Seb Coe wins AAA 1500m in 1989

Just a month before his 33rd birthday, and in his last competitive season, Coe ran the AAA 1500m, facing Steve Ovett for the first time on UK soil since 1972. It was a year after he'd been eliminated in the heats of the Olympic trials while suffering from bronchitis, even though his exclusion from the team were stated to be on the grounds that "the old lion was no longer good enough to defeat the cubs snapping at his heels", according to Tony Ward. Well here, another year older, he gave the so called rising talent a lesson in middle distance running and proved that while past his absolute best, he was still good enough to rank No.1 in the UK at both 800m & 1500m in 1989. Here we get a glimpse of a vintage Coe and of what "might have been" had he gone to Seoul in 2008. Unfortunately Ovett was now a shadow of his former self, and he was left as a supporting player this time. Coe's last lap here was 51.6, last 300m 38.3, final 200m 25.4. Enjoy!

[@kevinkilduff2064]

The G.O.A.T of middle distance racing. Seb, past his prime, never lost his cool and timed his unmatchable kick just perfectly. I don't say this lightly, knowing how many great middle distance runners there have been and continue this day with Ingeb., but at his best there is none better from 800-2000 meters than Seb, in my opinion.

[@deano27671]

Agree. He was past his absolute best here, but still too good for the rest of Britain's best milers (who were competing that day) at the time.

[@mikeamid6896]

Reason why he and always will be the best middle distance runner of ALL time!My college coach had a poster in his office with him that said "digging in". What better race than this to exemplify that!

[@paulbennett6006]

Couldn't agree more, sensational...

[@deano27671]

Indeed he was! Greatest middle distance runner ever IMO. Thanks for the comment.

[@michaelmcginley7930]

The best

[@Ruda-n4h]

@@michaelmcginley7930 I think Ovett was more versatile but injuries wrecked him.

[@LarryLongbottom]

Seb Coe has been an inspiration to me from the young athlete he was,now older, but always a complete natural runner. Always was and always will be a fan of this great man.

[@LPCLASSICAL]

I watch this now and again. 51 sec last lap proves he was in top form. So from 1977 to 1989 he was one of the top MD runners in the world. 12 years! That's quite a stretch. For Ovett it was maybe 76 to 86 and Cram it was 82 - 88

[@david2804me]

Only 'one of the top'??? We have yet to see what Jakob's full career will look like but, until then at least, Coe must be considered as the greatest middle distance runner of all time. He broke world records at 800m, the mile and the 1500m, won back to back 1500m Olympic golds as well as 800m silvers in the same two Olympics. In the 800m he was the first man ever to break 1:43 and then the first ever to break 1:42. His 1:41.73 stayed the world record for 16 years. Incredibly, at 800m, he is still today, more than 40 years later, 3rd on the all time list with only Kipketer and Rudiusha ever having run faster. No doubt in the view of most of us, Coe was the best MD runner of all time.

[@LPCLASSICAL]

@@david2804me it is a broad term but yes Coe remains the greatest MD runner in history until someone else runs inside 1.42 for 800 and 3.30 for 1500 and wins 4 olympic medals in those events - 2 of them gold plus all the world records.

[@deano27671]

Yes, you're absolutely right there. We will never see another man hold the 800, 1000, 1500 & Mile simultaneously. The greatest ever! Cheers.

[@Yoga-retreatsInfo]

fabulous record but only held for1 hour, as the 1500m record was broken that evening

[@athleticscoach2012]

Mark won Bronze at Olympics and still holds the British s/c record not bad for someone who was a miler for most of his career. He also coaches Jemma Simpson. This is my favourite ever Coe race, supposedly past his best to give that much away to class runners showed what he was really made of.

