The Accidental Hero of Moscow 1980 | On the Line

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  • čas přidán 21. 10. 2016
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    Prior to the Moscow 1980 Olympics, Allan Wells had to decide to follow the boycott or compete at the Olympic Games. Once in Moscow, he surprised the world by winning one of the most emblematic events: the Men's 100m. We interview Alan Wells (GBR), Silvio Leonard (CUB) and Peter Petrov (BUL) about that race and everything around it.
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Komentáře • 91

  • @neildsouza3085
    @neildsouza3085 Před 6 lety +17

    I just love Allan Wells....what glory in his running.

  • @Videogamestwin
    @Videogamestwin Před 7 lety +71

    That was a great call from the BOA to let their athletes decide if they wanted to go or not. Countries that boycotted the 1980 games should've also had that choice because i'm pretty sure that, for a lot of the athletes that were denied participation from their country, it was the only time that they had a chance to go.

    • @Hever73
      @Hever73 Před 7 lety

      Same case here in America with marathon runners! (Bill Rodgers)

    • @bulllea
      @bulllea Před 7 lety +13

      that was the most stupid boycott ever . for what ? for CCCP invading Afganistan ? how many countries US invaded after WWII ? the '84 boycott from Los Angeles Games was a direct result of Moscow's boycott . only one communist country showed up at LA Games in '84 . Romania .

    • @DeepPastry
      @DeepPastry Před 6 lety +4

      Yea, besides it's been over 30 years, so no one remembers how awful the Soviet Union was anymore.

  • @MontgomeryMall
    @MontgomeryMall Před 3 lety +5

    After winning gold in the 100 meters final at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Alan Wells was asked whether he won it for Harold Abrahams, the last British winner at that distance in 1924. Wells, a Scotsman, replied, "no, I did it for Eric Liddell".
    The lives of Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell were depicted in the Oscar winning film "Chariots of Fire". Liddell, a devout Calvinist, refused to run a 100 meters heat because it fell on a Sunday. He would have been the odds on favorite at that distance.

    • @wonjubhoy
      @wonjubhoy Před 3 lety +1

      I did a speech at toastmasters on Eric Liddell around the time of the rio Olympics. He was a good man.

  • @robertj.simpson354
    @robertj.simpson354 Před 6 lety +13

    A true sportsman.

  • @anilpandey6923
    @anilpandey6923 Před 4 lety +4

    Make more videos of 'On the line'. We love it.

  • @carlmorrow1600
    @carlmorrow1600 Před 7 lety +22

    Alan wells was a beast at that time

    • @malligrub
      @malligrub Před 7 lety +2

      Yep, that's what they all say. As well as packing on slabs of muscle in the blink of an eye he became aggressive and angry during those years. I wonder what happened lol...

    • @richardtarter4781
      @richardtarter4781 Před 7 lety

      Carl Morrow steroids.

    • @seanseanston
      @seanseanston Před 6 lety +3

      Yeah, pity he wasn't a natural sprinter. Like Usain Bolt xDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

    • @jugganuat6440
      @jugganuat6440 Před 6 lety

      Lol ok

    • @forgive7449
      @forgive7449 Před 5 lety

      @@seanseanston Dr Ledingham says Wells took drugs aswell

  • @PatriPastry
    @PatriPastry Před 6 lety +14

    The first time I watched this was without subtitles.
    Yeah. I was *really* confused when the Bulgarian came up.

  • @francescovalente1963
    @francescovalente1963 Před rokem +3

    Not to mention the absolutely Epic 200 m final, won by Pietro Mennea. What a race: head to head 'till the finish line

  • @elidoubleday8080
    @elidoubleday8080 Před 7 lety +19

    yes you need to turn on subtitles

  • @Yakkityyak248
    @Yakkityyak248 Před měsícem

    Watched it live. Remember hearing Alan's wife screaming from the stand

  • @ivanhoesanchez2606
    @ivanhoesanchez2606 Před 7 lety +1

    LEYENDA

  • @twinstu50
    @twinstu50 Před 7 lety +9

    That day he won, he ran with champions, that day he won, he was not running with cowards, (politicians).

  • @reverseside7387
    @reverseside7387 Před 4 lety +2

    Top Tip: *turn on subtitles/captions* or you'll be frowning if you can't speak Russian and Bulgarian!!! 😄Love the video, really enjoyed the story and, like Linford Christie got vindicated beating those great runners who didn't make the final.

    • @davgat79
      @davgat79 Před 3 lety +1

      if you watch it after drinking a half bottle o' whisky it all makes perfect sense!!

