Back in 1982, Steve Ovett was a running legend. Two years previously, at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, he’d won gold in the 800 metres, beating his rival Sebastian Coe into second place. But in the 1500 metres, Coe got his revenge. He took the gold, leaving Ovett to settle for bronze behind East German Jürgen Straub.
The 1982 Brisbane/Meanjin Commonwealth Games were supposed to be another key moment in this legendary sporting rivalry. And they were certainly a big moment for Griffith.
The Brisbane South (Nathan) campus was transformed into the Athletes Village, becoming the temporary home for more than 2,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries. As you can see from the picture, Ovett visited the Village, along with Queen Elizabeth II and legendary actor Charlton Heston.
But the previous year, Ovett went out for training run in his home city of Brighton, UK, tripped, and impaled his thigh on some low railings outside a church. The injury had long-lasting consequences. “It effectively changed the rest of my career in an instant,” he said later. Even though he wasn’t fit enough to run, Ovett still came to Brisbane for the Games as a commentator for the BBC.
And as it turned out, Coe didn’t run either. He also spent the year battling with injury—leaving the athletics world to ponder one of running’s great might-have-been showdowns.
The legacy of the Games remains, as the Village would eventually become the student accommodation colleges we know today as Barakula, Bellenden Ker, Girraween and Kinaba. And no doubt the sporting superstars of this year’s Commonwealth Games will produce some memorable moments of their own.
Griffith is sending a record 33 athletes to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Read more.
Image captions (top to bottom):
- British track athlete Steve Ovett, a world, Olympic, and Commonwealth Games champion, viewing a map of the Commonwealth Athletes Village at Nathan 1982.
Image sourced from the "Doing Things Differently" Griffith University at 50 book by Patrick Weller.
Published 30 July 2026
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