Born in Brighton, Sussex, and educated at Varndean School, Ovett was a talented teenage athlete. As a youngster, he showed great promise as a footballer, but gave it up for athletics, because he did not want to play a sport where he would have to rely on teammates.
Athletics career
Early promise
His first major athletics title came in 1973, when he won the European junior 800 m, followed the next year in Rome with a silver in the senior event. He won AAA titles in the 800m from 1974 to 1976, in the 1500m in 1979 and in the mile in 1980. At age 18, he won the silver medal at 800 metres in the 1974 European Athletics Championships, setting a new European Junior 800m record of 1:45.77 in the process.
Ovett gained some Olympic experience in 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada when he ran in the final of the 800m and was placed fifth, behind winner Alberto Juantorena of Cuba. Ovett finished fifth because he ran the first lap too slowly. He failed to reach the 1500 m final, having been obstructed in the semi-final.
It's in the title...Ovett in his pomp..I don't have as many of his runs as I'd like,else it would have been 50 Classic Races! In his day ,one of the greats.Respect.
published: 13 Feb 2013
Ovett documentary
published: 25 Apr 2018
1980 Olympics in Moscow the 800m final - winner Steve Ovett
the winner Ovett using his elbows in a blatant way : he was lucky not to be DQ, I think.
published: 17 Aug 2016
Seb Coe vs Steve Ovett in Moscow - BBC documentary
Great Britain's third greatest moment at a summer Olympic Games
In 1980, Sebastian Coe was the world record holder and the overwhelming favourite for the 800m but got his tactics wrong in the final and his great rival Steve Ovett beat him to the gold. Coe, stung by only winning silver, had a chance to make amends in Ovett's main event, the 1500m, and took it with a gutsy display, while Ovett had to settle for the bronze. Coe crossing the line with his arms stretched wide and eyes bulging showed how much it meant to him. Their intense rivalry continued until the next Olympics in Los Angeles in what were extraordinary times for British middle-distance running.
published: 01 Aug 2020
1500m.WR.Steve Ovett,1980.Koblenz,
Running right at the end of an Olympic season and just 48 hours after winning the 1980 Golden Mile ,Ovett surprised everyone(mostly himself) with a 1500m.WR,run on one of his favourite tracks in Koblenz,Germany.The race really came to life when Wessinhage ,perhaps deciding that Ovett was looking a little jaded,went for it,dragging him round to a new mark of 3.31.36,three quarters of a second under Coe's existing time.Wessinhage too was under the old WR,as was the third placed Hudak.As always,Ovett seemed to do just enough and had plenty more in the tank when he crossed the line....
published: 24 May 2013
“The Entertainer” – Steve Ovett’s Top 5 Races
We compiled a highlight reel of 5 of Steve Ovett's greatest races.... Enjoy....
It's in the title...Ovett in his pomp..I don't have as many of his runs as I'd like,else it would have been 50 Classic Races! In his day ,one of the greats.Resp...
It's in the title...Ovett in his pomp..I don't have as many of his runs as I'd like,else it would have been 50 Classic Races! In his day ,one of the greats.Respect.
It's in the title...Ovett in his pomp..I don't have as many of his runs as I'd like,else it would have been 50 Classic Races! In his day ,one of the greats.Respect.
Great Britain's third greatest moment at a summer Olympic Games
In 1980, Sebastian Coe was the world record holder and the overwhelming favourite for the 800m b...
Great Britain's third greatest moment at a summer Olympic Games
In 1980, Sebastian Coe was the world record holder and the overwhelming favourite for the 800m but got his tactics wrong in the final and his great rival Steve Ovett beat him to the gold. Coe, stung by only winning silver, had a chance to make amends in Ovett's main event, the 1500m, and took it with a gutsy display, while Ovett had to settle for the bronze. Coe crossing the line with his arms stretched wide and eyes bulging showed how much it meant to him. Their intense rivalry continued until the next Olympics in Los Angeles in what were extraordinary times for British middle-distance running.
Great Britain's third greatest moment at a summer Olympic Games
In 1980, Sebastian Coe was the world record holder and the overwhelming favourite for the 800m but got his tactics wrong in the final and his great rival Steve Ovett beat him to the gold. Coe, stung by only winning silver, had a chance to make amends in Ovett's main event, the 1500m, and took it with a gutsy display, while Ovett had to settle for the bronze. Coe crossing the line with his arms stretched wide and eyes bulging showed how much it meant to him. Their intense rivalry continued until the next Olympics in Los Angeles in what were extraordinary times for British middle-distance running.
Running right at the end of an Olympic season and just 48 hours after winning the 1980 Golden Mile ,Ovett surprised everyone(mostly himself) with a 1500m.WR,run...
