THE year… 1968, the place… Mexico City, the occasion…the X1X Olympiad.
It was the time when Bob Beamon shattered the world long jump record, when Dick Fosbury soared to high jump gold with his amazing Fosbury Flop and when a Black Power protest took to the podium in the shape of American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos. And there was also plenty for Sheffield to celebrate thanks to a husband and wife 'team'.

Read more: So how do you win an Olympic medal?

Great Britain won only four track and field medals in the high altitude cauldron of Mexico City but two of them were made in South Yorkshire, courtesy of John and Sheila Sherwood.

Sheila had set the standard in the women's long jump with a personal best of 6.68 metres that earned her the silver behind Romanian Viorica Visopoleanu.

John was part of a world record-breaking 400 metres hurdles that saw fellow Brit David Hemery land gold in an amazing 48.12 seconds. He was also party to one of the worst faux pas in commentating history.

The legendary David Coleman had gone into raptures about Hemery, managed to say West Germany's Gerhard Hinnige was second (in 49.02 seconds) and then bleated the immortal words "who cares who's third".
It did, as it just happened to be Sherwood who was edged out of the battle for silver by 100th of a second.

Has he ever forgiven Coleman for that blunder?
"I always got on well with David and I remember he came up to me after the race and apologised," said John.

"It never really affected me, although I know it upset a lot of people back in this country at the time. It's certainly been quite a good talking point ever since."

John admits that it's "quite frightening" to think that 40 years have passed since that medal-happy occasion.

"I can remember the day and the build-up but very little about the race itself. Most of that is a blur as it was all over in less than 50 seconds.

"I felt resonably well for the first half of the race and then someone came past me, that was Hemery. After that it was really just a charge for the line.

"It was very close for silver and bronze and they took three people away. I remember thinking to myself 'does that mean I've finished fourth'? That's the worst position in any major race.

"Some time later the officials came and got me instead and told me I'd got the bronze by a matter of inches."

John had, of course, been inspired earlier by Sheila's medal-winning performance: "It geed everyone up in the team, not just me."

Ironically Sheila had been invited to a reception to meet The Queen after her silver success but it was on the eve of John's race and she didn't want to put any more pressure on her then husband of six months. The two had met four years earlier at the Tokyo Olympics, romance blossomed and they married three years later.

"I watched the race from the stand and I was in no doubt that John had won the bronze medal even though he was one of five athletes all bunched together behind Hemery. I remember going down to John and saying 'you were third… go and tell them you were third'!"

On her own performance, Sheila felt in good shape and was injury-free, which is about as much as you can ask for before the start of a major competition. "I jumped well and achieved a personal best. It all just seemed to come together but I still didn't jump as well as I did two years later (she took the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh with a career best leap of 6.73 metres).

"For one person in a family to win an Olympic medal is a dream, for two people to achieve it is extra special," added Sheila.
Nowadays both of them are involved with Abbeydale Tennis Club, alongside son David, the former GB Davis Cup player, who is a performance coach at the centre. They concentrate on overall fitness and basic movement on court while Sheila has taken her referees badge and organises various junior tournaments.
So what of London 2012?

"It's going to cost a lot of money but hopefully it will be money well spent," said John. "There are going to be some really good facilities and the main thing is to make the most of them but don't price people out. Get them used.

"I've always been involved in sport, either competing or teaching, and it's a great outlet.

"I'd never been out of the coutry before I started athletics; then all of a sudden I'm travelling all over the world and meeting lots of different people, some of whom I still keep in touch with today."
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