Craig was in MUCH better shape in 1980. He comfortably won the US Olympic trials in a similar time to the winning time in Moscow so he would have obviously had a few extra gears to go to if was pushed. If Craig applied consistent pressure from the last mile of the race then Yifter would have most likely been in a full blown Lasse Viren 1972 situation and would have no afterburners to fire up on the last lap with Craig winning in around 27 mins 30. To reinforce this point, Yifter was almost 40 seconds behind Craig in the 1981 World Cross country champs which is a very big gap at that level.
Virgin would have been 5th at best in MOSCOW, if he made it out of the preliminary round. The heats and final were run on hot breezy days and Virgin would have to have been 8 seconds in front of the first four with 400 meters to go to medal. The race was run at an erratic pace and five were still in it with a lap to go. His 27:29 in PARIS was run on a cool, calm evening, nothing like the OLYMPIC final. Virgin might have been in it until 9600 meters, but then it would have been Montreal '79 all over again. The first four would run 55 sec or better and Virgin might have hit 60 or so. Perhaps fifth, maybe sixth.
Craig would have been stringing out the field in Moscow with about 2000m/1600m to go. He would not have got involved in all the pace changes before that point of the race. By 9600m the field would have been well and truly strung out and Yifter would be searching for his afterburners.... Viren gave the blue print on how to defeat Yifter in 1972 but obviously you had have the fitness to do it which Craig did in 1980.
He should have aimed for Lindgren’s 8:40 absolute HS record, run in an 11 lap / mile track. Too, the IPI track did not have a curb and Virgin ran right on the line.
If you've ever run on a rubberized asphalt track you'd know that you couldn't run on the line even if you wanted to. The inside lane was always rutted out by wear.
No, that race was the IPI race in Mt. Prospect, IL northwest of Chicago where Craig broke Pre's high school record 8:40.9. The rubberized asphalt track was literally melting.
I was at that meet. It was about 90 degrees, no exaggeration, and my dad and I were badly sunburned after that meet. Virgy beat old man Centrowitz by 15 seconds and had that race won after the first 50 yards. I ran districts on that Prospect track and there were a lot of better tracks in the area. Don't really know how anyone can down vote Malmo's post.
My main rival, Dave Sandridge, was also in that meet. He was 2nd in the mile.
Virgin would have been 5th at best in MOSCOW, if he made it out of the preliminary round. The heats and final were run on hot breezy days and Virgin would have to have been 8 seconds in front of the first four with 400 meters to go to medal. The race was run at an erratic pace and five were still in it with a lap to go. His 27:29 in PARIS was run on a cool, calm evening, nothing like the OLYMPIC final. Virgin might have been in it until 9600 meters, but then it would have been Montreal '79 all over again. The first four would run 55 sec or better and Virgin might have hit 60 or so. Perhaps fifth, maybe sixth.
Craig would have been stringing out the field in Moscow with about 2000m/1600m to go. He would not have got involved in all the pace changes before that point of the race. By 9600m the field would have been well and truly strung out and Yifter would be searching for his afterburners.... Viren gave the blue print on how to defeat Yifter in 1972 but obviously you had have the fitness to do it which Craig did in 1980.
Virgin could have run a PB for the last mile and he still would have had four runners with him.
Craig told me in January 1973 that he intended to break Pre's HS 2M record. That seemed like a newsworthy boast and my article ended with that boast but Joe Henderson edited that out of the article. And the reason???
Craig told me in January 1973 that he intended to break Pre's HS 2M record. That seemed like a newsworthy boast and my article ended with that boast but Joe Henderson edited that out of the article. And the reason???
Did you ask Joe what the reason was?
He should have been aiming for the real high school record, Lindgren's 8:40.
As for Craig, never met him, but I get the sense a little of him goes a long way.
I just remember the few guys I knew that were competitors at that level said Craig was pretty high on himself back in those days. But for the most part... he was even better than they were... and they were pretty darn good themselves. So there is that.
Always been a Virgin fan but have long believed Craig would wear his World Cross Country USA sweats every day if people told him it wasn't cool. In a bizarre way, I find that kind of charming.
Craig told me in January 1973 that he intended to break Pre's HS 2M record. That seemed like a newsworthy boast and my article ended with that boast but Joe Henderson edited that out of the article. And the reason???
Did you ask Joe what the reason was?
No, I was just a little kid at the time. Joe Henderson wrote sentences in that piece that I would never write. Still, he was always very kind and supportive of me, as was Craig. Virgin's boast was a little Muhummad Ali-like and it made good copy.
It's safe to say that if you're a world class distance runner and you've never competed in a professional cross country race/season, you haven't checked all the boxes to be a true world class runner. It truly is an amazing experience!
Virgin would have been 5th at best in MOSCOW, if he made it out of the preliminary round. The heats and final were run on hot breezy days and Virgin would have to have been 8 seconds in front of the first four with 400 meters to go to medal. The race was run at an erratic pace and five were still in it with a lap to go. His 27:29 in PARIS was run on a cool, calm evening, nothing like the OLYMPIC final. Virgin might have been in it until 9600 meters, but then it would have been Montreal '79 all over again. The first four would run 55 sec or better and Virgin might have hit 60 or so. Perhaps fifth, maybe sixth.
Craig would have been stringing out the field in Moscow with about 2000m/1600m to go. He would not have got involved in all the pace changes before that point of the race. By 9600m the field would have been well and truly strung out and Yifter would be searching for his afterburners.... Viren gave the blue print on how to defeat Yifter in 1972 but obviously you had have the fitness to do it which Craig did in 1980.
Overlooked in this discussion is that, without the boycott, Henry Rono would likely have been in the race. That would have changed things considerably.
Craig would have been stringing out the field in Moscow with about 2000m/1600m to go. He would not have got involved in all the pace changes before that point of the race. By 9600m the field would have been well and truly strung out and Yifter would be searching for his afterburners.... Viren gave the blue print on how to defeat Yifter in 1972 but obviously you had have the fitness to do it which Craig did in 1980.
Virgin could have run a PB for the last mile and he still would have had four runners with him.
Yes but he would be in front of them at the finish just like Lasse Viren in 72 and 76 ...
Virgin would have had a chance but Yifter likely would have held on and easily outkicked him - - probably an impressive silver. As great as he was, Scott would have had no chance. He never beat Coe or Ovett when they were healthy. Marsh never ran well in championship races and Paige was only good for a year or two. Net net - US would have probably gotten 1 distance medal - a Virgin silver in the 10000
Virgin would have had a chance but Yifter likely would have held on and easily outkicked him - - probably an impressive silver. As great as he was, Scott would have had no chance. He never beat Coe or Ovett when they were healthy. Marsh never ran well in championship races and Paige was only good for a year or two. Net net - US would have probably gotten 1 distance medal - a Virgin silver in the 10000
Tony Sandoval would have had a good shot at medalling in the marathon.