Track gold wrote:Tactics, pace judgement, and big race temprement are all part of the package of a middle distance runner
err...
yeah...
Ryun was not a tactically astute runner
an 11.5 at the bell in a 800 was very poor tactics, but he was unbeaten over 1500/mile at his peak in '66/'67 so nothing wrong with his tactics in those years
nor was he a championship performer
utter nonsense
he won silver in '68 when past his peak when facing a guy not far off Ryun's '67 shape
Ryun was told by physiologists that it was not possible to run faster than 3'39 at that altitude & he ran accordingly, actually clocking 3'37.8 beating 3rd place guy easily - 3'39.0
he lost to a near super-human effort
nothing wrong of his '68 performance from a guy who was recovering from mononucleosis & which he apparently never ever did fully from his performances after '67
His tactics in the heat of the Munich Olympic 1500m were much worse than those in the trials for the 800m
nonsense
tripping is not "bad" tactics, it is bad luck
do you have a clue about the sport ???
he ran an essentially sensible race in that 1500 prelim, trying to run a conservative race, conserve energy & just put in a little kick at the end for most-efficient / least-energy expended qualification
it was just bad luck he tripped
Ryun is one of many super talents who couldn't get it right when it counted most at the Olympics
'64 - raw kid of '17 just fabulous effort to reach games
'68 - when recovering from illness he managed a great 2nd vs a man who ran a performance at altitude physiologists didn't think possible
'72 - he got tripped by some chump
that is not getting it "not right", that is bad luck
Some athletes end their careers with a list of Olympic accomplishments, others with a list of excuses
utter total drivel
you clearly have no clue about Ryun
he had 2 serious olympics, 1 when ill when losing to a near superhuman effort not thought possible at altitude & 2nd where he was tripped
no excuses made for a trip