BEST KICKERS OF ALL TIME

Borzakovskiy does not have a kick. Just because he sometimes reverts to the tactic of running last until 300m then coming through the field - it is not a kick. People forget that in a fast 800, guys can be going through in 50 point, and then running 1.44-45 - the 800 is a brutal race. Look at it closely, guys can get to 600 fast, its the ones who can run a tough last 200 that are the kings. So a typical last lap can be as slow as 54 in a top class 800, and usually that splits to a 26.0,28.0 - 28 aint fast. Borzakovskiy has the ability to run even laps, and even though he looks like hes kicking, he just runs physiologically smart races, by running even. Instead of 50,54 - he might run 51.5,52.5 - his last 200 26.5. So as opposed to a 28, it looks flying, when its only a sustained drive.

Look at the WC last year, not real fast - couldnt kick in Said-Guerni. Look at Olympics 2000, a real kickers race - came in 6th.

Nils Schumann is a great 2-lap kicker. He has (had) a proven gear up that bought him European championships and Olympic Championships even over Kipketer.

but the best short kicker ever was Steve Ovett.

[quote]Vipam wrote:

The best kicker or kick of all-time has to be Abdi Bile's 1500m World Championship win (last 800m 1:46.0) The kid blow down everyone doors and I agree even Bile himself never displayed that type of superhuman closing ability.

Hicham, Seb Coe, F. Cacho, or Noureddine never displayed that ability in the hundred and hundered of races they have run and yet they recieve numerous mentions.

~~When a 10000m man runs a (27:45 or faster) decent world class time and run his last 3000m in 7:45-or-

~~5000m man run (13:19 or faster) and his last 1500m in 3:41.5 etc

then you will have found someone who kick may EQUAL what Abdi Bile did in his 3:35 1500m (1:46.0 last 800m).

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Vipam or anyone

Haile Gebrsellasie and Kenenisa Bekele in the World Championships ran last 5000m in 13:00 and 12:57 and didn't Kenenisa close his last 3000m in sub 7:50 and last lap in 55 seconds?

Kelly

El Guerrouj has a kick-his fastest ever last lap with 51.91 and a 1:32.25 last 700 (1:45 800 pace, 1:46.7 last 800) in the Olympic final. Last 400 breakdown (12.7, 12.9, 12.9, 13.4)

Ovett was outstanding. He gets points too for a great aptitude at elbowing his way through and making space for the kick without actually barging.

And of course the cheeky wave once he had run away from everyone.

Not just a great kicker, but multiple World record breaker, Olmpic Champ at 800m in '80, Commonwealth Champ at 5000m in '86 ad geerallyan all-time great.

Yes, Ovett deserves mention as an all-time great kicker. I'm sure many people have already pointed out Coe, too. He had a hellacious kick.

Geb must get a nod for perhaps the best. His reign of dominance and the number of times he kicked to victory are astonishing...including his World 1500m indoor title!

I would say El G since he ran a 53 then came back with a 51.

I think Noureddine Morceli is the best middle distance kicker of the last 20 years. In his prime, he would usually begin the drive from 450m out, but he was capable of the El Gerroudj-style long burn from 700-800m out. He almost always came up with the big kick in the important races (Barcelona 1992 aside) and it was never even close on the last lap once he made his move.

1991 World Championships: 3:32 with a 51.5 last lap, largest margin of victory in a major championship since Keino in 1968

1993 World Championships: 3:34 with a 50.6 last lap, won by over a second

1994 Zurich 5000m: 52.2 last lap, 1:53 last 800m, defeated one of the best 5000m fields ever assembled by 3 seconds in 13:03

1994 Grand Prix Final: won a slowish 3:40 race with a 51 last lap, won by a second

1995 World Championships: won in 3:33 with a 51.2 last lap, almost 2 seonds ahead of El Gerroudj in 2nd

1996 Olympics: 3:35 win with an eased up 53 last lap, 1:48 last 800m, beat Cacho by about a second.

He simply dominated in championship races, and no one was ever in position to run him down in the last straight, in contrast to El Gerroudj, who has been involved in some close battles in the stretch.

Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris.

pele

MIKE DUDLEY

Khalid Skah ran 11.8 for the last 100m of a 10,000. That is a frickin' kick!!!

Rexing

dave wottle

Ian Stewart. If he would've kicked a little sooner he would've won that race in Munich.

Coe's last 300 in the '84 games was 38 and change (3:32).

Said Aouita's last 800 of the 5K in '84 was 1:53 and change (13:04).

What about Henry Marsh? Didn't always win, but his kicks from the back of the pack with a lap to go have to be some of the most entertaining ever.

Nameless high school kids who wake up with 200 to go and blast down the eight guys ahead of them. So what if they're running 10:30 or 5:15?

Chebii. In Paris 5K, 2003, Gebrselassie ran the last 200 of a 12:54 5,000m in 26 seconds. He began the effort with a gradual speed up at 220m to go, passing Kipchoge.

Chebii swung wide on the turn, into lane 2, and opened up 20m in the course of 60m, no lie. The last 200 in 24.9. Unbelievable acceleration.

I always thought Jason Elam was very consistent.

John Carney is pretty damn good too....

Coe Fan,Your post cracked me up because it reminded me of my one and only time I ran the 3000M in college. I am loping around in 6th place and had no idea what lap I was on and my coach yells at me,"What the hell are you doing? There is only 200M left!" Boom, I took off like a startled rabbit and preceded to crush everyone with a high 23 second last 200 and won by 3 seconds. Then I came back in the 4X400 and ran 49.

Coe fan wrote:

Nameless high school kids who wake up with 200 to go and blast down the eight guys ahead of them. So what if they're running 10:30 or 5:15?