How did Seb Coe not make the 1988 GB Olympic Team?

Let's just say Coe was lucky to be selected in the 1500 in 84. And at the Games Cram, best in the world in 83 and 85, was injured and Ovett couldn't breathe properly. Coe was fortunate.

In 80, if Bayi had run the 1500 Ovett would have won. Plus Ovett was haing domestic problems in between the 8 and the 15.

I am sick of hearing that no one touched his 800 record for 16 years. Cruz all but equaled it three years after Coe set it.

I am sick of hearing that Coe hit someone else's arm in the final of the 800 in LA, and that he may have won. Cruz made the whole field look second rate. He pulled away easily down the striaght. And had he not run a stupid race in 88 would have won in Seoul.

Coe has many times contradicted himself about what training he did. This has been misleading. If you don't want to say what training you do at least be honest about it and don't say anything (like Kipketer).

Coe has run under 1.43 twice. He ran out of his skin once or twice. He was essentially a 1.43/44 runner for his career. Kipketer was a 1.41 (4 times) and 1.42 (many times) runner. Clearly superior.

So there was one discretionary spot in the 1500 and they chose Steve Cram and one spot in the 800 and they chose Peter Elliot.

I can see it being hard to leave Cram off as he had the second fastest time after Aouita and he had the world record in the mile.

Elliot wound up with a silver medal in the 1500 so he was fit.

If it were a straight trials Coe still would've missed the team so at least he had a chance with this system.

I admit I've always been more of an Ovett fan vs. Coe.

But I fault both of them for avoiding racing each other, which in the small island they both lived was quite difficult. We lost years of building up a great dual that could have made them both even better if they weren't so concerned about their precious winning streaks. Quite pathetic [and no, it wasn't just the money]

No TV wrote:

Without Seb's strongly rumored blood doping, Ovett would have won the 1980 Oly 1500 (he gained on Straub all the way till the last 5 meters and would have outkicked him. And Ovett would not have lost his mile records in 1981 to a blood-doped Coe.

Ah, "strongly rumored"! Of course! Now this isn't just "rumored", mind you. No sir. It is strongly rumored. You feel very strongly about it. In other words, because you like Ovett better than Coe think that Coe guy must have been on something!

What you meant to say was,

"Without the fact that he wasn't fast enough, Ovett would have been faster than Coe!"

Huh. This is the first I've ever heard of rumours that Coe blood doped. Have people really been talking about this for years?

Coe was BETTER. Faster than both of them at that point in their career. Faster than Ovett always. And a better tactical racer than Cram always.

So now "all but" is the same as actually having done it?

In the 24 years since I watched the race happen, I have never once heard this allegation made. Certainly not by Coe

True on the first part. Ridiculous on the second part. I could just as easily say, had Coe not run a stupid 800 race in 1980, he would have won that in Moscow too. Woulda coulda shoulda. The fact is, he DIDN'T. That is all that matters.

You don't get to have it both ways. If a guy runs a fast time, he runs the time. You just got through telling us about how Cruz "all but" equaled Coe's record. Now suddenly Coe's fast times don't count because he didn't do enough of them? Coe did not "run out of his skin" anymore than Cruz did. He was a 1:41 800 meter runner. Period. End of discussion.

the hazards of altitude. coe thrahed his airways. the myth that altitude performance equates to sea level superiority.

Er... wrote:

Huh. This is the first I've ever heard of rumours that Coe blood doped. Have people really been talking about this for years?

Jeff Atkinson was a world-class runner who said that Coe blood doped.

I too have heard that Coe blood doped...and there is a reference in the first edition of Peter Coe's book saying how good EPO is....EPO!

And I heard that the timing was slightly in doubt for his 1:41.73....his 1:42 was legit but idk about the 1:41.73 it was at a small meet and it has been moderately rumored that it was not done right.

Still waiting on Deano...guess he isn't such a fan of Coe after all...

Sidenote - Coe ran Commonwealth Games once (1990) in four opportunities.

wind measureerer wrote:

I too have heard that Coe blood doped...and there is a reference in the first edition of Peter Coe's book saying how good EPO is....EPO!

And I heard that the timing was slightly in doubt for his 1:41.73....his 1:42 was legit but idk about the 1:41.73 it was at a small meet and it has been moderately rumored that it was not done right.

I heard that you didn't hear any of that..

Let me be clearly clear you don't hear nearly what I hear, sincerely speaking your ears fear what they might hear:Coe appeared to have a severe EPO addiction/affliction and I've volunteered to pioneer the premier of this news-Coe's entire career was queer.

Then it is clear, I fear, that what you hear is queer.

Perhaps you are listening to the wrong people, my intellectually challenged friend. In the very least, please educate yourself.

Coe ran his fastest times before EPO was ever even sythesized in a lab. The human EPO gene was not even identified until 1983. EPO was not even commercially available for years after that. Coe could not possibly have used it because he could not possibly have obtained it.

Don't feel bad. You are merely ignorant, that's all.

sigh... wrote:

Faster than Ovett always.

Not in the Moscow 800.

The same way Alan Webb didn't make the 2008 U.S. team. BAWHAHAHAHA Merry Christmas everyone.

Some Canadian wrote:

sigh... wrote:

Faster than Ovett always.

Not in the Moscow 800.

use your head next time. they were talking about fastest times, not individual races. they all beat each other at SOME point.

mall food eater wrote:

Jeff Atkinson was a world-class runner who said that Coe blood doped.

Source please.

sigh... wrote:

Coe was BETTER. Faster than both of them at that point in their career. Faster than Ovett always. And a better tactical racer than Cram always.

------------------------

In times yes. The race in Moscow suited Coe right down to the ground. Cram had a bad calf. Better tactically that Cram? How do you work that out?

------------------------

So now "all but" is the same as actually having done it?

------------------------

Cruz ran 3 hundredths slower than Coe. And yes I have heard the timing when Coe did was dodgy. It failed. I heard that directly from Cruz's coach and you can find reference to it on the net.

The point is, his time wasn't light years ahead a is often said. He ran marginally faster than Cruz once (or we think he did). People forget Cruz.

Take a look at the Cruz's run in LA - Kiprotich ran the same race and came last - off the suicidal pace. Look at how Barbosa ended up.

Had Coe run a different race there is no guarantee he would have won the 800 in Moscow.

------------------------

In the 24 years since I watched the race happen, I have never once heard this allegation made. Certainly not by Coe

True on the first part. Ridiculous on the second part. I could just as easily say, had Coe not run a stupid 800 race in 1980, he would have won that in Moscow too. Woulda coulda shoulda. The fact is, he DIDN'T. That is all that matters.

------------------------

YOu have to do a little more reading

------------------------

You don't get to have it both ways. If a guy runs a fast time, he runs the time. You just got through telling us about how Cruz "all but" equaled Coe's record. Now suddenly Coe's fast times don't count because he didn't do enough of them? Coe did not "run out of his skin" anymore than Cruz did. He was a 1:41 800 meter runner. Period. End of discussion.

------------------------

I never said they don't count. Cruz ran an amazing series of races in LA. Both Cruz and Coe ran 1.41.7 in what appears to be a one off for both of them. Kipketer ran 1.42 on his own indoors looking like he was jogging.

Merry Christmas!

Kipketers indoor record was awesome...I wouldn't say he looked like he was jogging but he did not seem extremely tired at the finish. Amazing runner.