What if Viren had not blood doped in 1972

Pre was loaded to the gills with roids, like the rest of the Oregon track team in his day.

This video shows a bit more of the race, and gives a little more perspective. Looks like Ian Stewart covered several of the early moves by several different guys, when Pre was just hanging out midpack. Then, he got dropped by the three racing up front, and only came back in the picture when Pre faded. Gutless is taking yourself out of the race by wasting yourself and fading at the end. Kicking too early is not heroic... except in a hero's-tragic-flaw-kind-of-way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laYn7SV2__U&feature=related

Another What If wrote:

Would he have medaled in the 5K? Where would Prefontaine have placed?

And by the way, has there ever been a more gutless way to earn a bronze than the strategy used by Ian Stewart?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFty7To8oQk

Discuss.

Are we watching the same race? I see a guy trying as hard as he can to break competitors with better kicks. It reminds me of this Tergat/Gebrselassie showdown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxuqiM7eW8Q

Viren would be a cop in Finland, Pre would have finished 7th in the '76 10K and likely be a Super at a Eugene trailer park.

a d2 runner dude wrote:

silly old fossil wrote:

1. What if Gammoudi hadn't been tripped in the 10,000?

2. What if Yifter had made it to the starting line of the 5,000 heats?

Both these would have seriously impacted Viren's races in Munich.

Why didn't Yifter make it to the starting lines?

As someone mentioned Yifter went to the wrong gate after bathroom break or warm-up. German security wouldn't let him through the closest gate...sent him to one around opposite side of stadium. By then, too late. Remember, this was after those goddamn Palestinians had murdered innocent Israelis.

Yifter would have done SERIOUS damage in the 5,000...particularly the way it was run.

Ho Hum wrote:

Are we watching the same race? I see a guy trying as hard as he can to break competitors with better kicks. It reminds me of this Tergat/Gebrselassie showdown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxuqiM7eW8Q

Tergat was a moron to let himself be boxed in like that with 400 to go, stupid.

Another What If

gutless way to win a bronze? no. smart way to win a medal. so he was racing for a medal, not the win. he's got a medal over Pre doesn't he? they do not give medals for running balls out. they give medals to the 3 smartest runners in the race.

Why do we get this periodic BS from Yanks as to Viren doping and Pre performance?Pre was a good runner among many

others.

That 5K was one of the best races you could wish to see,with the four great racers of their time at the distance.Viren was just the greatest of them all.

The only reason I like the subject coming up is that the video is probably viewed by more people who come to understand what a great racer Viren was.

silly old fossil wrote:

a d2 runner dude wrote:

Why didn't Yifter make it to the starting lines?

As someone mentioned Yifter went to the wrong gate after bathroom break or warm-up. German security wouldn't let him through the closest gate...sent him to one around opposite side of stadium. By then, too late. Remember, this was after those goddamn Palestinians had murdered innocent Israelis.

Yifter would have done SERIOUS damage in the 5,000...particularly the way it was run.

Here's one for you Yifter fans: what if Henry Rono had been in Moscow?

Oddball wrote:

Why do we get this periodic BS from Yanks as to Viren doping and Pre performance?Pre was a good runner among many

others.

That 5K was one of the best races you could wish to see,with the four great racers of their time at the distance.

Three great racers, and some mediocre nobody who only got a bronze medal because of the carnage left from the epic battle up front.

More Like This wrote:

Oddball wrote:

Why do we get this periodic BS from Yanks as to Viren doping and Pre performance?Pre was a good runner among many

others.

That 5K was one of the best races you could wish to see,with the four great racers of their time at the distance.

Three great racers, and some mediocre nobody who only got a bronze medal because of the carnage left from the epic battle up front.

Ian Stewart won World Cross, got an Olympic bronze medal in the 5000, set British records in the 1500, 2000, 2 mile 5000. He was had PRs of 13:22 and 27:43. He won the 5000 at the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games when those were bigger meets than they are now and set a world record for the road 10 miles. He was most certainly not a nobody.

More Like This wrote:

Three great racers, and some mediocre nobody who only got a bronze medal because of the carnage left from the epic battle up front.

Pre finished 4th. He didn't get the bronze.

