50 stunning Olympic moments: David Hemery's 1968 400m hurdles victory – in pictures

David Hemery was born on 18 July 1944 in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, but his father's work as an accountant took the family to the United States, As a boy, Hemery spent ten years at the Thayer School in Massachusetts. He returned to England in 1962, but after some excellent performances as a junior high hurdler he went back to America and enrolled at Boston University in the autumn of 1964. During the next few seasons, Hemery represented Boston with distinction at the major US collegiate meetings and regularly crossed the Atlantic to complete for Great Britain in international matches. In 1966, he set a British record for the high hurdles of 13.9 seconds, won the Commonwealth title in Jamaica and had his first major win the 440 yards hurdles at the IC4A Championships in New York. After missing the 1967 outdoor season, Hemery won the 1968 NCAA title and twice reduced the British 400m hurdles record during the course of his Olympic build-up Photograph: PA Archive

Hemery lined up in the final against Gerhard Hennige (16), John Sherwood (422), Ron Whitney (316), Y Skomarokhov (828), Roberto Frinolli (506), Geoff Vanderstock (312) and Rainor Schubert (46). Hemery who was running in lane six, flew out of the blocks and took the lead as the field approached the halfway mark of the race and from then on in he didn't look back ... Photograph: Tony Duffy/Getty Images

Hemery crosses the line in 48.12 seconds to take gold and shatter the world record by seven-tenths of a second. Gerhard Hennige was second, and John Sherwood was third Photograph: AP

Hemery didn't just beat his fellow competitors he blew them away. He was so fast that his margin of victory of eight metres was the largest since the 1924 Olympics, and he beat second-placed Gerhard Hennige by almost a second Photograph: Rex Features

Hemery stands on the first place podium flanked by Hennige and Sherwood during the medal ceremony Photograph: Tony Duffy/Allsport/Getty Images

The gold medal winner and world record holder enjoys a champagne breakfast at Heathrow with fellow medallists Lillian Board (400m silver medal), Sheila Sherwood (Long jump silver medal) and John Sherwood (400m hurdles bronze medal) Photograph: Bryan Jobson/Associated Newspapers/Rex Features

It was no surprise that after such an immense performance at the Olympics, other awards would come Hemery's way. He won the BBC's "Sportsview Personalities of 1968" award beating world racing champion Graham Hill into second place and Marion Coakes, silver medallist in Olympic individual show jumping in the Mexico Olympics, third. The following year he was awarded an MBE Photograph: PA Archive

At the end of the 1968 season Hemery went up to St. Catherine's College, Oxford, where he showed a remarkable talent as a decathlete, and by the end of 1969 he was ranked seventh on the UK all-time list. In 1969 he improved his own British 110m hurdles record to 13.6 seconds while the highlights of 1970 were the successful defence of his Commonwealth title and win the World Student Games. After a rest from competition in 1971, Hemery returned to the track in 1972 and in the Olympic 400m hurdles final in Munich he ran 48.5 seconds to finish in third place, with gold being won by John Akii Bua ... Photograph: Popperfoto/Getty Images

He was also part of the 4x400m relay team (L-R: David Jenkins, Hemery, Alan Pascoe and Martin Reynolds) that won silver Photograph: Tony Duffy/Getty Images

After retiring from the track, in 1973 Hemery took part in a new BBC show called Superstars which was promoted as a challenge between Britain's seven best sportsmen. Here he is with Bobby Moore, Tony Jacklin, Roger Taylor, Barry John and Joe Bugner at Crystal Palace swimming pool. Hemery won the hard fought contest to take the inaugural title. In 1974 illness meant he came second to John Conteh but he regained his crown in 1976 and was recognised as Britain's best Superstar from 1973 to 1977 Photograph: PA Archive

In 1998 Hemery is elected President of the UK Athletics and shows he hasn't lost any of his skills at a press conference in Regents Park. Shortly after he relinquished the role in 2003 he was awarded the CBE Photograph: Gary M. Prior/Getty Images

In 2008 Hemery is elected vice-chairman of the British Olympic Association and three years later is awared the Laurel Award by the European Olympic Committee for not only his exploits in 1968 but for his subsequent career as an academic and an ex-teacher who encourages grassroots participation and self-esteem among Britain's youth. The former gold medallist is involved with the 2012 games as an Ambassador for London 2012 and is also helping provide London 2012 with a '21st Century Legacy' as a leading figure behind a new project, built around Olympic ideals, aimed at inspiring greatness in youngsters in whatever field or career path they choose Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images