BEST KICKERS OF ALL TIME

Seb coe when he set the 800 wr. His last lap was sick... he was with the pack and then he was gone once he hit the bell and ran like 1:42 or something close to it.

absolutely won of the all time greats in the kickers categorie: JIM RYAN = beast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

make that: JIM RYUN

I'd have to go with seb coe and juanterena of cuba. I believe that Juanterena was the first person ever to split sub 43 on a relay, and also the 400/800 olympic double isn't too shabby either. And anyone that can run 1:41 and has that much strength over a mile can definitely kick with anyone at the end of a race.

kicker wrote:

I'd have to go with seb coe and juanterena of cuba. I believe that Juanterena was the first person ever to split sub 43 on a relay, and also the 400/800 olympic double isn't too shabby either. And anyone that can run 1:41 and has that much strength over a mile can definitely kick with anyone at the end of a race.

Nah - guys had split sub 44 on relays many times before Juantorena had ever run a serious 400. John Smith, Tommy Smith, Wayne Collett, it's a long list.

Juanto was awesome in that he ran his PR in the 400 after running 3 rounds in the 800 (with a WR 1:43.5 in the final) and three qualifying rounds in the 400 before burning a 44.26 - the fastest time at sea level for over a decade. But he wasn't known as a "kicker". He would go out in 50 - 51 and hold people off. Tough dude.

Coe had a great kick. Usually a good bet in a big race.

I believe Chebii ran a 51.8 split for the last 400 of his 13:08 at Pre Classic last year, that was pretty flippin ridiculous!

I guess Ryun would run 1:42 high and 3:46 these days.

Bob Schul.

Viren,although I though of him to be a blood doping cheater, the guy could flat out fly in the last mile. Come on whenever a guy falls down in the 10000 and still gets up to not only win the race but set a World record, you have to include him.

Pele, Peter Canavan, Adam Vinateri (sp)

A little history, but it has to be Mamie Van Doren.

Never mind, I just read the subject heading again, I thought it said "knockers"

How about Pyrah?

(sarcasm)

premyhero wrote:

how can you say el g has no kick, he hold the wr in the mile

dude, if you ever watch that race, it was perfectly paced. There was no kick. The rabbit went through half mile in 1:51.58, with El G right off his shoulder, and Ngeny right behind him. Do the math. Figure El G went through in 1:51.8 right behind the rabbit, and his second half would have been 1:51.33...hardly a kick. Ngeny was closing on him the last 200 meters, and had the better kick of that race.

Watch the Sydney 1500 and then tell me that El G can finish the last 70 meters of a tactical race with a blazing finish. He lost the gold, and had there been a few more meters, would have lost the silver too!

El G can't kick, and that's why he always wins with a sustained drive from 600-900 meters out

gregjax7 wrote:

Viren,although I though of him to be a blood doping cheater, the guy could flat out fly in the last mile. Come on whenever a guy falls down in the 10000 and still gets up to not only win the race but set a World record, you have to include him.

You think today's top guys are clean? Running for guys like Rosa, Hermens, Templeton, etc.? Are you smoking crack?

If you guys are going to include the 800, at least remember the true Kick King: Tony (Jose) Parilla. How can you guys forget this??? 1992 US Trials, 200 to go, sitting in 8th I think... after a 23.8(??!!) last 200, dips Kersh at the line for 1:43 high and the last spot on the Olympic Team!

Mark Everett has a ridiculous kick, from the back and from the front.

Ryun in the was pretty awesome. But Cinder Tracks are not slow by any means. They are extremely hard and fast actually, so don't be mislead. A good cinder track is a lot like a two month old asphalt street on a hot day.

Are you guys forgetting Kipketer negative splitted an 800 off of 52?????, he ran 1:42!!!!! (I remember watching this race in Europe, it was the year Kenah was running well, and tried to mix it up with Kipketer the first lap, before everyone got destroyed).

You guys need to differentiate between a "Finish" and a Kick. Bile's 1:46 is an impressive finish or surge even, but too long to be considered a kick, as far as my qualifications go.

I mostly think of kicks as a tactic that brings you past a whole lotta folks the last part of the race. Doing it from up front is just considered smashing folks, really...

WonderGrog wrote:

If you guys are going to include the 800, at least remember the true Kick King: Tony (Jose) Parilla. How can you guys forget this??? 1992 US Trials, 200 to go, sitting in 8th I think... after a 23.8(??!!) last 200, dips Kersh at the line for 1:43 high and the last spot on the Olympic Team!

Mark Everett has a ridiculous kick, from the back and from the front.

Ryun in the was pretty awesome. But Cinder Tracks are not slow by any means. They are extremely hard and fast actually, so don't be mislead. A good cinder track is a lot like a two month old asphalt street on a hot day...

Parilla had a great finish - in that one fast race. Broke Kersh's heart. I still have it on VHS. Gray won in 1:42.8.

Everett couldn't win in a big race, that's the knock against him. He was a good kicker in a slow race. He was a 44.5 400 guy.

Dude, cinder tracks are nothing like the tracks of today. Trust me, I've run on them. Ryun's 1500 WR with that ridiculous finish was run on a dirt track that hadn't been broken in yet - never mind that it was chewed up pretty good. He was a man ahead of his time.

Which race was it that Kipketer did the negative? I followed him pretty close, taped a lot of his races off ESPN (well, when they were showing a fair number of Grand Prix meets) and I don't remember him doing that. Not saying he didn't, I just don't recall the race.

I don't think any 800 guy has consistently demonstrated a "kick" like Borzokovskiy's. That year he took off to dabble in the 400 hurt him I think. He looked on track for 1:40 until he stopped. Maybe he'll get back on that track. He's so damn young, maybe he'll roll.

[quote]fastfinisher wrote:

Parilla had a great finish - in that one fast race. Broke Kersh's heart. I still have it on VHS. Gray won in 1:42.8.

Everett couldn't win in a big race, that's the knock against him. He was a good kicker in a slow race. He was a 44.5 400 guy.

Dude, cinder tracks are nothing like the tracks of today. Trust me, I've run on them. Ryun's 1500 WR with that ridiculous finish was run on a dirt track that hadn't been broken in yet - never mind that it was chewed up pretty good. He was a man ahead of his time.

Which race was it that Kipketer did the negative? I followed him pretty close, taped a lot of his races off ESPN (well, when they were showing a fair number of Grand Prix meets) and I don't remember him doing that. Not saying he didn't, I just don't recall the race.

quote]

After research, I *think* the kipketer race I'm thinking of is the August 16th Race in Monaco 1997.

I still differ from you on the cinder track situation. That's the problem with Cinder tracks: they all differ. This is why 100y times are still notoriously quick at these distances, yes, they were fast back then, but some cinder tracks were hard and fast. (I've competed on a few in my day, I think modesto used to have a cinder track.... not to mention my old HS *STILL* has crushed brick for a track).

jim spivey should be mentioned as far as americans go, his last 400 of the 1987 WC in rome was 53.45 to grab the bronze

Peter Snell had a mean kick in the 64 olympic finals of the 800. he was in sixth place with 75 meters to go, and he took it all home.