[@glenseegrist]

Seb Coe, the best middle-distance runner we will ever see... Great comments and dialogue from all, thanks for sharing your insight.. :)

[@mikem9252]

natural talent + intelligent training + guts = sebcoe

[@deano27671]

Coe went on to run 1:43.38 in 89, faster than anyone in Seoul. In the 1500 he beat Rono in Zurich & Herold in the Barcelona World Cup in 89. Both medalled in Seoul. Coe run in the Common at the beginning of 90. After easily beating Whittle & Yates (4th & 3rd in the 800 Commonwealth final) in early Jan in Sydney, he caught another virus in Aukland 2 weeks later, and struggled to get into the 800 final, where he finished 6th! The English team doctor pulled him out of the 15. A sad way to bow out.

[@hanleyfender]

I used to train with Ovett at Brighton when he was about. He moved to Scotland and lived in a castle. I trained (with my twin brother) a lit more with Mark Rowlands

[@paulbennett6006]

Such a great man, Coe is, always looked forward to his races.. Great rivalry with Ovett and Cram... Miss these days..

[@mikem9252]

well past his prime but so much poise and so much stinking talent - a born racer

[@redd605]

And would of beaten the world champion bile in the world cup if he had not been blocked by bile tactical blocking when he was going to out kick him,in the home straight to stop coe winning in 1989

[@jeremyhomewood9573]

PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST COMEBACK RACE'S OF AAAAAAAAAAALL TIMES ,,,, DEFINITELY !!!!!!!!!

[@deano27671]

The BAAB executive committee then met and overturned the decision. This is also fact. Based on the selection policy used in 88, I still feel they should have chosen Coe over Elliott. It should be remembered Coe had missed all of 87 through injury, but ran faster than Elliottt did over 800 in 88 and also beat the eventual Olympic champ, Ereng, twice in the months leading up to the Games.

[@philipmarsden7104]

@deano27671: True,but Coe was known to be Conservative.That made the difference in ''the Thatcher Years''.

[@deano27671]

roger federer it seems that you are quite simple and can’t see beyond the surface to take in the bigger picture! For a start the UK is not the US. I don’t agree with the US trials procedure, but they have a surfeit if talent in almost all events, so I kind of get it. We don’t have that in the UK, and they always had (prior to 88) a policy of the winner goes and the next 2 places are chosen by ‘selectors’. The selectors base their choices on a wide set of criteria that includes past performances, potential, championship experiences, etc. The Trials are a snapshot of ‘form’ (which is temporary) not ‘ability and class’ . The selectors chose to take Coe in LA 84 unanimously. The selectors also chose (a split decision) to take Coe over Elliott for the discretionary 3rd place to Seoul over 800m in 88. Coe’s season over 800m was better than Elliott’s, and he’d won all but 1 race. The entire BAAB then met and overturned the decision. It was a political one. They chose Elliott based on what he’d done the year before, which you have stated on here is wrong and shouldn’t be done. Based on what had happened in 88 over 800m up to the Trials, Coe had the best resume, regardless of the fact he was European Champion and WR holder. You base Coe’s ‘shit’ 88 season on the fact he performed poorly in the trials! You also readily admit that he was ill there. So, by the same token Ovett’s 83 season must have been shit, because he didn’t medal in the Worlds and lost several races, as well as pulling out of several races early season due to injury!? Luckily, it was a long season, and when given time to recover and train, he broke the WR. Still a shite season? The same could be said of Cram in 84, where he came 9th in a 1000m race, clearly not recovered from an injury, and 2nd in a race just before the Olympics. His form prior to LA was far less impressive than Coe’s was in 88 prior to the Trials. You say Coe was great in 86, yet at the Commonwealths, where he was suffering from a chest cold, he ran poorly and barely made it to the final. Yet weeks earlier he’d beaten most of the world’s leading 800 guys, ran a solo 3:34 and a solo 2:14.9 in very windy conditions. Had Coe not been able to run later in the season, you’d conclude his season was ‘shite’. Yet 3 weeks later he was winning gold and running 3:29. That’s because he was allowed the time to recover from his illness and train sensibly to get back to top form. In 88 he had more than twice the amount of time to recover and train for Seoul. You cannot conclude a season is ‘shite’ (for anyone) based on 1 specific race when the athlete was injured, I’ll or coming back from either. The fact you can’t see the bigger picture and base an entire season on 1 race, says a lot more about you.

