1982 European 800m - men

Seb Coe in a shock defeat (later finding out that he had glandular fever )

[@NymphZoic68]

for me, Ovett just looked genuinely shocked surprised that Coe had been beaten. Have you never laughed in disbelief?

[@redd605]

I agree because I watched this race on BBC when I was small live and just how I remembered Steve overt was shocked

[@StewartJsR]

Ovett laughing then realizing he's on live TV and then pretending he's distraught for Coe - pure gold!....

[@simonhindley65]

Yeah, quality!

[@paulwilliams8389]

Though I remember seeing an interview with Ovett a few years ago when he explained what he was smiling at. Before the race he was asked who would win and said "Definitely Seb - he is by far the best athlete and will win easily." He said he smiled thinking how stupid he now felt for saying that!

[@APBCTechnique]

You made me laugh i was thinking the exact same

[@StewartJsR]

@@paulwilliams8389 It's also in his biography (which is my favorite of all the great runners bios btw). I do truly believe he was kind of half laughing in amazement at the shock result but that laughter definitely was fueled by him basically thinking Coe was a twat. The problem he had was so quickly looking like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and the look on his face - pure comedy :D

[@funnyeveryday-vn3nq]

No, Ovett was always smiling.

[@deano27671]

@NymphZoic68 Yes, according to his biography, Ovett mentioned that the press chose to mis-read his smile at the end of the 800m. I remember he had been very clear in saying that Coe would win easily all through the rounds. I think he smiled almost as if to say that perhaps he had jinxed Coe by saying he would win. I don't think there was any malice in Ovett towards Coe at this stage.

[@redrum4100]

Bang on!

[@jaytee414]

great memories... thanks again for these clips

[@deano27671]

Lol! How do you think I felt? I was at Crystal Palace when Scott beat Coe in the '83 Robinson Mile! It was my first Athletics meet and I was 12. I was absolutely devastated. What's more, my 2nd meet was the AAA's the next year when he was beaten by Elliott. I never dared go and watch him live again as I thought I was a jinx. It is a shame about Coe & Ovett's problems of 82 & 83, as I felt neither achieved their full potential.

[@APBCTechnique]

Coe always sick and injured and zero global titles at 800m. I love it at the end when Ovett is laughing and taking the pis, then suddenly realizing he’s live on TV

[@ianwhitehead5435]

Coe had glandular fever if memory serves, not that you can anything away from Hans Peter Werner with a great finish.

[@tommytempo1]

I was in the stadium for this race and remember all the surrounding Greek spectators looking to us as if to ask "what happened?"

[@Fatima502]

I was there too. I wanted Coe to win, but it was also thrilling to see him lose.

[@LPCLASSICAL]

This was the moment when I realised there was something seriously wrong with Coe.

[@deano27671]

@KingLiopleurodon It was almost identical tactics to those he used a year earlier in the World Cup. On that occasion he pulled some 15m clear of a better field than this in the home straight, which he covered in 12.0. (24.7 last 200m). Here, off a similar pace he could only manage 13.1 (26.1), purely because he was suffering with glandular fever (or possibly even the toxoplasmosis diagnosed in 83, which has almost identical symptoms). 2 weeks earlier he destroyed Ferner in Zurich. Just bad luck.

[@deano27671]

Yes! He had already thrashed Ferner twice on the circuit 2-3 weeks before the Europeans, after Coe was coming back from injury. Coe was ill here, and in my opinion he was already suffering from the toxoplasmosis that would remain un-diagnosed for over a year. He was never quite the same runner after he recovered, despite winning in LA, and was always susceptible to viruses after this.

[@andrewallen1083]

That's wrong , he got his fasted ever 15 in 1986

[@deano27671]

@@andrewallen1083 yes, he was in very good form in 86, but not quite the same as he had been in 81. He ran 3:29.7 in 86, so was certainly capable of 3:28.0 in 81 and possibly 84.

[@andrewallen1083]

@@deano27671 yes , I'll go with that.,82/83 should have been his golden years but injury struck.81 he was untouchable

[@bfc3057]

Yes, there's no way a fit healthy 1982 25 year old Coe would run a pedestrian 53 1st lap then only manage an unimpeded 53 2nd lap. He kicks on the straight then has nothing in the tank at 50m out. He then withdrew from the 1500m heats. My memory from the time is they thought it was glandular fever, likely as you say incorrectly diagnosed toxoplosmosis. Ferner beat all that turned up but perspective is often lost about this race. I was a fan of the man in the TV studio.