An Historian wrote:

silly old fossil wrote:

As someone mentioned Yifter went to the wrong gate after bathroom break or warm-up. German security wouldn't let him through the closest gate...sent him to one around opposite side of stadium. By then, too late. Remember, this was after those goddamn Palestinians had murdered innocent Israelis.

Yifter would have done SERIOUS damage in the 5,000...particularly the way it was run.

Here's one for you Yifter fans: what if Henry Rono had been in Moscow?

Yifter's wing-man Mohammed Kedir would have done to Rono what he did to Viren...passing Viren and slowly the pace down repeatedly. Also, with 300 to go in the 5,000 Kedir moves to the outside so Yifter can move through on the inside. I doubt even Rono could have overcome that.

Ian Stewart won World Cross, got an Olympic bronze medal in the 5000, set British records in the 1500, 2000, 2 mile 5000. He was had PRs of 13:22 and 27:43. He won the 5000 at the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games when those were bigger meets than they are now and set a world record for the road 10 miles. He was most certainly not a nobody.

If you watch that race carefully, you can see that Pre screwed up twice on the last lap. First, with 300 or so to go he accelerates and tries to pass MG. Second, with about 200 to go he slows slightly, looks to his right and allow LV to slide past him on the inside to get on MG's shoulder. Once LV slipped by, Pre was done and tried his best to get to the line. Stewart, who was gamely fighting with the leaders with 1200 to go, simply hung on and passed a "bankrupt" Prefontaine in the last 10 meters. Stewart deserved his medal and Pre gave up his shot at silver or bronze by being daring between 300 and 200 to go. He gambled and lost.

Another What If wrote:

And by the way, has there ever been a more gutless way to earn a bronze than the strategy used by Ian Stewart?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFty7To8oQk

Discuss.

Has there ever been a stupider way to run a 5000 Olympic final than Pre's? No. But thank to Pre's popularity American runners have been duped into thinking it is a valient wat to run for decades now. It is the reason we are two decades behind the world in distance running.

silly old fossil wrote:

1. What if Gammoudi hadn't been tripped in the 10,000?

2. What if Yifter had made it to the starting line of the 5,000 heats?

Both these would have seriously impacted Viren's races in Munich.

Didn't Viren also trip in the 10,000?

silly old fossil wrote:

An Historian wrote:

Here's one for you Yifter fans: what if Henry Rono had been in Moscow?

Yifter's wing-man Mohammed Kedir would have done to Rono what he did to Viren...passing Viren and slowly the pace down repeatedly. Also, with 300 to go in the 5,000 Kedir moves to the outside so Yifter can move through on the inside. I doubt even Rono could have overcome that.

Maybe Kedir would have done the same thing. And with 300 to go, Yifter would have tried that "Yifter the Shifter" crap and heard Henry Rono behind him distinctly laughing his a$$ off. Rono, inspired by his double at Moscow, gives up drinking, becomes the first man under 13 and 27, repeats in 1984 and takes the marathon in 1988, then rounds out his career with a 2:06:xx marathon world record. Meanswhile, a young Haile Gebrselassie is bummed as some Kenyan wins in Moscow and decides that maybe distance running isn't for him after all. Paul Tergat wins the 10000 in Atlanta and Sydney, and the world championships in 1995-2001, but alas, even in this alternate universe is still not the GOAT (because of Rono). The world records in the 5000 and 10000 are 12:52 and 26:40, by Daniel Komen and Paul Tergat.

one guy was in this race who would have walked it had he been fit .... Juha the cruel

Three great racers, and some mediocre nobody who only got a bronze medal because of the carnage left from the epic battle up front.[/quote]

So Pre was so good a nobody beat him. If you are front runner you need to drop the kickers (it's hunter v hunters) Pre failed to do that

Stewart PR's:

1500 3:39.12

Mile 3:57.3

3000 7:46.83

2Miles 8:22.0

5000 13:22.85

10000 27:43.03

Stewart won:

European 5,000 metres (1969)

Commonwealth 5,000 metres (1970)

European Indoor (1969 and 1975)

World Cross Country (1975)

To win the Commonwealth title he defeated Ron Clark and Kip Keino

Don't talk about something you know nowt about