[@deano27671]

The thing that really bugs me the most is that they (the Board) prevented Coe from a probable 3rd consecutive 1500 Olympic gold, which would have ensured his position as the greatest miler ever! As if Britain has loads of triple Olympic champions to pick and choose from!!

[@EdLove]

Exactly. What a crock. All Olympic champions should get a pass to the next Games, no matter what.

[@anthonyquinn6009]

@@rogerfederer8117 I assume you're not the tennis player. I for one am not saying he would have won the Olympic metres in 1988. Nor am I saying that he should have even been selected. He did not even qualify for the final in the trials - ironically Ovett did and finished fourth. However, I think it's a bit much to say he was shite by 1988 or that he barely won the 1989 AAAs final. He won this race quite comfortably despite nearly being toppled over. He also ran a 1'43 800 in 1989. Had he shown this kind of form the previous year he would I think have certainly been selected. I also think he may medalled at least in the Olympic 1500 final. It's hypothetical, but I think in retrospect the selectors were right not select him in 1988 even if it was a tough call.

[@owenthackeray4195]

Coe and Ovett well past there best at this stage.

[@owenthackeray4195]

@@rogerfederer8117 Yes Peter Elliott got the nod over Seb. It was a travesty.

[@trickygoose2]

@@owenthackeray4195 Elliott was selected over Coe for the 800. He won the 1500 trial. Cram was selected over Coe for the 1500. He won the 800 trial.

[@danyjimenez9294]

The King, forever and ever

[@grahamwilson9003]

I remember watching this race from the back stretch and Coe on that last lap was unbelievable

[@deano27671]

Yes, I agree. It also caused an injury which forced him to take it easy in his next race in Zurich (where he was marginally beaten) and effected his training in preparation for the World Cup clash against Bile.

[@MikeFloutier]

Sensational run from Seb Coe, but so cool to hear the voice of Steve Cram commentating; still sounds and looks today as he did then 34 years ago! Thanks Deano! 🏃‍♂️🍾❤️

[@peters6119]

Maybe they were all past their prime by 1989 (Coe, Ovett, Cram) but Coe ran the last lap in 52.0 after being knocked off balance and apparently having some muscle tightening up on him. That's pretty impressive. In his prime he was the best combined 800/1500 runner ever. Nobody since has ever been so good at both.

[@deano27671]

I agree Peter S. Coe is the best combined 800/1500m runner ever, IMO. The only one close to that is Peter Snell.

[@truthseeker5796]

The way Seb Coe was talking when interviewed feels like watching a scene from a movie

[@MyHataichanok]

Pure brilliance

[@geraldillo]

Coe is a real gentleman and a truly great athlete

[@peteralainszpiriev4750]

Sebasian Coe Steve OVett Steve Cram were high level diplomats of England. We in Hungary liked them as they were for freedom. Hungary was Kingdom too. Sebasian Coe was one of our hero (Nepstadion Budapest) Coe reminded ne to movie with music of Vangelis. One shoukd make movie about them.

[@deano27671]

Yes, they were supposed to make a film about Coe and Ovett in 2012! Not sure if it will get made now! :(

[@hanleyfender]

I'm No 31. Running for Brighton Phoenix. This was when I had hair. Thanks for finding this. I have this on VHS but good to find it here.

[@scrumpymanjack]

Hair? Not a lot. But congratulations for your achievements and for being part of a historical race. Do you still run?

[@deano27671]

Cool! There can't be many people in the world who can claim to have raced against Coe & Ovett in the same race!! Lucky you! Thanks for your comment.

