1978 European Athletics Championships – Men's 800 metres
These are the official results of the Men's 800 metres event at the 1978 European Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia.[1][2] The final was held on 31 August 1978.[3]
The two favourites for the race were Steve Ovett[4] and Sebastian Coe[5] Ovett had won silver at 800 m at the previous European Championships in 1974 in Rome,[6] and had won the 1500m, in spectacular fashion, at the IAAF World Cup[7] the previous year (he was to remain unbeaten at that distance until the 1980 Olympics).[8] Coe was the new British record holder at 800 m and the fastest man that year leading into the race at 800 m.[9]
The race was billed in the press, the British press in particular, as a 'Coe versus Ovett' contest - a race that was the start of a rivalry that was to dominate not only British and European but World middle-distance running over the next few years.[10][11] However, by concentrating on Coe and Ovett the press were ignoring the other talents in the race, including East Germany's Olaf Beyer.[12]
In the race itself, Coe led from the front setting a blistering first lap pace, going through the bell in a suicidal 49.32 s. At 700 m, he was spent and Ovett kicked past him for home. However, the fast-finishing Beyer first caught Coe and then Ovett to strike gold, in doing so recording the fastest time that year.[13]
Medalists
Results
Final
31 August
Semi-finals
30 August
Semi-final 1
Semi-final 2
Heats
29 August
Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Heat 4
Participation
According to an unofficial count, 24 athletes from 15 countries participated in the event.
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjzR8AOvEzc 1978 European 800m - men, youtube.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ↑ European Athletics Championships Zürich 2014 - STATISTICS HANDBOOK (PDF), European Athletics Association, pp. 427–435, retrieved 13 August 2014
- ↑ http://home.swipnet.se/athletics/resultat1978.htm European Championship 1978. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ↑ http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ov/steve-ovett-1.html Steve Ovett biography, Sports-Reference.co. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- ↑ http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/co/sebastian-coe-1.html Sebastian Coe biography, Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU9Gqhoqno4&feature=related 'ROMA 1974: 800 MASCHILI - LUCIANO SUSANJ', youtube.com.
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W7GogWlv7Q 1977 World Cup 1500m - Steve Ovett, youtube.com.
- ↑ http://www.uka.org.uk/e-inspire/hall-of-fame-athletes/steve-ovett/ Steve Ovett, United Kingdom Athletics biography.
- ↑ http://www.uka.org.uk/e-inspire/hall-of-fame-athletes/sebastian-coe/ Sebastian Coe, United Kingdom Athletics biography.
- ↑ http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/sja-news/sja-1948-2008/we-will-never-see-their-like-again/ "We will never see their like again.", Randall Northam, 9 June 2008, Sports Journalists' Association. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ↑ http://www.sportinglife.com/olympics/history/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=others/00/07/05/OLYMPICS_Coe_and_Ovett.insdat "Olympic greats - Coe and Ovett", Richard Gibson, sportinglife.com. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ↑ http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/be/olaf-beyer-1.html Olaf Beyer biography, Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- ↑ http://digilander.libero.it/Mennea/Stagionali/WRL/1978/800.htm 1978 800m performances. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
Other Links
- Results 1978 European Championship Results
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