Athletics at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games:

The favorites were Brazil's Joaquim Cruz and the 1980 silver medalist, Briton Sebastian Coe. Coe was the world record holder, having run 1:41.73 in Firenze in 1981. He was almost unmatched running against the clock but his tactical record in major races was his downfall. Defending champion Steve Ovett was also back and made the final, but was suffering from a respiratory ailment in Los Angeles and never factored in the race. Kenya's Edwin Koech took the early lead and held it thru 600 metres, passing the bell in 51.1. Cruz and Coe were on his shoulder in the final curve and Cruz attacked first, taking the lead at the head of the stretch and Coe could never recover, Cruz widening his lead to five metres at the line. Cruz almost broke Coe's world record in August 1985 in Köln, Germany, running 1:41.77. Coe would end his career winning only one major international race at 800 metres, the 1986 European Championship.