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Described
in some quarters as ‘Britain’s greatest ever athlete’, Coe helped
catapult athletics into the nation’s consciousness with a series
of awesome performances on the running track.
Winner
of two Olympic gold medals in the 1500m, in 1980 and 1984, Coe also
broke eight world records during a glittering career.
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| Coe
turned to politics at the end of his athletics career |
His
world record mark of 1min 41.73sec, set in Oslo, in 1981, stood
unbroken until 1997 - proof if ever it was needed that Coe was a
very special athlete indeed.
Born
in Chiswick, London in 1956, Coe was raised in Sheffield and began
his running career when he joined Hallamshire Harriers at the age
of 12.
Success
quickly followed, and such was Coe’s obvious talent, his father
Peter predicted in 1973 that his then teenage son would break the
1500m record by 1980.
In
fact, Coe exceeded even his father’s expectations by smashing three
world records, including the 1500m, in the space of 41 days in 1979.
After
retiring from the sport in 1989, Coe pursued a political career,
becoming the Conservative MP for Falmouth and Camborne in 1992.
Now
a peer in the House of Lords, Coe’s legacy - along with fellow athletes
Steve Ovett and Steve Cram - remains.
It
is a hard act to follow.
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