[@deano27671]

@TheEctomorph Thanks for your insightful responses. I have to say I agree with everything you say. I remember watching Coe run completely alone on the last leg of the 4 x 800m relay a week before Athens; a race he didn't want to be part of due to it being his 4th run in about 10 days, as he was still coming back from 6 weeks out with injury; in very windy conditions. He ran the first 400 in 49.1, then coasted to 1:44.0.

[@sigfriedmeyer9788]

I know Hans Peter Ferner personally; I once trained in the same group. All I can say is that Ferner had an incredible start and took advantage of the moment and defeated Coe. Coe started the race too slowly from the start and Ferner was able to use his sprint strength to win.

[@bfc3057]

Come off it, Coe only managing a 53 followed by a 53? He had glandular fever. Thats not Ferner's fault but it's not true to say Coe misjudged it - the tank was empty at 50m out. Ferner never did anything before /since. I was/am an Ovett fan.

[@KingLiopleurodon]

One of Coe's best tactical races. Never in trouble, nicely positioned in the clear for a stretch run but just unable to execute. It was unfortunate for him that his best tactics coincided with his worst physical condition. The others didn't exactly cover themselves with glory either, Druppers could have done more, so too could Cook.

[@TheEctomorph]

@deano27671 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Sebastian Coe]: in the highly respectable time of 1:43.80 in the summer of '83. At that time, only a very small number of athletes had run the distance quicker than that: Alberto Juantorena, Michael Boit, Richard Wolhuter, Marcello Fiasconaro and (of course) the great Coe himself. For my part, I think that it is remarkable - incredible - that Sebastian Coe was capable of running 800m in 1:43.80 seconds at a time when he was a sick

[@TheEctomorph]

@rc2869 Sir: I can vividly recall watching the European Athletics Championships on television back in September 1982. I was a kid of seventeen at the time. The BBC's coverage of those championships was presented, for the most part, by Frank Bough ...... and a very good job he did, too. Assisting big Frank in the BBC studio was Steve Ovett - who, at the time, was unable to compete as an athlete, due to injury problems. From what I remember, Mr Ovett came across as an articulate,

[@TheEctomorph]

@TheEctomorph [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Sebastian Coe]: man, suffering from toxoplasmosis. That illness is unpleasant, and can be very debilitating. What an extraordinary athlete Sebastian Coe was, back in the late 1970s and early 1980's. If he had not been plagued by ill-health in 1982 and '83 (when he was 25/26 years of age), there is no telling what he might have achieved, athletically. The sky would have been the limit - figuratively speaking.

[@user-nq4rv3zn3i]

Ovett was not laughing at coe getting beat but rather his own comment that no-one wil beat coe

[@mahtivaari72]

The biggest surprise of this run was that our Jorma Härkönen took the bronze medal.

[@deano27671]

Cram comes a clear 3rd of the big three. If we add the 2 golds he won in the Europa Cup 1500 races of 1983 & 1985, together with the silver he won in the Europa Cup 1500 in 87, and the bronze he won in the 1981 Europa Cup 1500m, then he has a final collection of 5 golds, 2 silver, 2 bronze and 7 races in which he did not medal or failed to reach the final. So, not only did Coe break more world records than Ovett or Cram, and win more Olympic medals, he also had a superior "major race" record.

[@JamieMonk]

I remember watching this on TV, I was 13 and Coleman's words "the impossible has happened" describes exactly how I felt!

[@xwind1970]

I watched it when I was 11 and asked myself: Since when is Che Guevara a compatriot and track and field specialist?

[@mahtivaari72]

The impossible happened when Finnish Jorma Härkönen took the bronze medal. It was already a miracle that he was in the final. This is the last time when a Finnish runner took a medal in 800m at this level.

[@deano27671]

It had to be worth 1:42.5 had he been paced/drafted to the bell in decent weather. To think he could run that fast off that (poor) training background and with either glandular fever or toxoplasmosis in his system, makes me wonder what he could have run that year if fully fit. I truely believe he'd have run sub 1:41.0 and still be the world record holder.

