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Sebastian Coe won his first National title on July 7th 1973 not over
800m or indeed 1500m but the All England Schools' Intermediate 3000m.
at Bebington. Later that summer he won the AAA's Youths' 1500m. in a
Championship record of 3min. 55sec. the first of his numerous
record-breaking performances. He was 17 years old and had he been a
typical schoolboy champion would never have featured in future record
books. He was of course no schoolboy star, thereafter to fade when obliged to move out of the comfort zone of age group competitions.
Two years later, in Athens,
he won his first International medal when he finished third in the
European junior 1500m. Championships (3min. 45.2sec. pb.) and by 1977
had taken his first senior title - the AAA's indoor 800m. That same
winter he won the European indoor 800m title in a UK best time of 1min.
46.5sec. but an injury then resticted his racing for the early part of
the summer season. By August, however, he was fully fit and after
competing in an International 800m at the Crystal Palace was asked to
run the next day in the * historic Emsley Carr mile
As the photo above
shows he won from Filbert Bayi, the world 1500m. record holder, in 3min.
57.7sec. to give the photographers there a preview of his 1980 Olympic
winning pose! At the 1978 European 800m. Championships, in Prague, Coe
came head-to-head with his great rival Steve Ovett. Coe won the bronze
but Ovett took the silver, in a UK record time of 1min. 44.1sec. Ovett
then won the 1500m. However, in September, Coe regained his UK 800m.
record with 1min. 44.0sec.
Thus began their great battle for supremacy
as the World's number one middle distance runner and record-holder which
was set alight by Coe's three world records in 1979. (George
Herringshaw)
(* To athletics fans in the UK. G.H. being one of them ).
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