Ethiopia&rsquo;s Roza Dereje, who finished fourth in the Olympic marathon in Sapporo, is among the athletes racing the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Label event, which will be streamed live for free on <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Inside Track</a> on Sunday (20).
It will be Dereje&rsquo;s first marathon since that Olympic appearance three years ago, following the birth of her son, Yobsan.
As well as finishing fourth in Sapporo, the 27-year-old has achieved second and third-place finishes in the Chicago and London marathons, respectively, and has a PB of 2:18:30.
&ldquo;Even though it is my first time to race since I gave birth, running is not new to me,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;So, I am not nervous about it. I am preparing well for the race to make my comeback fruitful.&rdquo;
She will be joined in Toronto by her compatriot Waganesh Mekasha, who won the Osaka Marathon in February and was a close second in Toronto last year, plus Afera Godfay, who was third last year. Natasha Wodak leads the Canadian entries.
The men&rsquo;s field features last year&rsquo;s winner Elvis Cheboi of Kenya, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mulugeta Uma, who won this year&rsquo;s Paris Marathon, and Dubai Marathon fourth-place finisher Abdi Fufa, also of Ethiopia.
<h2>Where to watch</h2>
The 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon&nbsp;will be streamed live for free on <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Inside Track</a>.
The stream will start at&nbsp;7:00am EDT / 11:00am GMT on Sunday 20 October.
Watch live on <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inside Track</a>.

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon will be streamed live for free on World Athletics Inside Track on Sunday (20)

Watch the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Inside Track

It&rsquo;s hardly surprising that Masai Russell is a fighter.
The US hurdler went to high school in Potomac, the Maryland town that was once home to Sylvester Stallone, star of the Rocky movies, and Mike Tyson, a real-life heavyweight boxing champion.
&ldquo;Home is Upper Marlboro, Maryland, but I commuted to Bullis School in Potomac every day for four years,&rdquo; says Russell, who showed her own fighting qualities in the scrap for the Olympic 100m hurdles title in Paris.
The 24-year-old slugged her way into contention off the final barrier in the Stade de France in August, delivering the knockout blow to the big home hope with her lunge for the line.
Russell prevailed in 12.33 - 0.01 ahead of the French athlete Cyrena Samba-Mayela, with defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico third in 12.36.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6713855356176242626605dd.jpg" alt="Masai Russell dips to win the Olympic 100m hurdles title in Paris" />
Masai Russell dips to win the Olympic 100m hurdles title in Paris (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
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It was not the only gold medal success for Bullis in the French capital. Quincy Wilson, the 16-year-old prodigy in the victorious US men&rsquo;s 4x400m squad, happens to be a current student at the independent high school in Potomac.
For Russell, her narrow triumph in the 100m hurdles final was a fifth and final victory of a marathon outdoor season that stretched to 22 races, including heats, semifinals and finals. Her other four wins came in her Olympic heat and in the three rounds she negotiated at the US trials in Eugene in June.
That she emerged victorious from the two meetings out of 15 that mattered the most tells you a lot about the battling spirit of the Marylander who started her track career as a 400m hurdler, clocking 57.55 for bronze at the Pan American U20 Championships back in 2017.
Russell won as many races &ndash; five out of 11 &ndash; during an indoor season which culminated in the disappointment of missing out on a spot on the world indoor 60m hurdles podium by one place and 0.02.
Having started 2024 with four goals written down &ndash; world indoor record, world indoor title, Olympic title and world outdoor record &ndash; she saw the first two claimed by her training partner, the Bahamian Devynne Charlton taking gold in Glasgow in 7.65 ahead of Samba-Mayela (7.74) and Poland&rsquo;s Pia Skrzyszowska (7.79).
&ldquo;It was pretty devastating,&rdquo; reflects Russell, who crossed the line fourth in 7.81.
&ldquo;I missed out on a medal by just being leaned out but I wasn&rsquo;t going to make the same mistake in the outdoor season.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been amazing to see the transition from indoors to out.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6713857c56176242626605e0.jpg" alt="Masai Russell celebrates with her training partner Devynne Charlton in Paris" />
Masai Russell celebrates with her training partner Devynne Charlton in Paris (&copy; Christel Saneh for World Athletics)
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That transition took place at the elite hurdles factory of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, also the alma mater of fellow global gold medal winners Camacho-Quinn, Kendra Harrison and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, as well as Daniel Roberts, runner-up to Grant Holloway in the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles in Paris.
Russell and Charlton are guided by Rolando &ldquo;Lonnie&rdquo; Greene, the Bahamian head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s been my coach from the jump, since coming into Kentucky as an 18-year-old,&rdquo; says Russell.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s such a relentless coach. I&rsquo;ve progressed every single year underneath him, on his programme.&rdquo;
Russell first broke 13 seconds with 12.90 in 2021 and has since improved to 12.71 in 2022, 12.36 in 2023 and now 12.25 in 2024.
That 12.25 came in the final at the US Olympic trials. It puts Russell joint fifth on the world all-time list.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just super-promising that I&rsquo;ve got better every single year under Coach Greene,&rdquo; she continues.
&ldquo;It makes me so happy to know what my future has to hold &ndash; being as young as I am, not being as strong as I could possibly be. I know my ceiling&rsquo;s super-high with a coach like that.&rdquo; 
<div style="padding: 0px 20px 5px 20px; border: 2px solid #b68cff;">
<h2>Global champions in the women's high hurdles</h2>
Not since Australia&rsquo;s Sally Pearson followed world indoor glory in Istanbul with Olympic gold in London in 2012 has there been a back-to-back global champion in the two women&rsquo;s high hurdles events.
Although USA's Nia Ali won successive 60m hurdles titles indoors, in 2014 and 2016, Jamaica&rsquo;s Danielle Williams claimed world 100m hurdles gold outdoors in between.
2024 Olympic Games 100m hurdles: Masai Russell (USA) 2024 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Devynne Charlton (Bahamas) 2023 World Championships 100m hurdles: Danielle Williams (Jamaica) 2022 World Championships 100m hurdles: Tobi Amusan (Nigeria) 2022 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Cyrena Samba-Mayela (France) 2021 Olympic Games 100m hurdles: Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (Puerto Rico) 2019 World Championships 100m hurdles: Nia Ali (USA) 2018 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Kendra Harrison (USA) 2017 World Championships 100m hurdles: Sally Pearson (Australia) 2016 Olympic Games 100m hurdles: Brianna Rollins (USA) 2016 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Nia Ali (USA) 2015 World Championships 100m hurdles: Danielle Williams (Jamaica) 2014 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Nia Ali (USA) 2013 World Championships 100m hurdles: Brianna Rollins (USA) 2012 Olympic Games 100m hurdles: Sally Pearson (Australia) 2012 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Sally Pearson (Australia)
Only two women have won successive 100m hurdles world titles: USA's Gail Devers (1993 and 1995) and Michelle Perry (2005 and 2007).
The only woman to have won&nbsp;successive high hurdles titles&nbsp;in the Olympic arena is Australia&rsquo;s Shirley Strickland in the 80m hurdles (1952 and 1956).
</div>
 In international terms, Russell is still a relative novice in the high hurdles. The 400m hurdles was still her main event two years ago.
She finished sixth in the 400m hurdles final at the 2022 US Championships, clocking 55.66, and fourth in a semifinal of the 100m hurdles in 12.76.
It was not until last year that Coach Greene had Russell concentrating on the high hurdles. She finished third at the US Championships and made the semifinals at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, crashing out after hitting hurdles two and three.
On reflection, she considers her success in this year&rsquo;s Olympic trials as her break-out achievement.
Russell scorched home at Hayward Field in 12.25, ahead of Alaysha Johnson (12.31), Grace Stark (12.31), Nia Ali (12.37), Tonea Marshall (12.38) and Harrison (12.39).
&ldquo;I was way more stressed making the team in the trials than actually being on the line in the Olympic final,&rdquo; she says.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no Olympics if you don&rsquo;t get through the US trials. And the US trials is like the Olympics within itself.
&ldquo;That was the fastest-run women&rsquo;s 100 hurdles. And the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles is the most competitive event in track and field.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all so close and so talented. Whoever has the cleanest race on the day, they&rsquo;re probably going to win.
&ldquo;I think 12 women have run 12.30s this year. I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s ever been done in history&hellip; It&rsquo;s pretty sick.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6713867cb5060fe7563222bf.jpg" alt="Masai Russell on her way to the US 100m hurdles title" />
Masai Russell on her way to the US 100m hurdles title (&copy; Getty Images)
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Indeed, 12 women have run under 12.40 in 2024, six of them in that stunning US final - and that adds up to a historical high by some margin.
In 2023 the total was seven. In 2022 it was six. Prior to that no more than two women had broken 12.40 in any year.
In addition to the intense competition, Russell also has to contend with the tide of history as she looks towards 2025, with the lure of world titles indoors and out, and towards a home Olympics in 2028.
In the cut and thrust of the women&rsquo;s high hurdles, she has become the 14th different consecutive global champion.
Yet Russell maintains she still has her sights on the targets she set at the start of 2024.
&ldquo;My goal is to be the world indoor record-holder, the world indoor champ, world outdoor record-holder, world outdoor champ - and Olympic champ again,&rdquo; she insists.
&ldquo;If I&rsquo;m not shooting to be the best ever in the sport, then what am I doing?
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m trying to build a legacy for those who look up to me: the little girls who don&rsquo;t believe they&rsquo;re big enough or strong enough to do it.
&ldquo;I know that they can. I want to be that person for them.&rdquo;
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics

