What happened to cram 1987 onwards?

Injured.

more detail please. he was injured in LA too

Jeff Wigand wrote:

Injured.

Injured and old. Injuries become progressively tougher to work through and bounce back from after age 25.

Jeff Wigand wrote:

Injured.

Injuries played a part, he was still ranked # 1 for 1500m in 1988. He should have won the Olympic title that year and could still have done if he wasn't attempting a 1000m WR in Rieti and had pulled out of the 800m at the Games.

But psychologically he had lost that edge he had in 85 and 86.

He had 2 crushing defeats in 87, to Gonzales at the Europa Cup and against Bile in the Worlds, where he basically gave up when he knew he couldn't win gold. I think the impact of those defeats were considerable.

cram in 85 or 86 form would have won in Seoul by ten metres. likely would have won in LA too

what did the 1000 m and pulling out of the 800 at the games have to do with the 1500m result

What was Cram's last race? He was doing well even in 1990 eh? A 3:32?? Did he still race in 93?

He injured his calf in the 1000m.

He injured himself at 800m of the 1000 WR attempt; calf problem that did hamper his preparations for the Games. He ran the 800 prelims in the Games but ran very poorly. Clearly he wasn't in great shape psychologically for the 1500 and ran very tentatively. Was this 1500 the weakest field in any modern Olympics? A fully fit & confident Cram (or Coe or Ovett!!) would have won by the proverbial street!!

Post 1988 he was still capable of the occasional very good run but found himself outkicked in slow races and out lasted in the faster ones! But fair play to him; his mile WR from 1985 was a great run ; check out his last lap. Pretty awesome!

In 1988, Peter Elliott and Cram oddly didn\'t put themselves into position to win it, while the selectors oddly kept Coe out, but Elliott and Cram should have won over Peter Rono (?), who never did anything before or since but showed up and competed on the day. Calf injuries are very difficult to get over, particularly if you are trying to regain speed for middle distance, as I found over a period of years in which I could never regain what speed I still had.

Cram and Elliott did put themselves in positions to win.

jjjjjjj wrote:

In 1988, Peter Elliott and Cram oddly didn't put themselves into position to win it, while the selectors oddly kept Coe out, but Elliott and Cram should have won over Peter Rono (?), who never did anything before or since but showed up and competed on the day. Calf injuries are very difficult to get over, particularly if you are trying to regain speed for middle distance, as I found over a period of years in which I could never regain what speed I still had.

cramfan wrote:

what did the 1000 m and pulling out of the 800 at the games have to do with the 1500m result

Cram always had his calf problems in the background. He was unwise to go all out for a WR attempt at 1000m 4 weeks before doubling up at the Olympics, when he should have been training and taking care of his calf rather than putting strain on it. He was then even more foolish to stay running the 800m in Seoul. You have to be in supreme physical and mental condition to even attempt a double with the intensity of rounds it entails. He should have rested, focused on getting ready for the 1500 and left the 800 well alone.

Cram should have won in Seoul, but I don't believe he'd have beaten Coe on that day in LA whatever form he had been in, especially after rounds.

Intriguingly, all of Cram’s PB’s were run in just the two months, July and August in the single year - 1985.

1.42.88

2.12.88

3.29.67

3.46.32

Also, Elliot was injured and only managed to run in the final of the 1500 in 88 by having a cortisone injection.

I read somewhere that Cram was diagnosed with chronic exertional compartment syndrome in both legs. Not sure why he just didn't get an operation (as did Dick Quax and others, including Mary Decker). But it seemed to plague him for the remainder of his career. Having coached a number of athletes afflicted with this, it can be quite deblilitating, although severity differs amongst athletes.