The track men’s 1500 m race at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was run on Saturday, August 11th….featuring the existing world record holder at 3:34.91 set in Rieti, Italy on September 4, 1983 by GBR Steve Ovett….who was one of twelve runners in the ’84 Games finals….along with GBR Steve Cram, ESP Jose Manuel Abascal, KEN Joseph Chesire, USA Jim Spivey, SUI Peter Wirz. ESP Andres Vera, SUD Omar Khalifa, NZL Tony Rogers, USA Steve Scott, ITA Riccardo Matarazzi….for this field was loaded with talent….as 10 of the 12 runners broke 3:41 in the 1500 m on this day…cuz that is a fast field…..don’t believe me!?! The winner of the 1988 Seoul Olmpics track men’s 1500 m race was Sebastian Coe at 3:38.40….as compared to the ’84 Games 8th place finisher in a time of 3:37.11….do I know my stuff or what!?!
Great Britain had three of the best 1500 m runners in the world in 1984…..Steve Ovett (world record holder at the time), Steve Cram (wins the silver in this video)….and Sebastian Coe (the one who was favored to beat his teammates and the world. I can tell you this….the whole of Great Britain was awake a 3 am in the morning of August 11th….just to see if Sebastian could accomplish what was expected of him.
Sebastian Coe set a new Olympic record with 3:32.53 minutes in the final….topping an existing Olympic record that had been set by KEN Kipchoge Keino on October 20, 1968…..folks, that’s 48 years that Keino’s record had stood….and that is simply awesome….and you get to watch this great race as many times as you wish….ENJOY.