It’s hardly surprising that Masai Russell is a fighter

Russell's Olympic title win launches legacy in the making

Czech 400m specialist Pavel Maslak has announced his retirement.
During an international career that spanned 18 seasons, the 33-year-old earned a trio of world indoor 400m gold medals, becoming the only athlete in history to win three consecutive world indoor sprint titles.
He also notched up four continental crowns at 400m; three indoors and one outdoors.
Maslak&rsquo;s international career began on home soil at the 2007 World U18 Championships in Ostrava. At the World U20 Championships one year later, he contested the 100m, 4x100m and 4x400m.
His first international medal came in 2009 when he earned 4x100m silver at the European U20 Championships in Novi Sad. He then made his first global final in 2010 in the 200m at the World U20 Championships.
It wasn&rsquo;t long before he made an impact at the senior level. He set his first of many senior Czech records just three days before his 21st birthday, clocking a national indoor 400m record of 46.14. He came close to matching that when finishing fifth at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul three weeks later.
His progress continued outdoors and he won the European outdoor 400m title in Helsinki. Little more than a month later, he broke the 45-second barrier for the first time with a national record of 44.91 in his heat at the Olympic Games in London.
He won his first of three European indoor 400m titles in 2013, while in 2014 he won his first of three consecutive world indoor titles over the same distance, doing so with a national indoor record of 45.24. That same season, he went on to reduce his own national outdoor record to 44.79.
Although he didn&rsquo;t improve on his 400m times beyond that year, he remained one of the most consistent sprinters in Europe, particularly in a championship arena, and he continued breaking Czech records up until last year, his most recent one coming in the 4x400m (3:00.99) at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
A three-time Olympian, Maslak made his final international appearances earlier this season, competing at the World Relays in The Bahamas and at the European Championships in Rome.