[@TheEctomorph]

@deano27671 [Continuing on from my previous 'post' about Sebastian Coe] already suffering from toxoplasmosis at the time of the European Championships in Athens. In other words, the diagnosis which was made at the time was not necessarily the correct one. If my memory serves me correctly, one of the doctors who treated Coe when he was suffering from toxoplasmosis (in 1983) said that some of his athletic performances and achievements that year were incredible, given that he was a genuinely sick

[@matuh111]

Onneksi ei Härköseltä lipsahtanut yllätyspronssi käsistä viime hetkellä, kun rupesi juhlimaan metriä ennen maalia.

[@Zndwls]

Full results: 1.Ferner (West Germany) 1:46.33, 2.Coe (Britain) 1:46.68, 3.Härkönen (Finland) 1:46.90, 4.Cook (Britain) 1:46.94, 5.Druppers (Netherlands) 1:47.06, 6.Wagenknecht (East Germany) 1:47.06, 7.Beyer (East Germany) 1:47.36, 8.Wülbeck (West Germany) 1:48.90.

[@bfc3057]

When Coe went through 400m in 53 and could then only manage a 2nd 53 lap there was clearly something wrong - he had glandular fever. Incidentally I was a fan of the smiling gentleman in the studio and definity enjoyed it, there was no debate about me..

[@TheEctomorph]

@NymphZoic68 It depends which year you have in mind ! In '77 or '78, the 'big O' would almost certainly have got the better of Coe at the two sprint distances - 100 and 200m. But, by 1979, Coe's basic speed was comparable to that of his great rival from Brighton ...... and a year later, when the Moscow Olympics took place, Coe was probably marginally Ovett's superior in terms of sprinting ability/pure speed.

[@TheEctomorph]

@deano27671 Quite right, Deano. You certainly know what you are talking about. Mr Coe was a genuinely sick man for some considerable time, in the years 1982 and '83. After his unexpected defeat at the hands of that German gentlemen in the 800 metres final at the 'Europeans' in September 1982, he was diagnosed with low-level glandular ... and the following summer (1983) he was diagnosed with toxoplasmosis. Now I am not a medical man, but it seems to me quite probable that Mr Coe was

[@deano27671]

@smooveXXX Rubbish! He was a more successful Championship racer than both Ovett & Cram. I don't know what you consider to be "major finals", but in terms of European, World & Olympic championships Coe won 4 golds (European indoor 800 in 77, Olympic 1500 1980, Olympic 1500 1984 & European 800 in 86) out of 9. In the other 5 races he won 4 silvers (Olympic 800 in 80, European 800 in 82, Olympic 800 in 84 & European 1500 in 86) and a bronze (European 800 in 78). So he never failed to win a medal.

[@deano27671]

For Ovett, I'd rather not include the Olympic 1500 in 84 or the European 5k in 86 as he was clearly ill and DNF. If we then add his Europa Cup gold at 800 from 75, his Europa Cup 1500 gold from 77, and the World Cup 1500 golds from 77 & 81, then his record improves to 7 golds out of 13, the same as Coe's. However, his 2 silvers, 1 bronze and 3 races where he didn't medal or reach the final, mean his overall record is not as good as Coe's.

[@TheEctomorph]

@rc2869 [Continuing on from my previous 'post' about Steve Ovett] knowledgeable and very courteous athletics pundit during those European Championships of '82. The BBC received a considerable number of letters (there were no emails in those days) from members of the public who were impressed by Mr Ovett's ability as a pundit, and by his on-air manner - which was pleasant and courteous at all times. Mister, you are miskaken when you say that he reacted in a smug and ungentlemanly manner to

[@daddykornflakes]

Yes, agree. Contrary to what some think, these 2 do get along and there is no animosity between them, and never was. I would imagine when Coe got beat in a race, the last person he'd want to get beaten by would be Ovett (and probably vice versa), sooner him get the silver, as Steve implies at the end of this article. But that's only human nature when up against such a fierce rival. Google "Posh boy vs rough diamond: Steve Ovett on his famous rivalry with Seb Coe."

[@TheEctomorph]

@smooveXXX Sir: That is a harsh (and, in my view, unfair) assessment. The fact of the matter is that Sebastian Coe was a genuinely ill man back in September of 1982 - when he was unexpectedly beaten by that German chap called Hans Peter Ferner in the 800 metres final at the 'Europeans'. Coe was still suffering from ill-health the following summer [1983], which is why he was unable to compete in the inaugural IAAF World Championships - held in Helsinki in the August of that year.

[@claudedarmstadter7774]

"Chap called Hans-Peter Ferner" ? Very disrespectful and unfair. You are always beaten by a better athlete. Ferner was a great runner and merited his victory and gold medal.

