British sprinter looks back on the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 where she won 400m bronze in a UK record of 49.43.

A 4x100m bronze medallist in Moscow, the 1980 Olympic 100m and 200m finalist made history at her second Games, setting a British 400m record in LA that would stand for almost 30 years as she took bronze behind America’s Valerie Brisco-Hooks and Chandra Cheeseborough.

Moscow in 1980 was a strange Olympics because countries were boycotting it. Although we went, we didn't go to the opening ceremony or the closing ceremony and there were lots of things that made it not feel like how an Olympics should. People came, did their event and went home, so it was a little bit odd.

I was competing in the 100m, 200m and the relay so I was there for quite a long time. By making the finals of both sprints, that gave me confidence and experience which I took with me to Los Angeles.

As a child, I spent every summer on my great aunt's farm, just running free and doing all sorts of dangerous things that children probably wouldn't be allowed to do now. She saw me running around when I was about nine and she had even calculated which Olympics I was going to do. She said: “24 is a good age. I think the ’84 Olympics are going to line up with you.” We joked about it but, luckily, she lived to see me do it. It was my Games. It was my time. The right sort of age where I'd had long enough in the sport to gain experience.

The whole atmosphere in Los Angeles was like a party. The Olympic colours were very bright. Everything felt like a festival or a carnival. It was mind-blowing, really. The stadium was full for every session, even the morning heats. It was a bit overwhelming as well, but it was a direct contrast from how it had been in Moscow.

None of my family or parents could come. It was just beyond them. The Olympics might as well have been on the moon. But I was lucky that my coach, Jim Spooner, was able to come, and I obviously had [my husband and 4x400m relay silver medallist] Garry there, too.

It was really helpful because I am a very nervous person. You need someone that knows you really well, that can talk you down and get you in the right frame of mind. I had my coach and Garry there to help me with that.

Jim had very high expectations. He thought I was going to win medals in both individual events, and he would always talk as if I was going to win both. I just let him talk the talk. I did know that I was perfectly capable of making a final and getting in the medals but, with hindsight, I could definitely have benefited with some extra help to deal with my brain rather than my body.

When we went on the track for the 400m final, and all our kit had been taken away, we were stood in our lanes waiting. There was a big clock in the stadium, and all races went bang on the nail. I was glancing at the clock, with a minute to go, and all I felt were nerves.

I was thinking of everybody back home watching me and I knew I was going to try and go out really fast and really work hard over the first 200m. In the middle of the race, I briefly thought: “Where are they? Where is everybody?” For just a second, there was no-one in my peripheral vision.

Instead of thinking: “Here we go, I'm going to win”, when we came off the bend, I suddenly seemed to be in a sandwich between the others as we all ran down the straight. The trouble with the 400m is that there is enough thinking time. Not a huge amount, but there is some.

I never got to a point where I could run a 400m absolutely eyeballs out all the way. There's got to be a place in the race where you just coast, where you just take a moment to gather yourself, probably running down the home straight. And I just felt sheer relief at the end that it was done.

Obviously, when you get a medal, you're just elated. I just couldn't believe the time. My coach had been saying all along that I could get under 50, but you've still got to do it. It's lovely when you run really well in the biggest race of your career, you've run a PB and gone under a big barrier.

I was quite shocked. I was looking up at the screen and I wasn't sure I'd got third … and then I saw it. Garry was in the crowd close to the finish line, as well. That was really lovely.

Afterwards, I didn't celebrate at all. I always used to get called for doping, and I could never wee for hours and hours. I’d usually spend hours in doping control when it’s the last thing you want to do. I've got a picture Garry took of me leaning out the window of the Portakabin. You just have to stay there until you've done the deed.

Two days later, I was back for the 200m. I was feeling so much more confident. I knew I could do it. I did the rounds and I felt so good in my running. I was looking forward to it because I felt in a great position. Mary Peters walked with me from the warm-up track to the stadium for the final and she said: “I think you're going to get another medal.” I was thinking: “That would be mind-blowing”, but I lost out on a medal by one hundredth of a second.

The 4x100m came last. It was a tough week but you have to train for that and I always did one or two individual events and then a relay at major championships. It was better than just having one event at the end of the championships when you've got to keep your training going while watching everybody. That's exhausting as well. But I got a second bronze from it.

Coming home with Garry was really nice. We lived just outside Cannock at the time and our whole street threw us a street party. We had a lovely homecoming, apart from our car breaking down as we drove back from Heathrow. The AA had to come, all while our street were like: “Where are they?”

My name's still high up on the all-time lists from my PBs in Los Angeles. As you get older, you think: “I don't know how I did it. Did I do it? Was that me?” It's incredible. We’ve still got loads of issues of Athletics Weekly from way back. We moved house about four years ago and everything got found again. We looked through them and it was mind-blowing.

Kathy and Garry’s offsprings’ podcast, Sons of Olympia, is available on major platforms.

As told to Mark Woods

Factfile

Born: May 3, 1960

Events: 100m/200m/400m

PBs: 11.10/22.10/49.43

1986: Commonwealth Games 200m silver, 400m bronze and 4x100m relay gold

1984: Olympic Games 400m and 4x100m relay bronze

1983: World Championships 200m and 4x100m relay bronze 

1982: European Championships 200m silver and 4x100m relay silver; Commonwealth Games silver

1980: Olympic Games 4x100m relay bronze

1978: European Championships 4x100m silver

1977: European U20 Championships 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay bronze