Josy Barthel of Luxembourg, 1500 in 1952.
Josy Barthel of Luxembourg, 1500 in 1952.
Watching that Ovett / Treacy race what really struck me was the quality of the commentary. I haven't heard a race called that well in years!
What's interesting is that if it wasn't for the vests I would have just as much difficult telling the runners apart as if it was a line of Kenyans. It's not always possible to tell Kenyan runners apart because intrinsically it is difficult to tell a large group of skinny runners apart when they're moving at speed and the camera isn't at a great angle. The same difficulties are there with a group of white runners or a group of black runners although the difference is slightly magnified with black runners as there is less variance with hair colour /style.
Nike and to a lesser extent Adidas have killed the sport with the identical vests.
As Seinfeld put it with most sports you're essentially just cheering a set of clothes.
I vote for Mills. He was the underdog is so many ways. He also beat that *&^%&( Ron Clark, which is worth a few more points.
Lachie Stewart winning the Commonwealth 10,000m for Scotland in Edinburgh where he beat Ron Clarke in to second.
Date: March 17, 1972
Place: The Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia
Meet: The USSR vs. USA Indoor Meet
Story: Debbie Heald is a 16 year old high school junior running in her first international competition. Three weeks earlier, running for her club team, the La Mirada Meteors, she had qualified for the US team by running a 4:47 mile to place second in the national indoor championship in Madison Square Garden. Her competition in this race is Doris Brown, 29, the US champion and five-time world cross country champion, Tamara Pangelova, 28, who had set the world record in the indoor 1500 meters in the European Championship the previous week and Lyudmila Bragina, 29, who would win the Olympic 1500 in Berlin that summer. Thirty-five years later Debbie's time in this race still stands as the US high school indoor mile record.
I agree Schul's win was great, but the topic of this thread is greatest underdog victory. Prior to the OG Schul had set a world two-mile record, ran 13:38 for 5,000 when the WR was 13:35, and was considered one of, if not the favorite for gold. Great achievement, but not an underdog.
What about Gerry Lindgren's win over the Russians in LA in 1964?
makdaddy
did she win?
I agree with Ngeny over El G. This is more of an under dog over a world champion, world record holder favorite. Mills was more of a surprise over everyone.
The Kenyan pacer who beat Tergat at the Chicago Marathon a few years ago was quite an upset. I wonder if that guy is now driving a cab in Nairobi.
My top five in no particular order:
1. Billy Mills
2. Billy Mills
3. Billy Mills
4. Billy Mills
5. Billy Mills
kensington wrote:
Mexan Texan wrote:+1
That or Wottle.
Wottle wasn't really an underdog. He tied the wr in winning the U.S. trials.
Gotta agree with this one. Tied the WR so he had to be a contender going in. He ran a risky strategy, and certainly appears like an underdog in that race, but he knew what he was capable of, and it was expected he'd do well.
And with all due consideration to field events, I'd add Al Oerter to the mix.
True, he was a four time Olympic champ in the discus, but it seemed nearly every Olympic year, something came up that nearly derailed everything, but he still managed to come back and surprise everyone.
Not to mention, he retired after the 68 games, but came back in '80, and got fourth in the trials, which was pretty damned good all things considering.
Lindy Remigino 1952 100meters featured in Bud Greenspan video "They didn't have a chance" or something close to it.
Tokyo 1964 - Ann Packer(GBR)
Having won the silver 400m, she decided to run the 800m at the last minute, as consolation for her husband coming 4th in the men's 400m.
She had only run a handful of competitive 800m races and was the 8th fastest qualifier for the final.
She not only won the gold but set a WR in 2:01.1. She then announced her retirement at the age of 22.
Ngeny wasn't that much of an underdog.
crazy raisin wrote:
This thread is feeling very America-centric...
Ngeny over El Guerrouj?
Niyongabo over everybody in the 1996 5,000m? Rodal in the 800 that same year, with a big PR and win?
Abede Bikila 1960 marathon?
Ngeny wasn't an underdog. Niyongabo wasn't an underdog (he'd won the bronze in the 1500 the year before), and Rodal had won a bronze in the 8 in 95 as well.
I'll give a vote to Bikila, but Mills ran nearly a minute faster to win his Olympic gold.
Billy Mills was beaten by Ron Larrieu at 6 miles about 6 weeks before the 64 games in a race in which both runners broke the US record and ran Olympic Qualifying times. Then Gerry Lindgren beat both runners in the US Olympic Trials. My memory is also that Bob Schul was the favorite to win the 1964 Olympic gold medal before the games.
When Simon Berrywinkle upset Lord Percival Hogarth at the annual Thropshire 5 kilometer race in 1887. His time of 19 minutes and 51 seconds was a world record at the time.