Lenny Leonard wrote:
Webb ran 47 in high school. No doubt he could have run 46.xx in his 3:30 days.
1) Webb did not run 47 out of the blocks in HS.
2) Improving endurance does not = improving speed. Steve Ovett ran 47.5 and 21.7 (out of the blocks, not in relays) before becoming a world-class miler. After becoming a world-class miler he continued to compete in 4x400 relays and occasional sprints and never improved upon his earlier times.