Young readers who doubt how much bigger track was back then, consider that Herb Elliott had a wax work at London's Madam Tussaud's by the age of 20, before he had even won his Olympic gold. He was also offered a $250,000 two year contract to turn professional at age 20, in 1958. That is the equivalent of $6 million in today's money.
Some like to pretend that doping was rife even back then. Herb Elliott was offered a $6 million contract and turned it down to pursue his Olympic dream, and then retired from the sport after winning gold.
And as for his potential if he had not retired by age 22..
Barring injury or a temperamental decision to chuck it all, Elliott's potential seems limitless. So young and with so much already under his belt, he is fully expected to run the mile in 3:50 or less within a year or two by everyone from John Landy, whom Elliott has replaced as Australia's national sports hero, to his foremost rival, Melbourne Schoolteacher Mervyn Lincoln. Many track experts agree with Percy Cerutty that Elliott may well pocket, simultaneously, all the track titles from 800 to 10,000 meters. Even the marathon, 26 miles, 385 yards is not ruled out; Herb is already verging on marathon training.
Sadly, he did decide to chuck it all in. Imagine a Herb Elliott who had continued on until 25, on modern tracks and shoes? And yet people find somebody like Jakob, hot housed by a genius coach from early teens and with two world class older brothers to lean on, running 3:27 to be suspicious.