  • @bestit5315
    @bestit5315 Před 6 lety +2

    the starting comment...OMG

  • @johnstirling6597
    @johnstirling6597 Před 7 měsíci

    The person raking the long jump pit in the 1970 Commonwealth Games................ Alan Wells!

  • @edoardobonetti7410
    @edoardobonetti7410 Před 7 lety +2

    perche non avete intervistato Pietro Mennea?

  • @kranithra
    @kranithra Před 6 lety +3

    Its a pity when the leader of the boycotters did the same thing after twenty years

  • @jotindersingh1
    @jotindersingh1 Před 7 lety +22

    very confusing style of video making

  • @johnsbox
    @johnsbox Před 6 lety +6

    The Moscow games were riddled with politics all along, so Alan ruined the 100m script.

    • @marguskiis7711
      @marguskiis7711 Před 2 lety

      No they were not. Britoins were very successful there.

  • @tickleberry1291
    @tickleberry1291 Před 7 lety +2

    Can I get a Hoya

  • @tedcameron9438
    @tedcameron9438 Před 6 lety +10

    What sort of joke production was this?? Hurt my eyes...... Story was interesting though but the video itself was jarring

  • @mapleleafer74
    @mapleleafer74 Před 3 lety +8

    Leonard, jesus christ mate, "the Englishman"? Never call Allan Wells an Englishman. That's like saying whiskey is from England. He's Scottish. SCOTTISH! Got it?

    • @mapleleafer74
      @mapleleafer74 Před 3 lety

      @@adelef8280 pff

    • @mapleleafer74
      @mapleleafer74 Před 3 lety +2

      Don't underestimate Scots

    • @stevennicholas4160
      @stevennicholas4160 Před rokem +1

      Yet Wells has lived in England for 40 years.

    • @michaeldevaney5728
      @michaeldevaney5728 Před rokem

      @@stevennicholas4160 yes but he was born in Scotland thats the equivalent of a saying because a dog was born in a stable that hees a horse

    • @sgu02nsc66
      @sgu02nsc66 Před 9 měsíci

      @@michaeldevaney5728so you’re arguing the dog is not a horse, therefore Wells is not Scottish

  • @malligrub
    @malligrub Před 7 lety +2

    Now one of the many with serious and reliable testimony stating they were known major steroid users...

    • @darrenshaw767
      @darrenshaw767 Před 6 lety +4

      Malligrub 1 i would not consider Drew Mcmaster reliable

    • @billj696
      @billj696 Před 2 lety

      Is there anyone from that era you could not at least accuse of steroid use? Including Russians and Americans.

    • @stevennicholas4160
      @stevennicholas4160 Před rokem +1

      @@billj696 That era? Yes because the 9 and a half seconds guys now are very very clean. :)

  • @martintownsend6694
    @martintownsend6694 Před 7 měsíci +1

    How was he the accidental hero? In what way? He raced the americans striaight afrer and beat them and again in rhe world cup! The best American at the time said wells wud of beat him too

  • @joanrohret5898
    @joanrohret5898 Před 7 lety

    Saw
    Dahl
    Health
    Ashl
    W
    Ok
    Ok
    W
    Rod decostelo

  • @texabara
    @texabara Před 6 lety +2

    Puerto Rico, a US colony, compete breaking boycott!

  • @jugganuat6440
    @jugganuat6440 Před 6 lety +1

    Duh if 65 countries boycotted put an asterisk next to his name

  • @dominicweber
    @dominicweber Před 7 lety

    Fourth

  • @ayturkefendi6158
    @ayturkefendi6158 Před 7 lety

    Seventh

  • @chobson8602
    @chobson8602 Před 7 lety +5

    doper

  • @PhillipCowell01
    @PhillipCowell01 Před 6 lety

    You guys really don't get how to CZcams do you?

  • @elfrank333
    @elfrank333 Před 6 lety +6

    The last white man to win 100 metres Olympic gold HAHAHA

    • @jugganuat6440
      @jugganuat6440 Před 6 lety

      Enjoy because their will never be another

    • @wonjubhoy
      @wonjubhoy Před 3 lety +1

      I am Scottish and was so excited when wells won. He made a choice to race against the top Americans just after the Olympics. He won. That showed he would have won anyway.

    • @marguskiis7711
      @marguskiis7711 Před 2 lety

      In Tokyo one Italian won.

    • @gratefuldead3750
      @gratefuldead3750 Před 2 lety

      @@jugganuat6440 if some italians, germans or greeks start to go on training in jamaica and stay there for some years, its possible.

  • @whscotsman
    @whscotsman Před 3 lety +2

    Which goes to show. Keep politics out of sport