Jim Redmond, Who Helped Son Derek Cross Finish Line at 1992 Olympics, Dies at 81

Jim Redmond, who famously helped his son Derek finish a 400m semifinals race at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics after he tore his hamstring, has died, according to Reuters.

He was 81.

"He tried to talk me out of it at first," Derek Redmond told BBC Sport in 2012 about his father coming onto the track to help him finish the race. "He was telling me that I had nothing to prove and that I didn't need to do this, but I told him I was going to finish. Then he said that we would do it together. So we did, and I limped over the line in tears."

Because his father came onto the track to assist him, he was officially disqualified and given a "did not finish" designation. But it nonetheless became one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.

"Rest in peace Jim Redmond, father to Derek, whose Olympic moment will never be forgotten," Team Great Britain tweeted.

Jim Redmond later went on to be an Olympic torchbearer for Great Britain in the 2012 London Games.

"Whatever happened, he had to finish and I was going to help him finish," Jim told the BBC in 1992 after the race (h/t Reuters). "We started his career together and we were going to finish it together."

The 1992 Games were Derek Redmond's final Olympics, as he said in 2012 he had "eight or nine operations but I was never fit enough to compete again."

It was a disappointing end to his running career, as an Achilles injury had also ended his bid for glory at the 1988 Seoul Games. But he and his father nonetheless will forever live on in Olympic lore for their inspirational moment together on the track.