大象传媒

Which duo tops your list of greatest sporting rivalries?

Perhaps it's the tennis duel from the early 1980s, Formula One's of the late '80s or the golf shoot-outs between in the '60s.

For me, it's the middle-distance battles of Britain's in the late '70s and early '80s.

The pair rarely met in international competition, but they traded world records like kids swap - most memorably in the mile, where they combined to lower the world best three times in in 1981.

In my eyes, Coe had the edge - in a remarkable six-week spell during 1979 he became the first man to hold the 800m, 1500m and mile records at the same time.

At the 1980 Moscow Olympics , outsprinting Coe to take 800m gold, but he suffered his first defeat in three years over 1500m when Coe kicked off the final bend to win.

After the Games, Ovett took the mile and 1500m record before that extraordinary summer in 1981 which ended with Coe again holding the mile mark.

Coe also broke his own 800m record in 1981 to set a world best of 1:41.73 - it would stand for 16 years and remains the British record.

The 1984 Games in Los Angeles effectively signalled the end of their rivalry.

Coe became the only man to win successive , out-running new rival Steve Cram, but he again missed out on the 800m gold medal, beaten by Brazil's Joaquim Cruz.

Ovett meanwhile, spent two days in hospital after finishing last in the 800m and collapsing. He returned for the 1500m but was forced to pull out on the final lap when lying in fourth place.

The duo are now , but whose side were you on back then?

And just which do you think has been the best?