Yes he was. He ran a fantastic race and was only defeated on the day by an all time great and record holder and a man that was unbeatable for two years.

Indeed! Cruz could've run faster if pushed in the last 100m.

And over 1.5 seconds slower than the 2012 final

@@carlsummers2316 Over 2 seconds.( 1.40.91 ) . But Cruz had to work for it ( The outdoor track ) , with a slower result.

@@hansdekorver7365 I think leading the Olympic 800m final from gun to tape and breaking the world record in the process would class as working hard for it 🤔

The average times today in the 800 metres and 1500 metres are similar to back then.

Do you mean 'at last get his 800m gold to add to the 1500m gold he had won in Moscow'?

@@ajw9533 Yes, poorly worded by myself.

Ovett ended up in hospital for two nights!

Yes, you have to wonder what he could have done in the 800 or 1500 if healthy. An all-time great.

@@joejoejoe4577 Medals in both, for sure.

With hindsight I'm sure Ovett would have skipped defending his 800m title and just concentrated on the 1500m. I fancy he would have got a medal and it would have been a British 1-2-3.

@@joejoejoe4577 Yes, look at Ovett's times for the 3 800m races to the final - in those days it was consecutive days running as well, not like like now with rest days. And he got to the final of the 1500m as a sick man. I think it was as he said re his training camp in San Deago, he realized he was in the best shape of his life.

1980 was for Coe a tactical bad race , walking in the outdoor tracks.

If Coe had preformed in the 800m, he would've won the double. He ran a tactically poor race. Watching it the other day I believe he was overly nervous which probably played a part

@@carlsummers2316 Of course you fail to take into account the incredible motivation Coe got from that defeat. I suggest you read his memoirs about this time. Suffice to say you don't give Ovett a lot of credit.

@@martynhanson Ovett was a fantastic runner from 400m to half marathon (incidentally he was a decent high jumper which was his first athletic discipline) He was the 6th and final scorer for the English cross country team that were silver medalists in the 1982 world xc championships. I could go on reciting his career (including his English schools career) but I won't. However Coe was an exceptionally gifted and driven athlete. You don't see many Coe's in a lifetime.

@@martynhanson Btw I have Coe's autobiographies, both of them. Coe was the course record holder for the U15's boys at the Frodsham Hill race in 1972, he beat a coaching colleague of mine (Malcolm Plant) into 2nd place. Malcolm was a sub 4 minute miler who was very good friends with Ovett.

Coe wasn’t even close to Cruz missile 🚀

A mini Juantorena.

Near even splits ~ 51.2 and 51.8

@@APBCTechniqueIn what sense, just this race yes but over all absolutely not.

.. Cram beat him over 800 the year after

Or underwater?

Coe was likely past his peak over the 800m distance... He could not repeat his performances from 1981...he had lost some basic speed. Cruz was the man of the year in 1984 over 800m... Untouchable... Cruz had potential to improve and run faster, although I suggest injuries prevented Cruz from reaching his peak of 800m.

Coe was likely past his peak over the 800m distance... He could not repeat his performances from 1981...he had lost some basic speed. Cruz was the man of the year in 1984 over 800m... Untouchable... Cruz had potential to improve and run faster, although I suggest injuries prevented Cruz from reaching his peak of 800m.

Coe was likely past his peak over the 800m distance... He could not repeat his performances from 1981...he had lost some basic speed. Cruz was the man of the year in 1984 over 800m... Untouchable... Cruz had potential to improve and run faster, although I suggest injuries prevented Cruz from reaching his peak of 800m.

Coe was likely past his peak over the 800m distance... He could not repeat his performances from 1981...he had lost some basic speed. Cruz was the man of the year in 1984 over 800m... Untouchable... Cruz had potential to improve and run faster, although I suggest injuries prevented Cruz from reaching his peak of 800m.

Coe was likely past his peak over the 800m distance... He could not repeat his performances from 1981...he had lost some basic speed. Cruz was the man of the year in 1984 over 800m... Untouchable... Cruz had potential to improve and run faster, although I suggest injuries prevented Cruz from reaching his peak of 800m.

The is the BBC version, with stalwart David Coleman commentating.

@@businessdoceurope1372 Yes, I know it's the BBC version, obviously, but they had an extended version that was up for awhile then it became unavailable.

.. Did he die of it, or with it?

@@imemine6494 of it

Given all the illnesses and injuries that had beset him in 1982/83, it was astonishing that Coe was even at the LA Olympics, let alone that he came away with silver in the 800m and gold a few days later in the 1500m, where he became the only man to defend the title. That all says an awful lot about his quality as an athlete.

@@denisej4813Cruz pulled out of the 1500m. Coe’s overall performance was better.

A fit Coe and a fit Ovett would have devoured Cruz

Cruz foi o único que ameaçou o Recorde de SC que era 1.41,73, fazendo 1.41,77. Até hoje o tempo de Cruz é recorde Sul Americano e brasileiro. Tive a honra de competir com ele no campeonato Brasileiro infanto juvenil, na cidade de Brasília em 1979. Corredor incrível que derrotou os melhores corredores de sua época e que por várias vezes ameaçou o recorde mundial de Sebastian Coe, nos 800 m.

@@Sanctified57 I think Coe was fully fit, in that he was (unusually for him!) free from any injuries or illness, but he built up gradually over seven races during the LA Olympics to hit his peak in the 1500m final. To do the 800m/1500m double would have been a tough ask of Coe, Cruz, Ovett or indeed anyone.

He probably would O got shot by a cop if he was American 😭😭😭

@@Gertzy41 Carl Lewis managed to bag more than a few, last time I looked he was black

winning what?

This has aged well. UK 4% down in GDP and a cost of £32 billion a year to the UK taxpayer. So much winning.

​.. You think that's to do with brexit and not lockdown and Ukraine???

@@heimihenderson4543 I just want are country back #LegitimateConcerns

Coe won the 1500 after this!! Burnt out??

And Ovett was ill

@@carlsummers2316 Ovett performed miracles to reach two finals the state he was in. He shouldn't have run in the 1500m at all.

@@paulwilliams8389 He shouldn't have lined up for the 800m final. However it's the Olympics and it makes people make irrational decisions

.. Cram beat cruz the next year, over 800