Sebastian Coe’s 1500m triumph at the Moscow Olympics in 1980 was redemption from the “cardinal sins” he admitted making in losing the 800m final to his greatest rival Steve Ovett days earlier.
Seb Coe defeats Steve Ovett in the 1500 metres at Moscow Olympics. Excerpt from YouTube
On paper, Coe was fastest over 800m and Ovett undefeated over 1500m in 42 races.
But the pair had not raced each other for more than two years – they did so only seven times in all – which made their Moscow duel one of athletics’ most eagerly anticipated clashes.
The two characters were poles apart, their contrasting backgrounds spicing up the rivalry.
Coe, born into middle-class comfort, was the golden boy of British athletics and enjoyed the media attention.
Ovett, a market trader’s son, was less at ease in the spotlight and at times appeared aloof.
But it was Ovett, unfancied for the 800m, who drew first blood. The slow and untidy race did not suit Coe, who fell hopelessly out of position and became mired in the middle of the pack.
Ovett had steered clear of trouble and with 200m to go began to kick for the tape – “Ovett in fourth place, those blue eyes like chips of ice”, commentator David Coleman memorably remarked.
Coe was left with too much to do and Ovett sped away, even finding time to raise his arm triumphantly before crossing the line to take gold.
Coe’s extraordinary speed in the home straight saw him pass Nikolay Kirov of Russia to take silver – an amazing achievement considering he ran such a poor race.
Berated by his father and coach Peter for tactical ineptitude, Coe quickly regrouped.
He was lucky, he told himself. He had a chance to put things right in the 1500m. Six days later he did just that, running a textbook race.
Tucked in behind the leader on the final bend, Coe struck decisively for home.
He hit the tape with his arms outstretched in one of athletics’ most famous photos.
Ovett could only finish third in his best event.
The Moscow Olympics were notable for the triumphs of other greats of British athletics besides Coe and Ovett.
Allan Wells made the most of the USA team’s boycott by winning gold in the 100m and beating Cuban favourite Silvio Leonard.
The Scot, who also took silver in the 200m, remains the last white athlete to win the men’s 100m.
During his career, Daley Thompson won eight gold medals including two consecutive Olympic golds (in 1980 and 1984) and broke the decathlon world record four times.
He was unbeaten in major competitions for nine years from 1979 to 1987.
Only injury denied him an unprecedented third decathlon gold at Seoul in 1988.
Even 15 years after his retirement, Thompson is regarded as the greatest ever all-round athlete.
Mary Peters not only won the pentathlon gold at Munich in 1972, she posted a world record score of 4,801 points.
She remains the oldest woman, at 33, to win the pentathlon or its successor, the heptathlon, which Britain’s Denise Lewis won at Sydney in 2000.
Rower Steve Redgrave sealed his title as Britain’s greatest Olympian when he won his fifth consecutive gold at Sydney in 2000.
He first won gold in 1984 in the coxed fours in Los Angeles. He switched to the coxless pairs at Seoul in 1988 and won with partner Andy Holmes.
The Barcelona Games of 1992 marked the beginning of his partnership with Matthew Pinsent, which saw them win there and in Atlanta in 1996. In 2000, Redgrave triumphed again in the coxless fours.
One of the greatest achievements ever by a British athlete came in 2004 at the Athens Olympics.
After years of injury setbacks and with only a clutch of silver and bronze medals to show for her efforts, Kelly Holmes finally made the step up from good to great with two inspired runs to win gold in the 800m and 1500m.
Team GB enjoyed a spectacular triumph at London 2012, winning 65 medals in total - 29 of them gold.
It was the nation’s best performance at an Olympics since 1908 and 18 more medals than at Beijing in 2008.
The highlights included Mo Farah's double victory in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres and Jessica Ennis’s heptathlon triumph.
Britain dominated the cycling, winning eight golds - the only country to get more than one.
Jason Kenny, Chris Hoy and Laura Trott all took double golds, winning in individual and team events.
Hoy’s victories made him statistically the most successful British Olympian ever, with a total of six golds
Victoria Pendleton and Tour de France champ Bradley Wiggins won in the Women's Keirin and Men’s Time Trial respectively.
Sailor Ben Ainslie’s gold was another milestone. It meant he had won gold in four successive Olympics. He also became the most successful sailor in Olympic history, having won medals at five Games.
Britain further celebrated a tennis gold for Andy Murray - and Nicola Adams won the very first women's boxing gold.