30 Facts About Steve Ovett

Steve Ovett set five world records for 1500 metres and the mile run, and a world best at two miles.

Steve Ovett won 45 consecutive 1500 and mile races from 1977 to 1980.

Steve Ovett gained some Olympic experience in 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, when he ran in the final of the 800m and was placed fifth, behind winner Alberto Juantorena of Cuba.

Steve Ovett finished fifth because he ran the first lap too inconsistently.

Steve Ovett failed to reach the 1500 m final, having been obstructed in the semi-final when Canadian athlete Dave Hill fell and Ovett had to hurdle over him.

In 1977, Steve Ovett began to regularly defeat the 1500 metres Olympic champion John Walker.

Steve Ovett led Coe in the 800m and appeared to be on his way to gold, before being caught by the East German Olaf Beyer, whose time of 1:44:09 turned out to be his fastest ever 800m run.

In that race, Steve Ovett waved to the crowd on the home straight and clearly slowed down in the last metres yet still won by over a second from Ireland's Eamonn Coghlan.

In 1978, Steve Ovett set extremely fast times at disparate distances.

Steve Ovett arrived at the 1980 Moscow Olympics as favourite to take the 1500 m title, being unbeaten over the 1500 m and the mile for three years.

Ovett's participation in the 800 m would serve as a test for the 1500 m In the 800 m final, Ovett was only in sixth place at the halfway mark, but pushed his way through the crowd to second place.

Seventy metres from the line, Steve Ovett took the lead and held off a challenge from Coe to win by four metres.

However, Steve Ovett avoided this unusual removal of a record via rule change by setting a new record later in 1980 of 3:31.36.

Steve Ovett suffered an upset in a 1500m race in Oslo that year.

Steve Ovett had recovered by the spring of 1982, but further injuries hampered his progress.

Steve Ovett returned to action in 1983, although his season had been hampered by injuries, which resulted in his not being selected for the 800 m at the World Championships in Helsinki.

Steve Ovett was selected for the 1500 m, but ran a poor tactical race in the final and finished 4th, behind winner Steve Cram.

Steve Ovett was yet to reach his peak for 1983, which followed with a 1500 m world record of 3:30.77 in Rieti.

In 1984, after a successful season of winter training in Australia, Steve Ovett's progress was slightly hampered by minor injuries and a bout of bronchitis.

Steve Ovett attempted to defend his 800 m title in the 1984 Olympic Games, but after arriving in Los Angeles he began to suffer from respiratory problems.

Steve Ovett was unlucky to be drawn against eventual winner Joaquim Cruz in each of his two heats and the semi-final, in which he only narrowly qualified for the final, lunging for the finish in 4th place and appearing to collapse over the line.

Steve Ovett had run 1:44:81, his second fastest time ever at the distance.

Steve Ovett recovered in time to make the final, but was clearly below his best and finished eighth, after which he collapsed and spent two nights in hospital.

Steve Ovett later collapsed with chest pains and was taken away on a stretcher.

However, the following month, in the European Championships, he failed to finish in hot conditions, allowing Jack Buckner - whom Steve Ovett had beaten with consummate ease in Edinburgh - to win the gold.

Steve Ovett then failed to make the 1988 Olympic team and finally announced his retirement in 1991, a year after Sebastian Coe.

Steve Ovett has been a track and field television commentator for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation since 1992.

Steve Ovett now lives in Australia and was a part of the BBC's on-location commentary team for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

In 1987 a bronze statue of Steve Ovett was erected in Preston Park, Brighton.

Steve Ovett joined the development squad of the French AG2R La Mondiale team in 2015.