MEN'S 1500 METRE FINAL



MS START OF FINAL (2)
0.11


GV PAN CROWD
0.14


GV RUNNERS BEGIN LAST LAP
1.05


GV WALKER WINS,
1.18


MS INSET WALKER
1.25


MARATHON RACE



GV START (3)
1.49


GV RUNNERS ON COURSE
1.55


MS CIERPINSKI LEADING FROM SHORTER
2.11


GV CIERPINSKI APPROACHES STADIUM
2.19


MS ENTERS STADIUM
2.24


GV CIERPINSKI ON LAST LAP
2.42


GV SHORTER ENTERS
2.50


GV CIERPINSKI WINS




Initials


SPORT - ATHLETICS

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: LEAD IN: Waldemar Cierpinski of East Germany ran the fastest marathon in Olympic history in a steady downpour to upset defending champion Frank Shorter of the United States for the gold medal.

Cierpinski covered the traditional 26 miles 385 yards in two hours nine minutes 55.0 seconds, more than 50 seconds ahead of Shorter who posted two hours ten minutes 45.80.

As the Olympic track and field events wound up on Saturday, John Walker of New Zealand, the world mile record holder, switched on his fable. power on the last lap to win the 1,500 metres.

SYNOPSIS: The metric mile, the so-called blue ribbon of the games, and rain coming down slightly as Walker up front. Are they going to make it tactical or are they going to make it fast... sixty or seventy yards to the bell what will Walker do? Vandamme moves up to cover Walker, Walker is losing his place slightly. Crouch comes up on the outside, Clement on the kerb can't get away. There's the bell Walker leads, Coghlan second. Walhouter is there, Crouch is there Clement is there and Moorecraft falls back on the outside, he's almost in lane three. Can Celment get off the kerb there, he's third at the moment but struggling, Coghlam leads, Walker second, Walhouter bronze medallist in the 800 goes on the outside, that's the big man from New Zealand makes it now a test of strength from three hundred out. Still two hundred and Walker leads, Vandamm's there as well, Walhouter right there goes past Coghlan, Clement still fighting hard with Wellmann but Walker from New Zealand the world mile record holder strikes for Olympic gold. Vandamm second, Wellmann comes on the inside Coghlan there for Ireland, Clement's coming in with a light run but too late and Walker goes home as the great New Zealanders have done in the past. In second place Vandamm and third was Wellmann fourth Coghlan, five Clement.

So seventy one there are, and how about that as Barry Watson stays to the front... he told me he was going to start steadily, he's got a very nervy cold, so too has Jeff Normanbut he's off straight away in front. The course littered with sponge stations, the first one comes up in, less than three miles, and there's the gap. Cierpinski now has just come past the road, entering the campus now.

They're approaching the 35 kilometre mark, this is about thirty three and a half kilometres.. they're well in sight of the stadium now as Cierpinski must be able to hear the strains of the German anthem being played. He looks around, wants to know what the time is as set down on the big board and he can also see himself. the first time any athlete has been able to run the final lap and enjoy it by watching himself. Frank Shorter now coming into the stadium, the Olympic gold medallist but this the gold medallist Cierpinski who looks across the track at Frank Shorter who gets the silver and I often think about those, "I love my competitor because he brings out the best in me", and that's certainly happened today.