Steve Ovett - 1500m Final, European Athletics Championships, Prague 1978.

[@markhiggins8315]

Pure class, Ovett undoubtedly one of the greatest middle distance runners ever.

[@richardbagshaw4534]

The most beautiful runner to watch. My favourite. Full stop

[@charlesporter1148]

of course he was....because he never came up against snell

[@DrCrabfingers]

Steve Ovett was my hero growing up. Not just that he was a winner, but he was always so full of humanity. A little touch of encouragement for a fellow competitor...a little acknowledgment to someone that was running against him. He always had a sense of humanity about him....for me, in any walk of life, if you lose that sense of humanity, that fellowship, you have lost the most important part of you.

[@user-ro7ee7]

The Best Steve Forever Ovett...

[@matthewsenior4208]

Ovett made a stacked field look pedestrian, sublime running.

[@martyn26.2]

Yes, it was a very strong field. Almost Olympic.

[@tommytempo1]

@@martyn26.2 Almost Olympic, just like the 800m.

[@peterclarke3990]

Ran past him in Dyke Road in Brighton back in 1986. Absolute gentleman. Acknowledged me, hoped we had a good run and carried on. Couldn’t believe I’d just run past one of the greatest middle distance runners of all time! A true champion!

[@rachidbenmoussa2672]

Mon idole un très grand , j'ai toujours grand plaisir à regarder ses courses . Merci.

[@tommytempo1]

Merci.

[@soulyrasheed]

great, great field - all 12 finalists were legends on some way - Ovett the GOAT

[@TheMrBennito]

Television was beginning to become a daily part of life & as a teenager it was fantastic to watch all the great sport events. I recall Ovett as some sort of an untouchable. Very unique talent.

[@SirPeter6464]

Ovett had so much versatility it was insane. He was really a sprinter who could hold middle distance running pace. 800m Olympic champion who could even win half marathons. I have always thought that there was more there. Could have gone out hard at 1500m or the mile and taken it for all time.

[@Ruda-n4h]

He must be the only Olympic 800m champion who won a 5000m gold medal. Like Jim Ryun we never saw the limit of his potential. If he could break the world record for 1500m in 1983 with 3:30.77 when he was past his best he should have been been able to have run 3:29 in 1980/81 but I think the railings injury affected him.

[@Anthony-Testicali]

Yes..in all of ovetts best wins..he showboated over the last 80metres waving to the crowd moving his head left amd right and slowing down through the line...he was casual and not bothered about times and schedules and rest..he just wanted to compete against athletes not the clock...he definetely wouldve done 1:42.0 for 800m...and 3.27-28 for 1500 without the waving and showboating...hell a sick ageing ovett in 1984 semi finals of the olympics ran 1:44.8 actually pushing himself from an impossible position to a final...the kid had guts....long long past his best in 1986 he ran 13:20 in the 5000m ...8 years earlier with no training for the event he did 13:23...i think in 1978 with a few races he'd have done 13:10...if he'd focused on the event during 81-83 i think 13 mins and a possible world record....it's a terrible shame the railing injury happened and wiped out 1982..

[@keithbate9405]

@@Ruda-n4h After the railings injury he was never the same despite running faster on the clock. He seemed to have put some weight on and just looked bigger post the accident. Here he looks slim and smooth. Sure if he had been challenged he could have run a lot quicker than he did in 1983.

[@philip851]

@@Anthony-Testicali ..We'll never know.I think he is too humble to tell you what he thought he could do.

[@paulgraham6316]

When Ovett kicked it almost took your breath away: you waited and you waited, and although you knew it was coming it was still an astonishing thing to behold He was quick, stylish, charismatic, incredibly strong and a supreme tactician beyond compare

[@johnstirling9120]

David Moorcroft taught at our school in New Zealand in 1977, that was what got me interested in running, went on a few runs with him. He did an "exhibition run " in the school road relay and was dazzling with his speed .He was a member of "ARRSE"..The association of Staff Road Running Enthusiasts. I always thought that Robson deserved more success.

[@raykinsella6895]

Ovett! What a racer! And Coughlan..! Both had pure speed

[@vincentvangogh8092]

coughlan was the man of the boards i remember he could run basically same times indoors and out

[@eoinh1]

Chairman of the boards was his nickname​@@vincentvangogh8092

[@damienabbott9805]

Following on from his amazing IAAF World Cup gold in 1977, this was the race in which Steve Ovett made the 1500m his own and would pave the way for the greatest era of British middle distance running the sport would ever know.

[@rodneyallister9877]

I now 80 years old was a AAA long Distance Running for 30 years middle Distance running class on its own special fitness

[@AudreySmallcombe]

Still get goose pimples watching Ovett, the legend!

