1988 Olympics: Peter Rono...one hit wonder

He didn't win the NCAA title earlier that year.

he won a D2 title 1988

He's put on a pound or two since those days. But what a day to have the race of your life.

Rono blew me away at that Div II Nationals race. I actually thought that I could beat him then by just sitting and kicking. He destroyed that strategy by going out in :55 and pulling me thru in :57. He stayed out there while I died a horrible death the last 200m holding off the fast closing pack for 2nd.

His big move on the third lap of the Olympic Finals gave me goose bumps. He was always finishing behind his faster teammates (the Cheriyot Brothers) while at St Mary's college.

Rono completely controlled the field. I forgot that El Raton made a bid with a lap to go.

1. Peter Rono (KEN) 3:35.96

2. Peter Elliott (GBR) 3:36.15

3. Jens-Peter Herold (GDR) 3:36.21

4. Steve Cram (GBR) 3:36.24

5. Steve Scott (USA) 3:36.99

6. Han Kulker (NED) 3:37.08

7. Kipkoech Cheruiyot (KEN) 3:37.94

8. Marcus O'Sullivan (IRL) 3:38.39

9. Mario Silva (POR) 3:38.77

10. Jeff Atkinson (USA) 3:40.80

11. Joseph Chesire (KEN) 3:40.82

12. Omer Khalifa (SUD) 3:41.07

Anyone know much about how Kenya was selecting its teams in 1988? Based on what everyone says about him, you have to wonder how Rono even got to go to Seoul.

northwest master wrote:

Rono blew me away at that Div II Nationals race. I actually thought that I could beat him then by just sitting and kicking. He destroyed that strategy by going out in :55 and pulling me thru in :57. He stayed out there while I died a horrible death the last 200m holding off the fast closing pack for 2nd.

His big move on the third lap of the Olympic Finals gave me goose bumps. He was always finishing behind his faster teammates (the Cheriyot Brothers) while at St Mary's college.

I was sitting on the home stretch watching the race. Rono lit out as fast as any mile/1500 I had seen domestically. He was well under 1:55. My memory says 1:52/3. and it certainly was the fastest solo 800 split I had ever seen.

I looked at the guys I was with and told them that this dude is at a new level. (he was in our region and we raced those guys often. Charles was the best of them, we thought Peter was very beatable)

I was surprised, but NOT shocked when he won Gold later that year.

The race at SEMO in 1987 was the hot one, with Dehaven hanging in with the MtStMary guys and just getting outkicked last 100. I think three guys dipped under 3:40.

I had the pleasure of listening to Peter speak while I attended Mount St. Mary's at our sports banquet. Nice guy who would on occasion stop by and chat with the team. I don't think he does that anymore though, since I last remember seeing him my freshman or sophomore year. But he definitely had put on a pound or two since 1988.

Rono finished 2nd at DI NCAA's in 1989.

So he had two major victories in his life. Beating Steve Cram and Tony Young in the same year. (Smile Tony)

Seoul was the biggest surprise ever.

Think of the guys who were supposed to bid for Gold that year.

Coe

Cram

Aouita

Bile

Even the Americans Scott and Spivey had better chances than Rono.

He surely did control the field. Peter made them look as if he was the one who had all the experience and poise of a veteran.

He surely did control the field. Peter made them look as if he was the one who had all the experience and poise of a veteran.

From the waist down, Peter's form reminds me of watching Filbert Bayi.

Rono won the Kenyan Olympic Trials. He was hardly a one hit wonder.

If he had never won a race before or won a race after, what does it really matter? He did it the exact moment that it counted. Aouita took bronze in the 800m in Seoul...am I remembering that correctly?

Yes you are correct on both counts.

Why do people think you have to have a long career to call it a success? Peter Rono won when it counted in 1988, anything else is irrelevant.

He was prepared to follow his strategy and it worked, much like Viren taking control of the 1976 5000m and daring all the kickers to beat him - they couldn't - same with Rono here. The only difference was that Virewn was the favorite (or at least defending champion) whereas others had better pedigrees than Rono in 1988, but these others either didn't follow THEIR best plan or simply were run out at the end.

The way Rono dominates that race is astounding, moving up casually from the back to take the lead, then seemingly surfing the wave of kicking going on behind. Even reaches up to his face with 200 to go (while sprinting in the lead of the Olympic final!). He then commences to clinch the Cacho Award by looking over his shoulder almost every other step while his body exquisitely matches every ionic impulse of desperation emitting from the horde behind.

malmo wrote:

Rono won the Kenyan Olympic Trials. He was hardly a one hit wonder.

Okay, so he was a 1.1 hit wonder.

Gotta give the guy all the credit in the world. He ran both a smart and a gutsy race, pushing the pace from that far out. On that day, he deserved the win.

Pad Berson wrote:

Anyone know much about how Kenya was selecting its teams in 1988? Based on what everyone says about him, you have to wonder how Rono even got to go to Seoul.

As Malmo wrote, Rono won the Kenyan Olympic Trials in 1988. Rono also made the World Championship team in 1987 at 1500 and in 1986 was silver medalist at the World Juniors at 1500. The IAAF profile for Rono gives you the impression that his pb is 3:41.09. Oddly, there is no mention of his gold medal in 1988 under his list of honors won or in terms of the time he ran, 3:35.95.

3:35.96...

Rono also made the Word Championship indoor team in 1987 and the World Championship team in 1991 at 1500. This was no one hit wonder. This guy had a career that many would love to have, with a gold medal and representing Kenya internationally multiple times, no mean feat considering the difficulty even then of making their teams...