RE: DAVE BEDFORD, BIGGEST CHOKER EVER?

Actually, he hasn't shown any great knowledge. In that other thread there's a long list of international races that Pre competed in, some of which he won.

Now, we don't know for certain who was in those races, so we don't know who he beat.

But davebedforwannabe doesn't know who was in those races either, yet he claims Pre didn't beat anyone.

He's making assumption that may or may not be true. Until someone can track down full results for those races, it's all just speculation.

Wouldn't it be hilarous if davebedfordwannabe actually WAS Dave Bedford? Somebody wanting to be again what he once was, and doing so by using an aggressive, front-running style on the chatboards?

I wonder if he puts on black socks before he logs on....

F@ $$$s wrote:

I wonder if he puts on black socks before he logs on....

Bedford's sock were red.

I'd say Ron Clarke was a bigger choker.

Bedford and Clarke........those are the high-mileage guys' idols, but they constantly choked when it really mattered.

malmo wrote:

F@ $$$s wrote:

I wonder if he puts on black socks before he logs on....

Bedford's sock were red.

They didn't choke. They laid off the drugs they were on in order to pass the tests the victors of championships had to take.....

Better photos:

http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=98

Idiots. Bedford was only the WR holder in the 10k. Clearly overrated. Noakes likes to point out that he ran upwards of 200+ miles a week and that's why he didn't have a great Olympic record. I'd like to point out that some runners race to peak for one race while others simply race to run the best they can. Sometimes you can do both...sometimes not so much. I'm more of a peaker than an every week racer.

Alan

Runningart2004 wrote:

Idiots. Bedford was only the WR holder in the 10k. Clearly overrated.

Alan

That's exactly why he was the biggest choker ever.

Geez, this was THIRTY YEARS AGO...come on will ya?

malmo wrote:

F@ $$$s wrote:

I wonder if he puts on black socks before he logs on....

Bedford's sock were red.

I knew it was one of the two, but the only photos I could remember clearly were black and white, and of course, b&w film shows red as dark, and well, the conservative guess was wrong, as is appropriate to the era....

is that story about Vaatainen true? anyone have a link? I\'ve heard it told as other runners before.

Here's a trivia question for you. What was Vaatainen's finishing 400 meters in that 10,000-meter race? Ans: 53.8

(He should be grateful that Prefontaine was not eligible to run.)

Another trivia question for you about Vaatainen that most people don't know. What U.S. college did he attend????

answer: Adams State College

Yes, you're right. And what was his specialty at Adams State? Ans: the 800 meters (which perhaps explains his kick.)

And here's another trivia question: Was he already bald at Adams State? Ans: Not entirely (he also hadn't yet grown his mutton chops).

davebedfordwannabe wrote:

Here's a trivia question for you. What was Vaatainen's finishing 400 meters in that 10,000-meter race? Ans: 53.8

(He should be grateful that Prefontaine was not eligible to run.)

Here's a trivia question for you. What was Bedford's finishing 400 meters in that 10,000-meter race? Ans: he's still running.

(He should be grateful that Prefontaine was not eligible to run.)

Linda, it's a good thing you found a field that didn't require any wit.

Whatever happened to Vaitennen after Munich? The only knowledge I have of him is from that awesome Euro finish, where there was another guy who's name escapes me that also kicked nearly as well. Is Vaitennan still alive, there was a top notch Finn from that era who croaked a few years back from heavy drinking, maybe that was him?

In my opinion Bedford and Clarke never choked. They didn't have the tools to win a major championship. Bedford at least went for it in the 10k at Muncich, one of the bravest tactics I've ever seen (on video). Took it out in 60.0 and 4:08.

He was still near or at the front late in the race, faded but still came back strong at the end to get close to top 5.

MAybe a better tactic would be to lead at pace less crazy early in the race but it appeared he thought he could burn people off. If he went out in 65's and took a break after 5k and then put in a long drive with 2000 to go he might have had a better chance.

The guy never ran much faster than 55 for the 400 fresh. He knew he could never outkick the best in the world in a moderate paced race but he at least went for it and the result was a new WR in one of the greatest 10,000's ever run.

I think Fernando Mamede had the most disappointing career when it came to big races (I hate to say biggest choker because he too was the world record holder in the 10k).