[@pamlister6891]

Well done Steve great race

[@countbasiethebicyclemessen4321]

He wouldn't have beaten Ovett anyway, but this was an early chapter in the lengthy textbook, "How to screw-up major 1500m finals" by E.Coghlan.

[@seamusbyrne5350]

So True, He always seemed to get it wrong tactically, although as you say to be fair He wouldn’t have beaten Ovett here anyway but he shouldn’t have had to fight so hard at the finish for second place. He could have been a lot closer

[@ewaf88]

I love these old videos

[@colinhumphreys8818]

i thought the best of ovett was 77-80 THAT kick over the last 200 was amazing i wonder how many races exist on film in tv archives

[@redrum4100]

He was superb in 1981 too.

[@damienabbott9805]

@@redrum41001977 to 1981, he was absolutely phenomenal.

[@martinhill9261]

I think he had a 200m time of 21.7!!!

[@glywnniswells9480]

Ovette was a natural the most talent ive ever seen. When he lit the afterburner no one touched him

[@QMTimeisnotreal]

All true.

[@worma544]

Absolutely feckin magic

[@agardad386]

The last 300m, Ovett is absolutely flying

[@elephantscantjump2776]

Great finish by Eamonn Coughlan. So lucky to run in an era of superstar athletes.

[@markpatterson2764]

Claiming he only one 1500m championship sells Ovett one of the all time greats at the distance short he won 2 golds in the world cup which was the world championship equivalent then

[@johnmc3862]

100% , poor mistake by the commentator.

[@tommytempo1]

@@johnmc3862 Foster is Cram's pal!

[@paulwhitmore7878]

⁸An absolute genius, what a miler he was ,extraordinary talent.

[@martinhill9261]

Breathtaking.What a run from Steve.Sheer class.But with a 200m time of 21.7 there was only one winner when he kicked.

[@getawaywithpaul5513]

Ovett was great.

[@RobertLund-d7d]

Steve Ovett the greatest human running machine ever. Made all the others look like beginners.

[@Ruda-n4h]

Like Jim Ryun we never saw the limit of Ovett's ability.

[@ArchieFatcackie]

Apart from Coe

[@johnmc3862]

What is the commentator saying it was the only title Ovett had won at 1500m. He had won the IAAF World Cup at Düsseldorf the year before. 4:18

[@tommytempo1]

and again at Rome in 1981.

[@robbiebennett5062]

World cup was a team event, no way was it equivalent to an individual world title and I'm a huge fan of Ovett.

[@tommytempo1]

@@robbiebennett5062 Agreed, but it was still a Global title. No World Champs at that time, so the World Cup was a major event. Ovett beat the World's best 1500m athletes at Dusseldorf in 1977.

[@Ruda-n4h]

It was the same with Coe in the 800m - he won the World Cup in 1981.

[@anty66]

This man gets my pulse racing.

[@anthonyclarke5579]

When you are that good you are entitled to be a little cocky in your celebration. Great composed, confident, competitor and sportsman.

[@pdizzle7111]

Golden age

[@mickeymouse7861]

Brendan Foster, "It is amazing to think that is the only title he won at 1500m". That is just an incredible fact.

[@NikoHL]

Eamon Coughlan ran a terrible tactical race, expended so much energy going back and forth, but still got a silver.

[@egdowney1]

Totally agree. What was he thinking

[@phillylifer]

Wow, that crowd

[@michaeldaly8196]

Brendan Foster is being economical with the truth by saying that Steve Ovett only won one title at 1500m. Steve won the World Cup (precursor to the World Championships) in 1977 and 1981.

[@simonedwards5564]

I don't know if Emil zatopek saw the 1977 world cup 1500m but that was waaaaaaaaay more impressive....being Steve's breakthrough and Walker stepping of the track watching helplessly as ovett UNLEASHED an 11,9 100m around that penultimate 100m !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Huh,,,,,,

[@martyn26.2]

Perhaps Zatopek looked at the 78 race as a much stronger field. And it was. In some ways as strong as most Olympic fields

[@keithbate9405]

Looking at Ovett here he was much slimmer than he was by say 1983. I am sure he could have run his fastest times if the race demanded it.

[@Kvbftng]

That strange fact at the end about the 1500metres place's 2 -3-4 position . European, world and world record holder.

[@markblow1966]

That last lap was around 53 seconds

[@seanscanlon9067]

Look at the difference once they come off the last bend between Steve Ovett's leg speed and stride length compared to Eamonn Coghlan's.

[@gerryhanly3194]

Ovett was far taller than Coughlan so what did you expect. I think Coughlan would beat him in a straight sprint.

[@tommytempo1]

I doubt it!

[@seanscanlon9067]

@@gerryhanly3194 I expected what my exact point was via my observation and I was merely highlighting their contrasting running styles. Coughlan is 'running' faster than Ovett with faster but more strides, compared to Ovett running slower with fewer strides but they cover more ground. Coughlan might have beaten Ovett in a straight sprint over a short distance but Ovett would have had the advantage the longer the distance of the sprint, once his longer stride kicked in.

