Defending 5000 metres champion ,the great Tunisian runner Mohamed Gammoudi ,at the age of 34,knew this was going to be his final track race ,and,having falle...
those look like the two least-doped 5000s of the entire 1990s, and Kennedy couldn't hang within 12 seconds in either of them.
You want a good criticism of Prefontaine, besides those off-distance US records? It's that the entire US running scene was soft. Jim Ryun was gone. There was Frank Shorter, but on the track they sucked. And they didn't even have a swarm of east Africans to deal with yet.
Bob Kennedy ran sub 13, that's the big thing. Prefontaine never even ran sub 13:20. So at least his American record was meaningful.
Because he didn't create controversy or speak boisterous so the media ignored him. The proof is look at the attention Shelby gets with her continued controversial behaviors also how much attention sha carri received being boisterous versus the decreased attention she gets not being boisterous and flamboyant. SCR is running and doing well and gets mentioned but no frenzy unless she makes a bold statement. The difference is controversy vs professional.
Pre didn't need the Nike PR machine to build him up; I was a running fan then, and he was as revered when he was running in Adidas as in Nikes. It was the personality.
Biggest difference in their records is that, for the most part, Pre stayed home and raced primarily Americans, whereas Bob wanted to run against the best -- who were just better than him (or had better PEDs). I give Bob lots of credit for that.
If BK had run his sub 13:00 2 years prior it would have been the WR. Had he done it 1 year prior it would have been 2nd all-time.
He broke 13:00 twice in the same season.
The mid 90s was a wild time.
Alan
yes, once eop came out his times dropped dramatically
Yep, he probably got his hands on it in Kenya.
I assume all great runners and athletes in general have been taking PEDs since the first Olympic Games. Why wouldn't they? Especially now with $$$$ at stake.
Had a friend that trained with Bob a few times back in the day. One particular story was that when Bob had a bad workout he would head straight to McDonald's for a big mac and fries to remind himself that this is what he could be doing everyday if he wasn't running.
I don't know him but sounds like he was a pretty cool guy. Saw him win NCAA at Annapolis.....easily one of the smoothest American runners I've ever seen.
Nuttall won in Annapolis (‘89). Kennedy won in Ames (‘88) and Bloomington (‘92)
Biggest difference in their records is that, for the most part, Pre stayed home and raced primarily Americans, whereas Bob wanted to run against the best -- who were just better than him (or had better PEDs). I give Bob lots of credit for that.
This is not a fair comparison at all. The European track circuit in the early 70's was nothing like the 90's.
If BK had run his sub 13:00 2 years prior it would have been the WR. Had he done it 1 year prior it would have been 2nd all-time.
He broke 13:00 twice in the same season.
The mid 90s was a wild time.
Alan
Kennedy didn't win either of the races when he broke 13:00, nor do I recall him ever winning an international race. It seems strange to imply a race could have been a WR except for timing when he didn't win the race. In Kennedy's 5000 PR, he was 5th place and 13 seconds behind Geb.
Ngl I don't think anyone at my HS knew who Kennedy or Pre were. I don't think anyone under the age of 30 cares about Pre at all. Like he ran 13:20 and got 0 global medals. I honestly don't know why people like Pre more than someone like Centro, who actually won Olympic gold. I kinda doubt it's the attitude, because people got real mad over the "your move" stuff.
Biggest difference in their records is that, for the most part, Pre stayed home and raced primarily Americans, whereas Bob wanted to run against the best -- who were just better than him (or had better PEDs). I give Bob lots of credit for that.
This is not a fair comparison at all. The European track circuit in the early 70's was nothing like the 90's.
Sure, it wasn't the same -- less money, for sure -- but the best distance runners in the world were there, not in the US, and he chose to mainly run in the US.
Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win a LetsRun t-shirt.Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win one of 10 LetsRun t-shirts.