As the London Olympics approach, Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson is counting down the five greatest Olympic performances by North-East competitors. Today, at number four on the list, he recalls Steve Cram’s 1,500m silver medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles

IT is remembered as one of the greatest races in the history of British athletics.

The 1,500m final at the 1984 Games came in the middle of a golden period for British middle-distance running and featured three of the most successful British athletes of all time.

Sebastian Coe, the reigning 1,500m champion from the 1980 Olympics.

Steve Ovett, winner of the 800m four years earlier and a respected 1,500 specialist.

And to complete the triumvirate, Steve Cram, the ‘Jarrow Arrow’ who had improved markedly since finishing eighth in his first Olympic final in Moscow.

Cram’s participation in the Los Angeles Games had been in doubt for much of the preceding summer.

He injured his ankle and, when he had to pull out of an event at Crystal Palace less than a month before the Olympics, it looked as though he would not make the start line in LA.

However, he proved his fitness in time and cruised through his opening heat in eyecatching fashion.

He also won his semi-final, and a strong showing was expected as he lined up for the final on a warm August evening. He did not disappoint.

Dropping himself into the middle of the pack, Cram tracked the leaders for the opening two laps of the race.

Always a renowned finisher, he followed Coe’s burst into second place with two laps to go and sat on the shoulder of the reigning champion as they entered the back straight.

At the bell, Coe was in second position, Cram was third and Ovett was fourth – a remarkable sight for British track-and-field fans.

Unfortunately, Ovett’s race was about to come to a premature end.

He had been suffering from a respiratory problem in the build up to the Games and was struggling to breathe as he passed the bell.

He collapsed onto the infield, leaving his two teammates in pole position as they turned into the back straight for the final time.

Cram made his move with 200m to go, but Coe responded. The North- Easterner trailed by three or four metres at the turn, and was unable to claw back the deficit on the sprint to the line.

“Silver Steve…but Coe is No.1,” was The Northern Echo’s headline the following morning, accompanied by a photograph of Cram looking on in admiration as Coe celebrated his success.

“Before the race, I thought Steve Cram was the guy who was going to stand in the way of me winning,” said Coe.

“I thought the gold and silver would be fought out between us.”

Cram refused to blame his defeat on the injury that had interrupted his preparation, and instead paid tribute to Coe, who set a new Olympic record as he won in 3:32.53sec.

“Seb was brilliant,” said Cram. “I didn’t think he had the legs to run that fast. I was beaten by a better athlete on the day and that is what its all about. I am delighted for him.”

Cram’s medal was one of three won by North-East athletes in Los Angeles, with Charlie Spedding claiming a bronze in the marathon and Mike McLeod’s 10,000m bronze being upgraded to a silver after Finland’s Martti Vainio was found guilty of a doping offence.

Twelve months later, the lifelong Sunderland fan would break three world records in the space of 19 days, but he was unable to add another Olympic medal to his collection.

A calf injury affected his build up to the 1988 Games in Seoul, and while he qualified for the 1,500m final after crashing out in the early rounds of the 800m, he finished fourth behind Kenya’s Peter Rono.