Czech 400m specialist Pavel Maslak has announced his retirement

Three-time world indoor 400m champion Maslak retires

When Yalemzerf Yehualaw lines up at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday (20), the Ethiopian will be targeting the top spot of the podium at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race.
The former world 10km record-holder made a stunning marathon debut in 2022, winning in Hamburg in what was then an Ethiopian record of 2:17:23. Later that year, in just her second race over the distance, she won the highly competitive London Marathon in 2:17:26.
The 25-year-old has completed three more marathons since then, but her 2022 London triumph remains her most recent victory.
&ldquo;I want to give my best on Sunday, and of course, I&rsquo;ve come to win,&rdquo; said Yehualaw, whose 1:03:51 half marathon PB remains the second-best performance in history. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking forward to the support from the Amsterdam crowd.&rdquo;
She placed fifth at the London Marathon in 2:23:26 in April, but her 1:05:31 victory at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in August suggests she&rsquo;s in shape for a strong performance on Sunday. The course record of 2:17:20, set by her compatriot Almaz Ayana, could even be in jeopardy.
Yehualaw won&rsquo;t have it all her own way, though. Winfridah Moseti goes into the race as the fastest woman this year, having set a PB of 2:18:25 when finishing second in Hamburg in April. Prior to that, the Kenyan had set a half marathon PB of 1:05:59 in Malaga. Having also finished as runner-up in Frankfurt last year, the 27-year-old will be keen to capture her first victory over the classic distance.
Compatriot Selly Chepyego came within three seconds of breaking the 2:20 barrier last year. Following a third-place finish in Rotterdam in April in 2:22:46, the 39-year-old will aim to join the sub-2:20 club this weekend in the Dutch capital.
Other contenders include 2023 Osaka Marathon winner Haven Hailu, Bahrain&rsquo;s Desi Jisa, and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Enatnesh Tirusew, who&rsquo;ll be contesting her second marathon after a promising 2:20:48 debut earlier this year.
The men&rsquo;s field is similarly competitive. Guye Adola is the fastest in the field and perhaps the most consistent, having achieved podium finishes in five of his six marathons to date.
His PB remains the 2:03:46 clocking he achieved on his marathon debut in Berlin back in 2017 &ndash; a performance which made him the second-fastest Ethiopian in history at that time. He returned to Berlin in 2021 and triumphed in 2:05:45, but he hasn&rsquo;t raced since his 2:07:44 third-place finish in Frankfurt last October.
He&rsquo;ll be joined on the start line by fellow Ethiopian Tsegaye Getachew, the winner in Amsterdam in 2022 in a PB of 2:04:49. He finished 16th at the World Championships last year and fifth in Tokyo earlier this year in 2:06:25.
Bernard Koech is also no stranger to Amsterdam. He finished 12th there in 2019, then set a PB of 2:04:09 to finish second in 2021. His 2:04:24 victory in Hamburg six months ago makes him the fastest entrant based on season&rsquo;s bests.
Kenyan compatriot Philemon Kiplimo, who was third in Hamburg behind Koech in 2:05:37, will also be in Amsterdam. He has a best of 2:04:56, set in Berlin last year.
<h3>Elite fields</h3>
Women Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) 2:17:23 Winfridah Moseti (KEN) 2:18:25 Selly Chepyego (KEN) 2:20:03 Haven Hailu (ETH) 2:20:19 Desi Jisa (BRN) 2:20:47 Enatnesh Tirusew (ETH) 2:20:48 Marcella Herzog (NED) 2:33:10
Men Guye Adola (ETH) 2:03:46 Bernard Koech (KEN) 2:04:09 Tsegaye Getachew (ETH) 2:04:49 Philemon Kiplimo (KEN) 2:04:56 Khalid Choukoud (NED) 2:07:37

When Yalemzerf Yehualaw lines up at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday (20), the Ethiopian will be targeting the top spot of the podium at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race

Yehualaw aims to return to winning ways in Amsterdam

The 70th Cross Internacional Zornotza, the first Gold meeting of this season's World Athletics Cross Country Tour, takes place in Amorebieta on Sunday (20). The line-up is headed by defending Cross Country Tour champion Rodrigue Kwizera and his compatriot Francine Niyomukunzi.
Spain-based Burundian Kwizera is a renowned cross country specialist. He was a joint winner of the 2022-2023 Cross Country Tour, then was the sole champion last season. The last race he completed on the track was his seventh-place finish over 10,000m at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. This year he mainly focused on the roads, clocking 27:07 for 10km in Herzogenaurach.
This weekend he will be joined by compatriot Egide Ntakarutimana, who clocked a 5000m PB of 13:00.74 in Paris this year then went on to compete at the Olympic Games. He recently won a 10km road race in Arezzo in 28:03.
Kwizera&rsquo;s stiffest rivalry should come from Ugandan trio Oscar Chelimo, Dan Kibet and Kenneth Kiprop. Chelimo, the 2022 world 5000m bronze medallist, set a PB of 12:54.59 for the distance this year. Kibet finished just outside the top 10 at this year&rsquo;s World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade; more recently he won over 10km in Berlin in 28:19.
Kiprop earned 5000m bronze at the World U20 Championships in Lima. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Abdisa Fayisa, who finished marginally ahead of Kiprop, will also be in contention on Sunday. After taking 5000m silver in the Peruvian capital, Fayisa went on to take 1500m gold. More recently he finished third in a road mile in Berango last week.
Spain&rsquo;s Abderrahman El Khayami, who finished ahead of Fayisa in that race, will also be racing this weekend. The Spanish contingent also includes national silver medallist Nassim Hassaous and Spanish steeplechase record-holder Fernando Carro, fresh from a comfortable victory at the San Sebastian Half Marathon two weeks ago.
For the second year in a row, the women will cover the same distance as the men (8.7km). Niyomukunzi, winner here in 2021, looks a safe bet to win again in Amorebieta. The Burundian started the year with a big PB of 30:42 over 10km in Valencia, then improved her 5000m PB to 14:44.97 before advancing to the Olympic final in Paris.
Her toughest opposition could come from Hungary&rsquo;s Lili Ann Vindics-Toth. The former steeplechase specialist has recently moved up to longer distances and set a 10km PB of 31:56 earlier this year.
Olympic and European steeplechase finalist Carolina Robles leads the Spanish contingent, alongside Cristina Ruiz, &Aacute;ngela Viciosa and Majida Maayouf. Ruiz will be aiming for her first podium spot here after fifth-place finishes in 2022 and 2023. Viciosa, daughter of 1998 European 5000m champion Isaac Viciosa, finished fourth in the U23 race at last year&rsquo;s European Cross Country Championships.
Maayouf, the Spanish marathon record-holder (2:21:27), will be using this race as part of her preparations for the Valencia Marathon in December.
The list of illustrious past winners in Amorebieta include Ethiopia's Gete Wami (1999 and 2000), Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot (2007 and 2008), Ukraine's Sergey Lebed (2000) and Portugal's Rosa Mota (1986).
Organisers will this weekend pay tribute to two Spanish legends who passed away earlier this year: two-time world cross country champion Carmen Valero and seven-time Amorebieta victor Mariano Haro. Uganda&rsquo;s Rebecca Cheptegei, runner-up here in 2014, who died tragically just 25 days after finishing the Paris Olympic marathon, will also be remembered.
Weather forecasters predict a pleasant sunny and windless day on Sunday, with the thermometer reaching 23C by the time of the event.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

