Why didn't Dave Wottle keep running?

lots of guys started wearing various baseball type caps or bike racer caps in the mid 70s, at least in cross country and road racing, no doubt influenced by Wottle among others. (and don't forget the puqua (sp) shell or leather necklaces).

Yummy wrote:

After mentioning Dave Wottle, I watched his 1972 victory in the 800. Possibly my fiftieth time watching this particular race!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LHid-nC45k

I couldn’t help but notice Mike Boit: the 3rd place finisher from Kenya. I looked up his biography on Wikipedia and was impressed by his strong education and running ability.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Boit

Anybody have further info on Boit? Additionally, why did Kenya boycott the 1976 games?

Mike Boit was screwed out of two Olympics during his prime.

Most of Africa boycotted in 1976.

I remember him and his unknown 4 mile relay team "think geek squad), in the caps and french berets, kicking ass on the well known powerhouse schools on the midwest relay circut in '72 or '73...can't remember exactly. I loved it. Little ol Bowling Green.

Ryan Foreman wrote:

Wottle's 72' Olympic race is textbook in coming up with a race plan and executing it. Particularly in not taking the bait when it looks like initially everybody's kicking your ass and you are so far behind people start thinking there is something wrong with you.

It should be required viewing for our nation's leader.

For the 1,000th time Dave Wottle didn't have a race plan. His legs were ragged (mainly why he didn't qualify for the 1,500 final) and he started out slowly because of those ragged legs. The race/the way it was run fell into his hands/his good fortune/and the fact he "came alive" as the race proceeded.

If Wottle had this perfect race plan he would have won by more than 4/100ths of a second.

Jeez!

I don't know what you mean by him not having a race plan. I had heard before that he had stumbled and didn't mean to be that far behind. Which in itself betrays that he did have a race plan. Or at least had some expectations of how the race was going to play out. And he clearly had a racing tactic and could respond to other runners as the race went on.

Maybe the reason he was so far behind is because of his "ragged" legs. But clearly the other reason is that all the other runners got out to an extremely fast start that couldn't be sustained. Its clear to me that Wottle could have put on a burst of speed early in the race after the first 100M to catch up to the pack. But the key thing and whats textbook is that Wottle didn't panic. He set an even pace, remained patient, and let other people try to control the race instead of trying to force things and try to extert his own control.

Not sure if anyone even reads this post any more, but thought I would share my thoughts as I have what could be considered some first hand knowledge. Dave is my dad and I have heard the stories a few times! On why he quit running - it was two reasons - he needed something that paid a little better and his knees were mush. I will say though, I ran track and cross country in HS and the first two years of college and even then, with him not having run in ages, he would occasionally go our and run 3 or 4 miles with me and it would always end with a race to the house for the last quarter mile and even as out of shape as he was, he would demolish me every time! He is just a fast dude plain and simple. On the sign going into Bowling Green University that calls our Scott Hamilton, it did at one point read home of Dave Wottle, 1972 Gold Medalist - when they took it down, my dad grabbed it and it is proudly hanging on the wall in our garage and has been for as long as I can remember so if you are ever driving through Germantown, stop by and ask to see it - trust me, dad will gladly spend time talking about it. Did he have a race plan? Dont be ridiculous, every competitive runner has a race plan, a race that they know they can run. To thinlk that somebody that tied the world record went out and just ran like my crazy 5 year old does - all out until he collapses - is crazy. If you look at his splits in the medal race, he was runnoing his race and did not let the excitement of the games alter it. when you are racing the best in the world, I dont think it is reasonable to have a plan that puts you finishing 2 seconds ahead of the second place finisher, my guess is that his plan had it being even closer than 4/100ths of a second - and that finish is what made the race so much fun to watch - to this day, I still get nervous watching it. He was good friends with Pre, they traveled around Europe for a period, but if you know much about my dad, he is a very straight laced person and Pre - well, he was Pre! I do get to hear some pretty crazy stories about the trip however! My dad had about 5 rolls of film from the trip and his camera got lost on the flight back to the states and he only was able to save one roll so there are some great pics of the two, but it would have been great to see them all. Hope this helps!

Thanks, that was great

Scott, thank you for posting. It is posts like yours that make Letsrun worthwhile.

Mr. Obvious wrote:

Scott, thank you for posting. It is posts like yours that make Letsrun worthwhile.

Agreed, 100%.

Thanks for posting Scott.

Scott, wow, thank you for this.

