Redmond ran from his seat in the crowd to embrace Derek, who had torn his hamstring at the top of the home straight in his men's 400 metres race.

Footage of Redmond helping his son cross the line in the Olympic Stadium in the Spanish city has been viewed millions of times on social media.

In 2009, United States President Barack Obama chose it as one of the most inspiring moments in Olympic history.

Having broken down with a torn hamstring after 150m of his 400m semi-final, the British record-holder eventually hobbled across the finish line supported by his father Jim, who had rushed down from his seat to help.

The spontaneous father-and-son drama that played itself out on the track in Barcelona on August 3 1992 moved the 65,000 spectators packed into the Montjuic Stadium to gasps of appreciation and a thunderous standing ovation.

That applause has resounded down the years, stimulated by regular reminders of what happened on that evening.

The incident was the subject of one of the International Olympic Committee’s "Celebrate Humanity" videos. 

It also featured recently in the ITV programme Great Moments in Sport, and in the US it formed the basis for one of the episodes of Sixteen Days of Glory, Bud Greenspan’s filmed record of the 1992 Olympics.

On the eve of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Visa used the footage for one of its commercials, with Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman doing the voice-over: "Derek Redmond didn’t finish in first place in the 1992 Olympic 400 metres.

"He didn’t finish in second, or third, or fourth place.

"He and his father finished dead last.

"But he and his father…finished."

Paying tribute to Jim Redmond, the British Olympic Association said his was an Olympic moment that will "never be forgotten".

The International Olympic Committee said on its Twitter feed: "Our thoughts are with Derek Redmond and his family following the death of his father, Jim.

"Together, they brought us one of the most inspirational moments in Olympic history."

Following the event, Jim Redmond said: "Whatever happened, he had to finish - and I was going to help him finish… we started his career together and we were going to finish it together."

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the moment, Jim Redmond was chosen to carry the Olympic Torch before London 2012. 

Born in Trinidad the eldest of eight children, Redmond first came to Britain at the age of 14 where he had relatives in North London.

He secured a job as a labourer and apprentice in a wooden packing case company and improved his education by going to college each night after work.

Redmond, who died in Northampton on Sunday (October 2), was married for 60 years to Jenny and, as well as Derek, had a daughter Karen.