Seb Coe is not only one of Britain's greatest Olympic champions but also ranked alongside the greatest middle distance runners of all time.

He remains the only man to have successfully defended his 1500m crown, won first in Moscow when he came back from the disappointment of losing out to Steve Ovett in his favoured 800m event, and then repeated at Los Angeles.

But perhaps his most influential triumph was away from the track when leading London's successful bid to host the 2012 Games.

Daley Thompson was the finest athlete of his time in the early 1980s and won two decathlon golds at Moscow and then LA, where he set a world record to see off his great rival Jurgen Hingsen of West Germany.

At the age of 32, Linford Christie became the oldest Olympic 100m champion by four years when he stormed to Barcelona gold in 1992.

That same Games also saw a shocked but smiling Sally Gunnell become a popular winner over the 400m hurdles as she beat Sandra Farmer-Patrick in world record time.

Kelly Holmes double in Athens

In Sydney 2000, triple jump world record holder Jonathan Edwards fulfilled his last remaining goal to become Olympic champion to add to his world and Commonwealth titles.

At the same Games, the often-injured Denise Lewis battled through the gruelling heptathlon to clinch gold, although she had to wait after crossing the line in the final 800m event before her title was confirmed.

But perhaps Britain's greatest female Olympic champion is Kelly Holmes following her memorable 800m and 1500m double in Athens four years later ago.

Holmes arrived at the 2004 Games injury-free for the first time in years, and she took full advantage with two gutsy performances that elevated her to the ranks of British legends.

Also in Athens there was to be a surprise sprinting gold when the 4x100m quartet of Jason Gardener, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish and Mark Lewis-Francis shocked the highly-fancied Americans, who had to make do with silver.

There was only one British athletics gold in Beijing but it was an unforgettable one as Christine Ohuruogu held off Jamaica's Shericka Williams and hot favourite Sanya Richards of America to win the 400m.