Best kick ever?

The Sherman Tank! Agree. His explosive kick was like no other.

Mo Farah was unbeatable for 2 olympics because of lack of world class competitors.

It's true he had a good kick but we wouldn't win everything nowadays.

You cannot be seriously suggesting Gebremeskel (12:46), Lagat (12:53 and 2x world champ), Bekele (26:17), Longosiwa (12:49), Tadese (26:37), Koech (12:48), Alamirew (12:48), Muchiri (26:52), Masai (26:49), Rupp (26:44), Gebremariam (26:52), Kipsiro (12:50), Gebhriwet (12:45), Ahmed (12:47), Rop (12:51), Cheptegei (26:49 at the time, now 26:11), Tanui (26:49), Tola (26:57, now 2:03), Demelash (26:57) and many, many others were not world class? His competitors ran SO many fast times. Some, like Bekele and Cheptegei, were not quite at their prime, but he trounced both of them every time they met 2012-2017. The only thing that his competitors didn’t have going for them was global gold medals, and that was because HE WON THEM ALL.

I'd suggest Borzakovskiy belongs in this convo. 800m kickers are so much fun to watch.

Hard to compare kicking ability across distances, but Kenny Bekele and Billy Mills have laid down some epic kicks at 5k and 10k.

"Oh my God!"

(wipes away tear)

James Robinson in the late 70's, early 80's made a living off his kick in slow european 800m races. He is the one who taught Coe how to do it!

A lot of those guys did the times well before (Tadese) Farah's prime or after (Ahmed) or did a one off fast time (alimirew, Demelash, etc..). Not saying he didn't have world class competition, but realistically, only Lagat or Gebremeskel had good kicks.

Also, can't really include Bekele rom that time period since he was rarely if ever healthy otherwise, I could include all the examples they raced pre-2010 where Bekele was actually healthy and out kicked him easily. They are the same age after all. With that said, he did not trounce him every time

Morgan McDonald - all of his NCAA race wins. Amazing to go back and watch those.

Do you really "kick" in an 800m??

Can't believe had to come this far to see Borza, man walked down the WR holder in the olympic final

When the race is tactical like in many of these videos you do.

I’m hoping the world learned its lesson from that slow race in Doha. If you jog the first 500, Moula, who ran 21.40 into a headwind when he was 20, is going to be a hard man to beat.

Since we’ve already got classic kicks from Coe and Ovett, think we should add this one to the thread:

A different kind of kick since it’s not a slow race, but it looks like he may have dipped under 25 seconds in a 1:43.22 race, which must be exceedingly rare historically.

According to wikipedia, Seb had an even better kick in the semi final. Wikipedia states that his final 100m of that race was 11.3 and is the fastest final 100 ever recorded in a championship race. I can't find video of that and the article lists it as the "Europa Cup" but I'm assuming it was the semi before this final. If that's true, surely that's the greatest kick ever.

since 11.3 running start is 12.2 for 100m out of the blocks, someone should be able to run a lot faster, i.e. a guy with a 44 second 400m in the resume, in a slow race. there are rare 800 guys that can run 10.6, like Harbig in 1930s and Juantorena, with his 400m WR at sea level., plus Everett and others.

the 10.6 block 100m is 9.7 running start.

one of these true sprinter types have to be able to close the last 100 in under 11 secs, for sure.

strangely, we're not seeing it in practice.

i recall arch jelley reporting that yifter closed in 22 x for 200m in europe, in a 5K? guessing that would be in a 13 high race where yifter was not going anaerobic what so ever, and ran nearly flat out.

someone has to close in 22 secs documented.

Come on... Be more accurate please. You can't put PBs that were done many years before of after the period we are talking about. Lagat was 38yo in 2012. Cheptegei was a teen. Ahmed, an unknwon. Bekele and Tadese far from their prime etc. Bekele crushed Farah every single time before 2010. Then Bekele was injured a whole year and Farah discovered Salazar magic potion from 2011.

All others names, despite being very good athletes were not top level like Geb, Bekele, Komen, Lagat, El Gerrouj, Kipchoge, Cheptegei, Kiplimo, Jakob.

Farah faced none of the great in their prime.

There were no semis in those kind of competitions.

It was in the semi-final MEET, some weeks before.

Barry Scheck and John Grisham a couple decades ago started Innocence Project. Too many innocent men and women were rotting in prison due to faulty eye witness testimony. Don't believe your lying eyes! All men except for Steve Cram were deaccelerating, second lap. I am sure Steve Cram split every 200m, 25.0 or slower.