[@simonsedwards1513]

Probably Sebastians greatest race ever right at the end of a fantastic career being left out of the team the year before and with an injured leg runs wide and completes the last lap in 51-6!!!!!!! Truly AWESOME and proves he WOULD have won in Seoul the year before!!!! The selectors made a terrible mistake and look what happened in the final, if ever Peter elliot should have won a race it should have been that 1500!!!! Peter rono never won another race after that again!!!! Total flook!!!! Peter who???? Fukkin selectors!!!! Useless, fukkin useless!!!!!!

[@markgregamy]

@deano27671 why on earth was Seb not allowed to run in seoul the year before, he could have beaten peter "who" rono

[@DingKong]

Coe's last decent season. Never liked him but he was a top class runner.

[@lukerocheleau9173]

Crab really spiced it up with that move.

[@peteralainszpiriev4750]

Incredible good run by Coe. Respect. Alsó éven back them was a reál leader,should be president of England.

[@deano27671]

Yes, it was one of his most memorable runs, even if he was past his best. Thanks.

[@deano27671]

roger federer still far better than the best of the Brits! So you must think they’re really shit!

[@KryptonitetoallBS]

His politics were atrocious, so I'd rather remember him for the amazing athlete that he was 👍

[@mahtivaari72]

What an incredible runner Coe was!

[@deano27671]

@markgregamy I agree. It was a travesty that he wasn't selected for Seoul. It's not as if we're like the USA, with plenty of medal prospects, yet for mainly political reasons, the BAAB over ruled the selectors vote to send Coe, by choosing Elliott instead. Coe was pretty adamant in an interview with Barry Norman the following year that he would "certainly have won a medal in the 1500 and run very well in the 800".

[@deano27671]

@@rogerfederer8117 Lol! You should get out more.

[@deano27671]

@Kidsgrove49 Yes, I think it's one of the worst decisions UK athletics ever made to leave him out of the 88 Olympic team. They prevented Coe from winning an unprecedented 3 Olympic golds in a row. I honestly believe he would have done so. He beat Rono, the Olympic champion, the following year in 89 as well as the bronze medallist, Herold. The arrogance of the selectors to think that the UK had so many other athletes lining up to replace Coe! Look at the state of our middle distance runners now!

[@shangrila73eldorado]

it was Coe's speed that separated him from the pack. he should have run in the 1988 olympics. he and Prefontaine are my favorite runners. both of them possessed skill and heart. seb was the smartest.

[@kevinknox2753]

Coe 1 of the greatest

[@deano27671]

Thanks for that coach! I remember he was v. good. Yes, I like this Coe race too. It's a bit like an old Rocky movie, when the past his best old warrior still shows a glimpse of how good he used to be. Also underlined what idiots the selectors had been the year before to send Crabb to Seoul and talk about the "young cubs" being better than "the old lion". Should have been 3 in a row!

[@user-ro7ee7]

O Seb Coe you Great.

[@deano27671]

With 55.5, 1:51.5, drafting to the bell and not running wide, I'd say Coe could have run between 3:28.7 and 3:29.0 that day in Rieti. I think he was more likely in 3:28 low to 3:28.5 in Zurich 84; especially when one considers his last lap was 53.0, last 100 was 12.5 and he ran a composite 800 (1st lap of 55.0, last lap of 53.0) of 1:48.0. The pacing was appalling by Robinson and he had loads left in a 3:32, only 1.5 outside the then WR.

[@LPCLASSICAL]

That was absolutely ridiculous - Coe suffered horribly in that clash and surely would have made it look much easier than. I think it cost him 2 seconds? So he would have won by 25 metres.

[@mercuryvapoury]

I saw Tony Morrell in WH Smiths a few months after this. I was too shy to say anything.

