1978 European Athletics Championships – Men's 800 metres explained

Event:Men's 800 metres
Competition:European Athletics Championships

These are the official results of the Men's 800 metres event at the 1978 European Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia.[1] The final was held on 31 August 1978.[2]

The two favourites for the race were Steve Ovett[3] and Sebastian Coe[4] Ovett had won silver at 800 m at the previous European Championships in 1974 in Rome,[5] and had won the 1500m, in spectacular fashion, at the IAAF World Cup[6] the previous year (he was to remain unbeaten at that distance until the 1980 Olympics).[7] Coe was the new British record holder at 800 m and the fastest man that year leading into the race at 800 m.[8]

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.[9] [10] However, by concentrating on Coe and Ovett the press were ignoring the other talents in the race, including East Germany's Olaf Beyer.[11]

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.[12]

Medalists

GoldOlaf Beyer
SilverSteve Ovett
BronzeSebastian Coe

Results

Final

31 August

Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
align=left align=left 1:43.84 CR
align=left align=left 1:44.09
align=left align=left 1:44.76
4 align=left align=left 1:45.79
5 align=left align=left 1:46.24
6 align=left align=left 1:47.1
7 align=left align=left 1:47.4
8 align=left align=left 1:53.4

Semi-finals

30 August

Semi-final 1

Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 align=left align=left 1:47.44 Q
2 align=left align=left 1:47.6 Q
3 align=left align=left 1:47.7 Q
4 align=left align=left 1:47.8 Q
5 align=left align=left 1:47.9
6 align=left align=left 1:48.2
7 align=left align=left 1:48.5
8 align=left align=left 1:49.2

Semi-final 2

Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 align=left align=left 1:46.51 Q
2 align=left align=left 1:46.74 Q
3 align=left align=left 1:46.94 Q
4 align=left align=left 1:47.2 Q
5 align=left align=left 1:47.4
6 align=left align=left 1:47.9
7 align=left align=left 1:48.9
8 align=left align=left 1:49.3

Heats

29 August

Heat 1

Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 align=left align=left 1:47.80 Q
2 align=left align=left 1:48.1 Q
3 align=left align=left 1:48.3 Q
4 align=left align=left 1:48.4 q
5 align=left align=left 1:48.6
6 align=left 1:48.6

Heat 2

Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 align=left align=left 1:47.72 Q
2 align=left align=left 1:48.1 Q
3 align=left align=left 1:48.5 Q
4 align=left align=left 1:49.0
5 align=left 1:49.3

Heat 3

Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 align=left align=left 1:49.08 Q
2 align=left align=left 1:49.4 Q
3 align=left align=left 1:49.5 Q
4 align=left align=left 1:50.0
5 align=left align=left 1:50.5
6 align=left align=left 1:51.6

Heat 4

Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 align=left align=left 1:46.82 Q
2 align=left align=left 1:47.07 Q
3 align=left align=left 1:47.13 Q
4 align=left align=left 1:47.18 q
5 align=left align=left 1:47.19 q
6 align=left align=left 1:47.23 q
7 align=left align=left 1:50.4

Participation

According to an unofficial count, 24 athletes from 15 countries participated in the event.

See also

Other Links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjzR8AOvEzc 1978 European 800m - men, youtube.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  2. http://home.swipnet.se/athletics/resultat1978.htm European Championship 1978. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20200417171115/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ov/steve-ovett-1.html Steve Ovett at Sports Reference
  4. https://web.archive.org/web/20121102084951/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/co/sebastian-coe-1.html Sebastian Coe at Sports Reference
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU9Gqhoqno4 'ROMA 1974: 800 MASCHILI - LUCIANO SUSANJ', youtube.com.
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W7GogWlv7Q 1977 World Cup 1500m - Steve Ovett, youtube.com.
  7. http://www.uka.org.uk/e-inspire/hall-of-fame-athletes/steve-ovett/ Steve Ovett, United Kingdom Athletics biography.
  8. http://www.uka.org.uk/e-inspire/hall-of-fame-athletes/sebastian-coe/ Sebastian Coe, United Kingdom Athletics biography.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. https://web.archive.org/web/20200418022939/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/be/olaf-beyer-1.html Olaf Beyer at Sports Reference
  12. http://digilander.libero.it/Mennea/Stagionali/WRL/1978/800.htm 1978 800m performances. Retrieved 16 May 2012.