I'm bumping this now that the Olympics are ending. I'd take World Championship gold in anything but the marathon. I 100% agree that Olympic medals come with more prestige, but I'd take being the best in the world at my event over being 3rd best if I could only have 1. Being the best in the world should impress others plenty.
Adoi wrote:
World Championship gold for sure.
You're competing against the same people, so you're still the best in the world on that day.
The only difference between the Olympics and the World Champs is marketing and hype - a.k.a sh*t that doesn't matter.
you are not competing against everyone. it's not as bad as pro indoor where allie wilson wins our 800 and makes the US worlds team, but not everyone does the trials, people like mu and sydney are moonlighting in other events. some events it's the A team but some it's A/B.
everyone healthy does the oly trials, is trying to peak for it, the college and even teen kids jump in in numbers. hence it tends to be a changing of the guard if one is happening.
to me oly medal is the biggest deal, then WR, then world title. keni harrison is illustrative. there are people who could put up eyepopper times in some small field one race diamond league, some worlds medals, but never the top oly step. and when their record gets broken people start to forget.
I would take a silver.
For track fan cred - WC gold.
For general, pop culture cred - Olympic bronze. It's generally insane since you're finishing third instead of first with basically the same if not better field. But the Olympics is such a brand, a iconic symbol of sporting achievement.
Personally, I'd want WC gold first, but an Olympic bronze before a second WC gold. But, I can totally understand the opposite too.
if you can only have one in your lifetime, it might be the olympic bronze. that is what people understand and respect.
but if you are in somebody like Jakob's position, i think you take the WC gold because that's going to get you more points for GOAT status.
but it's also true that not all WCs are created equal. Jake wightman probably takes immense pride in getting a scalp from Jakob that supercedes an olympic bronze.
Hmm sounds like an excellent question to ask Tyson Gay