From the genteel backwater of rowing, Keller burst onto the global stage in 1973 and proceeded to battle for sport’s soul in the face of Cold War politics and cold-hearted capitalism.
David Owen is a former sports editor of the Financial Times. A leading authority on the Olympic movement, he contributes regularly to the insidethegames.biz website. His previous book, Foinavon: The story of the Grand National’s biggest upset, won the 2013 Dr Tony Ryan Book Award.