geb. no doubt. not only did he win all his races but he could call his time before hand, even if it was a world record. i remember him saying that paul tergat had just borrowed his record. also, he could beat you at any pace... slow with a kick at the end or fast and strong throughout. he's amazing
adfadf wrote:
(as opposed to MJ or Beamon who only had one outlier of a performance).
True. But that 19.32 was one hell of an outlier wouldn't you say?
Oh definitely.
But Geb's 12:44.39 when the world record was 12:55.30 is in the same ballpark, percentage-wise.
Then he ran even faster.
Who are all these idiots?
ZATOPEK
- the only choice
5K, 10K, Mar Olympic Champion and World Record Holder
AND
He was one heckuva great humanitarian
Let us not forget that Geb won the 1999 Indoor World Championships at 1,500 meters. In the final he beat the likes of Laban Rotich, Andres Diaz, and Rui Silva, who finished 1999 ranked 3rd, 6th, and 8th in the world, respectively.
True, he might not have won if El G or Ngeny had run, but come on, what 5k/10k runner is going to beat the two fastest milers of all time in the 1,500? He still beat 3 of the top 8 milers in the world that year at their own specialty.
The dude was and still is amazing.
MJ'S 19.32 IS THE BEST PERFORMANCE BUT DALEY THOMPSON IS PERHAPS THE BEST ATHLETE EVER
You bite your tongue! Coe was so dominant. His record was out of reach for 15 years. The guy has the medals, and he has one of the most impressive work ethics I have seen when it comes to elite training methods.
And as much as I love Geb, Bekele has better times and seems to be untouchable. The guy turns 24 this year, so that means he'll probably dominate for at least another 4 years, and remain a top 5 runner in the world for another 10. His legacy will surpass that of Geb, and eventually someone will pass him.
Basically I say:
1. Bekele
2. Geb
3. Komen
4. El G
mostly the same - i might throw lasse viren in there - his olympic feats are pretty amazing - didn't he run the marathon at one olympics and pretty high in addition to his 5k/10k heroics
Basically I say:
1. Bekele
2. Geb
3. Komen
4. El G[/quote]
Said Aouita has to be mentioned in this conversation. The guy has medals in 800m 1500m and 5k. Not to mention World Records as well. The guy even ran a top 5 in the world 10k at the end of his career. The guy was the total package, plus he had style. This is something that no other person on that list has. He wasnt some kid pretending to be humble. He was the real deal. He told you he could beat you and guess what he did.
Tesfaye Eticha.. Look him up.
How about Abebe Bikila the great Ethiopian marathoner who won his second Olympic gold medal barely a month after an appendectomy.
Toby Tanser... Enough Said.
He may not be the greatest, but the distance runner with the most raw talent has to be Henry Rono.
Emil Zátopek, the "Bouncing Czech," gets my vote!
Emil Zatopek.
gtsoucal wrote:
How about Abebe Bikila the great Ethiopian marathoner who won his second Olympic gold medal barely a month after an appendectomy.
And won barefoot on the cobblestone streets of Rome! He was Rexing before it was cool.
Bayarean wrote:
Flagpole Willy
True. So very true.
Peter Snell. Three gold medals, several world records, unbeatable over many years and a dominating, frightening presence on the track.
I'm disapointed that only two people have mentioned Emil Zatopek on their lists, and that no one has chosen to discuss him at all.
Until someone else wins the Gold medal in the 5K, 10K and Marathon in the SAME OLYMPIC GAMES, this is an open and shut case.
I will simply say this and dare anyone to challenge it: that was the single most dominating performance by any athelete in any sport in the history of organized athletic competition.
Herb Elliot was never beaten over 1500m.
Got to be in there!