A good race. Steve Scott said in his bio, we didn't pay as much attention to Rono as we should have given that he won the Kenyan trials. Anyone who wins the Kenyan trials must be given full respect.
Rono ran a very well-conceived tactical race and deserved to win. Anyone who could drop J-P Herold in those days in a slow-slow-faster-manic finish race had real class. Elliott ran well considering that - unlike the rest of the top 5 - he fiercely contested the 800m final, and he'd been subject to daily cortisone injections during the Games.
Steve Cram's finish was interesting. He'd been favorite before the Rieti injury - he passed 800 in 1:46.09 on the way to what would have been a 2:13 kilo, without doubt when he pulled his calf. He spent four weeks in rehab and the OG were his first post-injury outing.
In his heat he looked dominating, but the effect of the injury wasn't as much physical as it was to cause him to lose confidence in his usual ability in the final.
He drifted too much when Rono started his charge. He was gapped by the first three around the final turn and looked out of it. He looked listless and resigned to the outcome. But then inexplicably, suddenly, with just 30m to go, he decided he could win the race. It's like a switch was puled. Look at him charge at the three in front, check out his closure in the final few strides. This finish indicates his aberration was purely mental. If he'd decided to do that at 60m out instead of so close to the line, he would have had at least Elliott's silver and possibly pressured Rono for gold.
Same deal, Frank Clement in the 1978 Commonwealth 1500 final.
They must look at those races on YT, like we do, and shake their heads. At least Cram had hardware from other races. Clement didn't, and should have.