess in a way Ovett knows he really won both the 800 and 1500mtr... but sometimes that enough, nothing further has to proved from his perspective, there is no reconciliation needed.. I've never heard him bring up the subject of the East Germans doping... In a way that says more about Ovett as a person....

[@jamescarpenter6585]

Glad you mentioned it though...Ovett and Coe ran their hearts out in that race.

[@KingLiopleurodon]

Utter domination by Ovett. Masterful tactics, but he was also in a different league than the others. This race, together with the 77WC, instilled a deep culture of fear in his 1500m opponents. When Moorcroft passed Loikkanen he must have believed he had the silver...some finish by Coghlan over the last 100.

[@knightsxc06]

"...And he's ALREADY celebrating!" -david coleman + steve ovett = legendary.

[@LPCLASSICAL]

Good to see Ovett beating with ease Europe's best in 1978.

[@philmm64]

THanks for posting - legend - I remember this race on TV in 1978 but only just - great to see it again. We all knew Steve Ovett could win when it came to the last 200m!

[@deano27671]

Ovett really should be credited with the 800/1500 double at these championships. Beyer, who improved by 2 secs in the 800 final and never ran anywhere near as fast again, was later listed by Stasi documents as having been on a state run drug programme. Shame for Ovett.

[@archiewoosung5062]

All said, Ovett had a pretty successful career...it was the ladies who really suffered

[@mathematics5573]

agreed. Coe should also be credited with the 800m silver.

[@charliemagri1669]

deano27671 At least Jürgen Straub was always clean and deserved his silver in the 800 in Moscow.

[@keithbate9405]

yes Kathy Cook must be the most unlucky British Female Athlete of all time. Running against the Eastern European drug cheats like Marita Koch . Can't understand why the latter's world record of 47.6 for the Women's 400m has not been deleted from the record books. Cook won a load of Silvers and Bronze medals. Should all have been gold.

[@jeremyhomewood9573]

@@charliemagri1669 you mean straubs 1500 silver !!!!!!

[@englishman1960]

did you see the way Ovett took off. Nobody could live with that

[@victorobanye6024]

What a kick from Ovett!

[@Zndwls]

Full results: 1.Ovett (Britain) 3:35.6, 2.Coghlan (Ireland) 3:36.6, 3.Moorcroft (Britain) 3:36.7, 4.Wessinghage (West Germany) 3:37.2, 5.Loikkanen (Finland) 3:37.5, 6.Marajo (France) 3:38.2, 7.Straub (East Germany) 3:38.9, 8.Robson (Britain) 3:39.6, 9.Beyer (East Germany) 3:39.7, 10.Gonzales (France) 3:40.1, 11.Gysin (Switzerland) 3:41.0, 12.Plachý (Czechoslovakia) 3:42.2.

[@user-ro7ee7]

Thanks...

[@fitzieo1]

Thanks for posting this Kevin been looking for it for ages, I believe athletics was better back then some how. Ovett was a legend.

[@hales51]

@dredandmrbears Yes. Many people, especially the press,hated him for it.I thought he was the most exciting runner I had ever seen.I still get excited watching these old clips.I've often wondered what Coe and Ovett would have earned if they had been paid as todays athletes are.

[@number17bus]

Great finish by Coghlan, you can see how much it meant to him after being 4th in the 1976 Olympics. Sadly, another fourth place ahead of him in 1980. Ovett looked a different class there.

[@mrgobrien]

I think Coghlan won a medal in the 1982 euro - and world gold 1983 in the 5000

[@fatbelly27]

Great race by Ovett

[@martyn26.2]

Make no mistake this particular field was world class.

[@mickhammer8547]

The real amazing thing about this race was EC's kick. Wow!

[@freestyle9368]

Why did he leve it so late? It's like he never was serious about going after Ovett. I guess he kicked too early in Montreal and struggled to get it right...

[@SPIDERM0OSE]

@@freestyle9368 He was a marked man. Every time he made a move 3 0r 4 instantly reacted to box him in, twice on the outside & once when he moved inside. Eamon had em shittin their pants which is how Ovett sneaked to the front unopposed. #MrCoughlan #TheChairmanOfTheBoards

[@soulyrasheed]

@@SPIDERM0OSE pity that Chairman was pretty average miler outdoors...

[@SPIDERM0OSE]

💩@@soulyrasheed 💩 Perhaps thats why he was nicknamed Chairman of the Boards, not Chairman of the Track ? Eh ? Wat ya say Sappy ? While yer at it, tell us on which planet is an Olympic semi final, 2 Olympic finals over 12 years or 4 Olympic cycles, a European Record, a European Silver, a World Championship Gold & a PB sub 3:52 mile "pretty average" outside ?

[@simonedwards5564]

@@SPIDERM0OSE And a world record in the 4x1 mile relay 1985 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BRILLIANT And his indoor mile in 1983,,, the first man under 3:50 indoors SAYS IT ALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@rampart6557]

"And Ovett wins in customary style." Nobody can call these races like the Brits. Incredible race by Ovett, he had all the horses in that last 200.