[@deano27671]

I think Coe timed it right in 88, it was just bad luck he had a chest infection during the trials and felt compelled to run due to a ridiculous selection policy. Coe had already beaten Ereng (the 800m gold medalist in Seoul) TWICE in 88, and if Ereng could get better then I'm sure Coe would have recovered in 2 months, especially after he'd recovered from a similar position in 86, when he won gold at the Europeans less than a month from scratching from the Commonwealths with a virus.

[@deano27671]

roger federer your lack of knowledge is pretty clear. He didn’t run in 87 (apart from an 800 and relay, 46.8; faster than Cram or Ovett ever run; in early May) because he was injured! So how you can say he was shit that year is a rather stupid reflection. He ran a 3:35 in 88 when coming back from his bronchitis, which was as fast as the Olympic final. He had 5 weeks to go before the Olympic final and was clearly capable of 3:32 or faster by then. Championship titles is not about who has the fastest time going in to them but who has the background from training to run 6 or 7 races in quick succession; something Coe had done with great success 3 times before.

[@deano27671]

roger federer yes I do know. If Coe is running a 1:43.3 800 (his 4th fastest ever) and holding Bile (the world no 1 that year and who ran a 3:30/3:31, then it’s pretty certain Coe was capable of at least 3:32 at end of 89. Anyone with knowledge of his career would know this. His best 800 time in 80 was only 1:44.7, so by your reasoning that must have been his worst form of his entire last 11 years of his career! More intelligent observers would realise that 80 was Olympic Year and fast times were not priority, and that anyone breaking the 1000m WR and running 2:13.4 was capable of 1:42 high at least.

[@adamdevito8376]

I think he ran and 51 last quarter??? Wow!

[@paulwiley1471]

The once great rivals, Coe winning in 3:40 and Ovett 10th, both way past their best at this point.

[@adamd4390]

Genius to stay up and still win it at the end of his career ,kicking the arse of the best uk 1500m runners .

[@deano27671]

Yes, there was still life in the old dog. Still too god for any of the other UK guys in 89.

[@deano27671]

I still recoil in horror when I think back to that (motivated) decision. I feel he had a v good chance of winning a 3rd consecutive 1500 title. I think it says a lot about Coe that despite being treated abysmally in 88 by heads of UK athletics, he was prepared to run for them in 89. I would have seen them in hell & run for India in Seoul. It's all the more ironic that Coe was greatly responsible for getting the Olympics, which has been a massive shot in the arm (pardon the pun) for UK athletics.

[@deano27671]

@7agneskickingbird7 I think he was in the best form of his career at the end of the 84 season, outside of 1981. I certainly think he was in better form than when he ran 3:29.7 in 86, off a 54.0, 1:52.0 (58.0) opening 800m. The first lap was too fast and he had no drafting for most of the 2nd lap. Then there was that strange incident when he hit the front at 1000m only for Chesire to race past him towards the bell and slow him down at the bell, causing Coe to hesitate and run wide.

[@deano27671]

Yes, Coe's 1984 Zurich 1500m with a last 100m in 12.5 is on here. I think it's part of Tommytempo's Coe and Ovett races video. It's also listed under Abascal. If you can't find it let me know through a personal message, as that way I can send you a link.

[@deano27671]

Unfortunately he picked up a chest infection, again, just before the Games started. He's easily won a couple of races in Australia weeks before the Games. He beat Whittle, Yates & Billy in his last race. By the time of the rounds he was clearly suffering, and despite battling to get to the final, he came only 6th; the first time he failed to compete in a championship final and not win a medal; behind the 3 he'd beaten so easily a few weeks prior. Kenyans came 1, 2. He was scratched from the 15.

[@deano27671]

Cool. Yes Mark Rowlands was a great steeplechaser. Didn't he medal at either the Olympics or Worlds? I think he's coaching one of the big College track teams in the USA now, though can't remember which one of the top of my head. Cheers.

