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Stories of the Olympic Games: 1500 Metres

Episode 3 of 4

Series exploring the history of the Olympics through the stories of athletes, here looking at the diverse environments and characters that have shaped the 1500m.

大象传媒2's history of the Olympics now tells the story of the blue riband event of any Games - the 1500 metres, or metric mile.
This was the race that gave Britain its finest Olympic hour in Los Angeles in 1984 when three British world champions competed for gold - Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram.

Travelling to the many and varied environments that have helped shape the greatest 1500m runners - from the forests of Finland to the beaches of Australia, from the city streets and country lanes of Britain to the high altitude terrains of Kenya and Morocco - it reveals that although the race is run on a track, it is ultimately won on punishing training runs in natural landscapes.

With contributions from some of the greatest Olympians ever to run the 1500m - Kip Keino, Herb Elliot, Peter Snell, Sebastian Coe and the current world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj - the programme shows that to win 1500m gold, athletes need the stamina of marathon runners, the explosive speed of the best sprinters and the tactical brains of chess masters.

1 hour

Music Played

  • J贸hann J贸hannsson

    The cause of labour is the hope of the world

  • Hauschka

    Children

  • Ludovico Einaudi

    Alta Pressione

  • Ludovico Einaudi

    The Dark Line

    • La Linea Scura.
  • Plastikman

    Contain

  • Plastikman

    Locomotion

  • David Axelrod

    Holy Thursday

  • David Axelrod

    One

  • David Axelrod

    Reverie

  • 碍辞诲艒

    O Daioko

  • David Axelrod

    Ken Russell

  • Dustin O鈥橦alloran

    We move lightly

  • Thomas K枚ner

    Nuuk

  • David Bowie / Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra

    Some are

  • Ludovico Einaudi

    White Night

  • Plastikman

    Consumed

  • David Axelrod

    1000 rads

  • Max Richter

    Sarajevo

Credits

Role Contributor
Narrator Adrian Lester
Narrator Adrian Lester
Series Producer Alastair Laurence
Series Producer Alastair Laurence
Director Francis Welch
Director Francis Welch
Producer Francis Welch
Producer Francis Welch

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