The Perfect Distance

Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe presided over the golden era of British athletics. Between them they won three Olympic gold medals, two silvers, one bronze, and broke a total of twelve middle-distance records. They were part of the landscape of the late seventies and early eighties – both household names, their exploits were watched by millions. As far apart as possible in terms of class and upbringing – Ovett is the art student, the long-haired son of a market-trader from Brighton, a natural a…