I never got to meet or race your dad (can't imagine, he was an idol of mine) but I did get to race Mike Boit twice. Finished on his heals the first time, the second time, he kicked my, and everyone else's, asses. Lol.

--Thanks again for your sharing about your dad.

I only met Pre once, as I was finishing high school when he passed. It would be a treasure and a honor if your father one day released those pictures to the U. of O.

And, btw, as far as "Pre being Pre" type stuff. --I can tell you that the era of the team just after Pre, was just as "Pre-like." Man, the parties and the stories, un-be-liev-able.

For all the bible belting in Oregon, thank God there was a healthy lot of hedonism.

We had an unwritten Oregon track team record book, and it had nothing to do with the track. And it wasn't just notches. It was also things like how many times in 24 hours, positions etc. And, you know, sometimes the slower guys on the squad had the most "game" and closing ability with the ladies. Athletics and sex sometimes go together like chocolate and peanut butter.

--I will never tell who the "school record" holders were (men's AND women's team.) Yes, there were also the prudes and the straight and narrow one's, but they were the minority in the late 70's.

--I doubt that record will ever be broken... But he and she know who they are (were) (they were an item).

Anyway, thanks for sharing about your dad, and Pre...and "that" aspect of Pre. I met and spoke with Pre once, and he impressed me as a completely genuine person. No BS. Honest all the way.

With there were more like Pre. And your dad.

good post. thank you

it's a pisser that they ever removed that sign, probably a future indicator that BGSU was eventually going to can their men's track team - the only program other than hockey that has ever brought them national acclaim. What a tribute to Wottle, Sink and Brodt - get rid of the very thing that brought that suck ass school to prominence. Bowling Green State University sucks, and I'm a grad.

Obviuosly Wottle had a race plan but I've seen an interview in Bud Greenspans THe Olympians where he himself stated that at the start of the final he himself felt awful and after he slipped to the back far off the pace momentarily all he was thinking about was catching up to the pack and not embarrasing himself.

Then, of course, he regrouped quite nicely.

There might not be a sign for Dave Wottle but every longtime resident over the age of 40 in Bowling Green remembers him.

but there should be a sign for him.

thanks Scott, I have met your dad, and never really heard all the things your described, what the men's team accomplished was an inspiration to me, and Mel was one of a kind.

thanks Scott.

Dave Wottle! Yes! Golf Cap!

Thanks for the post.

We ran Div III cross country against his team at Bethany College several times. He was a good coach, laid back and very nice guy.

As I recall, he actually got out of coaching during that time and wanted to focus on a career in college admissions. I think he made the transistion while at Bethany.

So why did Sid Sink stop running? He was the best steeplechaser in the US in the early 70s. It's amazing that Bowling Green had both Wottle and Sink. No other college team had a comparable duo back then.

In the '72 Olympic 800 final, the Russian (Yevgheny Arzhanov) was badly fouled by the East German (Dieter Fromm) at about 150 meters. The East German sprinted to the front and deliberately pulled in front of the Russian, knocking him off balace. The Russian stumbled from 1st position to 5th and lost significantly more than "4/100ths of a second."

The East German hated the Russian because he knocked him off the pedestal as the top European 800-meter runner. Fromm was the European 800 champion in 1969, but Arzhanov came along and was unbeatable in 1970 and 1971, ranking number one in the world both years. Despite Wottle's world-record tying performance at the US trials, Arzhanov was the heavy favorite in Munich, partly because Wottle had been suffering from tendonitis in his knees since the trials.

Anyway, had it not been for that foul, Arzhanov would have won the gold medal. As Silly Old Fossil said earlier, Wottle's victory was due in part to good fortune. A gold medal is still a gold medal. And Wottle certainly deserved to win, but luck played a huge role.

Does Wottle ever talk about having gotten an "assist" from Dieter Fromm?

I post this as a fan of Dave Wottle but also as someone who watched the race live on television and who has seen the youtube many times. Wottle's victory involved more than sensible pacing and a furious sprint down the homestretch. Lady Luck was particularly kind to Wottle in the Munich 800 meter final.

I heard Wottle give a commentary when the race was replayed once and it was very amusing. A lot of things came together for him to win, including everyone running wide so he could sneak up on the inside. He has a very self deprecating sense of humour and was saying things like "I thought I should try and catch the pack so I wouldn't embarass everyone at home" and "then I thought well maybe I could get a medal" (not actual quotes)

But I don't know if Fromm was just trying to sabatoge a race, I'm sure he was going for glory as everyone else. 800's can be rough and tumbles...