Star wrote:
Peter Rono's 3:35 1500m win in 1988 was worse than Centro's win where Centro ran the last 500m in 1:03, while holding off both the defending Olympic Champion and defending World Champion who were trying to chase him down.
In Rono's race, Coe (Oly Champ), Bile (World Champ) and Aouita (word Record holder) were all missing.
Cram was there but dealing with a calf injury.
Makhloufi and Kiprop were healthy and in the race where Centro won.
You can't just look at the winning time in a distance or middle distance race.
Kenteris winning the 2000 200m in 20.09 was pretty bad.
This is the correct answer. Peter Elliott also injured, Gonzalez and Abascal missing, as well as others. Steve Ovett could have probably won if he'd decided to switch back to the 1500m that year (and made the team).
Coe would have won gold in the 800 and 1500m in Seoul, and be the unquestioned GOAT today. The old leftie fart who left him out of the team for political reasons should live on in infamy.