Los Angeles, California, USA hosted the summer 1984 games. This was the year that the Soviet Union and Eastern Block countries boycotted the games in retaliation for Jimmy Carter not allowing US athletes to go to Moscow 4 years earlier. Carl Lewis was going to attempt to match Jesse Owen's 4-Gold-Medal feat. And I had tickets for one of the lasts days of track and field competition. It was a day that would include the 5000 and 1500 meter finals as well as the 4x100m final where Carl Lewis would parallel Jesse Owen's formally unparalleled record.

Having enjoyed running in High School and beyond, I just had to get to the Olympics. About a year before the games, a lottery was held by the Olympics committee to see who would have first selection on tickets. To my amazement I actually was able to aquire 2 tickets through the lottery! We had some relatives living in Carlsbad California (San Diego area), so my father and I planned a summer vacation where we spent a week in San Diego and drove up to L.A. for the day we had tickets. Having been short to middle distance runners in high school and college gave both of us a real appreciation for the sport. Actually being able to attend the Olympics was an experience we will never forget...

We arrived at the Olympic village many hours before the evening events. We took the opportunity to walk around and see some the many exhibits and events that took place outside the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

We entered the stadium with plenty of time to spare. There in the late afternoon sun we watched a few athletes warm-up and saw some late flights of the field events. We had great seats, positioned just off the start of the final 100m stretch. We took a moment to ham it up for the camera. The last shot is a picture of me.

One of the opening events was the men's 4x100m final. Lewis was the anchor leg. These shots are of the US 4x100 team in celebration. I think the last shot is the woman's 3000m final?... (The one that Mary Decker did not participate in because of the Zola Budd clash) ...I think that that is Zola in third place at the moment...

Before the race (1st & 2nd picture), England's Steve Cram eyes Sebastian Coe as his teammate warms-up for the 1500m finals.

The third picture shows the worlds' best milers jockeying for position after 200m. The forth picture (taken shortly thereafter) shows how quickly positions in the field are changing. Coe is now in third, determined to maintain good positioning. American Steve Scott (in red) looks slightly boxed in at fifth. The other two Brit's wearing white (Steve Cram and Steve Ovett) maintain good position behind Scott. American Jim Spivey (in red) trails just behind (and in between) Ovett and Cram. Somewhere around 400m Steve Scott took the lead, not wanting the pace to slow to a tactical sprint.

Pictures 5 & 6 show Scott pushing (and the field not letting him stray too far) early at 600m. Coe maintains excellent position (3rd) and protects his place while preventing himself from becoming boxed-in (at the cost of running a few extra meters in the outside shoulder of lane 1). Picture 7 (at 1000m): shows Scott beginning to fade after having given it his all. At about this time Coe will capture the lead with still 500 meters to go. This will be a classic Seb Coe long extended hard drive to the finish line from well before the bell lap. He will be followed closely by his country men Cram and Ovett at the bell,

Cram fought for and almost took the lead down the back stretch and seem to about to make a move around the last turn.... then at the head of the home stretch, Coe just exploded, separating himself from the straining Steve Cram and setting a new Olympic Record (3:32) that still stands as of this writing {1999}.

Sorry, not much to say about the 5k. You can see John Walker (first man to break the 3:50 mile) clad in black hanging onto the lead pack for most of the race. The highly talented Moroccan Said Aouita won in 13.05.59 (setting an Olympic record). Said Aouita would continue be dominant in the 5000 and 1500 for many years. He would go on to show his versatility by setting the 5000 world record next year (and again in 1987). He would win a bronze metal in the 800m (in the 1988 Olympics), and would be a favorite for the 1500 gold in the 1992 Olympics held in Spain. (Though in Spain he would be upset by Spain's own Fermin Cacho Ruiz... but that is another story).