Derek Redmond

British 400m runner remembered for one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history, finishing his 1992 semi-final on a torn hamstring with the help of his father after security failed to stop him.

A talented British 400m runner through the mid-to-late 1980s, Derek Redmond broke the British 400m record at just 19 in 1985, clocking 44.82. Persistent injuries, however, repeatedly denied him major championship success: he was forced to withdraw from the 1988 Seoul Olympics just two minutes before his opening heat after failing to recover from an Achilles tendon injury, having undergone five operations by the time of the Barcelona Games. Redmond helped Great Britain win a shock 4x400m relay gold at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, beating the heavily favoured United States team, cementing his reputation as one of Britain's finest relay runners. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, everything appeared to be coming together: Redmond posted the fastest time in the first round and won his quarter-final. In the semi-final, roughly 150 metres in, he tore his hamstring and collapsed to the track. Rather than accept a DNF, Redmond got up and began to hobble toward the finish line in agony. His father, Jim, evaded security and rushed onto the track to support his son, and together they crossed the finish line to a standing ovation from the 65,000-strong crowd, in what became one of the most replayed and celebrated moments in Olympic history. Unable to compete in track events again after the injury, Redmond went on to play professional basketball. His father Jim, who became a symbol of parental support and perseverance, died in 2022 at age 81.

Explosive 400m specialist and relay runner

A symbol of perseverance whose moment with his father remains one of the Olympics' most enduring images