Worst Olympic final ..... ever?

"Riiiiiiggggghhhht......Mills set a world record for the "six mile run." Yeah, and I hold the world records for the 4.36 mile run and the 72-furlong run."

yeah... well thats a good way of beating around the bush... fact is two of the best distance runners in the world raced a 6 mile... so its a real race. also, the 10,000 record set by Mills later was substantially (9 seconds) slower than the 6 mile record pace. a 10k and 6 miles arent that far off, it was a great run and a world record, you are wrong plain and simple, Mills was not a "one hit wonder no-name"

old tymer wrote:

Orville Atkins wrote:

I have seen all of the finals at six Olympics. There has not been a "worst" final. They have all been great races!

Oh, come on! You can be an Olympic fan without being completely brainwashed! Some Olympic finals have been absolutely wonderful--the 1960 1500; the 1996 & 2000 10,000s, and so on. However, others have been absolute stinkers--completely forgettable 10 minutes after the finish. You want examples? The '88 1500 was a stinker; the '96 5000 was mediocre; the '00 800 was a dud; the '00 5000 was utterly pointless; etc.

This idea that "every" Olympic final is a timeless classic is nonsense on stilts.

******************************

I agree with Old Tymer about the 1988 1500m. Coe should have been picked for the UK team. My money would have been on him to threepeat. Also too bad that Cram didn't perform well. He was a great one. However, more power to Peter Rono -- he showed up and won.

I never said that Olympic Finals were all classics although I do feel that Mills race was. Every Olympic FINAL and most semifinals are great races. There are ocassions when only the winner ran a great race and it was only great as far as he/she was concerned because he/she became the Olympic Champion. That was the whole goal in the sport in my day. The tactics throughout the whole race are always intriguing. The success of each runners tactics are never known until the race is over. The race as such can be a bummer but someone did the correct thing to become Olympic Champion. This makes the whole of each Olympic race very intiguing. It is not over until it is over and based on how each finalst proceeds throughout the whole race. I hope that I continue to enjoy all Olympic finals. By the way I have not been to an Olympic final since 1988.

i think the javelin in 84 was pretty boring

Mary vs. Zola in '84 hardly lived up to the hype.

As usual Google was the culprit. How about you check out the first result on Mr. Mills name?

http://www.runningpast.com/billy_mills.htm

Trollie McSockpuppet wrote:

You insulted Billy Mills.

Wrong. I at least had the courtesy to refer to him anonymously at the start of this thread. You are the one who is his dragging Mr. Mills (and now, by association, Gerry Lindgren) through the mud. You should be ashamed.

you had the 'courtesy' to refer to him anonymously? whilst the other poster stuck up for him staunchly and as such, dragged his name through the mud'?

haha, if you actually believe that, then you're even more of a moron than you currently appear. So you insulted (yes, you did) an Olympic gold medallist.But the fact that you didn't mention his name, just the year and event he won, ment there was NO way anyone would know who you were talking about. Well, thank you for your fantastic sensitivity.

Oh yes, and also .... you were wrong re: more than one AR statement too. Accept it. Your arrogance is making you look reral ugly right now

Yes, reel them in sloooowly now Trollie.

And so the pattern continues. I argue with facts and reasoning, while you resort to ad hominem attacks. I have been very patient with you up to this point, Mr. Furgi. My patience has run out; my gloves are coming off. Prepare to be schooled.

Absurd. It should be unnecessary to summarize the history of America's sports conversion to the metric system, but your ignorance of American history necessitates such a primer. During the 19th century, track races were measured in various units of English measurement--including feet, yards, and miles. This all changed during the Spanish-American War, when President McKinley, upset with England's support for Spain, decreed that all sporting events were to abandon English-based units of measurement. From 1898 onwards, all officially sanctioned track and field events in the United States only included distances in meters and kilometers. It's true that a few high schools lagged and continued to use yards for a few decades, but all *national* races used meters exclusively.

By the 1960s, there weren't any "6-mile" races to run, which means that neither Billy Mills nor Gerry Lindgren set any "world records" at that distance. These races you discuss--which I must admit sound fascinating--took place only in your own mind.

That's right I haven't seen it. It didn't happen, Einstein.

More fantasy. You know, Furgi, you really should be a screenwriter.

I have carefully reviewed the facts, and they are clearly on my side. As to your admonishment concerning the "dis" of an American Olympic Champion, I can only chuckle. I have treated Mr. Mills with the utmost respect in this thread. You are just upset because I have adopted the unpopular (albeit correct) position that his Tokyo 10,000 meter victory was boring, undeserved, and uninspiring. You, on the other hand, have seen fit to distort--in fact, contrive--events for your own purposes, which does a great disservice to the legacy of Billy Mills who, despite his lack of notable running accomplishments, is probably a nice enough guy. If there is anyone who should be "thinking twice" around here, it should be you.

