Steve Ovett Beats Seb Coe To 800m Gold - Moscow 1980 Olympics

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Although both favorites in their respected races, a strange turn of events occured at the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games as Great Britain's Steve Ovett claimed the 800m title, thought to go to team-mate Sebastian Coe, with Coe in return winning Ovett preferred 1500m event.
Middle distance runner Steve Ovett gained some Olympic experience in 1976 when he ran in the final of the 800m and placed fifth.
By the time of the 1980 Olympic Games, he was considered the favourite at 1,500m, while his British teammate, Sebastian Coe, was expected to win the 800m. The 800m final was run first. Ovett, in only sixth place at the halfway mark, pushed his way through the crowd to second place. Seventy metres from the finish, he shot into the lead and held off Coe to win by three metres. In the 1,500m, contested six days later, it was Coe who came from behind to win, while Ovett took home the bronze medal.
Find more about Steve Ovett: www.olympic.org/steve-ovett
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[@andreser]

I respect those athletes who came to Moscow despite the boycott. Britons are among them.

[@LVPAcharn]

Steve Ovett my childhood hero :)

[@jose2bee2]

This was forever going to be Ovett's grand moment in running. Coe did become a back-to-back winner of the 1500 in 1980 & 1984, but the 800 was sort of his signature event. He got silver for the 800 in 1984 los angeles olympics.

[@emmaryan7247]

Steve Ovett is one of my dad's oldest friends , pretty great claim to fame I think !

[@mizofan]

Hourray for Ovett- he was one of my sporting heroes. No doubt your dad has good qualities and taste in friends :)

[@bensullivan5562]

My dad knows, not too well though, but has at least met, David Rudisha's coach Colm O'Connell. There's my highly exaggerated and far-fetched claim to fame XD.

[@petecurran3995]

Awesome Steve Ovett!

[@keithmckeith]

Bizarrely, Coe never won a major 800m race despite his monstrous world record...and Ovett never won an Olympic 1500m which he was the huge favourite for. Ovett had the fastest penultimate bend kick and finish of any athlete in history at 11.8seconds - faster than Rudisha in the 800 WR. (And Ovett could do that while waving and smiling to the crowd). Unbelievable athlete.

[@mizofan]

To me and many others Ovett was fun and exciting, Coe cold and arrogant.

[@jonathansutcliffe3411]

PRESS (MEDIA) TEMPLATES - JUST ADDING STEREOTYPICAL PERSONAS R.E NOTIONS OF HOW THESE ATHLETES TICK/THINK/INTERACT ETC... PERSONALLY, I'D HAVE EM ALL TUNNEL VISIONED (SIC)... IE FOCUSED...AND FORGO ALL THE PALLY BACK SLAPPING UNTIL THEY'D WON THEIR EVENTS... AS, ULTIMATELY, THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE THERE TO DO... THE BBC AND OTHERS HAVE A LOT TO ANSWER FOR AS THEY'RE THE FIRST TO COMPLAIN WHEN OUR ATHLETES ARE DOIN TERRIBLY ONLY TO THEN BEMOAN THEIR "ARROGANCE" FOR FOCUSING ON WINNING... BEING COMPETITIVE IS NO BAD THING, Y'KNOW...

[@jonathansutcliffe3411]

PRESS (MEDIA) TEMPLATES - JUST ADDING STEREOTYPICAL PERSONAS R.E NOTIONS OF HOW THESE ATHLETES TICK/THINK/INTERACT ETC... PERSONALLY, I'D HAVE EM ALL TUNNEL VISIONED (SIC)... IE FOCUSED...AND FORGO ALL THE PALLY BACK SLAPPING UNTIL THEY'D WON THEIR EVENTS... AS, ULTIMATELY, THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE THERE TO DO... THE BBC AND OTHERS HAVE A LOT TO ANSWER FOR AS THEY'RE THE FIRST TO COMPLAIN WHEN OUR ATHLETES ARE DOIN TERRIBLY ONLY TO THEN BEMOAN THEIR "ARROGANCE" FOR FOCUSING ON WINNING... BEING COMPETITIVE IS NO BAD THING, Y'KNOW...

