He would have been a threat right.
He would have been a threat right.
Too scared of losing.
I understand he might have lost some of his finishing kick in 2000 but in 1996 he was at near 5000m peak, he could have ran a bekele-esque race and he wouldnt have had many challenges if he could squeeze the field or just run 51 high on the last lap.
Tergat is probably why
I think he got blisters on his feet during the 10000 in Atlanta. Didn't run with socks, so his feet were a bit raw after 25 laps.
Geb was no shoe in for a gold medal. Neither of his olympic golds were more won by even a second. Better to win one gold than take a big gamble by doubling. The real question is why did Tergat retire so much earlier than Geb? Was it the new drug tests?
I think the reason is because back then the 10k had prelims, so it was harder to double.
Geb was also just a baby who didn't want to risk losing.
Optimus wrote:
I think the reason is because back then the 10k had prelims, so it was harder to double.
I read that as I think the reason is because black men 10k had prelims, so it was harder to double.
Optimus wrote:
I think the reason is because back then the 10k had prelims, so it was harder to double.
Not to mention, the 5K had THREE rounds back then. I don't know of anyone who attempted the double then.
Kind of makes mo farahs double look a little soft he still would probably win the 10k if the rounds were 2 for 10k, but he'd get at best a silver in the five. God that would be the greatest double ever.
I wonder why geb chose the 10 in 96. Probably because his kick was even better in the 10k, compared to the 5k but I could see him winning the 5 in 96, & 00'. If he focused on that instead. Imaginge if Paul tergat and geb just avoided each other. Or a crazy thought paul tergat runs the 5k and geb runs the 10, tergat had great endurance and perhaps he could pull a john ngugi on the field.
Damn these are crazy thoughts.
He doubled in the 93 WCs, coming back to get Silver in the 5 after getting Gold in the 10.
Never doubled after that.
10,000 prelims made him hesitant to double after that.
He kept his legs fresh to chase money after the Games.
What was geb's fastest last 400 in any race? 54?
Tergat is older than Geb by almost three years.
I believe Stephan Franke tripled in Atlanta.
Actually I think the 5K was before the 10K in 1993 (in the commentary of the 10K, he said that Geb was the "[silver] medallist at 5000 meters")