[@LPCLASSICAL]

So Coe would have won this race by maybe 20M if it were not for the scuffle. But anyway the selectors must have made the worst decision in UK olympic history when they left out Coe - given our lamentable performance in Seoul and since that time. It was such a bad decision I recall Samaranch trying to get Coe in by a wild card entry.

[@rc2869]

Fair point on Warisso

[@7agneskickingbird7]

@deano27671 Still going strong at nearly 33 years of age. Also ran 1:43.38 that year. Can't think of anybody who ran that fast at that age except maybe a juiced W. Kipketer and even then there is a discrepancy with his birthdate being either 1970 or 1972 and being a Kenyan originally I'm not sure if either of those dates are correct. Do you have Coe's 84 Zurich run with that blistering last 100m in 12.4-12.5. Haven't seen it in a while. Cheers Deano!

[@Kidsgrove49]

I missed this race at the time. Coe should have been in our team for the 1988 Olympics. This was one year later and shows he still had the fighting spirit. Ovett cuts a sad figure, and who the hell offerred him money to him for that sort of quality?

[@deano27671]

@houghgree2 Thanks. Yes, Coe ran 1:43.38 in 89, only bettered by Ereng, the 88 Olym champion; who Coe had actually beaten TWICE in 88 in the run up to Seoul! Coe beat Rono, the 1500 Olymp champ in Zurich 89, about 2 weeks before losing narrowly (& controversially) to Bile in the World Cup. The thing with Coe was that he knew how to peak at right time & he could last the rounds of the 8 & 15 better than anyone. Bile wasn't in Seoul due to injury, while Coe was at home with no problems at all!

[@deano27671]

roger federer Coe was past his best by 88, but running 1:43.3 in 89 (2nd fastest of the year) and a silver in the 1500 World Cup, narrowly defeated by the reigning World Champion (who had destroyed Cram by a country mile) Bile, shows that he was far from ‘shite’, did win something (a silver medal, not to mention both the 8 and 15 in the European Clubs Cup) and was still beating many of the world’s best.

[@7agneskickingbird7]

@deano27671 Thanks Deano, just saw it. Terrible pacing by none other than... James Robinson. Was probably in mid 3:29 shape that day. Cheers!

[@deano27671]

@7agneskickingbird7 Yes, the d.o.b of Kipketer is a strange one. I really take most Kenyan's ages with a pinch of salt. Although the IAAK have his official d.o.b as Dec 1972, I think it more likely it was 1970. Based on his official dob then he ran 1:43.88 at age 31 in 2004, half a second slower than Coe's best at almost 33. Kipketer retired in 2004. If he "was" born in 1970, then his best at 32 was 1:43.28 set in 2003. So pretty comparable.

[@joemcm1]

coe did well i mean v v well for his age,guts and talent,ive no idea why ovett even ran-well the 20000 quid maybe.i chalk this one off the coe vs ovett head to head.i only count the 78 800m/80 800m/80 1500m.

[@deankeith830]

many middle distance runners have 2 gears but only one had 3 .

[@deano27671]

@sebcoe81 I'm sure he did. He spoke very sympathetically about Ovett in the interview afterwards. Coe wouldn't have gained any satisfaction beating an Ovett way past his best. I'm sure no one thought Ovett would have won this race. He probably should have called it a day in 86, after winning the Common 5000m.

[@deano27671]

Well he ran the last lap in 51.6, running wide to navigate round those in front of him. That has to be worth low 51, which is motoring even in a 3:41 race. The others just behind him were running just over 53 secs, and I doubt anyone else in that race was capable of running much faster. He was still going away from them at the end.

[@deano27671]

What is not true?? Cram and McKean won automatic selection at the trials by coming 1st and second. Yes, the selection policy was at fault and had the selectors "selected" they should have picked Coe as reigning European champs, Elliott as World silver and Cram for winning the trials. The selection policy prevented this from happening, so were forced to chose between Coe & Elliott for the 3rd discretionary place. The "selectors" chose Coe, that is an established fact and is documented.