The line-up is headed by defending Cross Country Tour champion Rodrigue Kwizera and his compatriot Francine Niyomukunzi

Kwizera and Niyomukunzi the favourites in Amorebieta

Betty Cuthbert called it &ldquo;the race in which I ran out of athletics and into history&rdquo;.
The race in question was a momentous event in itself: the first Olympic 400m final for women, held on the reddish-brown cinder track of Tokyo&rsquo;s National Stadium on 17 October 1964.
Cuthbert lined up in lane two. Just as in Melbourne eight years previously, the Australian sprinter was considered to be an outsider.
Back in 1956, she had bought tickets to watch the Olympic track and field action on home ground &ndash; before making the Australian team and emerging as the host nation&rsquo;s golden girl.
Just 18, the unheralded Betty Cuthbert won the 100m and 200m ahead of East Germany&rsquo;s Christa Stubnick and anchored the Australian 4x100m quartet to victory in world record time of 44.9.
<h2>Persistent foot injury prior to Tokyo</h2>
In Tokyo, at 26, Cuthbert was two years into a competitive comeback, following a premature retirement that had been prompted by injury and an aversion to the limelight.
As the eight contenders got to their marks for that inaugural Olympic women&rsquo;s 400m final, the spotlight was not on the former double sprint champion from Sydney but on the burgeoning British quarter-miler Ann Packer.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/f73bbe4b-e0bf-4404-80ff-ff907adb2d28.jpg" alt="Betty Cuthbert (468) wins the 1956 Olympic 100m title" />
Betty Cuthbert (468) wins the 1956 Olympic 100m title (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
In the absence of world record holder Sin Kim Dan, North Korea having been banned because of their participation in the unsanctioned Games of the New Emerging Forces, Packer advanced through the rounds as the overwhelming favourite.
The 22-year-old Briton won her heat in 53.1. Cuthbert placed third in hers in a modest 56.0.
Drawn together in the same semifinal &ndash; their first direct confrontation in a major championship &ndash; Packer finished comfortably clear in 52.7, with Cuthbert a distant runner-up in 53.8.
The Sydneysider showed further glimpses of her old golden girl deeds with world record 440 yards times of 53.5 and 53.3 in 1963 (two of the 16 global marks she set during her career) but her form leading into the Tokyo Olympics had been undermined by a persistent foot injury.
The form through the rounds in the Japanese capital strongly suggested that Packer was the woman to beat in the final.
But Cuthbert proceeded to defeat her, shooting into the lead, building a three-metre advantage into the wind down the back-straight and holding her form down the home straight to prevail in 52.0.
The distraught Packer took little consolation in the silver medal and a European record, 52.2, but three days later won the 800m in 2:01.01, a world record.
Cuthbert missed Sin&rsquo;s official 400m world record by 0.1 but gained not just a place in track and field history as the first Olympic women&rsquo;s 400m champion but also as the first athlete to win Olympic gold medals at 100m, 200m and 400m.
Sixty years on, she remains the only sprinter &ndash; male or female &ndash; to have achieved that considerable hat-trick.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the one perfect race I&rsquo;ve ever run,&rdquo; Cuthbert reflected. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s also the hardest.
&ldquo;In Melbourne, everything came easily to me. I was much younger and things happened without me realising it.
&ldquo;But I wanted the one in Tokyo more than anything. It sealed my fate in athletics.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d made up my mind that if I won, I&rsquo;d never run again.&rdquo;
<h2>Ditching retirement to win fourth Olympic gold</h2>
Cuthbert finished her athletics career with a place alongside Fanny Blankers-Koen by becoming the second female track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/dfda915e-f5e5-48ec-937c-59469bc93dcb.jpg" alt="Betty Cuthbert wins the 200m at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956" />
Betty Cuthbert wins the 200m at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 (&copy; Getty images)
</div>
She started it as a prot&eacute;g&eacute; of June Ferguson &ndash; who won Olympic silver as Australia&rsquo;s second leg runner when Blankers-Koen claimed her fourth gold as the anchor woman in the 4x100m at the London Olympics in 1948.
The PE teacher at Parramatta Home Science, and women&rsquo;s coach at the Western Suburbs Athletics Club in Sydney, the former June Maston spotted the raw potential in the 13-year-old Cuthbert.
She never managed to curb Cuthbert&rsquo;s habit of running with her mouth wide open but maximised the benefits of her charge&rsquo;s natural high knee lift and long, raking stride.
Diffident by nature, Cuthbert suffered under the glare of the public spotlight that her 1956 Olympic successes attracted.
She announced her retirement after only reaching the 100m quarter-finals in her injury-hampered 1960 Olympic appearance in Rome and spent the next 14 months concentrating on her work at her father&rsquo;s nursery business, and on breeding and selling budgerigars.
Cuthbert dusted down her spikes after hearing a voice in her head repeatedly urging her to &lsquo;run again&rsquo;. &ldquo;Somehow, I realised it was God speaking to me,&rdquo; she said.
After retiring for good, Cuthbert&rsquo;s religious faith sustained her through 40 years of suffering from multiple sclerosis. She died in 2017, aged 79, her place in track and field posterity assured.
In 2012, the darling of the Melbourne Olympics was in Barcelona for the centennial celebrations of World Athletics when the fastest man in history came across the room to meet her.
As the Australian journalist Peter Fitzsimmons related: &ldquo;Usain Bolt&hellip; came across, bowed, touched Betty tenderly on the shoulder and exclaimed, &lsquo;Four Olympic gold medals and 16 world records&hellip;Wow! You sure could run&hellip;!&rsquo;&rdquo;
On 2 December 2018, Cuthbert along with Blankers-Koen was <a href="https://worldathletics.org/heritage/plaque/news/world-athletics-heritage-plaque-award-launch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">honoured as one of the inaugural dozen recipients of the World Athletics Heritage Plaque</a>, awarded in the posthumous category of &lsquo;Legend&rsquo;.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage

