Worst runner with an Olympic gold medal?

said88 wrote:

Peter Rono ran 3:39 the year before, and has run faster than 3:35,96 in 1988, 1989, 1991 and 1992.

I just went with the IAAF profile:

Their database is obviously incomplete.

I just found a PR for him of 3:34.54 from 1989.

He still had no business winning an Olympic Gold. Not with the talent that the world had that year.

Rono sucked. It still makes me sick he won. However, it's the field's fault for showing him too much respect. Putrid racing.

Bordin was well known in Europe and was one of the favorites going into the 88 Olympics. Double European Champion, world bronze in 87 and won Boston in 2:08.

agip wrote:

tons of one marathon winners you've barely heard of:

Stefano Baldini

Gezahegne Abera

Josia Thugwane

Young-cho Hwang

Gelindo Bordin

Constantina Tomescu

Mizuki Noguchi,

Naoko Takahashi

Valentina Yegorova

You've barely heard of?

LOL

Did you live in a cave back then? :D

Konstantinos Kenteris

toro wrote:

Peter Rono - 1988 1500m

Couldn't even win NCAA's that year or the next year. Wasn't even the best guy on his college team.

Going into 1988 you had:

Seb Coe- Reigning Olympic Champion

Abdi Bile - Reigning world champion

Said Aouita - 1500m world record holder

Steve Cram - Mile world record holder

Peter Rono only ran 3:42 the year before and he ran his lifetime PR in that race - 3:35.96

Never ran better than 3:41 after that.

I don't even know how he made the Kenyan team.

Peter Rono is always mentioned in threads like this, and it is symptomatic of ignorance. Peter Rono was VERY good in that Olympic race, and people are always selling him short. Peter Rono took control of that race masterfully, grabbing the lead and refusing to relinquish it. Very underrated. Superb effort.

Lorz - 1904 Marathon

Lorz dropped out because of exhaustion. His manager had driven him some ten miles before their car suddenly broke down. Feeling refreshed, Lorz amused himself by easily running the remainder of the course. He played along with being fêted as the winner right up to the medal ceremony, where he was found out. Officials had learned that Lorz was seen waving at spectators along his ride, and he readily admitted his charade when questioned, attempting to pass it off as a practical joke. Unmoved, the Amateur Athletic Union swiftly banned Lorz for life. According to a contemporaneous magazine article, “Eight months later he was reinstated through the efforts of eastern men on the ground that he was temporarily insane”—which allowed him to enter, and legitimately win, the 1905 Boston Marathon.

Not a Coach wrote:

Lorz - 1904 Marathon

Lorz dropped out because of exhaustion. His manager had driven him some ten miles before their car suddenly broke down. Feeling refreshed, Lorz amused himself by easily running the remainder of the course. He played along with being fêted as the winner right up to the medal ceremony, where he was found out. Officials had learned that Lorz was seen waving at spectators along his ride, and he readily admitted his charade when questioned, attempting to pass it off as a practical joke. Unmoved, the Amateur Athletic Union swiftly banned Lorz for life. According to a contemporaneous magazine article, “Eight months later he was reinstated through the efforts of eastern men on the ground that he was temporarily insane”—which allowed him to enter, and legitimately win, the 1905 Boston Marathon.

Nice one.

Thanks for the story.

trirunner96 wrote:

by god you're right. she won one other marathon.

seriously - this is your argument?

Hey, man, leave him alone. She has gotten 11th and 7th in the European 10k championships. She must be like super legit or something.[/quote]

Would a major marathon win or second place make her "legit" in your esteemed opinion?

I also immediately thought of Peter Rono.

But how about 1980 sprint winners in Moscow as the US boycotted? Alan Wells and Viktor Markin?

You've barely heard of Baldini, Abera, Hwang, Bordin?

Seems your ignorance extends well beyond politics and finance.

Journeyman wrote:

Konstantinos Kenteris

A non-drugged Kenteris would have been an excellent choice.

However, the drugged version was pretty good. And the drugged version won.

So I think we need to exclude him from this list

Journeyman wrote:

Konstantinos Kenteris

I would have agreed when he won but he won again in Edmonton and was a favorite going into Athens and he also broke 20 on several occasions when it was a bigger deal.

Since he isn't, one of the 4x4 guys from America or Bahamas the last few Olympics, the 4x4 quality has really dropped.

On the women's side the women's 1500 in London was a joke, and you could probably find a 4x4 or 4x1 relay runner that wasn't that good either.

K5 wrote:

But how about 1980 sprint winners in Moscow as the US boycotted? Alan Wells and Viktor Markin?

I was thinking of 1980 too, but was going to propose the East German who won the 400m Hurdles, Volker Beck - Volker Who ?

The man who's fastest ever time of 48.58 places him with the 1,420rd fastest 400m H time of all time.

He won nothing else of note outside East Germany (other than a couple of European Cups). Wells may not have a fast time nowadays, but he has a ton of major medals to go with his Olympic title. He also won individual Olympic Silver.

Markhin, well, again, multiple major medals, and his 400m winning time in Moscow is still 455th on the alltime list.

I'm going with slow one hit wonder Beck.

Really obscure, but Allen Woodring. Won the 1920 200m Gold. Finished 5th at the trials and was sent because the 4th place guy couldn't go.

Goes to Belgium, destroys his spikes. Has to borrow from another sprinter. Here is the kicker. The weather in Belgium was a downpour and the track was in sub optimal conditions. The spikes he borrowed were extra long, giving him a slight advantage over the unprepared competitors.

Apparently now if someone doesn't have a streak of Olympic golds like Bolt is considered a bad Olympic gold medalist.

Gelindo Bordin:

Boston Marathon Champion

European Marathon Champion TWICE

Olympic Gold

Rome, Venice marathon winner, 3rd at word championship

Stefano Baldini

World Half Marathon Champion

European Marathon Champion TWICE

Olympic Gold

3rd at world championship in Marathon twice

Fermin Cacho

stfux10000 wrote:

Apparently now if someone doesn't have a streak of Olympic golds like Bolt is considered a bad Olympic gold medalist.

Gelindo Bordin:

Boston Marathon Champion

European Marathon Champion TWICE

Olympic Gold

Rome, Venice marathon winner, 3rd at word championship

Stefano Baldini

World Half Marathon Champion

European Marathon Champion TWICE

Olympic Gold

3rd at world championship in Marathon twice

You'll have to excuse agip. He doesn't know much.....

well, about anything, but he's been around a while so we deal with it.

The only reason I think Lagat, Wilson Kipketer, and Tergat are at the top of the list was not only for their fast times, but they were actually close to getting gold medals. They made it to the Olympics and almost got Gold in the actual race, in addition to deserving it. Many of these other athletes were are mentioning either didn't make it to the Olympics or bonked once they were there, but Lagat, Kipketer, and Tergat definitely had the credentials and were soooo close to getting it.