The stars of the 1983 World Championships – a BBC Warm Up Track Special

Sportsworld

In this special episode of The Warm Up Track, we’re joined by some of the stars of the very first World Athletics Championships as the event prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

1500m gold medallist Steve Cram explains how important the ’83 Worlds were, at a time when the Olympic Games was beset by political boycotts. He also outlines plans by Athletics’ world governing body, the IAAF, to make the World Championships their equivalent of the FIFA World Cup and make the Olympics track and field’s second tier competition for under-23s only.

Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, who won sprint relay bronze, describes a Jamaica team where you had to bring a sewing kit to make adjustments to the vest and shorts you’d been given. She also recalls how all of the teams stayed in university halls of residence, and how the cafeteria was the place to be, a real melting pot of nations where life-long friendships were made.

Jamaica’s first World Champion Bert Cameron says that, as he received his 400m gold, he saw his life in flashback – leaving him with the belief that God had given him his talent to lift his family out of poverty.

While Arto Bryggare, whose 110m hurdles silver was host nation Finland’s first medal of the Championships, recalls how he took time to speak with his team-mate Tiina Lilak during his lap of honour to say “stop playing, start throwing”. Lilak was involved in the Javelin final, and would go onto win gold that same night. Arto was in doping control when he heard the crowd “exploding” as she claimed the win. As for Arto, he says the silver is “the number one thing” in his career because it was a medal of “standing the pressure”.

Image: Steve Cram of Great Britain crosses the finishing line to win the 1500 metres final from Steve Scott of the USA and Said Aouita of Morrocco during the 1983 World Championships held on August 14, 1983 at the Olympic Stadium, in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images)