Good articles on 1972 Trials in Eugene

Pre dominated those trials.

I was there. Pre was a big story and of course the favorite of the local fans. But there were also three world records set during the meet. Bob Seagren set the record in the pole vault. Dave Wottle (who I caught in the parking lot after the race) in the 800. I said to him, "that was amazing" and he said "yes, it was". And Eddie Hart and Rey Robinson in the 100 at 9.9.

It was warm in Eugene those days and the sprinters were on fire. I would say that Frank Shorter was as big a star for me since he won the 10K on the first weekend and the marathon with Kenny Moore the second. Can you imagine a schedule like that today?

It was a magic week.

Jim Ryun narrowly finishing 4th in the 800 and then coming back to crush the field on the last lap of the 1500 was another good moment.

Nothing New Under the Sun wrote:

Pre dominated those trials.

How can you say that?? He only ran in one event. Dave Wottle qualified in 2 (count 'em 2) events.

Nothing New Under the Sun wrote:

Pre dominated those trials.

That was the fist time Pre used negative splits as a race strategy.

Thanks for bringing those up. Here are some neat black and white photos Steve Sutton took in 72: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/06/19/sports/SPTSEUGENE1.html

Lorenzo the Magnificent wrote:

Records, upsets, pollen, God's will, tears and triumphs. Sound familiar?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1086293/1/index.htmhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1086309/index.htm

I was only 5 and only remember Munich and the Olympics and just hoping to watch the second episode of The Brady Bunch when the family went to Hawaii and the kids took the tiki idol from the cave and got the curse and Greg bonked with the surf board.

Years later that was a great meet no doubt. Wottle in the 800 and Ryun making the big move and getting run down then winning the 1500. The only time I've seen a Jim Ryun excuberant emotion was when he won that 1500. I would imagine Jim Ryun and Pre were the big story. Rupp is much better than Pre and is the greatest distance runner on the track America has ever seen. Yet in this era he has a slim chance of a medal and 6th place would be great in the Olympics.

Ah, the Vincent Price episode.

break it up wrote:

I was only 5 and only remember Munich and the Olympics and just hoping to watch the second episode of The Brady Bunch when the family went to Hawaii and the kids took the tiki idol from the cave and got the curse and Greg bonked with the surf board.

Years later that was a great meet no doubt. Wottle in the 800 and Ryun making the big move and getting run down then winning the 1500. The only time I've seen a Jim Ryun excuberant emotion was when he won that 1500. I would imagine Jim Ryun and Pre were the big story. Rupp is much better than Pre and is the greatest distance runner on the track America has ever seen. Yet in this era he has a slim chance of a medal and 6th place would be great in the Olympics.

Comparing Pre to Rupp is ridiculous at this point. It's the equivalent of comparing the 1932 U.S. OT 5000m winner to Pre. Just not a realistic comparison. I would think after 40 f*cking years, there would have certainly been some progression with the advancement in training methods, better facilities, and dietary protocol.

I will agree but what can you tell me are the differences now in this simple sport than 1972? Diet?

Rupp has run 26:49 and can close a 28:40 pace in 1:52. Pre was great but he just didn't have the talent to do what Rupp does in this era. No American ever has. Rupp is the best American runner I've ever seen.

If Pre ran 8:41 in high school in 2003 in this era maybe he would have trained better, got in better races, developed closing speed while at the same time increased his endurance to run 10,000 races at 64-66 pace like Rupp does easily.

Pre was awesome. But his talent and heart wouldn't be enough. Even if he was on all the medication and supplements Rupp is on.

break it up wrote:

I will agree but what can you tell me are the differences now in this simple sport than 1972? Diet?

Oh, come on. You don't acknowledge that the training methods have progressed considerably since 1972? I really find that hard to believe. And yes, diet does make a difference. They didn't know a damn thing about diet in 1972. Those kids were living off fruit loops, pizza, and beer....and not much more. Furthermore, their travel conditions sucked and they were forced to live in shitholes thanks to the AAU. When you add all those things up, yes, they do make a big difference. I can pretty well assure you that if Pre had benefited from the same background and level of competition as Rupp, he would have gone sub 13 in the 5K.

some brief but illuminating "cinema-style" clips of '72 trials

( it's likely the full races are in Uni archives & perhaps someone working there can provide full races ? )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjDspIQYNCg

the timing is interesting

it is Longines & i have read it was "half-automatic timing" where race started manually but finish was auto-timed, so that logically 0.24s error for 100/200 shoud be halved & the 0.14s error for 400 & above shoud aso be halved

i have seen the 100m winner's time quoted in US Trials pdf at 9.88

that indicates auto-time of 10.00 !!!

this changes the prospects of '72 games for the top-2 as being considerably better

they missed the bus to the race & only 3rd placer ran in final

with the winner clocking possible 10.00 in trials, that means borzov woudn't have been favorite to win

also, collett clocked at 44.07

add 0.07 to that & gives auto time of 44.14 !!!

not even caballo beat that at sea-level !

it wasn't untl '88 when butch ran 44.10 that collett's time was definitively beaten at sea-level

I recall Brian Oldfield smoking cigarettes between his throws (slide 2). He wore a fish net shirt and speedos as his uniform. Slide 11 was the Nike shoe that Bowerman made for many of the marathon participants. My wife threw mine away two decades ago. Jim Ryun and his allergies was a big story. Lindgren's "Stop Pre" was a side show when the real battle was Pre and George Young, with a very fast at the time last 1200 meters (3:00ish).

Igy

T-shirts under singlets. We did that all the time, never see it any more. If any kids wanna retro, try it, especially with a porn 'stache.

run with the wom wrote:

I was there. Pre was a big story and of course the favorite of the local fans. But there were also three world records set during the meet. Bob Seagren set the record in the pole vault. Dave Wottle (who I caught in the parking lot after the race) in the 800. I said to him, "that was amazing" and he said "yes, it was". And Eddie Hart and Rey Robinson in the 100 at 9.9.

It was warm in Eugene those days and the sprinters were on fire. I would say that Frank Shorter was as big a star for me since he won the 10K on the first weekend and the marathon with Kenny Moore the second. Can you imagine a schedule like that today?

It was a magic week.

I was there, too. So many great experiences. Probably the best track meet ever and you could go anywhere ...no security issues back then.

calculo wrote:

also, collett clocked at 44.07

From lane 8. I thought that never happened before?

History repeats wrote:From lane 8. I thought that never happened before?

it seems "history" talks lotta crap

collett ran 44.07 with half-auto timing by Longines whose logo can be seen on side on vid, same Longines who timed '72 games, but not asked inexplicably to time '72 trials from gun, only at finish ?!

as for lane-8, there really some lot of rubbish talked about this meet, now, primarily i realise, because of "half-auto-timing"

i don't know lane-8 wr for 400 back then, but of course collett broke "half-auto" sea-level 400wr for any lane & i re-iterate, his estimated

~ 44.14

was not broken for 16y !!! until butch's 44.10 in '88

100m & 400m in '72 have to be hugely re-evaluated !!!

the 100 / 400 / 800 / 1500

were incredible champs with even this brief vid after rounds !!!, in notorious windy meet, wrecking rounds, in final clockings !!!

100m winner with likely

10.00s

off 9.88s listed in US Olympic Trials pdf

with runner-up just behind in ~ 10.02, shoud have given borzov all the fight of his life !!! & possible 1+ had his beating