Best American Runners Ever Never to Make an Olympic Team

Bill Rodgers was on the 1976 Team with Shorter and Kardong.

RichP wrote:

Rick Wohlhuter was best in the world for 2 years. Most of the guys in these answers were never close to that level.

Yes, but he was also on the U.S. Olympic team in 1972 and 1976, so it's kind of an odd observation to make on this thread.

RichP wrote:

Rick Wohlhuter was best in the world for 2 years. Most of the guys in these answers were never close to that level.

Wohlhuter was on the team in Montreal--Bronze in 800

Claudette Groenendaal

Rodgers was probably the distance runner who got most screwed over by the 1980 boycott, but he did make the 76 Olympic team. I'm kind of surprised no one has even mentioned Salazar.

kjggsklg wrote:

I'm kind of surprised no one has even mentioned Salazar.

Probably because Salazar was on an Olympic team?

Anyway, if we were to look at field events as well, I'd say Dutch Warmerdam should be at the top of the list.

I'm going to go with everyone who finished top 3 in the 1980 trials.

jsquire wrote:

Hal Davis is probably one of the ten greatest American sprinters of all time. But he was great in the 1940s so no soup for him.

As for distance guys who just didn't get it done in an Olympic year, I agree that Wohlhuter is the tops.

LOL The monumental ignorance of the LetsRunners.

Wohlhuter won a bronze in '76. He was tripped in the '72 Games. He was past his peak in '76 is all, but still ran great. And with his truly low mileage training, it's surprising he could make the Oly 1500 final. No one could beat El Caballo in '76 and '77.

JSquire has always been a hack. lol He lies a lot, and is also ignorant in so many areas. Superidiot should be his moniker.

Bramaterra wrote:

Any careers that were spectacular that never achieved the goal of making an Olympic team?

1. Joe Falcon

2. Chris Solinsky

3. Ben True

4. Robbie Andrews

Any guys from the '80s and '90s and '00s?

all the runners on the 1980 Olympic team that our President boycotted. Jimmy Carter: "...ours (team) will NOT go."

The late Pat Petersen.

Craig Lutz

.....obviously Jason Rexing (as long as he wore trainers instead of spikes).

WEJO?

Did Chuck Aragon make an Olympic team?

Rudy Chapa

Tyler McCandless

Eric Dickerson

Walter Payton

Peyton Manning

Emmitt Smith

BOO YEAH!!!!!!!!!!

Carl Lewis is, bar none, the greatest runner never to get the opportunity to display his athletic gifts in the Olympic games. This is the problem when we mix politics and sports, great athletes are prevented from competing in the top events. We, as a community, are left to ponder what might have been.

There are large numbers of highly talented Kenyan runners that don't make the olympic team but nobody cries for these athletes.

YOU, my misguided friend, are the definition of a racist!!!!!