Cram vs.Aouita-1500m WR (HQ), Nice,1985.

In one of the all time classic middle distance races Steve Cram takes a second of his fellow countryman Steve Ovett's 1500 metres WR but is almost caught on the line by his great rival ,the Moroccon Said Aouita,who,with an incredible burst of speed misses victory by just 4/100ths. of a second.

Comments

1. EVEN I FORGET HE BROKE RECORDS... THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH BRITISH SPORT... EASY FORGOTTEN THESE FOLK... NO ONE EVEN RECALLS DAVID MORECROFT (SIC) OR ALAN WELLS, EVEN...
2. AFTER WATCHING THE INDOORS THIS WEEK.. I THOUGHT I'D HAVE A LOOK BACK... SEEMS CRAM HAS A DECENT WORD IN SOMEONE'S EAR.. AND MUIR HAS TAKEN HEED...
3. Amazing that Cruz was expected to be the one to break the world record here.
4. British athletes should have gone on from there, because Cram set the level and showed that could be achieved!
5. In addition to a great race, this led to the best Track and Field News cover ever produced, a beautiful photo of a leaning finish
6. سعید عویطه والزمن الجمیل زرع فی شباب المغرب عشق الریاضه وبالتالی التخلی عن الاجرام والادمان وخلف جیل قوی امثال بوطیب السکاح حسو بولامی لحلافی للخنوشی موعزیز بدوان حسناء الگروج وآخرین نتمنی ان یصعد جیل اخر قادر علی حمل هذا المشعل المفقوذ ...
7. I think if I remember seb coe beat cram in 85,I think not sure it was in team GB vs another country, then got a injury, that season or was ill,came back later in the season, from injury to face cram in Oslo dream mile,and I think came third in 85
8. Aouita was the 5000 Olympic champ and never at this distance!
9. Such a fantastic race
10. This has to be one of the most astonishing races I have ever seen. I remember this legendary showdown like it was yesterday. This was Crams best season; shame it wasn't an Olympic year!
11. go on jarrow good lad
12. Majestic
13. The last 800m was covered in 1:50 which is unbelievable even by today's standards. Cram was incredible in 1985.
14. great athletes. great commentators. the current commentators don't come close. box tickers not legends.
15. legends.
16. CRAZY!
17. I remember watching this down in the south of France looking through a TV shop window. It was a jaw dropping run and a really exciting race.
18. @coolro He ran in his first of 3 olympics in 1980, aged 19, 4 years before Aouita (who managed 2) and was perpetually injured from 1987 onwards. Aouita lowered this by 0.23 of a second, hardly pulverising it as opposed to Cram's 1.10 seconds off Ovett's. I would remind @coolro that (as much as i always loved Aouita) it was Aouita that ran away from Austrailia after one of his athletes reported him for allegedly advocating she use drugs - nobody ever accused Cram of that or of anything else. Still, Aouita had an unmatchable range (an easy 27m 26.11 for 10000m in 1986 the whole way through to 1m 43,8 for 800m in 1988) that really can only be down to pure amazing talent for which he will always be remember. Greats like Cram, or anyone else, should only be spoken of in facts and not b oll ocks (please pardon my iritation).
19. Few days later, aouita pulverized that time.
20. While I think aouita was 100% clean, I am certainly in doubt about cram.  his career was shot lived unlike aouita which spanned over a decade.  usually cheaters are short lived.