[quote]hemfaulk wrote:
Six inches shorter puts a head and neck area in front of the chest and nothing at all in front of the head. So, he's right that it makes a difference.
Ovett never ran faster than 1:44 when he had major incentive to do so. Ryun ran 1:44.3 at 19 after a prelim and when he was sick and he was significantly faster the next year. Ryun gets the easy nod at 800m.
Ovett ran faster at 1500m but not close to what he might have run at that time if he had the mind to do it--3:28-29. However, Ryun smashed the existing record by 2.5 seconds in one race and he ran 2:46 to close on cinder or some such surface (a superior close to Manangoi and Cheruiyot where the one drafted the other all the way and the surface and temperature were much more preferable).
He closed a 3:38 on dirt in 36/50. Dropping seconds for surface, pacing, and drafting conservatively, his times would rate with anyone but Morceli/El G/Lagat/Ngeny, and Kiprop. Doing so less conservatively would place him easily in their territory. Any way you slice it, his miles and 1500m, Ryun .
Learn to read I never said no difference. It's fractional. Since when does a head and neck measure 6 inches even for a pinhead like Ventolin. The record Ryun smashed was weak.
Show me the video of that 300m in 36.
John Wetton said he never understood why Ryun let Keino get so far ahead. He gave himself no chance. If he could run 3:26 surely he could have managed 3:35 even at altitude. Ryun had years if opportunity to run on good conditions on cinders. Hard rolled cinders is not that much slower than tartan. Tartan was introduced because it's all weather as the name implied
Ovett was a winner in big competitions. Ryun a loser.
When did you ever see Ovett lamely trip up.