[@TheEctomorph]

@deano27671 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Sebastian Coe]: man at the time. I seem to recall that in February or March of 1983, Coe broke the WIR (world indoor record) for the 800m, with a time of 1:44.91. That record stood the test of time; it lasted for some six years. He also managed to breke the WIR for the 1000m that winter, his physical health problems notwithstanding. I think his time was 2:18.58 (well, something like that, anyway.) What is more, Coe ran 800m (outdoors)

[@user-ro7ee7]

Run you Great Good Luck Seb Coe...

[@mao555mmm]

Дааа, Коу явно не ожидал такого поворота))

[@TheEctomorph]

@rc2869 Sir: Back in September of 1982, Mr Ovett sang the praises of his fabled rival, Mr Coe, on live BBC television. He said, quite unequivocally, that Coe was the greatest 800 metre runner on God's earth. The 'big O' also firmly predicted that Coe would win Gold in the 800 metres at the Euro Championships (which were taking place in Athens, Greece, at the time). When the world record holder was unexpectedly beaten by Hans Peter Ferner of Germany (shortly after Ovett's prediction that

[@TheEctomorph]

@NymphZoic68 Well said, sir; well said indeed.

[@deano27671]

He didn't go too hard with 200m to go! Coe at his best would have been a further 2m ahead of Furner entering the straight and 10m ahead at the end. Coe covered the last 200m here in 26.2 (1:46.6 finish), whereas he ran a 24.8 last 200m in Stuttgart (in a faster paced race of 1:44.5), and ran a 24.1 in a slightly slower 1:47 in '79 Europa Cup final. Coe was ILL here. He was diagnosed with glandular fever by the UK team doctor the next day. Nothing to do with going too early.

[@deano27671]

If you include the European Cup & World Cup medals that they won, as these competitions were of great significance in the pre World Champs era, then Coe's record is still the best. He won European Cup 800 golds in 79 & 81, World Cup 800 gold in 81 & World Cup 1500 silver in 89. That brings his total haul in "major races" to 7 gold, 5 silver & 1 bronze out of 13, with no result outside of the medals.

[@TheEctomorph]

@rc2869 [Continuing on from my previous 'post' about Steve Ovett] 1984 Olympic Games, well that is just ludicrous, quite frankly Are you implying that Mr Ovett was just a kid in 1980/81 - when he set three world records and won an Olympic Gold medal???

[@deano27671]

Ovett contested 11 championship finals, winning 2 golds (European 1500 in 78, Olympic 800 in 1980), 2 silvers (European 800 in 1974 & 1978) and a bronze (Olympic 1500 in 1980). He FAILED TO WIN A MEDAL in 5 other championship events! - 5th in the Olympic 800 in 76, out in the semis in the Olympic 1500 in 76, 4th in the World Champs 1500 in 83, 8th in the Olympic 800 in 84 & two "DNF" in the Olympic 1500 final in 84 and the European 5000m in 86.

[@paulwilliams8389]

Bit harsh to count the 1976 Olympics as events where Ovett "FAILED TO WIN A MEDAL" - bear in mind he was only 20 years old and had no realistic expectation of doing so.

[@user-qf7dk7fx8y]

These days you need a magnifying glass to find sucessfulGerman athletes - or even ones who can compete with the top athletes.

[@TheEctomorph]

@rc2869 [Continuing on from my previous 'post' about Mr Steve Ovett]: he (Coe) would prevail without too much difficulty, Ovett could be seen smiling quite broadly, for a couple of seconds or so. Personally, I believe that he was more likely to have been LAUGHING AT HIMSELF than laughing at his rival's somewhat lack-lustre performance in Athens. The 'big O' must have realised that he had (to a certain extent) made a prat of himself by predicting on live television that Mr Coe would win the

[@APBCTechnique]

Coe always sick and injured and zero global titles at 800m. I love it at the end when Ovett is laughing and taking the pis

[@paulwilliams8389]

I can remember a British journalist in the 80's saying "somehow, whenever Coe gets beaten there always seems to be a convenient excuse."

[@rc2869]

@TheEctomorph He looked pretty smug to me 2:11 -2:12 and as a ten year old I remember thinking as such. Most unsporting. Of course you can think otherwise. I think 1984 experience made him grow up as a person - not physically because he didn't need too. I'm talking mentally - something you may try.

