Yorkshireman who inspired Seb Coe to take up athletics won medal behind David Hemery in Mexico 1968, Commonwealth gold in 1970 and excelled in Superstars

When David Hemery set a world record in the 400m hurdles at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, commentator David Coleman famously said: “In second place is Hennige and who cares who’s third? It doesn’t matter. It’s a new world record!”

It was an early example of one of the verbal gaffes which were later affectionately dubbed “Colemanballs”. The bronze medallist that day was actually Hemery’s GB team-mate John Sherwood and the Sheffield athlete, who died last month aged 80, helped inspire Seb Coe to take up athletics.

Such was his impact, Coe mentioned Sherwood – and his wife and fellow athlete Sheila – in his speech in Singapore in July 2005 when London beat Paris in a bidding battle for the right to stage the 2012 Olympics.

Coe told the IOC delegates: "When I was 12 I was marched into a large school hall with my classmates. We sat in front of an ancient, black and white TV and watched grainy pictures from the Mexico Olympic Games.

"Two athletes from our home town were competing. John Sherwood won a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles. His wife Sheila narrowly missed gold in the long jump.

"That day a window to a new world opened for me. By the time I was back in my classroom, I knew what I wanted to do - and what I wanted to be.

"I stood for hours at my local track just to catch a glimpse of the medals the Sherwoods brought home. It didn't stop there. Two days later I joined their club.

"Two years later Sheila gave me my first pair of spikes. Thirty-five years on, I stand before you with those memories still fresh, still inspired by this great Movement. My journey here to Singapore started in that school hall and continues today – in wonder and in gratitude."

John said at the time: "We feel so proud Seb mentioned us. We had no idea we were going to be part of his speech. It was a complete shock but we both feel very honoured.”

His Olympic medal aside, Sherwood won four AAA titles – two in the 440 yards hurdles and two in the 400m hurdles – plus a silver medal behind Vyacheslav Skomorokhov of the Soviet Union at the 1969 European Championships in Athens and gold in the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

His best time of 49.03, set in Mexico in 1968, still ranks him No.20 on the UK all-time rankings. He also anchored the British 4x400m team to fifth place in 1968 and competed in the 1972 Olympics but did not make the final.

General sports fans, however, might remember Sherwood the best for his exploits in Superstars.

The 1980 World Superstars event in the Bahamas was billed as a showdown between British judo player Brian Jacks and American soccer star Brian Budd, but it was Sherwood who finished runner-up to Budd as Jacks finished fourth.

Earlier that year Sherwood finished runner-up to Jacks in the UK Superstars final in Cwmbran, beating Daley Thompson into third. Sherwood also won a Superstars Past Masters competition in Bebbington, beating England’s 1966 World Cup hero Geoff Hurst into second place.

The Sherwood family was full of sporting talent generally. John’s brother, Steve, played as a goalkeeper for Chelsea and Watford, while John and Sheila’s son, David, played tennis in the British Davis Cup team.

The Yorkshireman achieved all of these achievements while holding down a busy teaching job in Sheffield, too, including 37 years at Firth Park School.

But he died after a long illness on August 19.

“There were never any half measures,” said Sheila. “He would do things properly and that was why he had such a great sporting career and was such a good teacher.”