Blog: Ace

Olympic Greats - Steve Ovett

Biography

800m Olympic champion in Moscow 1980, beating his great rival Sebastian Coe into silver medal position.His semaphored messages to his wife to be Rachel became a familiar feature in his races at the Lenin Stadium.

Ovett was born in Brighton. He won the English Schools title over 400m in 1970. Three years later he became European Junior Champion over 800m in 1973 and made the Olympic 800m final in 1976.

He announced himself at senior level with an emphatic victory for the European select team at the inaugural IAAF World Cup in Dusseldorf,1977.

European Champion over 1500m in 1978, he went to Moscow in 1980 expected to win the 1500m, but ended up taking the 800m title. BBC commentator David Coleman memorably described his victory kick off the final bend. “Ovett’s blue eyes like chips of ice”. A more relaxed Ovett took bronze in the 1500m when Coe won his gold.

The following years were beset by injury. At the next Olympics In Los Angeles , he was hospitalised with respiratory problems after the 800m and dropped out of the 1500m on the final lap.

Ovett moved up to 5000m and won gold at the 1986 Commonwealth Games.

On his retirement he joined the ITV athletics commentary team and initially lived in Scotland but now resides in Australia.

In 2006 he was reunited with Coe for a fundraising event for the Ron Pickering fund which supports young athletes.

by Ace on 11:07 on 14th July 2008