[@TheEctomorph]

@rc2869 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Steve Ovett] Seb Coe's unexpected defeat by Hans Peter Ferner in the 800m at those European Championships. Some 'gentlemen of the press' (to use a euphemistic term) did indeed claim that Mr Ovett had reacted to Mr Coe's defeat in an inappropriate manner, but that was just a lie. End of.

[@TheEctomorph]

@rc2869 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Mr Steve Ovett]: and have completely misinterpreted Mr Ovett's attitude and behaviour, immediately after the shocking result of that race in Athens back in September 1982. The 800/1500 metres star from Brighton did NOT gloat over the misfortune of his fellow British athlete: the well-spoken, middle-class man from Sheffield, who - a couple of years earlier - had replaced him as the world's number one middle-distance runner.

[@NymphZoic68]

Ovett v Coe over 100M or 200M ?

[@KryptonitetoallBS]

Coe was far the quicker over 100, 200, 400 or 800. In fact Coe held world records @ 800, 1000 , 1 mile and 1500 metres all at the same time. The only man to ever achieve this feat!!

[@TheEctomorph]

@rc2869 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Mr Steve Ovett]: race - and thus the European title - by a proverbial street or two. I agree with "Deano27671", with regard to Ovett's reaction to Coe's unexpected defeat over 800m at those European Championships. Earlier this month, Deano wrote (and I quote his exact words, verbatim): "I don't think there was any malice in Ovett towards Coe at that stage". I suggest that you, sir, have got the wrong end of the proverbial stick,

[@qballshanratty1447]

Coe well beaten by Verner here, his speed endurance leaving him lacking in the last 50m. I was a devastated 11 year old watching this. Coe's glandular problems affecting his form in 1982 are documented ad-nauseum, but I think he was in good form here and just beaten here by the better man on the day. Coe seemed to make a habit of losing championship races he'd win 9 out of 10 times if re-run. He didnt have the excuse of bad track position here that normally contributed to his other champ losses.

[@garetht9666]

Your answer doesn't make much sense. You seem to be blaming his loss both on his lack of speed endurance AND his percieved lack of bottle in big races. This was a mediocre race that if Coe hadn't been ill would have continued to sprint clear to win in 1:45 very easily. He won the World Cup in similar fashion the year before (minus the glandular fever causing him to give out in the last 50 m) when the World Cup was considered a bigger event than the European Championships.

[@paulwilliams8389]

You have to say it was down to Coe being ill - it is just unthinkable for him in this era to be out sprinted in a slow race won in 1:46. If he had been fully fit he would easily have pulled away from Ferner in the final straight.

[@jeremyhomewood9573]

Qballs Hanratty it's well documented,that on the revelin valley road with his father pushing him in the car ,coe would put together 6+800metres and some of those runs were 1:46 !!!!!!!! On the road !!!!!!!! Seb would do 3\600 metres in 1:17/ 1:18 and would repeat 200,s in under 22 second's !!!!!!!!!!!!!! The most amazing thing is the short recovery's him and his wonderful father took between reps!!!!!! Hans Peter ferner got lucky is the understatement of the century cos if it hadn't been for an illness that could have not only definitely destroyed a fantastic career but also life threatening ( toxoplasmosis has claimed lives) Coe like the year before especially in Eurocup races with his 11 ,3 last 💯 metres would have been six seven metes up on ferner here, they met again two years later in Los Angeles when coe finished behind Cruz !!!!!!!!! Ferner didn't, COULD NOT make it to the final !!!!!!! Every dog has his day but it took a terrible illness and the selectors making seb run that 4+800 metres relay world record at the palace to beat him!!!!!! He went through 400 in 49:1 that day and ran 1:44'0 so when he set foot in Athens his illness and the selectors had drained him!!!!!!! Ferner never ever got close again and even in coes last year (1989) he STILL was running 49 first laps and1:43'3 800 !!!!!!!!! What an era Coe, cram, ovett !!!!! Only beaten by illness and nature or in poor ovetts case those church railings and cram was never the same after having kidney stones removed after 1987 world championship in which abdi bile ran 1:45*9 for the last 800 metres!!!!!!!

[@jeremyhomewood9573]

And you know what??? Look who finished dead last in this race!!!!! Then became world championship 800 metres legend the next year????? Yep Willi fukkin wulbeck !!!!!!!!

