Steve CRAM

Steve Cram set the first of his many records when he won the 1977 UK junior 1500m. championship in 3:47.7sec. By the following year he had a "World Best" to his name when, as a seventeen year old, (photo above) he ran the mile in 3:57.4sec. during the Emsley Carr mile. For that performance he was rewarded with a place in the English Commonwealth Games team to Edmonton (He finished ninth in his heat) and his first experience of an event that was to give him rich rewards in future years.

He secured his first international title when he won the European Junior 3000m. Championship in 1979 and then set about doing the "impossible" of qualifying for the Olympic Games, even though he was still a teenager and against the likes of Coe, Ovett and Moorcroft. The fact that he succeeded in that ambition and furthermore made the final gave everyone a clear indication that in the 1980s Coe and Ovett were not going to get an easy ride from their fellow "Brit", let alone the rest of the world. Three events clinched his selection for Moscow, the fastest ever 1500m. by a teenager (3:35.6sec.) in June (just behind Ovetts's 3:35.3sec.) and a one mile of 3:53.8sec (again behind Ovett who was setting a world record of 3:48.8sec) together with Dave Moorcroft's decision to run the 5,000m. in Moscow. Dave had won the so-called trial.

At Moscow Steve succeeded in reaching he final (thanks to the boycott) and though outshone by Coe and Ovett and running a slow 3min. 42sec. he was gaining valuable race experience all the time. He finished the year with three impressive times, each race in the wake of one of the "super stars". At Crystal Palace" he ran 3min. 55.6sec. for the mile behind John Walker (3:54.4sec.), in Zurich a 3:34.8sec. 1,500m. behind Coe (3: 32.2sec.) and at the Palace a 3:55.71sec. one mile this time trailing Ovett (3:52.84sec.). (George Herringshaw)

For Steve Cram 1981 continued much as 1980 had ended, with him busy competing home and abroad. Learning how to race against the best, continuing to develop his speed and stamina and establishing new personal bests, but invariably following Coe or Ovett home a few places behind. The track season began in earnest with a mile of 3:53.82sec. mile at Crystal Palace on June 3rd, then a new personal best of 3min. 50.38sec. in the "Dream Mile" in Oslo (behind Ovett's 3:49.25sec.) the next month.

In August he won his first senior AAA's title, the 1,500m. in 3:36.82sec. a CBP. Then on to Zurich (via a third place in the European Cup final in Zagreb) to again face Coe over a mile. Steve ran his first ever sub 3min. 50sec. time clocking 3:49.95sec. in Zurich, but again "you know who" was ahead - breaking the world record with 3:48.53sec. Come 1982, however, and it would be Steve winning in Zurich, on 18th August, over 1500m, in a PB of 3:33.66sec. followed by his first world record, on August 30th when he, Coe, Peter Elliott and Gary Cook ran a 4 x 800m. relay at the "Palace" in 7:3.89sec (1:44.54sec. leg).

Then the 1982 season reached it's climax. First the European 1500m. Championships in Athens, without defending champion Ovett (injured) or Coe (pulled out after losing the 800m.) just Cram and his adversary from junior days Graeme Williamson. With 600m. to go Williamson was spiked, as he tried to take the lead, fell, after clipping Steve's heel, and during the momentary confusion Cram was away(photo above), he won in 3:36.49sec. Steve was now the Champion and a month later a double champion. On October 8th at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane he added that 1500m. title to his collection (3:42.37sec.) beating 1976 Olympic champion John Walker (3:43.11sec.) and Mike Boit (3:43.11sec.). (G.H.)

                                                             Champion of the World 1983

Steve gained his selection for the inaugural World Athletics Championships in Helsinki after winning his third consecutive AAA's 1500m. title in a modest 3:41.69sec. Little did he imagine that a similar time would win him the World title just three weeks later. At the World Championship Steve won his heat from Said Aouita of Morocco in 3:40.17sec. to maintain his unbeaten record for the year over the 1,500m./mile and repeated the position in the semi-final, when he coasted home ahead of Steve Ovett in 3:35.77sec.

The medals were expected to be contested by Cram, Ovett (the then world record holder) Steve Smith (the then second fastest miler of all time) and Aouita, who had the fastest 1,500m time so far in 1983. The pace was funereal and the 800m mark was reached in the 2:07.73s. Everyone was waiting for a sprint finish but with 600m. to go Aouita made a burst, Cram had been tipped off by fellow Geordie Brendan Foster about this possibility so was not caught "napping". Steve Ovett was and from his position deep in the pack was never in contention.

At the "bell" the Moroccan led and continued to pile on the speed down the back straight. Steve however was able to match Said's best efforts and with 200m. to go took the lead which he held all the way to the finish. He covered the last 800m. in 1:49.00sec. and crossed the line in a time of 3:41.59sec. (see photo above), just ahead of Steve Scott (3:41.87sec.) with Aouita third (3:42.02sec.). Six days later he won the European Cup 1,500m. ran an 800m. P.B. of 1min. 43.61sec. at the Bislett Games, followed three days later with another P.B. for the 1,500m. of 3:31.66sec. at the Van Damme Memorial, winning both races. In September he then beat Ovett over a mile in 3:52.56sec. to 3:52.71sec. (GH)

Steve Cram was voted BBC TV's Sports' Personality for 1983.

                                    1984 Olympic Games 1500m. silver medal

The 1984 Olympic 1,500m. final in Los Angeles was another "Clash of the Giants" of British middle distance running Cram (World Champion), Coe (defending Olympic Champion), Ovett (world record holder). However, unlike the previous Moscow Games, where all three also contested the final, Cram was the favourite, not the unknown teenager. But like four years earlier it was Coe who again stole the show.

Try as he could Steve was unable to overtake Seb down the finishing straight and had to settle for second place with 3:33.40sec. to Seb Coe's Olympic record of 3:32.53sec. (see photo above) (Steve Ovett did not finish). An injury interrupted build up to the Games handicapped Steve and he never got near his 1983 best of 3:31.66sec. Fortunately, he had been selected for the Games the previous September and therefore did not need to satisfy the selectors during his build up.

However, following Los Angeles he set about trying to dampen the Olympic disappointment with victories in Budapest 3:33.13sec. and Brussels 3:34.08sec. followed in Koblenz by a mile of 3:49.65sec. the latter to top the U.K. ranking list for the year (Said Aouita took the World No. 1 spot with 3:49.54sec.). He wrapped up the frustrating year with victory in an eight-sided International match in Tokyo. In June he had won the AAA's 800m. title with 1:46.84sec. Even earlier in the year had even ran in the National Cross Country Championships were he came home 78th which gives one an idea of how out-of-sorts his running was during the all important Olympic year.

Thankfully his top form returned the following year when he emulated Coe in running three World records in the space of just nineteen days, but the Olympic gold was forever to elude him. (George Herringshaw)