Coe, Ovette and Ryun over 400m

Ovett. No e at the end. At least you didn’t misspell Coe

I recently watched a YouTube video of Coe running a 45/46 split 400m relay.

I'll go with Coe as fastest. Final answer.

Coe low 46 / high 45 fully trained. Standing start.

The other 2 one second slower.

Steve Ovett ran a legit 21.7 200 in 1975.

https://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=2424

Steve also ran a 48.4 400 in 1972 at age 15. Same link as above.

In 72 he was not 15.

that is still at best 47.4. coe’s pr in the open is 46.87.

After watching that video video of Co I'll go with him, then Ryun then Ovett.

Now you got Ovett right, but...

I doubt that Ryun ran many 4 X 400s and he might not have ever ran one as an adult. His coach was fixated on him running the mile. Also, as I have stated on here before Jim Ryun was basically done at age 21 because he had to make a living for his family. Plus, he was badly overtrained and burnt out.

Think I'd have to go Coe, Ovett, Ryun.

Heart says Ovett but watching Coe accelerate is unreal, give him edge with a hard charging Ryun closing on the homestretch but running out of real estate

How about this acceleration by Ovett(e)?

https://www.google.com/search?q=1977+wc+1500m&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:3a18da8a,vid:0W7GogWlv7Q,st:0

1:41.73 is in another league of speed from Ovett and Ryun. Neither of them could run a 400 relay leg in 45.x as Coe could.

Not a fair discussion. High mileage kills leaping ability and pure sprinting speed. Only debate is how much high mileage kills leaping ability & sprinting speed. If high mileage didn't kill leaping ability sprinting speed, every T&F coach would push their jumpers & 100m sprinters to participate, fall XC or at least train with the team.

1) Ovett was the naturally fastest sprinter of the three. S Ovett is the only one of the three with sprint personal bests from his youth, middle school era. High mileage killed his sprinting speed somewhat.

2) No evidence of great sprinting speed, J Ryun. If he were a great sprinter in junior high school, J Ryun would have been a high school sprinter. High mileage killed his speed.

3) S Coe took speed development seriously. He kept his mileage low until 1981 or 1982. [All the S Coe detectives on here who insist S Coe was a secret 100 mile per week runner only have evidence of higher mileage from 1982 or later.]

Ovett being a good schoolboy sprinter didn't mean he was therefore faster than Coe in their primes - which is what the discussion is about. He was several seconds slower than Coe in a largely anaerobic event, the 800, and he showed no sign of being able to match Coe's demonstrated 400 relay speed.

If they had run on the same tracks in the same era I also doubt Ryun would have been slower than Ovett over a quarter. Ryun showed he had serious pace at the end of a race.

I didn't say Ovett was faster in their prime. I explained why S Coe was a faster 400m sprinter. Ryun was inconsistent at 800m. Ryun refused to race the best 400m & 800m men, indoor 600yds. During Ryun's prime, 600yds. indoors were big events. A great kick is not proof of great sprinting speed. 1966-1968 was peak J Ryun. I have stated detailed analysis in prior threads, if Ryun had trained for and raced 800m, 1968 Olympics, he would have finished, at best, 3rd. If Coe, Ovett and Ryun all raced 400m in their prime, Ryun, 3rd place.

How did Coe do against Ovett in actual races?

What’s interesting is that Ryun ran 47x on a relay in HS and I believe Ovett also showed tremendous as a teenager. Coe was 50.x runner as an 18 year old.

So, I think without juicing:

Ryun 46mid FAT

Ovett 47 low to mid FAT

Coe 48 low FAT

I think Coe was the only one juicing so I adjusted his times up.

I certainly agree that Ryun could have been a great 800 meter runner. Just in case you or other readers of this thread were unfamiliar with his racing history, Ryun did compete in the 800 meters in both the 1968 and 1972 Olympic trials, and did not qualify for the team in either instance, finishing 7th in 1968 and 4th in 1972.