[@SuperForest78]

also 11, also devastated/shocked

[@nuwandalton]

Haha Cook looks like Jimmy Connors with a moustache 😄

[@joukokorhonen7920]

But Häkönen thtird

[@PaulVinonaama]

@@joukokorhonen7920 Härkönen

[@TheEctomorph]

@rc2869 Mr Ovett did NOT react in a smug or discourteous manner to Sebastian Coe's unexpected defeat in the 800m final at the European Athletics Championships, back in 1982. That was a false claim - fabricated by certain 'gentlemen of the press', who were trying to stir-up animosity between the two greatest middle-distance runners of the era. As for your claim that Mr Ovett did not grow up until he experienced health problems in Los Angeles, at the

[@lawrenceburton2854]

You can clearly see that Coe isn’t on top form. His legs dried up on the final 100M which was completely unlike him. A fit Coe coasts home easily!

[@StewartJsR]

yet another Coe defeat in a race he should have won. Of 9 major finals contested at the peak of his career, Coe was victorious in just three of them. Of course two of them were back to back Olympic 1500m titles AND he was doing what no other athletes were attempting back then (brutal 800m/1500m doubles) which can't be overlooked, but irrespective, the notion he was a great racer is a false one. He is the greatest 800m/1500m front runner ever seen, just not the greatest race winner.

[@richard141724]

Coe runs 26.2 sec for last 200. Compared to the sub 25s of other 800s he'd run in the years previously off a similar pace. He's run faster in many a 1500.

[@user-lj8fp8fb1f]

2:09 as a former 800 guy I can assure you that Ovett is laughing at the winning time of 1:46 AND Coe coming in 2nd. He's laughing at the overall mediocrity of the major championship race. Not necessarily laughing at Coe.

[@TheEctomorph]

@rc2869 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Mr Steve Ovett]: this You Tube discussion board - or on any other online forum - in future. To be honest, some of your comments really have been somewhat unpleasant and unnecessary.

[@ewaf88]

Coe should have kept away from cats

[@TheEctomorph]

@rc2869 [Continuing on from my previous 'posts' about Mr Steve Ovett]: Oh, and just one more thing, sir: It was very inappropriate - and indeed churlish - of you to tell me to "grow up". For your information, I am well into middle-age now (I am 46 years of age, to be precise). I am NOT some callow youth of 17 or 18, who is in the process of preparing to leave home and go to uni. Have a nice day, sir ... and please refrain from making pointed and condescending remarks about me on

[@paulwilliams8389]

For once Coe actually ran a perfect race tactically for an 800m major championship. Had he not been ill he would have blown them away over the last 150m and won by around 20 metres.

[@redrum4100]

FFS Cook. Had he stayed behind Ferner at 200m he might have sneaked past for gold.

[@nuwandalton]

And next year Wuelbeck would win the WC

[@bootymanager]

Coe went too hard at the 200. Should have left a bit in the tank. Wulbeck a disappointment. He was fairly erratic in his career. Ferner didn't do much after this run. It was great, but a bit of a one-off.

[@CAPM1964]

Very interesting: 3:01 It seems to be Prof Joseph Keul (physician and best known for his pro doping attitude), at that time Germanys national olympic coach, trying to congratulate his winning athlete. By the way he co-hosted the Freiburg University steroid research department, a mekka of sports professionals (football, TF) in the eighties and mentioned in the yellow press due to clients like Team Telekom from Tour de France It is all one game with the same rules.

[@rc2869]

@TheEctomorph Well it looked like it to me. You can ramble on all you like as you clearly have too much time on your hands. Everything you wrote I already knew as watched it live myself. And I agree with Deano on about 85-90% of stuff regarding this era but not on this point which means not with you either.

[@bedsitter1982]

Ferne wasn´t really a great runner. Willi Wülbeck was much better.

[@rc2869]

Coe was ill otherwise he would have pissed this field and a fit Ovett and anyone elae too. I still hate Ovett's slightly smug reaction - he didn't grow up until it happened to him 2 years later. Ovett was a middle distance genius but I never thought he run for anyone other than himself

[@paulwilliams8389]

Ovett clearly stated that his reaction was because he felt a bit of a fool after saying pre-race that Coe would walk it. And if you think any other top athlete runs for anyone other than themselves you should think again - you have to have that streak of selfishness to reach the very top.

[@Tvidstein]

immer eine Ausrede parat wenn mal wieder dumm gelaufen

[@Tooclosetothetruth]

Drugs played a part in this!!!

[@paulwilliams8389]

Nonsense - the winning time was only over 1-46, a time any international standard athlete would be able to run comfortably.