[@steffanhoffmann8937]

David Coleman was the best exponent of such

[@rc2869]

Meyer was doped to the eyeballs. The top 4 were clean but always worried about Coughlam in US thereafter. Even as a Coe fan Ovett smashed the field and should be a double event champion here.

[@bfc3057]

It's - Beyer (Olaf) - Coghlan (Eamonn) The top 4 were clean but you always worried about the athlete that was 2nd. You'd be better off worrying about your lack of basic athletics knowledge of the era. I never take seriously, comments that can't even get the athletes' name right.

[@rc2869]

@@bfc3057 Ahh a mis-spell. Beyer was doped to the eyeballs. Coghlan disappeared to US after double Olympic near misses in 76 and 80 and then reappears as World Champ 3 years later in 1983 (5 years after this race) and goes on to win indoors galore in US whilst being nowhere outdoors ever again at the time US doping went through the roof. I can't take seriously a twat like you who can't measure time.

[@robertboyle2573]

Surely the best ever.

[@martyn26.2]

this field was stronger than in most Olympics!!

[@ewaf88]

British 800 and 1500m running hasn't progressed in 40 years sadly. Come on now there must be someone out there who can run 1:42 and 3:28 or better

[@phillipsargeant1936]

You're right it's dire.... I had high hopes for Curtis Robb.... So many sub 1.45 guys... David Sharp...Tom Mc... Elliot...and the blessed trinity of Ovett, Coe and Cram

[@andyallen4492]

ewaf88 yes mo Farah --3.28

[@Zndwls]

Ovett was superior to the other runners in this race, and he showed it by celebrating his victory on the home straight and by still winning by a full second. Too bad that Coghlan got boxed in on the near bend of the last lap. He kicked the last 100 metres even faster than Ovett, although probably he couldn't quite have beaten Ovett in this race. The young Finnish miler, Loikkanen, ran one of the best races of his life.

[@forest69ist]

Ovett wasn't trying last 50m

[@phillipsargeant1936]

Ovett was easing up over the last 50mtres, so Coghlan would have been quicker... In and around the 200 mark Coghlan didn't accelerate...others came past him...he wasn't boxed...

[@elephantscantjump2776]

Great run by Coughlan.

[@Grendel2912]

300 metres to go " they're all in with a chance" er no David only one man was going to win it.

[@mao555mmm]

Ovett- крут!

[@williamkinch3182]

[continuing on from my previous 'post' about Mr Tony Soprano's rudeness] From now onwards, I am not even going to bother reading Soprano's vitriolic and hateful 'posts' (on other You Tube discussion boards). Thank you for taking steps to prevent this unpredictable and somewhat unsavoury character (Soprano) from making any further inflammatory comments on this You Tube site; I appreciate it.

[@julianmidwinter3636]

Such a brilliant runner.Just can't split him and coe.

[@martyn26.2]

Needs some clarification. Europe was much stronger then and this is a very strong field indeed. When you think of 1984, wWith Ovett ill and Cram not 100%, I think it's a stronger field than that one, and overall 1980.

[@williamkinch3182]

Well, definitely!!

[@sandcastlejim]

legend.

[@Wallinger2006]

@deano27671 It's a shame that those old east German athletes are still in the record books. If they were on drugs they should be removed

[@joemcm1]

now tell me coe at his best could have beat that! ovett could have won this running the whole race in lane 8! majestic!!!

[@athlete5399]

Hi William, I've blocked Tony Soprano from my site, so hopefully he'll leave you alone! What's his problem anyway? Why is he picking on you?

[@athleticscoach2012]

Even worse for swimmer Sharon Davies who still can't claim her rightful Olympic Gold in the same circumstances. At least Ovett and Coe were too good for them usually whatever they were taking!

[@williamkinch3182]

Sir: I have absolutely no idea why Mr Soprano has been picking on me, and subjecting me to a barrage of verbal abuse on KZbin. I have never met the guy, and he doesn't know me from Adam. Some of the comments that he has made of late (on various You Tube discussion boards) have been so outrageous and repugnant that I have come to the conclusion that he is a SERIOUSLY nasty piece of work.

[@conorkavanagh8461]

Coghlan's finish was phenomenal! If he hadn't been so boxed-in with 200 to go he may well have won it!

[@stonekeeper86]

....and then he would have woke up.....

[@rocketmonkey9791]

So maybe he should have been a bit up with the pace earlier on when he was sitting at the back? Just saying...

[@rocketmonkey9791]

Uneven pace, ran in bursts, went back and forth, was nowhere near close enough at the end. End of.

[@archiewoosung5062]

He was flat out at the end and finished a second behind Ovett who was jogging....you've got to be joking

[@Grendel2912]

If you watch him he was really straining, Ovett had another gear at the finish.

[@neillycoll]

@deano27671

[@athlete5399]

I think it's you with the problem Antonio from what I can see. I've again blocked you from my site so hopefully you'll curl up under a rock somewhere.

[@PaulVinonaama]

Many Americans and Western Europeans also doped.

[@siypic]

Not by government run programmes.....

[@markshorter76]

Well, as has been reported, West Germany had a state-sponsored doping program, too. Were worried that GDR would leave them too far behind.