Betty Cuthbert called it “the race in which I ran out of athletics and into history”

Sixty years since Cuthbert completed an unmatched Olympic triple

Renowned for his extraordinary athletics accomplishments and for being an inspiration, Kenya&rsquo;s two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge dedicated his time on Sunday (13) to mentor World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team members in Kapsabet.
&ldquo;I came here to tell you that being a refugee is not the end of life. In fact, it is the beginning of life, because as a refugee you have a lot of fruits hanging in this world,&rdquo; said Kipchoge. &ldquo;Do not treat yourself less because you are refugees, we are all equal as human beings, we are all athletes.&rdquo;
The athletes sat with their pens and notebooks open, ready to jot down the nuggets of wisdom on the fundamentals of a successful life shared by the marathon great. They listened intently.
&ldquo;The whole world has recognised you as a country, are you happy?&rdquo; Kipchoge asked.
The athletes responded with a resounding &lsquo;yes&rsquo; and clapped.
&ldquo;Being recognised means you are the best,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Have faith in yourself, in your school and your coaches. Have respect.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/670fc35c78395520e8d500d9.jpg" alt="Eliud Kipchoge holds a class for refugee athletics team members in Kapsabet" />
Eliud Kipchoge holds a class for refugee athletics team members in Kapsabet (&copy; Michelle Katami)
</div>
The seven student-athletes in attendance at the Eliud Kipchoge Sports Complex included Perina Nakang, Mfite-Umukiza Jules, Estherina Julius and Zinad Akulang, who are part of the World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team, and Peter Lotino Akileo, Peter Lopeyok Michael and James Lokibich, who are athletes sponsored by the school. Coaches were also present.
They looked at Kipchoge with admiration; meeting him was a dream. They were surprised and inspired by the simplicity and humility of Kipchoge, who was accompanied by his fellow athlete Jonathan Korir.
&ldquo;Finally, I have met him. He is somebody like me,&rdquo; said Lopeyok Michael.
Jules added: &ldquo;I didn't expect that he could talk like he did. I thought he was a different person, but I realised that Kipchoge is a very good person. He is a parent; he is very encouraging.&rdquo;
It was a class, with Kipchoge writing out key points and explainers. The theme focused on empowering, inspiring and encouraging the athletes to take education and sports seriously.
The marathon legend emphasised self-discipline, making firm decisions and being consistent, as well as building confidence &ndash; all elements that provide a strong foundation in life.&nbsp;
&ldquo;For me, it is very important because when you have education and talent, you can be somebody,&rdquo; explained Lopeyok Michael.
The day was not about how many Olympic medals or world records Kipchoge has achieved &ndash; in fact, those did not feature at all. Instead, Kipchoge was keen on changing the mindset of the athletes and shifting their perspective on life.
&ldquo;In their faces I saw the future of the refugee team, I saw the future of their countries, I saw the future of sport&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I am positive about the refugee team, they have a great future. In the whole world we have 206 countries participating in the Olympics, but we have plus one which is the Refugee Team, to make 207 countries &ndash; they have a big opportunity to grab.&rdquo;
It was the reminder this team needed, having experienced extremely difficult and traumatic lives. But Kipchoge views their experience as the perfect springboard for mentorship.
&ldquo;They are hard to mould and easy to mould at the same time,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Hard to mould because they have passed through hard life but all in all they are easy to mould because they understand tough life more than anybody else. So, you bring that tough life to education and sport here in Kenya, they are ready to move in.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/670fc41fa50c7704dea0387c.jpg" alt="Mentor Eliud Kipchoge runs alongside members of the refugee athletics team" />
Mentor Eliud Kipchoge runs alongside members of the refugee athletics team (&copy; Michelle Katami)
</div>
Posing questions to each athlete about their plans, Kipchoge discovered that they all harbour the ambition of becoming a legend, just like the man in front of them.
&ldquo;To be like you, to succeed and help my family, respect others, to stay humble, respect my teammates, work on school assignments and work hard in athletics,&rdquo; Julius answered.
&ldquo;To focus on education, to love each other and share,&rdquo; responded Lokibich.
The session was interactive and engaging. There were shared aspirations, along with moments of seriousness and laughter.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Do you want to be successful; own a car, a house, have money and a good life, or do you want to be a legend?&rdquo; Kipchoge asked.
&ldquo;Aim to become the legends of the refugees &ndash; being legendary is to make an impact on behalf of the refugees. It is a real success. But you have to study, train well and remain focused.
&ldquo;Being successful does not happen in one night. Success takes time. If you love your life and sports, avoid drugs. True champions are winning by their own sweat, blood and hard work,&rdquo; he added.
&ldquo;The longer you are in sport, the more opportunities you secure. You must know what you want, and where you want to go in your education and athletics. You must fight for opportunities.&rdquo;
The athletes were accompanied by their head coach Janeth Jepkosgei, the 2007 world 800m champion, and two other coaches.
&ldquo;The mentorship session was important; these kids have been longing to meet Eliud,&rdquo; said Jepkosgei. &ldquo;The team will see their lives differently. They are motivated and encouraged and believe that education and athletics can change your life and community, and it's an inspiration for them.&rdquo;
Giving a message to the coaches, Kipchoge said: &ldquo;You have to develop cohesiveness; these athletes must be free to speak to you. You know how to mentor, nurture and make talent propel.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/670fc48ca50c7704dea0387f.jpg" alt="Refugee athletics team members were left inspired after meeting mentor Eliud Kipchoge" />
Refugee athletics team members were left inspired after meeting mentor Eliud Kipchoge (&copy; Michelle Katami)
</div>
Then it was time for the athletes and coaches to ask Kipchoge some questions.
&ldquo;My dream to meet you has come true. You have told us to know ourselves and believe we can. In your career, have you ever hit a wall with no results, yet you trained well and wanted to give up?&rdquo; Jules asked.
Kipchoge replied: &ldquo;The moment you perform, you have gone through challenges people do not know. I have been through a lot, but I keep pushing. You have to experience pain and frustrations so that you know how to handle success when it lands on you.&rdquo;
He was also asked: &ldquo;How do you feel when lining up with other champions, like (Kenenisa) Bekele?&rdquo;
&ldquo;Treat yourself as the best one,&rdquo; Kipchoge responded. &ldquo;At the start, tell yourself you have trained better than everybody else and during exams tell yourself that you have studied more than everybody else. Compete with yourself.&rdquo;
Kipchoge&rsquo;s remarkable athletics career, which spans 22 years, is older than the refugee athletes he mentored, as they are aged between 17 and 21 years. By sharing his experience, Kipchoge reminded them that despite his athletics triumphs, he has navigated challenges and even inner turmoil.
&ldquo;He has given me and the team a lot of advice, including that I have to respect myself, my coach, my teachers and my teammates. He has been through a lot of challenges in his career, but he did not give up. Even us, we have experienced a tough life, but we are holding on,&rdquo; said Nakang, who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Mentorship is something that Kipchoge takes seriously. In 2023, he became mentor to the U20 World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team. Through this role, Kipchoge inspires the upcoming generation.
&ldquo;I treat the U20 athletes as the next generation,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I want to inspire them to run for the next 20-plus years because I want them to proceed beyond 2045, in the future promoting sport, competing for their countries, loving the sport, promoting education and bringing development and exposure to their countries.&rdquo;
The 39-year-old, who holds five of the 11 fastest marathon times in history, has given a seal of approval to the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletics-better-world/athlete-refugee-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team</a> programme, which has been running since 2016.
&ldquo;It is a plus; a firm and positive decision by World Athletics,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Let this project continue, let it flow. These are the flowers of World Athletics, what they are injecting in the form of finance and infrastructure to refugee athletes, they have shown these are real flowers of what they have been doing.&rdquo;
Michelle Katami for World Athletics

