How about Lasse Viren?
Yes it is 5K/10K but he did look remarkably smooth in his finishes at the Olympics.
How about Lasse Viren?
Yes it is 5K/10K but he did look remarkably smooth in his finishes at the Olympics.
Viren had poor leg speed compared with not only Coe and Ovett but his contemporaries which makes me wonder how he won so many races.
Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:
Viren had poor leg speed compared with not only Coe and Ovett but his contemporaries which makes me wonder how he won so many races.
Really? He went from far out like El G. Simple.
He looks like Ed Whitlock.
Viren took the kick out of his competitors.
Similar to what Straub did in 1980.
But nevertheless I consider Viren a "smooth" runner.
AchillesInjury wrote:
Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:I do consider him the smoothest miler (but this is an evolutionary thing, more recent milers tend to look better), but I think he would have struggled in a race like in Rio. Mind you he would have probably paid someone to do the pacemaking.
Well Rio is the strangest and most pathetic championship 1500 I've ever seen but yes unless he goes at 600/700 to go or employs a pace maker he gets roasted. But with EL G he probably goes earlier.
I wonder if there's a backstory behind Rio or just a whole field without bottle.
I think the back story is everyone was concerned about Kiprop who turned out to be a non factor.
2 Olympics where Kiprop should have won gold.
He ends up with nothing. Disappointing.
Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:
Viren had poor leg speed compared with not only Coe and Ovett but his contemporaries which makes me wonder how he won so many races.
WTH? Viren had a faster 5K pb than either Coe or Ovett plus more Olympic golds than the 2 combined. He was one of the all time greats of the 70s/80s. He was deceptively fast, Lydiard claimed his speed came from his ankles. His last lap in the Munich 5000m is perhaps the "smoothest" I have ever seen someone finish an Olympic final track distance race under pressure.
Biomecanix wrote:
Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:Viren had poor leg speed compared with not only Coe and Ovett but his contemporaries which makes me wonder how he won so many races.
WTH? Viren had a faster 5K pb than either Coe or Ovett plus more Olympic golds than the 2 combined. He was one of the all time greats of the 70s/80s. He was deceptively fast, Lydiard claimed his speed came from his ankles. His last lap in the Munich 5000m is perhaps the "smoothest" I have ever seen someone finish an Olympic final track distance race under pressure.
He means actual leg speed, not race times or a strength finish like Munich.
Viren probably couldn't beat 52 in an open 400.
Max Denbigh wrote:
May someone elaborate on why Coe's running technique considered by many (not all) to be the best/smoothest?
How does it compare/differ to Ovett, El Guerrouj or Morceli?
Its all about his body composition and levers.
It has little to do with being the best. Other than being the best Seb Coe ever.
Don't be silly Viren's feet never get near his butt live Bekele, El G, Ovett, Geb, Kipketer, even Coe. Hardly a joy to watch when compared with others.
Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:
Don't be silly Viren's feet never get near his butt live Bekele, El G, Ovett, Geb, Kipketer, even Coe. Hardly a joy to watch when compared with others.
True, but if you watch the Munich 10 finish you will note that one of the greatest butt kickers of all time in Puttemans can't close on Viren.
Because he got away with it!
Bad Wigins wrote:
Because he got away with it!
Correct
Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:
Don't be silly Viren's feet never get near his butt live Bekele, El G, Ovett, Geb, Kipketer, even Coe. Hardly a joy to watch when compared with others.
I said he was the smoothest in that he looked very relaxed and he was deceptively fast. I am not really sure how getting his feet near his butt has much to do with this.
Well we were actually discussing Coe vs Ovett and how they (like El G, Kipketer, Bekele) had such full elegant strides, heck even Juantorena was great to watch and Walker as well and WvN at present over 400m. Viren, who cares? Not really a fan of his.
Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:
Viren, who cares? Not really a fan of his.
Fans of the sport care about double double guys. They are not very common.
Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:
Well we were actually discussing Coe vs Ovett and how they (like El G, Kipketer, Bekele) had such full elegant strides, heck even Juantorena was great to watch and Walker as well and WvN at present over 400m. Viren, who cares? Not really a fan of his.
OK so you don't like Viren because his stride was not aesthetically pleasing to you (you prefer to see the foot go close to the butt from what I can gather). However, Viren, in 4 Olympic finals, was beating guys who did have the "full stride" that you describe so maybe his technique was biomecanically better if not aesthetically pleasing to some.
Viren was as juiced as they came. Blood transfusions were not banned then but that's what he and the Finns were doing. He'd disapear for 4 years and turn up for 2 weeks and smash everyone over 5k/10k before going back into hiding.
He got away with it is correct.
It's a little like asking who has the best looking golf swing.
Golf is measured y the number of shots not the beauty of your swing.
Runners are measured by their time not their technique.
If you watch Andre DeGrasse sprint the first thing you'd say is, "Son you need to work on your arms because you are a mess."
How'd he do at the Olympics? I rest my case.....it does not matter!!!