Would Steve Ovett be competitive today?

Absolutely, it’s not even debatable.

I think so. He was a great competitor. He knew how to race and position himself for a kick to win. He raced well over many distances, including cross country. He was a smart runner who knew to stay off the rail and not get boxed in unlike many runners today who seem to have little racing sense. One of my favorite all-time runners.

Doesnt matter...dude was an a**hole, was so entitled on the track always shoving people out of the way hated it.

He'd be competitive today with his old training, old shoes and old nutrition. The guy was a legend, one of the best 1500/milers ever.

What the f*ck is "modern nutrition"?

No doubt. He was one-of-a-kind. And no railing injury to derail his career.

He would be competitive but he would not medal.

A 3:31/3:48 would be competitive today. If shoes, tracks, training get him that next step to be threatening WR? My guess is yes.

with most of the post 1960ish runners is is pretty easy to see that for most of them as you are talking a couple secs of improvement. Maybe Ryun isn’t running a 3:40, but a 3:47 doesn’t seem like much of a stretch. Start looking at guys with PRs north of 3:55 and you are placing a lot more value on modern training….

Fish n chips fried in extra virgin olive oil.

Yes, of course, and so would Lord Coe. This also applies to pretty much every world-class middle and long distance track athlete in their time.

And yes, it applies to the sprinters as well, but their performances are not questioned as often. On a modern surface, with modern shoes, and modern, full-time/pro regimen, I have no doubt that Jesse Owens would've ran a 9.65-9.70

Increased protein, nutrition shakes, better things for the body. I suspect Ovett was on a diet of fish and chips with an occasional pint thrown in. Think of all the changes in warmup dynamics, activation, prehab, etc since the early 80’s. At the end of the day, he was a ferocious competitor.

And the upper respiratory problems in LA. He was doing sessions in that buildup that he’d never come close to approaching previously.

Without these things he would be competitive. With them, there is no doubt.

I’m thinking that Steve Cram, who ran 3:46, with modern training, shoes and nutrition, could run about 3:45.

There is no such thing. I have a handbook in sports nutrition from 1970 and it could have been written today.

If he was on a diet of fish and chips then it wasn't lack of knowledge, it was lack of discipline.

Put a pair of Dragonflys on him. 1 second per lap at least. Do the math....

No. This is incorrect. Are you telling me that Seb Coe would have run 1:39?

I met him at a track meet where I was running an associated invitee marathon. I was just a young guy and not top of the food chain. He seemed like a good guy to me.