Ralph Doubell's 1:44.3 In The 1968 Final Is STILL The Aussie Record

i heard he followed a weekly schedule in which he ran 5 times

day 1. 30 x 200, 200 jog

day 2. 20 x 400, 200 jog

day 3. 10 x 800, 400 jog

day 4. 50 x 100, 100 jog

day 5. rest

day 6. a time trial of anywhere from 300 - 1200 meters

day 7. rest

Yes, I am aware that Snell's NZ 800m national record is now as old as I am. Yikes.

800m records in general don't improve much.. drugs don't work for the 800

It’s always claimed that Australia is a sporting nation par-excellence. I’m beginning to wonder if they’ve peaked and their males no longer have that desire to train hard enough to be competitive.

They didn’t manage to reach the final of the Rugby World Championship (as did New Zealand) - their male swimmers don’t seem all that impressive these days - and I believe we in Britain recently beat them at Rugby League.

It looks like their girls will have to carry the tradition on at Beijing - I watched the world short course swimming championship recently and one very unlucky Aussie girl broke two world records, a couple of weeks after failing to get a place in her team at their Olympic trials!

No to 2012 wrote:I watched the world short course swimming championship recently and one very unlucky Aussie girl broke two world records, a couple of weeks after failing to get a place in her team at their Olympic trials!

i checked - one was in 50 fly which isn't olympic distance & other was 100m which is olympic distance - however that record was on hold as libby lenton ( the best free/fly swimmer around ) quickly reclaimed it - lenton is 2nd fastest ever longcourse & reigning wc so she deserves to go

2nd in oz ratings is schipper - 3rd fastest alltime longcourse, reigning wc silver medallist & 200m wr holder

galvez is only 22nd quickest alltime over longcourse

quite rightly she doesn't deserve to go when you have numbers 2 & 3 alltime ahead of you

i think a big factor is that 90% of guys primarily play AFL (aussie football) as kids.

its the most popular sport and if you're any good you can make a ton of money. as well as that, there is cricket, rugby, tennis etc which are all way more popular than track.

im not saying this is the only reason, but i think it is a big one.

800m types are perfect on-ballers in AFL so most end up there, earning 6 figures by the time their 19. Better option than trying to make the grade in T&F.

2d fastest all time Peter Bourke at the 82 CGs -also coached by Franz Stampfl. These guys were running 8-10k solid in the am before tough track/fartlek sessions in the pm. They also did some longer running such as 16k in under 55mins. Doubell has raised the question often about how fit the Aussie 800 boys are. He reckons none of them could get near the 52mins he ran for 16k. He also could run 46 for 400m, Bourkey ran a 45sec 400m relay leg but was also a 3.36 1500m runner.

Like most "Western" cultures todays Aussie youth get driven to school, eat maccas, sit for hours in front of computers/playstations etc.

O' course, Doubell's time was at altitude. I'd bet that helped.

[I'm aware that the NCAA, among others, thinks that altitude confers no advantage in 800m running. I suspect it does, at least if you're running really fast (i.e. less aerobic component of your energy production).]

But I'd also bet it really, really hurt.

doubell sys it's because current 800 guys in Oz aren't doing enough running. It's the same comment Snell makes about why he still ahs the Kiwi record.

Stampfl was also implicated in drug use later in his coaching career...

Doubt it affected Doubell, but his other, later, guys maybe.

One of my most vivid memories of Track and Field was Doubell's incredible victory in Mexico City.

I haven't checked youtube, but if you get a chance to see the video, it is reminiscent of Wottle's Munich finish.

Gerschler was recently implicated for doping Barthels.

68 Watcher wrote:

One of my most vivid memories of Track and Field was Doubell's incredible victory in Mexico City.

I haven't checked youtube, but if you get a chance to see the video, it is reminiscent of Wottle's Munich finish.

I have been looking for the link. Did see the 1500 m final. A hell of a race!