[@daddykornflakes]

How did Coe do at the Commonwealth games?

[@davidfranklin5434]

DNS

[@Shutityouschleg]

And on UK soil too... full of envy!

[@deano27671]

But yes, Mckean and Crabb shouldn't have gone. Neither reached the final, with Crabb failing to reach the semi, I think. As it was Cram went to the Games injured, again, and wasn't in a position to double up. He failed to reach the semi for the 800m.

[@deano27671]

roger federer Coe was ill at the Trials and shouldn’t have run, but had to. In the same way he was ill in the 86 Commonwealths and came back 4 weeks later to win the 800 Europeans. There was 8 weeks between the 88 Trials and the 1500 m Olympic final! Not very bright are you?

[@LPCLASSICAL]

Ovett could have turned down the money! That would have been even more honourable.

[@hauntboy]

Have you seen the 5 mins longer video where he's interviewed about this?

[@hauntboy]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmekdH6KqbmWpdk

[@LPCLASSICAL]

@@hauntboy It seems Ovett was upset because he had been told Coe was also getting paid. It hurt his sense of honour that Coe turned up to compete and Ovett had to be enticed with money.

[@deano27671]

@jordify1 I agree with everything you have written. I remember thinking at the time of Black's omission that the selectors never learnt their lesson and haven't got a clue. Coe was actually selected to run the 800 in Seoul, but the the BAAB top board over-ruled the decision and chose Elliott instead. The whole thing was completely politically motivated.

[@Yoga-retreatsInfo]

Politics

[@deano27671]

roger federer No, he had beaten the Soon to be crowned Olympic champion (Ereng) twice already before the trials and had run faster than Elliott over 800m.

[@deano27671]

@@rogerfederer8117 It's quite clear Coe had a temporary chest cold in 88 at the trials. Someone of Coe's calibre can't go from running a 3:45 1500 and struggling on Aug 6 and then be able to run a 1:43.9 3 weeks later unless he was ill at the former. He still had 5 weeks + after that narrow loss to Barbosa over 800m to the Olympics, and all the mileage and strength work had been done in the winter. That's longer than he got between a similar time recorded over 800m in 84 prior to getting it right in LA. Even recovering from a chest infection, Coe was able to run faster than Elliott managed in the entire 88 season.

[@redd605]

The worse pressure put on poor Steve ovett ever , a race to forget . but you have to run it.

[@sebcoe81]

Two things I find very poignant about this race besides the fact it was Coe's last competitive season. Look at the size of the crowd and compare that to today and secondly Coe is an intelligent guy I wonder did he have any sympathy for his great rival Ovett as he so contemptuously overtook him on the back straight.

[@adamd4390]

sebcoe81 if im correct this was when itv would screen athletics on a saturday afternoon

[@jeremyhomewood9573]

Contemptuously overtook OVETT ????? Sympathy!!!! Like when seb had that disastrous 800 in Moscow and OVETT didn't even look at Coe ONCE in that race !!!!!!! Sink or swim m brother!!!!!!!!! Coe was right !!!!!! Win by any means possible !!!!!!!!

[@rc2869]

That is not true. Elliott qualified with a World Silver Medal. What did Cram and McKeane have to compare to that in 1988? Nothing. Chap I am big Coe fan as an athlete and for his work at 2012 (less so his politics) They wanted the QF system to be more like US - Elliott and Cram swapped events - rightly so from their point of view. McKeane and the other bloke were the real stooges

[@bucksmusic]

You don't know what Seb Coe was like back then, anymore than I do. Maybe some aspects of what you say are true, to a degree, but nobody is perfect. The interview at the end of this clip certainly doesn't support your view. If the Olympic selectors did anything other than pick on athletic merit it would have been scandalous.

[@iBeep2009]

he's out of a job when we get to elect members of the house of lords....