Rupp's. Bronze Rio vs. Shorter's Gold Munich: Intelligent Discussion

John Titor. wrote:

Both performances were incredible.

Due to the weather and conditions in Rio I would have to go with Rupp as the better performance.

0/10

More fake threads from Nike International Headquarters Shenzen, China.

This is not a fake thread or a troll. I am bringing this up because of the similarities.

1. Both American born and

2. Both ran the 10k and the marathon and

3. Both medaled.

If you want compare the overall performance of the combined 10K and the marathon then do so...

I said INTELLIGENT discussion

They are both excellent. Who could say that Rupp would've run the same time in Munich or that Shorter would've fared better or worse when Kipchoge dropped the hammer in Rio?

The only portion that cannot be argued is that the quality of the top competitiors in Rio was much better than in Munich. Specifically, Kipchoge is arguably the best ever and Lilesa is a 2:04 guy. That said, several fell by the wayside - the race is decided on the road and not on paper.

I would give Rupp the nod based on time, conditions, and competition-level, but it's hard to argue against Gold. If this were comparing, say, Boston vs. Boston then it would be much more clear cut.

Let's be honest, Rupp would have beaten Shorter. His PRs are better at every distance including the marathon. The level of competition is much higher today. No contest. Sports and athletes evolve over time to get better.

On times Rupp is clearly superior BUT,

1) almost any current performance is better than past performances if time is the only factor considered (Centrowitz's 1500 performance was the worst sine the early 1930s based on time alone!).

2) Shorter ran heats in the 10K setting an American record in his heat which he then bettered in the final.

3) At an Olympics all you can do is beat the best in the world at that time. Shorter convincingly beat a field that was pretty loaded with talent - Hill, Drayton, Clayton, Wolde for example

Shorter was born in Germany. Gold trumps bronze in my book.

mark b wrote:

3) At an Olympics all you can do is beat the best in the world at that time. Shorter convincingly beat a field that was pretty loaded with talent - Hill, Drayton, Clayton, Wolde for example

Drayton wasn't there. Canada didnt choose to send him to Munich like Ethiopia didn't send Lesisa Desisa to Rio. I wonder if Rupp would be out the medals if Desisa and Bekele were in Rio.

Weather was the same in Munich, Dummy.

Nothing buttresses an argument like first stating an irrelevant fact.

Dexter skeenz wrote:

Shorter was born in Germany. Gold trumps bronze in my book.

Both races were run in hot weather. Shorter ran two hard 10,000s in the week or so before the marathon. Rupp ran one. Shorter won and by a very wide margin. Rupp came third. Shorter didn't have a massive company paying him, providing facilities that would have shamed anything the East Germans or Soviets could have dreamed of. Rupp did. Shorter didn't have regular blood and physical testing done to see if his training should have been adjusted. Rupp did. Both were excellent performances. "Better" is frequently a subjective thing .

I would go with Shorter.

Rupps was Hat aided.

It has got to be Shorter with the win by a considerable margin. However, Rupp is very likely to run four minutes faster or more on a flat course in cool weather when he decides to run one.

jjjjjj wrote:

Rupp is very likely to run four minutes faster or more on a flat course in cool weather when he decides to run one.

I thought the same about Meb Keflezighi...

Shorter hammered the prelims and the finals.

Gold > Bronze any day, every day.

Mebs Silver is better than Rupp's Bronze.

Roundabout wrote:

Nothing buttresses an argument like first stating an irrelevant fact.

Dexter skeenz wrote:

Shorter was born in Germany. Gold trumps bronze in my book.

It isn't irrelevant. The OP specifically stated that one of the reasons he brought this subject up is because both are American born. Dexter was only correcting him.

Shorter was actually born in Munich, Germany but many probably still consider him American born because he was only there while his father was a physician in the US Army. He grew up in New York.

Roundabout wrote:

Nothing buttresses an argument like first stating an irrelevant fact.

Dexter skeenz wrote:

Shorter was born in Germany. Gold trumps bronze in my book.

POD