If you’re not bored with hearing about Seb Coe and Steve Ovett, especially from this source, you may want to click on the link lower down, and take a look at the presentation I made a couple of Sundays ago at Watershed, the Bristol arts centre?
Given that it was at 3pm on the day that the match between Roger Federer and Andy Murray (first Brit to a men’s singles final since Fred Perry in 1936) had begun an hour earlier at Wimbledon, it was no surprise that only a dozen folks turned up. Had I not been there, I’d have been watching TV too.
Incidentally, the Watershed film archives have some excellent recordings. I’ve watched a thoroughly entertaining discussion between maverick writer Will Self and philosopher John Gray, on the work of JG Ballard; and there are, among other things, talks by/on film and literary luminaries such as Ken Loach and Angela Carter. And lots more.
And, with a film called Salute, centring on the Black Power medal ceremony in Mexico 1968, currently on release in the UK, there is also a discussion from last year in Bristol with Tommie Smith in the Watershed archive too (I have yet to watch the interview or see the film).
Anyway, here’s the link to the Coe-Ovett talk, in which I argue that two guys who met just seven times on the track in 17 years, during the most revolutionary period in athletics history, severely short-changed us.
http://www.watershed.co.uk/dshed/olympic-rivalries-sebastian-coe-steve-ovett
An excellent talk, Pat. Contrasting the Covett rivalry with that of Haegg and Andersson in the 1940s was apt and revealing.
One minor point – in 1967, Jim Ryun (USA) held world records at 880 yards, 1500 metres and one mile. Had Ryun been timed at 800m, he would have beaten Coe to being the first man to hold world records at 800m, 1500m and mile. (In the half mile race, by the way, Ryun ran the first 440 yards lap in 53.3 sec and the second in 51.6!)
Loved your description of Brendan Foster as being ‘overweight and incomprehensible’…it had me laughing out loud! I must state that Foster’s hysterical gushing over Mo Farah in his BBC commentaries has become quite embarassing of late.
Hi Pat,
Congratulations.
You look younger and fitter than you did 20 years ago!!!
Very Good News and certainly hope that it would spark inesertt in some younger couch potatoes and video game addicts who may have running potential!Hopefully the film will cover their early development before their later rivalry? and highlight what work you need to do to get to where they were in the first place ( OK so enormous talent does help but not the be all and end all..)Don’t think any of the aforementioned actors should even be considered!What I’d like to know is who will play Frank Horwill ( don’t write him out! ) and Kirk Dumpleton ( please don’t let them change the name! )