Renowned for his extraordinary athletics accomplishments and for being an inspiration, Kenya’s two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge dedicated his time on Sunday to mentor World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team members in Kapsabet

Marathon great Kipchoge mentors refugee athletics team in Kapsabet

An award for the best athletics photograph of the year will once again be presented as part of the World Athletics Awards 2024.
Any professional photographer who has attended an athletics event in 2024 can take part in the World Athletics Photograph of the Year.
Photographers are requested to <a href="https://eu.research.net/r/WAPhotooftheYear2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">submit one photograph via the online form</a> and include a caption, the date the photograph was taken, the image's technical information and a short photographer bio (no more than 50 words). Entries should be no larger than 5MB and must be received by 23:59 Monaco time on 31 October.
A panel of experts will judge the photos and will select the top 10 entries. From that shortlist, the panel will then select the top three images. The finalists will be revealed on 19 November and the winner will be announced via World Athletics social media platforms at the end of November.
&bull; <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/67080c61c256762b74aadb58.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full contest rules</a>
<h3>The panellists are:</h3>
Mathieu Forget Forget is a globally acclaimed artist and creative director, known for his innovative work in movement and levitation art. Hailing from Paris, he is a dancer, photographer and performer who merges the physical and digital worlds. Driven by a passion for freedom of expression and self-improvement, Forget blends diverse styles in his work and challenges the laws of gravity through his unique, levitating art. Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Forget collaborated with more than 30 athletes, as well as prominent Parisian institutions and brands, to connect art and sport in innovative ways.
Raquel Cavaco Nunes Nunes graduated in law from Lisbon University. After several years working in legal and European Union affairs, she is now fully involved in events and sports management, in particular in the area of media operations. Nunes has collaborated with several organising committees and international federations in a range of capacities and has taken part in a variety of sport events. She has been World Athletics Photo Commissioner since 2013 and has worked at eight Olympic Games, including in Rio as Venue Press and Photo Operations Manager and in Tokyo as Athletics Venue Manager.
Pascal Rondeau Rondeau started his sports photography career in London for the prestigious Allsport photography agency. He then led the photo department of L&rsquo;Equipe newspaper in Paris. Over the past 30 years, Pascal has covered eight Summer Olympic Games and a range of other major sports events. He was appointed Venue Photo Manager at the Olympic Stadium for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 as well as Paris 2024.&nbsp;
Valerie Adams In an international career spanning more than two decades, Adams won a huge collection of shot put medals for New Zealand. She is one of a select group of athletes to have won world titles at the U18, U20 and senior level. Her medal collection includes four outdoor world titles, four world indoor titles and two Olympic gold medals. She retired from competitive athletics in 2021 after taking Olympic bronze in Tokyo, but is still actively involved in the sport as a World Athletics Athletes' Commission member.
Christian Taylor The recently retired US athlete was the most consistent triple jumper of his generation. He won his first world title at the age of 21, then went on to win three more. He earned Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016, while his triple jump PB of 18.21m ranks him second on the world all-time list. A multi-talented athlete, Taylor also excelled at the long jump and 400m.
World Athletics

An award for the best athletics photograph of the year will once again be presented as part of the World Athletics Awards 2024