[@siypic]

3:25 bye bye button actuates...

[@Robert-mn8gc]

Ovett was wickedly fast over the last 200 mtrs . Everyone here has 4gotten how fast Sebastian Coe was in the 800 / 1500 . 😅

[@tommytempo1]

We haven't forgotten how fast Coe was. Just appreciating how fast and great a runner Ovett was, which seems to be forgotten by many people!

[@egdowney1]

Ridiculously good finish by Eamon. He was seriously moving. Why did he leave it so late 🤔

[@andrewdunne1735]

Did anyone run the final 100m faster than Coughlin? Poetry in Motion!

[@tommytempo1]

Ovett was easing down in the last 100m.

[@Grendel2912]

No point in running a fast last 100 metres if you're 20 metres down

[@eugenekelly8992]

@@Grendel2912 not even for the silver no???

[@johnmc3862]

@@Grendel2912Plenty of point, there’s more than one way to skin a cat or run a race.

[@adamgray6862]

you don't see many athletes sprint for home from 200m to go anymore

[@APBCTechnique]

Phenomenal by Ovett as good as Coe ever was in 77/78 his peak

[@ewaf88]

I would have loved to have seen Steve up against Hichem if they'd been in the same era. Steve would have thought - Hmm 3.26 - looks like I'll need more sand dune work

[@KryptonitetoallBS]

Or else try EPO like some did. I rate Morceli above Elg as he utterly destroyed him twice in major finals. Then suddenly over a very short period Elg's times improved by huge amounts.......................🤔 When all at their very best with modern training and modern fast tracks it would be fascinating to see who would win out of Ovett, Cram, Coe, Morceli and Elg. Personally I'd go 1. Coe 2. Morceli 3. Ovett forget the rest 🤣

[@anthonyforder8501]

Ovett one of the greatest was unlucky not to win another big 1500 ,I think when he injured the knee running into church railings,effected him ,even though in 1983 he ran world world record 1500 3 30 ,with his talent should have been able to win Olympic gold at 1500,I think he was stronger than Coe but maybe a little less speed.

[@peterovenden4489]

Ovett the greatest ,pity he didn't get the recognition he deserved ,for whatever reason he didn't fit in with the establishment.i wonder why 😮😮🤔

[@TimVaughan-cx7ne]

you had to lose sometime, one of the greats

[@markblow1966]

Interesting how 2 years later Ovett couldn’t beat Straub in the 1500m final at the Moscow Olympics after easily beating him here.

[@tommytempo1]

Ovett won the 800m at Moscow earlier in the week and had lost his edge or hunger for the 1500m. Had he lost the 800m, I am sure the result would have been different in the 1500m. Ovett describes it in his autobiography.

[@vincentvangogh8092]

Walker realising his era was over

[@johnmc3862]

Best 2nd placer ever.

[@alanmusson8710]

And he suffered from asthma!

[@darwin-zn9gt]

They all moved up to 5000 because seb coe was another level above them at 1500m,and that's the truth good runners but a class below seb coe

[@tommytempo1]

More like Ovett and Coe being the reason for the move to 5000m. They two were on a different level.

[@joemcm1]

the best of ovett beats coe over 1500/mile/1000/3000 and 5000 metres.id say the best coe would win the 800 tho...ovett was messi (a natural),coe was ronaldo(devastating but manufactured)

[@KryptonitetoallBS]

@@joemcm1 Ovett was a phenomenal athlete, but I tend to agree with the original poster. Ovett was the better racer of the 2 mainly because he was bigger and stronger, but Coe was faster over 800, 1500 and the mile. I loved watching Ovett running and I agree he was a natural, but we've all seen whether it be Ovett or Cram, if Coe is fit and with you with 100 metres to go, you're fighting for second place!

[@joemcm1]

epic.straub improved a lot in two years....

[@gedmustopt6060]

Straub was on the same drugs as Olaf Beyer who after winning the 800 metres in 78' run straight out into the tunnel to get rid of the evidence inside his system. All GDR athletes at the time should've been instantly banned and their records and medals should have been erased. Ovett should've been elevated to Gold in the 800.

[@keithf_]

Ged Musto PT Yes I well remember the way Beyer sprinted down the tunnel straight after his 'win'. And yes those East German scientists worked wonders on Juergen Straub, whose improved drugs took him to silver in the Moscow Olympic 1500 metres event behind Seb Coe (gold) and in front of Steve Ovett (bronze). It's a pity that all East German medals and world records were NOT removed from the record books. Ovett was a superb runner, in a glorious era for British middle distance runners (Ovett, Coe, Cram, Elliott, McKean). Great days.

[@mahtivaari72]

Antti hyyty