[@aliciayee]

Jonathan Sutcliffe z

[@Revolver1981]

keithmckeith Steve Ovett, the greatest middle distance runner of all time.

[@garyrowlatt1932]

Every one had their favourite .. I always felt ovett was pure mental strength..

[@robertwhite8238]

That was great to watch. Coe always claimed he had a "virus" when he lost! Never beaten fair and square. He was that time!

[@peterwhent66]

Coe was a really bad loser......really bad. Sulked after 1980 800m, sulked at the medal ceremony. And then when he won 1500m he wanted everyone to jump up and down and be pleased. No class.

[@stonekeeper86]

........and also, Coe couldn't handle Cruz

[@davidbaldwin133]

@@VictorOctavian he didn't disappear from the scene he won gold in 84 and won silver in seol in 88. That's not bad

[@davidbaldwin133]

@@VictorOctavian after losing to beyer and ovett in Sept 78 in the 800m final he lost again to ovett in July 80 in the 800 final he also lost to the American Don paige at 800 in August 80 after the Olympics. He was then beaten by ferner in the Athens 800m final which was probably due to a lot of missed training that summer due to a calf injury.

[@AgnesOctavia4]

@@davidbaldwin133 I think he ran a 1.41 something but there's still something ALAN WEBB about him.

[@pavlova55]

Yes, the sound of the crowd cheering would be good, especially as I was part of that crowd :) Yep I was there in the stadium, as surprised as anyone else at the outcome of this race, Coe got his revenge in the 1500 a few days later of course.

[@Sean-zg4iy]

Wow, that's quite a thing pavlova55 you witnessed British middle distance history you lucky fellow.

[@musicplateau1]

Coe=digital .. Ovett=analogue . There's only one true winner, the one who puts his emotions in his pocket and also has hearty nights sleep before a race.

[@Ahiga4545]

I remember watching this as a kid.

[@MarkMahoney]

Good race, Steveo master class! Seb was also a great athlete, think it would have been a much tighter race if seb found a better position on the first lap

[@sokha326]

What a great video

[@adamd4390]

Ovett the goat

[@Alexfantom364]

incredible

[@brettdavies4953]

Happy birthday Steve. He turns 65 today.

[@linglingjr]

Seb Coe Steve Ovett. Both great athletes though

[@boxingjerapah]

Ovett > Coe. Forever.

[@johnsrous1616]

boxingjerapah yep

[@stonekeeper86]

agreed!

[@MrEdongzki]

godd video but the backing music didnt fit the ongoing drama happening inside the stadium,maybe put the crowd cheering and screaming back in the video

[@Hootowl54]

The 1980 Moscow and 1984 L.A. Olympics were both boycotted. It's too bad politics has to interfere with the world coming together. I hope it never happens again.

[@mjb4983]

Only Coe will unnerstand why he ran that way...and that day

[@johndoe-pk6tj]

Coe could run both races. However, I think Coe was more of a 1500 meter man than 800. In this particular race, Coe ran a stupid race. He underestimated Ovett's speed. Easy for Coe to do when he could run a 46 second 400 meters.

[@peterwhent66]

Actually Coe was a better 800m runner. It was supposedly his strong event. He was favourite to win 800m gold in Moscow. The fact that Coe won back to back 1500m gold says more about his attitude at those games. It certainly wasn't his sweet spot. Despite the Olympic results, Ovett was easily the better 1500m runner.

[@jonathansutcliffe3411]

NOT ONLY DID I SAY THAT OVETT LOOKED AKIN TO MY (NOW) OLD HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER BUT THAT COE SOUNDED LIKE ANOTHER (NOW) OLD HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER... TWAS WEIRD...

[@davidfagan5769]

Can never understand why everything has to be set to music. Bizarre

[@serenamadden9280]

I'm

[@jeffallinson8089]

Why the awful music???

[@alkingsmill]

Why this terrible music?

[@26chelseaterry]

at that time, so few African...

[@li0scc0]

Less drugs then, as Benji Durden said, the African dominance started when they started using drugs more than the West.

[@saminieminen4871]

Kenya didn´t participate those games. But anyway, they did not have any runner at that time who could beat Ovett or Coe.