Best photographs of 2024 to be recognised as part of World Athletics Awards

When it comes to athlete safety and wellbeing, there are many common points between athletics and cycling. Medical conditions such as exertional heat stroke, traumatic brain injuries (ie concussions), and nutrition for competition and training are relevant to elite athletes in both sports.
Last year, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and World Triathlon medical departments officially joined the World Academy for Endurance Medicine, powered by World Athletics, to support healthcare professionals overseeing these sports. The goal is to ensure that internationally accepted treatment gold standards are adopted and implemented in all competitions.
Stephane Bermon, Director of the Health &amp; Science Department at World Athletics, highlighted the importance of the collaboration.
&ldquo;The partnership between the UCI and World Athletics in the context of the Academy is an invaluable opportunity to exchange best practices that are crucial to our sports,&rdquo; said Bermon. &ldquo;Together, we are elevating the standard of sports medicine to ensure athletes' safety and performance in even the most challenging conditions. This partnership will empower healthcare professionals to better protect and guide athletes, ultimately benefiting both the sports of cycling and athletics.&rdquo;
Recently, the Health &amp; Science Department at World Athletics was invited to the UCI headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland, to further discuss and plan future pedagogical tools and research projects beneficial to both cyclists and endurance runners, regardless of their level of expertise.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/670e22e3bb06eb4e06222064.jpeg" alt="The UCI headquarters in Aigle" />
The UCI headquarters in Aigle
</div>
A top priority for 2025 is the joint development of two e-learning modules on concussion management and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). Concussion injuries can have serious consequences and medical education is vital, to improve the diagnosis and monitoring of these brain injuries. RED-S, a condition caused by chronic under-fuelling that leads to multiple health problems and poor performance, is also common among distance and mountain runners, as well as cyclists.
World Athletics has also developed significant expertise in assessing and mitigating environmental stressors, such as extreme heat and poor air quality. These increasingly critical issues greatly impact the health and performance of both cyclists and runners. The UCI and World Athletics will soon pool their resources and knowledge to better understand the environmental challenges faced by professional road cyclists during summer stage races.
&ldquo;Being able to draw on World Athletics&rsquo; experience in the hyperlocal and dynamic monitoring of environmental stressors is a great opportunity for road cycling and will likely help us to better understand and eventually mitigate these environmental risks,&rdquo; said UCI Medical Director Professor Xavier Bigard.
By joining their expertise, both organisations aim to push the boundaries of sports medicine, ensuring that athletes across disciplines are better protected and supported, ultimately elevating endurance sports to a new level of health and safety.

The Health & Science Department at World Athletics was invited to the UCI headquarters in Switzerland to further discuss and plan future pedagogical tools and research projects

World Athletics and UCI strengthen partnership in endurance medicine

This week marks the opening of the voting process for the World Athletes of the Year ahead of the World Athletics Awards 2024.
World Athletics is pleased to confirm a list of five nominees for Women&rsquo;s Field Athlete of the Year and five nominees for Men&rsquo;s Field Athlete of the Year. These athletes were selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of World Athletics.
In what has been another memorable year for the sport, the nominations reflect some of the standout performances achieved at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, World Athletics Indoor Championships, one-day meeting circuits and other events around the world.
<h3>The nominees for 2024 Women&rsquo;s Field Athlete of the Year are (in alphabetical order):</h3>
Valarie Allman, USA &bull; Olympic discus champion &bull; Diamond League discus champion
Tara Davis-Woodhall, USA &bull; Olympic long jump champion &bull; World indoor long jump champion
Nina Kennedy, Australia &bull; Olympic pole vault champion &bull; Diamond League pole vault champion
Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Ukraine &bull; Olympic high jump champion &bull; World high jump record
Nafissatou Thiam, Belgium &bull; Olympic heptathlon champion &bull; World leader 
<h3>The nominees for 2024 Men&rsquo;s Field Athlete of the Year are (in alphabetical order):</h3>
Ryan Crouser, USA &bull; Olympic shot put champion &bull; World indoor shot put champion
Jordan Alejandro Diaz Fortun, Spain &bull; Olympic triple jump champion &bull; World leader
Mondo Duplantis, Sweden &bull; Olympic pole vault champion &bull; World pole vault record
Ethan Katzberg, Canada &bull; Olympic hammer champion &bull; World leader
Miltiadis Tentoglou, Greece &bull; Olympic long jump champion &bull; World indoor long jump champion
The vote to determine the Field Athlete of the Year finalists is now open on World Athletics social media platforms -&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" href="https://www.instagram.com/worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a>.&nbsp;It will close on 20 October.
The nominees for the Track Athlete of the Year awards will be announced on 21 October and the nominees for the Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year awards will be announced on 28 October.
World Athletics

World Athletics is pleased to confirm a list of five nominees for Women’s Field Athlete of the Year and five nominees for Men’s Field Athlete of the Year

Nominees announced for Field Athlete of the Year 2024

Later today, the voting process will open to determine the winners of the 2024 World Athlete of the Year awards.
The system for selecting the award winners has changed for 2024. Like last year, there will be three separate awards for men and three for women, recognising the athletes of the year for track, field and out-of-stadium events. There will also be men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s awards for an overall World Athlete of the Year.
<h2>How it works</h2>
A panel of international experts has compiled a long list of nominees for each of the three main award categories. Voting will take place to determine the two finalists in each category.
The World Athletics Council&rsquo;s vote will count for 50% of the result, while the World Athletics Family&rsquo;s votes and social media votes will each count for 25% of the result.
The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email, while the social vote will be open on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a>. Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted later today; a 'like' on Facebook and Instagram or a retweet on X will count as one vote.
Once the finalists have been established, a fan vote will open &ndash; <a href="https://worldathletics.org/inside-track" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/inside-track">for all registered users of Inside Track</a> &ndash; to help determine the overall World Athletes of the Year.
The 2024 World Athletics Awards also includes the Rising Star awards, Coaching Achievement Award, Woman of the Year, Photograph of the Year, Member Federation Award and President&rsquo;s Award.
<h3>Key dates</h3>
14-20 October &ndash; vote opens for field athletes of the year 21-27 October &ndash; vote opens for track athletes of the year 28 October-3 November &ndash; vote opens for out-of-stadium athletes of the year 4 November &ndash; finalists announced for each category 4 November &ndash; fan vote opens
Fans can <a href="https://worldathletics.org/inside-track" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/inside-track">sign up to Inside Track</a> to pre-register for the fan vote.
World Athletics

