Steve Cram

Stephen Cram CBE (born 14 October 1960) is a British retired track and field athlete. Along with fellow Britons Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, he was one of the world's dominant middle distance runners during the 1980s. Nicknamed "The Jarrow Arrow", after his hometown, Cram set world records in the 1500 m, 2000 m and the mile during a 19-day period in the summer of 1985. He was the first man to run 1500 m under 3 minutes and 30 seconds. He won the 1500 m gold medal at the 1983 World Championships and the 1500 m silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games.

In 2008 Cram was appointed Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, replacing Lord Puttnam, and in 2009 elected as President of Jarrow & Hebburn Athletics Club.

Cram now works as a television presenter and athletics commentator, motivational speaker and athletics coach.

Athletics career

In 1980, Cram won his place in the British Olympic team after finishing in 2nd place to Steve Ovett in the mile at Crystal Palace. The race had been marked as a run-off between Cram and Scottish miler Graham Williamson for the final place (a selection decision which was severely criticized by Ovett in his 1984 autobiography). Cram, aged 19, reached the final of the 1500 m at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, in which Ovett and Sebastian Coe famously vied for the gold medal. Cram finished in eighth place.