Good day, sir.

before you embark on another marathon bullshit ramble, can you jut accept that Billy Mills did set more than one American record? And cut the crap about whether it was a real ven or not ..... it was run at the AAU champs and as such, would've at the time been held in very high regard. It DID happen, no ifs or buts. And please save any more of your oh-so-witty 'well I have the 2.7456 miles record' crap. It's not relevant, and not funny either.

And to suggest that you "treated Mr Mills with the utmost respect in this thread"? Correct me if I'm wong, but didn't you earlier say "I won't say his name, because he doesn't deserve to have it spoken loud"? About an Olympic Champion, no less. Yes ... the utmost respect indeed.

an interesting photo on this page, for your reference. On Gerry Lindgren's website no less

Come on guys!! You can realize you are being played by Trollie can't you? A masterful job I might add.

No, I cannot "accept" it because Billy Mills did not set *any* American records, let alone more than one. Again, I ask: what records did he set?

Please. So I am supposed to believe that it DID happen because you put "DID" in all caps? Is that all you got, Kid Mambo? Is that all you got?

Wrong. It is both entirely relevant and VERY funny.

Score two more points for me.

Sigh. Look, I can tell that this is you, Furgi. In an attempt to divert attention from the public humiliation you have experienced at my hands, you have created this lame "Kid Mombo" character to voice support for your thoroughly discredited arguments. It's not working. Give up while you can, before you become as much of a disgrace to letsrun as Billy Mills (whom I greatly respect) is to track and field.

Troll...ie:

You're just a rude stupid dude. I won't bother you any longer...Below is the proof that you do not know your history. The 6 mile has been contested at the National Championships up to 1973. Please read below:

___________________________________________________________

You said,

"By the 1960s, there weren't any "6-mile" races to run, which means that neither Billy Mills nor Gerry Lindgren set any "world records" at that distance. These races you discuss--which I must admit sound fascinating--took place only in your own mind. "

..... Read below and weap...

Go back to screenwriting.

___________________________________________________________

USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions

Men's 10,000 m

1973 27:20.8 (6 mi.) Gordon Minty E Mich/GBR

1972 28:08.0 Greg Fredericks Penn St

1971 27:27.2 (6 mi.) Frank Shorter Fla TC

1970 27:24.0 (6 mi.) Jack Bachelor Fla TC

Frank Shorter Fla TC

1969 28:12.2 (6 mi.) Jack Bachelor Fla TC

1968 28:47.0 Tracy Smith US Army

1967 28:18.8 (6 mi.) Van Nelson St. Cloud

1966 28:02.0 (6 mi.) Tracy Smith Pac AA

1965 27:11.6 (6 mi.) Billy Mills USMC

27:11.6 (6 mi.) 2-Gerry Lindgren Unat-WA

1964 30:11.0 Peter McArdle NYAC

1963 28:29.2 (6 mi.) Peter McArdle Unat-NY

1962 28:23.2 (6 mi.) Bruce Kidd EYTC/CAN

28:34.8 (6 mi.) 2-Peter McArdle NYAC

1961 28:52.6 (6 mi.) John Gutknecht Unat-NC

1960 30:11.4 Al Lawrence Hous/AUS

1959 31:22.4 Max Truex SC Striders

1958 29:25.6 (6 mi.) John Macy Houston

1957 29:22.8 (6 mi.) Doug Kyle Ham OC/CAN

29:48.3 (6 mi.) 2-Jerry Smartt HousTC

1956 30:52.0 Max Truex Los AngelesAC

1955 31:58.4 (6 mi.) Dick Hart Coll. T&F

1954 31:39.4 (6 mi.) Curt Stone NYAC

1953 31:18.2 (6 mi.) Curt Stone

BadGuy wrote:

Anything with the name "racewalk" in it!

What is your problem with the racewalk? Don't put it down until you try it and see how much technique, time, and effort is needed to become successful in the event, just like any other.

So now that noone ever runs races that arent measured in meters, i guess noones gonna be getting any mile or two mile records are they trollie? are the records from 1898?

1. Olympic Gold is OLYMPIC GOLD

2. MIlls' American records though they have been broken were and still are fast.

3.People need to stop taking away from Bill Mills just because they want to have ron clarkes children

4. Announcers these days need to get excited like the ones in the video.

that mills race had an exciting finish and a man running beyond himself and testing the very limits of what each man can do, I thought thats what runners aspire to. i'm not american and I think that was a great race, i think this thread is more concerned with boring races, not races where some favorite didnt get his dues on the day. Yeah ron clarke was great, but if you cant do it on the day then unlucky for you, dont hold it against mills