Jim Ryun calls out Hicham El Guerrouj!!

Trump: To this day, it is the last time an American set the world record in the mile, so that was a while ago. What is the world record right now? So you're at 3:51.

Jim Ryun: 3:43

Trump: 3:43 or so huh? Okay. It's a long time, right? They've ... training and lots of other things right?

Ryun: Well yeah, so many other things that aren't so good.

(everyone laughs)

Trump: Oooh, we have breaking news now. This could be the big story today.

Everybody with any knowledge of track history, and who possesses a rational, working brain, knows that El G was doped to the gills. You can make the argument if you wish that 'all his rivals were too', but what you can't do is compare him to those who went before, such as Ryun, at least not by times.

I wonder if this will be reported on in Moroccan media? I doubt if they would care, because it's a completely different culture there.

Love Trump. Americans are lucky to have him as president.

BTW, I think he was setting up Ryun for that kind of a reply there. Trump knows his track and field history and that the sport has been ruined by dopers.

Ah, Coevett, you really are one of the people who make LRC what it is.

Recap:

20:27- Centro and Webb sit down.

21:15 Ryun and Trump enter

The doping conversation OP was hinting at:

Trump: "What is the record today --so you're 3:51? 3:43,..okay. That's a long time, huh. They.. training, and other things."

Ryun: "Yeah, well some of the other things aren't so good."

Everyone laughs

Trump: Laughing "Ooh..we have breaking news now. This could be the big story today. Forget about it, that's great."

Some other interesting parts: Trump comes across as a fan of running, and even seems decently knowledgeable, which was a pleasant surprise. Trump later says he watched and remembers many of Ryun's races. Upon reading that Ryun's first mile was a 4:32, he remarks, "That means there's something genetic there, because normally that doens't happen." And referencing Peter Snell, who Ryun beat as a senior in high school "He was a great runner..He was a great runner."

Not surprsingly, Ryun spent a good chunk of his speech complimenting the president on his 'full-throated' support of the American Dream and goals of Making America Great Again.

Ryun ended with a fantastic quote:

"Mr. President, it may surprise you, but time diminishes us all...and while the applause and cheers of men fade, nothing can take away from me those moments in which I was young and in full flight down the final backstretch, the wind in my face; wings on my feet; powering away from my opponents. There was a purity in those times when my mind overcame a tired body and for a few glorious moments I would slip the bonds of the physical and was free..."

I had just finished writing an article on the '72 dream mile, in which Ryun was booed as he jogged in in a time of 4:14 (Wottle had won), and sheesh, in retrospect it certainly seemed as if the us media unfairly gained up on Ryun throughout his career. However, there seems only to be pleasant nostalgia when he looks back, which was a relief to me.

Coevett wrote:

BTW, I think he was setting up Ryun for that kind of a reply there. Trump knows his track and field history and that the sport has been ruined by dopers.

Trump and Ryun are in cahoots?

Coevett wrote:

Everybody with any knowledge of track history, and who possesses a rational, working brain, knows that El G was doped to the gills. You can make the argument if you wish that 'all his rivals were too', but what you can't do is compare him to those who went before, such as Ryun, at least not by times.

I wonder if this will be reported on in Moroccan media? I doubt if they would care, because it's a completely different culture there.

Love Trump. Americans are lucky to have him as president.

BTW, I think he was setting up Ryun for that kind of a reply there. Trump knows his track and field history and that the sport has been ruined by dopers.

I shouldn’t even engage here, but among all the implausible and obviously false things people choose to believe about Trump, the idea that he “knows his track and field history” might be one of the strangest I’ve heard.

Coevett wrote:

Everybody with any knowledge of track history, and who possesses a rational, working brain, knows that El G was doped to the gills. You can make the argument if you wish that 'all his rivals were too', but what you can't do is compare him to those who went before, such as Ryun, at least not by times.

I wonder if this will be reported on in Moroccan media? I doubt if they would care, because it's a completely different culture there.

Love Trump. Americans are lucky to have him as president.

BTW, I think he was setting up Ryun for that kind of a reply there. Trump knows his track and field history and that the sport has been ruined by dopers.

Even if I had an entire month to prepare the most unintelligent and ill-informed opinion possible, I still could not get close to this.

You truly are gifted.

In the worst possible way.

It's not even the part about saying El G took drugs which is the problem with your post. It's all of it.

Every fragment, every sentence. Laughably horrendous.

What is interesting about this is when Trump offers legitimate reasons as to why "they" are much faster now (training, technology) Ryun instead insinuates drug usage.

That is despite the fact that Alan Webb is standing in the room who ran 3:46 - much faster than Ryun.

And despite the obvious facts that Ryun ran on cinder tracks, was not able to learn from the training philosophies of Lydiard or Horwill or the many exercise physiologists, had no idea about altitude training and burnt himself out young.

Just on the last point, even Alan Webb who is criticised as burning out young, ran his career best time at 24. Ryun was 20.

I think it's a shame that Ryun has taken the opinion that those that came after him and ran faster than him did so by cheating.

I watched the video. He does not say anything about Hicham El Guerrouj or about Performance Enhancing Drugs.

But it is a 100% fact that all Moroccan distance runners have been juiced to the max.

From Said Aouita, to Khalid Skah to El Guerrouj too essentially every runner from that country those rose to the world class level.

Interesting point: Morocco was the first non-European country to compete in the world cross country championships. That race began in 1898, Morocco first competed in 1960.

The current record doesn't really fit the scenario of "now". It's ancient.

david45 wrote:

Trump: To this day, it is the last time an American set the world record in the mile, so that was a while ago. What is the world record right now? So you're at 3:51.

Jim Ryun: 3:43

Trump: 3:43 or so huh? Okay. It's a long time, right? They've ... training and lots of other things right?

Ryun: Well yeah, so many other things that aren't so good.

(everyone laughs)

Trump: Oooh, we have breaking news now. This could be the big story today.

I am Jim Ryun, god has given me the unique talent to run as fast as nobody else in history can. Any faster athlete must be on something... huh ha huh. My own credibility? I'm white. I'm American. I love our president. I believe in god. I'm a little bit of a psycho, but...

Mishmash wrote:

OK Coevett

Please list your top 10 clean runners of all time.

Just a rough list.

I know you are an expert.

This is why I look forward to learning from you.

1 me

2 Jakob

3 Ovett

4 Coe

5 Peter Snell

6 Herb Elliott

8 Peter Elliott - makes the list alone of his name

9 John Walker

10 Kyle

2374 Mo

It's lucky we have somebody like Coe trying his best to finally clean this sport up.

Trump is a huge sports fan. I'm sure he was a huge fan of Ryun back in the day.

Trump probably knows Keino cheated Ryun out of gold in Mexixo. He certainly must be aware of how dirty the sport has become.

If Coe wasn't already getting the job done, Trump would likely step in and clear the swamp himself.

[quote]Coevett wrote:

Everybody with any knowledge of track history, and who possesses a rational, working brain, knows that El G was doped to the gills.

As were Coe and Cram.

Trump was more involved in the sports scene than any previous President.

He hosted the Tyson- Spinks fight and owned a professional football team at one point.

He is more knowledgeable about sports than the average fan for sure.

And he bestowed this honor on an American distance runner when he could have pandered to the left with a different selection.

I wonder will Trump ever invite Bekele to the White House and make a speech about him like that. I admit it did bring a tear or 2 to my eye's watching the greatest leader in the world bring our sport into the spotlight. Since the WHO is literally run by an Ethiophian we probably won't get to see Trump invite the best runner in the world to the White House.

Gained a lot of respect for Ryun if this is true!

Hmmmm