He would have run the marathon the day after winning the 5000. All he would have to do is sit and kick on Wanjiru in an easy 2:06 Olympic record. I think it's more than possible, I think it's LIKELY Bekele would have succeeded.
Farah in 2012 seems possible also as all the marathon studs were running majors instead of the Olympics. He could have sniped the win away from Kiprotich. Discuss.
Seriously doubtful for either of them. The 5k/10k doubles are far from what you want to be doing prior to running a good marathon. Of course, they weren’t training for the marathon at those points either and had never run one.
Wanjiru’s 2008 Olympic marathon was considered by many to be the greatest marathon ever run. This was before super shoes (and possibly other factors) and 2:06 was a much faster time then, and it was hot and humid during the race which made 2:06 seem inconceivable. I think even prime Bekele most likely DNFs when he gets into the heat of that one.
Mo Farah fully rested after a good marathon buildup doesn’t win the 2012 race 8-9 times out of 10. It was warm and sunny, pre super-shoes and with a slow start, so the 2:08:01 winning time is deceptively strong. Kiprotich beat Abel Kirui and Wilson Kipsang, who were both locks for top-5 in the world at that point (Kipsang considered by most #1, having already run 2:03 and won London). After completing the 5k/10k double, Farah may have been able to finish top 10, a few minutes behind Kiprotich, but it would have been an exceedingly painful experience.
Bekele's mere presence in 2008 would have changed the tactics. Wanjiru likely would have deferred to Bekele's pace in awe of the GOAT. So it's really an unknown. But it's crazy to say Bekele couldn't attempt a pretty decent marathon off his 100+ mpw. With double gold already secured you can just say what the hell, let's see what happens, same as Zatopek. Viren got 5th in 1976 in his first ever marathon attempt.
I think the same arguments could apply to Farah in 2012 and he would have had the home crowd energy to push him on. Maybe Rupp would have helped, if asked nicely.
He would have run the marathon the day after winning the 5000. All he would have to do is sit and kick on Wanjiru in an easy 2:06 Olympic record. I think it's more than possible, I think it's LIKELY Bekele would have succeeded.
Farah in 2012 seems possible also as all the marathon studs were running majors instead of the Olympics. He could have sniped the win away from Kiprotich. Discuss.
Maybe. Bekele was the strongest distance runner at that Olympics and its likely he could have challenged Wanjiru FRESH. A fresh Bekele would have been the favorite for marathon gold, however we are talking about an athlete that had already competed in 2 events.
A more likely triple might be the 1500 actually. It was won in 333, Bekele only ran 332, but he was certainly capable of sub 330 if he'd raced the event more often. Did he have a better kick than the ped fueled Kiprop or Willis? We won't talk about Ramzi who's performance was already discounted due to his doping. I think the middle distance guys would have tried to make it a tactical race, a sec or two even slower, thinking they wouldn't beat Bekele in an even paced race. But Bekele had one of the best kicks in running, so... This is still a long odds scenario, but I think its more likely than beating Wanjiru in that race. A more likely 3 medal scenario for bekele is the 2004 marathon, but that is 3 medals, not 3 golds.
It looks like Norway's Jakob will be the next likely candidate to win 3 oly golds, repeating Zatopek's feat should he decide that is a focus he wants to pursue.
Bekele's mere presence in 2008 would have changed the tactics. Wanjiru likely would have deferred to Bekele's pace in awe of the GOAT. So it's really an unknown. But it's crazy to say Bekele couldn't attempt a pretty decent marathon off his 100+ mpw. With double gold already secured you can just say what the hell, let's see what happens, same as Zatopek. Viren got 5th in 1976 in his first ever marathon attempt.
I think the same arguments could apply to Farah in 2012 and he would have had the home crowd energy to push him on. Maybe Rupp would have helped, if asked nicely.
Wanjiru was fearless and would have relished the chance to take it to Bekele in the Olympic marathon.
It’s crazy to say Bekele couldn’t attempt a pretty decent marathon off his 100+ mpw, and you’ll notice I didn’t say that nor anything like it. He just wasn’t going to run an erraticly paced pre-supershoes 2:06 in the heat and humidity of Beijing in August, the day after completing the 5k/10k double, in his first marathon attempt and with no specific marathon prep.
It looks like Norway's Jakob will be the next likely candidate to win 3 oly golds, repeating Zatopek's feat should he decide that is a focus he wants to pursue.
It looks like Norway's Jakob will be the next likely candidate to win 3 oly golds, repeating Zatopek's feat should he decide that is a focus he wants to pursue.
🤮
Good luck with that.
no man is winning a triple with the current depth as it is and many of those guys focusing on only one event.
Bekele with his talent level of 2008 may have been able to triple in 2012 the way the 5000 and 10000 were run so tactically
This post was edited 3 minutes after it was posted.
I know what's in that video and this is a low blow :(
Bekele was so dominant that many people remember his losses more than his wins. He won so often and made the extraordinary seem so ordinary that his wins sort of get blended together in people’s minds. He was expected to dominate, so the visceral shock of his losses tends to linger.
I know what's in that video and this is a low blow :(
Bekele was so dominant that many people remember his losses more than his wins. He won so often and made the extraordinary seem so ordinary that his wins sort of get blended together in people’s minds. He was expected to dominate, so the visceral shock of his losses tends to linger.
this is how Jakob's loss to Wightman will be viewed someday!
no man is winning a triple with the current depth as it is and many of those guys focusing on only one event.
Bekele with his talent level of 2008 may have been able to triple in 2012 the way the 5000 and 10000 were run so tactically
That’s a big stretch… taking fitness and ability from 2008 to 2012 .. lol; a 2012 Bekele LOST the 10,000 and came 4th. The Bekele of 2008 ..’might’ve’ been able to tangle with a fully rested Wanjiru over the marathon, but that 2:06:32 was run in very rough conditions with heat over 70°+ and humidity I’m sure 70%+ … who knows the air quality of that day in China. We all have our physical limits… woulda coulda shoulda …; he(BK) was certainly very fit that games.
I'll further suggest that with the marathon in mind, Kenenisa MAY not have gone for his legendary 4:56 close for the last 5 laps. A two lap burnup would have taken care of everyone just fine and he could have been fresher for the 'thon