The system for selecting the award winners has changed for 2024

Updated voting process opens for 2024 World Athlete of the Year awards

With two laps remaining of the men&rsquo;s 1500m final at the 1980 Olympic Games, Jurgen Straub of East Germany held pole position, followed by a trio of British runners: Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram.
While Coe proceeded to emerge victorious from the gripping second leg of his double-headed Moscow showdown with his great rival Ovett (the winner of their 800m clash taking bronze behind Straub at the longer distance), the still-callow youth playing the Third Man role in the British team faded out of contention.
The exhausted Cram may have wound up eighth, winning his home straight battle to avoid last place with Balkan champion Dragan Zdravkovic of Yugoslavia, but &lsquo;merely&rsquo; making it into the big race in Moscow played a huge role in the development of the teenage prodigy.
In time, the gangly 19-year-old with the distinctive mop of blond hair would eclipse Coe and Ovett as world record-holder for 1500m and the mile, and earn a lasting place in track and field history as the first man to win the world 1500m title.
The generous donation of Cram&rsquo;s bright red Great Britain tracksuit from those Moscow Olympics has been such a welcome addition to the ever-expanding collection of the <a href="https://viewerxp-wa.azurewebsites.net/#/MOWA-Temporary5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of World Athletics (MOWA)</a> because it represents a pivotal moment in the development of one of the all-time greats of the sport.
<h2>Mental resolve</h2>
Just 12 months previously, Cram had been running in the palatinate purple and yellow colours of the County Durham school athletics team in front of the proverbial one man and his dog at the unprepossessing Lightfoot track in the east end of Newcastle. He won the 1500m, in an inter-county schools match against Northumberland and Cumbria, in 3:57.5.
By then, however, the coltish Cram had already made his major championship debut, having made the English team for the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton as a 17-year-old, bowing out in the 1500m heats.
It said a lot for the mental resolve that was to ultimately take him into the same hallowed track and field territory as Coe and Ovett that the 19-year-old Cram managed to claw his way on to the British team for the Moscow Olympics, and into his first global final.
He started 1980 as Britain&rsquo;s sixth-ranked 1500m man &ndash; behind Coe, Ovett, Dave Moorcroft, John Robson and Graham Williamson &ndash; and thought his chances of selection had disappeared when he tripped and fell in the designated trial race at the AAA Championships.
But then Moorcroft, who won the 1500m trial in the absence of the pre-selected Coe and Ovett, chose to accept selection for the 5000m instead. With Robson out injured, Cram won a run-off with Williamson for the third team spot &ndash; finishing 2.6 seconds ahead of his Scottish rival with a 3:53.8 clocking as runner-up in Ovett&rsquo;s 3:48.8 world mile record run in Oslo.
<h2>&lsquo;I&rsquo;d gone over my psychological peak&rsquo;</h2>
Out in the Russian capital, he might not have made it past the opening heat had the former 1500m world record-holder Filbert Bayi not been a late withdrawal. Cram sneaked the fourth and final qualifying spot by 0.1.
It was an even closer call in his semifinal. As Ovett waved to the Brits in the crowd en route to a comfortable victory, Cram dug deep all the way down the home straight to snatch fourth place on the line, ousting Vladmir Maiozermlin of the Soviet Union, who clocked the same time.
Come crunch time in the final, when Straub upped the gas with 650m remaining, it was no surprise that the young Briton had nothing left in his tank.
&ldquo;I was shattered physically and definitely overawed,&rdquo; Cram reflected in an interview in Athletics Monthly magazine. &ldquo;I think I&rsquo;d gone over my psychological peak by reaching the final.&rdquo;
Nonetheless, the Moscow 1500m final gave Cram an insight into the psychological workings of a high-pressure showpiece race that was to prove invaluable.
<h2>First man to break 3:30</h2>
Two years later, in 1982, he won the European and Commonwealth 1500m titles. The year after that he won the 1500m at the inaugural World Athletics Championships in Helsinki, and also beat Ovett &ndash; who had finished fourth in the Finnish capital and subsequently broken his own world 1500m record &ndash; in a thriller of a head-to-head mile race in the end-of-season meeting at London&rsquo;s Crystal Palace.
Then came an Olympic 1500m rematch against Coe and Ovett in Los Angeles in 1984. His preparation seriously hampered by a calf injury, Cram worked wonders to take the silver medal as the revitalised Coe himself emerged from two years of illness and injury to become the first man in history to successfully defend the Olympic 1500m crown; the asthmatic Ovett failed to finish, suffering from chest pains in the LA smog.
Frustrated at having not been in 100% shape for his second Olympic appearance, Cram set about attacking the world record book in 1985.
In a classic 1500m race in Nice, he beat Said Aouita, the Olympic 5000m champion, and became the first man to break 3:30, eclipsing Ovett&rsquo;s world record with 3:29.67. Then, in the Dream Mile in Oslo, he beat Coe and the double Olympic champion&rsquo;s world record, clocking 3:46.32. Running 4:51.39 for 2000m in Budapest made it three world records in 19 days.
The golden streak continued in 1986 as Cram completed a majestic Commonwealth double at 800m and 1500m in Edinburgh before retaining his European 1500m title and taking bronze at 800m in Stuttgart.
His form dipped in 1987, when he finished eighth in the world 1500m final in Rome, but in 1988 he was getting back to his best before injury in a 1000m race in Rieti scuppered his hopes of Olympic gold in Seoul.
The wounded colt-turned-thoroughbred finished fourth in the 1500m final in the South Korean capital but finished his career with six major golds &ndash; as many as Coe and Ovett put together.
<h3>MOWA Olympic Athletics Collection</h3>
Cram&rsquo;s Olympic tracksuit, which was recently on public display as part of the MOWA Olympic Athletics Collection in the Westin Paris-Vendome hotel, will permanently enter the museum&rsquo;s 3D platform in December as part of the MOWA&rsquo;s annual induction of new artefacts: <a href="https://viewerxp-wa.azurewebsites.net/#/MOWA-Temporary5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enter the 3D MOWA platform</a>
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage

The generous donation of Cram’s bright red Great Britain tracksuit from those Moscow Olympics has been such a welcome addition to the ever-expanding collection of the Museum of World Athletics

Vacancy: Member Relations internship

"An almost mystical experience" - 60 years since Bikila completed back-to-back Olympic victories

Nominees announced for Track Athlete of the Year 2024

Kwizera and Niyomukunzi confirm supremacy in Amorebieta

Yehualaw breaks Amsterdam course record, Getachew regains title