I second your opinion good sir
I second your opinion good sir
fada tyme wrote:
Aouita was the first name that came to mind.
Viren, Zatopek certainly should get a mention.
I second your opinion good sir
southshoreview wrote:
Pre
Stop it!
Big Red wrote:
Zatopek.
Viren was great but I wonder about the "blood packing?" It was never proved, and maybe wasn't even banned.
I'm tempted to say Ovett, but he's more of a middle distance man.
Has anyone said Kip Keino? Two Olympic golds, (yes, he won the steeple in '72) an Olympic silver, a 5000m world record, a 3000m world record that was amazing for it's time, 7:39. How many commonwealth golds - two in '66 and one in '70, plus other commonwealth medals. This was an era when a Commonwealth gold was a bigger deal that it is now.
If there is a hole in Kip's resume, it's that Jim Ryun owned him in '66 (two miles) and '67 (mile in London, 1500 WR.) But he made his mark in 1500 in '68, and I guess ran 3:53 at altitude in '66. Kip was a MONSTER!
As far as the blood doping, from what I recollect is that it wasn’t banned yet and was accepted that some runners did it. Additionally, Viren never denied doing it.
Disko Eric wrote:
Viren, Nurmi, Zatopek?
Said Aouita.
Aouita was the first to exhibit WR range in 5 events (800-1500-2000-3000-5000). He not only set WR's or was very close, but also had an amazing major championship resume which included 3 gold medals (2 x 5000m and 1 x 3000m-indoors) and 2 bronze medals (1 x 1500 and 1 x 800). Equally impressive, between September 1983 and September 1990 he won 115 of his 119 races.
But then again, I'm a bit biased.
:)
Whoever won the 5,000, the 10,000 and the Marathon at the same Olympics gets my vote.
TheOhioState wrote:
Whoever won the 5,000, the 10,000 and the Marathon at the same Olympics gets my vote.
What about the guy who won the 5000, 10,000, and marathon at the same Olympics? Then you'd have to go Zatopek.
As with a few other posters, I'd have to go with Zatopek. He was before my time but his contemporaries seemed to agree he was a force of nature, yet endlessly amiable. His Oly record speaks for himself, as do his collection of WRs.
Yes, Aouita or Komen or even Keino may have been more talented (although the suspicion of PEDs weighs on the first two), and Viren's Olympic performances were marvelous (although his non-Olympic year performances were decidedly lackluster), but for me it was Zatopek.
This post was removed.
Aouita 84 wrote:
Disko Eric wrote:
Viren, Nurmi, Zatopek?
Said Aouita.
Aouita was the first to exhibit WR range in 5 events (800-1500-2000-3000-5000). He not only set WR's or was very close, but also had an amazing major championship resume which included 3 gold medals (2 x 5000m and 1 x 3000m-indoors) and 2 bronze medals (1 x 1500 and 1 x 800). Equally impressive, between September 1983 and September 1990 he won 115 of his 119 races.
But then again, I'm a bit biased.
:)
When on Earth did he exhibit WR ability in the 800m? His 800m pb was over 2 seconds outside Coe's WR. He was also the first 5000m runner in history to devote an entire season to training for the 800m.
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Bikila
Jim Fixx
remember 84? wrote:
Probably Komen.
I think Haile is older thanKomen by about three years.
I'd throw in Henry Rono in the mix.
Runner10287 wrote:
Viren or Rono?
Yes, these guys qualify.
Using WWII as cut-off and if performing on the biggest world stages is what counts
1. Zatopek - 1948 Olympic 5K runner-up & 10K Champ, 1952 Olympic 5k, 10K, and Marathon Champ.
2. Viren - 1972 Olympic 5K and 10K Champ, 1976 Olympic 5K and 10K Champ.
Those guys are definitely 2 of top 3. But next four here fight it out for third, IMO. I lean Shorter.
Shorter - 1972 Olympic Marathon Champ, 1976 Olympic Marathon Runner-Up, 4x Fukuoka Marathon Champ
Lopes - 3x World XC Champ, 1976 Olympic 10K Runner-up, 1984 Olympic Marathon Champ
Ngugi - 5x World XC Champ and 1988 Olympic 5K Champ.
Yifter - 1972 10K Bronze medalist, 1980 Olympic 5K and 10K Champ,
Oh man, I forgot Bikila. - 1960 Olympic Marathon Champ and 1964 Olympic Marathon Champ.
Ajax wrote:
Oh man, I forgot Bikila. - 1960 Olympic Marathon Champ and 1964 Olympic Marathon Champ.
And he ran barefoot in Rome in 1960. Imagine 26 miles over ancient cobblestones without shoes.
malmo wrote:
Aouita
CORRECT!
Flagpole wrote:
malmo wrote:
Aouita
CORRECT!
This thread should be retitled 'Who was the greatest distance runner before blooddoping and EPO ruined the sport'?
And the answer is Henry Rono.
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