Brendan Foster MBE

Brendan Foster's athletics career saw him compete in the 1970 Commonwealth Championships in Edinburgh (15,000m), the 1974 European Championships (5,000m) and the 1978 Commonwealth Championship in Edmonton (10,000m).

He also set two world records for the 3,000m (1972 and 1974), competed in three Olympic Games and claimed Britain's only track and field medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

In 1980, Brendan retired from active athletics. His career as a commentator began shortly afterwards.

This year, he will be in Sydney as part of the BBC team.

"I ran in three Olympics and I've commentated on three, so I've become more of a commentator than a runner," he says.

"I'd still rather be competing but they don't have Olympics for fat, old people!".

Brendan adds, however, that he views commentating more as a hobby than a job, admitting that he would happily pay to sit next to David Coleman and talk athletics.

The close affinity that Brendan still feels with his sport and the achievements he made have earned him great respect on the athletics scene.

Millions of BBC viewers remember him seemingly talk Linford Christie out of retiring after finishing fourth in the 100m final at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo.

"He'd set a personal best time but when I interviewed him he basically said 'That's it, I'm quitting'," Brendan says.

"He turned to walk away but I brought him back, told him he couldn't possibly retire after running a personal best and after a couple of minutes of chat, live on telly, he un-retired."

Brendan's enthusiasm for sport takes up a large part of his spare time, and aside from athletics he is a keen football fan.

He was also the brains behind Britain's biggest annual road race, The Great North Run.

Brendan Foster was awarded the MBE in 1976.