Kathy Smallwood Cook Interviewed by Steve Cram

Kathy Cook (nee Smallwood) was at the top of British sprinting from the late 1970's until the mid 1980's.She uniquely held the 100 metres(11.10),200 metres(22.10) and the 400 metres (49.43)UK records and was a regular in the national relay teams. Unfortunately her career coincided with the rather dubious drug fuelled Eastern Bloc era and subsequently often had to make do with lesser medals and sometimes no medals against these drug cheats . Here she talks to Steve Cram about her running years and ,to her credit,seems remarkably lacking in bitterness about what might have been on a level playing field.

[@prowelsh56]

Look at Steve Cram all grown up. So great. Years of watching him. Kathy Cook such a delight - to watch and as a lady...just so down to earth...and that is such a gift that many today could learn....love her smile. Thanks for all the terrific memories....just a lovley gal. xxxxx

[@jeffallinson8089]

Had it not being for corrupt nations, Cook would have won serious medals. She was such a drug free natural talent.

[@galtongabriel1172]

My favourite British female athlete from this era, the great Kathy Smallwood.

[@MrWestbrom1968]

A terrific athlete but also such a humble lady and Mum. What a great video.

[@lyndasmith1718]

What a pleasure to find this. I absolutely admired Kathy and loved watching her. Lovely to get this update.

[@LaPtiteAnglaise]

Her name needs to ring out. Classes in school named after her. TV companies asking for her opinion and input. A true role model. Incredible athlete. Superb human.

[@Fatima502]

After all these years, admiration of Kathy couldn't be higher even if she had won a gold medal. It was always such a thrill to see her eating up the ground at Crystal Palace and I was lucky enough to see her British 100m record in Rome 1981.

[@spanishpeaches2930]

What a lovely, humble lady.

[@Edward1312]

I've always admired her because of her down to earth personality and she was obviously clean from doping and could run a range of distances in fast times. Its rare to get someone who could get into finals and win medals at 100m, 200m and 400m. For me she has always been our greatest female athlete.

[@dundukas7899]

yeah so clean

[@AlisonJones-w7i]

Thanks to Cathy I began running at school ❤

[@conordaniel7667]

I was a pupil at that “local school” (Mayfield Preparatory School) and I’m honoured to have been taught by her!

[@deano27671]

Possibly one of the greatest all round 'clean' female sprinters of all time!?

[@Logans3Run]

Hi,...No, not "Possibly", she was and still is... If the IAAF and IOC ever recalibrated their results, Kathy and her British compatriots, would have stood on the medal podium, on so many more occasions... I would demand that they do this retrospectively, regardless of time passed....

[@MrNewtonian]

At least Kathy was the best looking.

[@PrentisHancock1]

Absolutely fantastic! Thank you for uploading this. I remember when it was originally shown. Kathy is an amazing woman and was one of my favourite athletes.

[@AthletixStuffChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@philhewitt5069]

She was like a Gazelle.

[@stephend7679]

Hi remember Kathy what a great athlete Kathy was brillant video.brings back memories the great days of G.B. ATHELECTICS .LOVEING KATHY X

[@bimbakasturiratne2262]

At the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the British women's 4x100m team ran, up until that date, the 15th fastest time ever! Kathy Cook was the mainstay of the team from 1978 until she retired in 1987.

[@cosmicwarlord2002]

Class

[@MrLoaded2012]

Take the case of Valerie Brisco-Hooks, the 1984 winner, for instance. She scored a massive improvement from her post-pregnancy 1983 times to 48.83 in her 1984 victory under the tutelage of, surprise, Bob Kersee.

[@trickygoose2]

My Mum was a sprint coach and attended a talk given by Kathy Cook's coach. He spoke of the lead up to the '84 Olympics, when it was announced that the Eastern Bloc were boycotting (except the Romanians who were weak in the sprints and thought Kathy Cook would have a real chance of gold, only to arrive in LA and discover that the Americans appeared to be doping too.

[@redrum4100]

Agreed. Kathy robbed of Olympic gold in 1980 and 1984

[@APBCTechnique]

Enjoyed her career and Gary Cook too in the 4x 400

[@simonedwards5564]

Gary was a fantastic 800 m man !!!!!!1:44?

[@tvgcmma9215]

Remember watching this when it was on tv - crazy her times then and what would do now with super shoes and more rigourous testing

[@ismailenverpasa2156]

How did u find the videos? I need find my grandfather's video in 1972 munih. Can u help me?

[@anglowarrior3871]

My favourite sportswoman when I was a nipper,a terrific runner for GB and unfortunately robbed of greater success.

[@The.Last.Guitar.Hero.]

Shame she was against athletes who were cheating

[@johnscone9382]

Great athlete and great woman, still sad she was robbed of Gold by the American and Eastern block roids gurus.

[@stefaneriksson3961]

She was brittiska Linda Haglund. She could have been olympic, world and europeiska champion IF she had not been at her peak same time as tne East germans.

[@drewtrini3055]

Pure talent....thanks for uploading ...;-)

[@AthletixStuffChannel]

My pleasure

[@jackiebayliss]

She's champion imo.

[@MrLoaded2012]

"She ran 400 meters at a time good enough to win gold at London 2012" (and Rio 2016, I might add). That says it all, for better or worse; everyone assumes only the Eastern Bloc athletes were doped at the time...

[@jeffallinson8089]

I agree 100%

[@michaeljenkins3347]

One of the world’s only clean athletes robbed of medals by cheats.

[@dundukas7899]

lol yeah sure the one saint among cheaters. with records surviving for decades. mmmmk