Why didn't Dave Wottle keep running?

Nathan Jessup - thanks for the story - nice to know that he is a nice guy when his family isnt watching! I enjoyed reading everyone's post - I have never done something like this before and it was fun - who knows, I may have found a coach for my daughter in jjjjjjjj - dad was giving her advise but it is clear that he is not the best person for that! haha! I told my dad about the site and told him to check it out, so he may address some of the stuff himself! Thanks for reminding me what a great dad I have everyone!

He passed all but one runner on the outside so he was not 'lucky' in avoiding getting blocked

Great posts by Scott & others!

One of the all time great Olympic races by 'Wottle the Throttle'

One of my most prized possessions is a hand written recruiting letter from Dave Wottle when he was at Walsh College. I think I was either a soph or junior in HS at the time. At that time I was just beginning to read about runners, races and stats and to get a letter from a gold medalist blew my mind.

Agreed. Arzhanov used up his kick at 550 M. He was gassed at 750. The Kenyans never had a chance against Wottle, but Arzhanov might have had he not spent himself early.

I will add to the list of those who sing Dave's praises. I ran on the same college team with Dave's daughter a few years back and was fortunate enough to have visited their house on several occasions (scott, i'm pretty sure i met you before when i stayed in germantown for thanksgiving jenny's freshman year). I do remember seeing the Bowling Green sign up in his garage, but my favorite was his office - amazing! He had a big framed picture from the olympics on one wall, another framed picture of him and Pre, different plaques and trophies, and one of his hats too. He was always a great guy and was more than willing to tell my teammates and i tons of stories about the olympics and his training and partying w/Pre in europe (apparently, one time in scandanavia, pre locked him in a sauna and kept him in there until his eyebrows were burning off then let him out and directed him to jump into a pool...that was full of ice cold water!). What I find to be ironic is that he was actually training to compete in the 1500m at the 1972 olympics! He told me that he and his coach decided to enter him in the 800m because the timing of the rounds coincided with speed workouts that he needed to do for the 1500m...needless to say once he tied the world record the 800m became his priority!! I really can't say enough good things about Dave; he's just an awesome, selfless, hilarious guy. And, as you said Scott, he's an awesome family man - jenny and you and mike were always super nice; he did a great job raising yall. And your mom is awesome too!! The Wottles rock!!!

MarathonMind wrote:

Agreed. Arzhanov used up his kick at 550 M. He was gassed at 750. The Kenyans never had a chance against Wottle, but Arzhanov might have had he not spent himself early.

Arzhanov would have run a more even pace had he not been fouled by Fromm at 150 meters. He would not have had to surge from fifth to first at 550 meters, because he would have already been at the front of the pack at 550 meters. Fromm's foul of Arzhanov not only slowed Arzhanov at the moment of the foul but later caused Arzhanov to tie up in the last 40 meters; whereas Wottle's 200 meter splits were remarkably even. Wottle would not have won the gold medal had Fromm not fouled Arzhanov.

But that's racing. As I've said before, a gold medal is still a gold medal and Wottle deserved to win gold. But Fromm's tactics hindered Arzhanov and affected the outcome of the race.

Great Wottle Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjSX44do5mQ

OFF TOPIC TO another wottle fan

another wottle fan wrote:

I ran on the same college team with Dave's daughter a few years back...

As you know the south end of the track at this college was ripped out to make room for a football field house. The high school across the street had pledged $1.5 million of $13 million required to build a state of the art complex for both to use. The school board has since pulled money from the table. Now your school has no track and the HS must drive 4 miles across town to their stadium for practice...tough to build a HS program when you loose 9th and 10th graders that do not drive. Even tougher to recruit to a college with no track.

Google around and find the petition in support of this complex. Have your former teammates do the same.

Thanks from a HS'ers dad.

We never asked you to tell us about "school record" holders. I'm sure it happens at every school. Wow, stories about emaciated runners trying to get some a@@ the night before a dual meet at Stanford. What did you do for foreplay, count ribs??

Q: Why didn't Dave Wottle keep running?

A: Because he couldn't stop waddling!

Resting pulse 39 wrote:

Arzhanov would have run a more even pace had he not been fouled by Fromm at 150 meters. He would not have had to surge from fifth to first at 550 meters, because he would have already been at the front of the pack at 550 meters. Fromm's foul of Arzhanov not only slowed Arzhanov at the moment of the foul but later caused Arzhanov to tie up in the last 40 meters; whereas Wottle's 200 meter splits were remarkably even. Wottle would not have won the gold medal had Fromm not fouled Arzhanov.

But that's racing. As I've said before, a gold medal is still a gold medal and Wottle deserved to win gold. But Fromm's tactics hindered Arzhanov and affected the outcome of the race.

Actually, Arzhanov would have lost by even more had he not been bumped. He would not have surged at all but steadily would have moved up, using far more energy. Without the bump, Arzhanov would have been bronze or out of the medals altogether.

the 1972 Olympic 800 meter race is over. the outcome has been decided. please stop re-running it.

dave wottle's tactics were dictated by a knee problem if i remember correctly.

hat on or off he is an outstanding american.

Logic and Clear Thinking wrote:

You can also thank Salazar, Chapa, Centrowitz Sr., The McChesney's (Tom, Steve, Bill, and their parents), Art B., Mike Friton, and the rest of the 77 Duck Squad who helped finish building it. (Myself included), And last but not least the hoards of Eugene businesses and locals who helped get it done.

So just who are you supposed to be & what did you do that is so special that we need to thank you?

Hey I hope somone reads this but iam a stong 800m runner and a OLympic hopeful from dayton ohio. David wottle amazes me from his kick. I'am currently the 2013 boys 15-16 junior olympic national champion with a time of 1:55 . this year I plan on running 1:48 sub 1:50 to be the best youth in the world. Please it would be a blessing if I could some how contact david wottle this is the only way. I just want to talk with the legend. because iam trying to win the 2020 olympics in tokyo God bless. you can reach me at brianbell09@gmail.com or call 9372481487. my legendary caoches told me I can be the best in the world. iam a junior trying to run 1:45 before I leave highschool. please contact me with tips.

He beat Pre in 1973 or 1974 in a mile at Eugene, handing Pre his only defeat ever on his hometrack at a distance of one mile or more. Ppre lost despite running a 3:54 PR

Really seemed like the Soviet runner relaxed in the last 10-20 meters thinking he had it, then was "oh svit" at the line.

If my old man memory serves me correctly, it was about 1973-1974 that a couple universities were going after the 4-mile relay record. Western Kentucky, Villanova, and Bowling Green, and maybe Kansas/Kansas State. I remember that they started with Texas Relays, then Kansas Relays and Drake. And I think Bowling Green lost to Western at Drake and flew out to Penn for the next one. Of course, Texas, Kansas Relays were a pretty big affair back in those days. When I used to coach, I used Dave Wottle's 800m Olympic race as the perfect example of a well planned, paced race. I know his 200m splits don't differ much. Unfortunately, I also remember the first pro track days and some of their televised events from the 70's. It was kinda sad to actually see, since most runners didn't want to give up their amateur status. To this day I still wear a baseball cap while running thanks to Dave. Thanks for the great stories!!!

Except Wottle wore a golf cap.

jjjjjjj wrote:

Glad someone mentioned the word 'luck' at last. Here was a guy who coulda/shoulda won by a second or more just shaving it. Nine times out of 10 he would have been blocked. For those making excuses for him, he then tried the same bonehead tactics in the heats (semi?) of the 1500 and got what may easily have happened in the 800 - the finish came too late.

So, people are now making excuses for the guy who won the gold medal? I think that I have been away from the sport for too long.