oh please wrote:
According to the graphic, no one slower than 2:15 on a debut ever went on to run under 2:11, much less 2:09. Of course the list isn't complete, but I would say it's not quite the debut he was looking for.
Incorrect. If your debut was slower than a 2:15, you wouldn't show up on the graphic at all. It doesn't matter how fast you eventually went. The list is based on debut times. If you debuted in 2:26 and went on to run 2:08, your name would not be on the list.
Obviously, many people have debuted slower than 2:15 and run faster than 2:11. Bill Rodgers? Dick Beardsley?