Running right at the end of an Olympic season and just 48 hours after winning the 1980 Golden Mile ,Ovett surprised everyone(mostly himself) with a 1500m.WR,run on one of his favourite tracks in Koblenz,Germany.The race really came to life when Wessinhage ,perhaps deciding that Ovett was looking a little jaded,went for it,dragging him round to a new mark of 3.31.36,three quarters of a second under Coe's existing time.Wessinhage too was under the old WR,as was the third placed Hudak.As always,Ovett seemed to do just enough and had plenty more in the tank when he crossed the line....
Running right at the end of an Olympic season and just 48 hours after winning the 1980 Golden Mile ,Ovett surprised everyone(mostly himself) with a 1500m.WR,run on one of his favourite tracks in Koblenz,Germany.The race really came to life when Wessinhage ,perhaps deciding that Ovett was looking a little jaded,went for it,dragging him round to a new mark of 3.31.36,three quarters of a second under Coe's existing time.Wessinhage too was under the old WR,as was the third placed Hudak.As always,Ovett seemed to do just enough and had plenty more in the tank when he crossed the line....
It's in the title...Ovett in his pomp..I don't have as many of his runs as I'd like,else it would have been 50 Classic Races! In his day ,one of the greats.Respect.
Great Britain's third greatest moment at a summer Olympic Games
In 1980, Sebastian Coe was the world record holder and the overwhelming favourite for the 800m but got his tactics wrong in the final and his great rival Steve Ovett beat him to the gold. Coe, stung by only winning silver, had a chance to make amends in Ovett's main event, the 1500m, and took it with a gutsy display, while Ovett had to settle for the bronze. Coe crossing the line with his arms stretched wide and eyes bulging showed how much it meant to him. Their intense rivalry continued until the next Olympics in Los Angeles in what were extraordinary times for British middle-distance running.
Running right at the end of an Olympic season and just 48 hours after winning the 1980 Golden Mile ,Ovett surprised everyone(mostly himself) with a 1500m.WR,run on one of his favourite tracks in Koblenz,Germany.The race really came to life when Wessinhage ,perhaps deciding that Ovett was looking a little jaded,went for it,dragging him round to a new mark of 3.31.36,three quarters of a second under Coe's existing time.Wessinhage too was under the old WR,as was the third placed Hudak.As always,Ovett seemed to do just enough and had plenty more in the tank when he crossed the line....
Born in Brighton, Sussex, and educated at Varndean School, Ovett was a talented teenage athlete. As a youngster, he showed great promise as a footballer, but gave it up for athletics, because he did not want to play a sport where he would have to rely on teammates.
Athletics career
Early promise
His first major athletics title came in 1973, when he won the European junior 800 m, followed the next year in Rome with a silver in the senior event. He won AAA titles in the 800m from 1974 to 1976, in the 1500m in 1979 and in the mile in 1980. At age 18, he won the silver medal at 800 metres in the 1974 European Athletics Championships, setting a new European Junior 800m record of 1:45.77 in the process.
Ovett gained some Olympic experience in 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada when he ran in the final of the 800m and was placed fifth, behind winner Alberto Juantorena of Cuba. Ovett finished fifth because he ran the first lap too slowly. He failed to reach the 1500 m final, having been obstructed in the semi-final.
The on-air commentators would compare his surge with the 1980Games finish of the tactical British genius, Steve Ovett, saying. “Oh the showmanship to the crowd Little of Steve Ovett (British ...
Olympic legend Sir Steve... These remain uncertain times for athletics — track and field simply doesn't have the same place in the landscape that it did when Coe was racing Steve Ovett in the 1980s.
Sebastian Coe famously battled Steve Ovett on the track across two decades in the 1970s and 1980s... The middle-distant runner famously battled Steve Ovett on the track across two decades in the 1970s ...
It gave me a sense of community and control (Picture. TessCope) ... And it was a sweet relief ... Tess Cope) ... I was taken aback ... When I moved to London some years later, I had the honour to be accepted into the ‘fold’ with Steve Ovett’s coach, Harry Wilson.
what if his great rival, Steve Ovett, is doing two sessions that day? He agonises a while, then pulls his trainers back on and heads out for a second icy run ... Ovett’s ...
A confession ... But if the 1,500m is still one of those events that has extra glitter — and in the land of Seb Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram it should — then Kerr should be on the Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) shortlist ... SPOTY ... .
Times have changed ... One at least hopes this logic applies in the case of JoshKerr, the 1500m world champion — a middle-distance heir, in a sense, to Seb Coe and Steve Ovett from a golden age captured on BBCSport — who is omitted from the shortlist ... .