ventolin^3 wrote:
Joe Binks wrote:One of the least popular athletes in Britain, (amongst athletes, not the press) I still think he should have been given a place in the British team for the 1500 at the 88 Olympics.
He missed out in the trials having picked up a chest infection training at altitude.
A half fit Coe would have won that year in one of the most mediocre 1500s in recent Olympic history.
Hell, our Peter Eliot got the silver running with cortisone injections for an injury in the final.
So that would have made 3 gold medals - sounds a bit better
hold your horses
rono's run was far better than given credit
solo last 2 laps & still finished with something in the tank in a 3'35 even with a
52.9 !!!
pretty damn sure he was in at worst 3'31 shape that day & perhaps even 3'30 if that had been on the circuit
i highly doubt coe was in anwhere like 3'30/3'31 shape even when fit that year
rono was a worthy champ that day as no one in that field had shown 3'30/3'31 ability that year
From Kenny Moore:
http://www.science.smith.edu/exer_sci/ESS200/Raceh/Moore.htm
O'Connell trains his less talented team members to be assistant coaches. ''Peter Rono was coached largely by a classmate,'' he says. ''He was a small boy and always struggling. He ran the 5,000 when he came, which was O.K., but in 1983, Kip Cheruiyot was selected to run with the national team in Helsinki, and suddenly I had no 1,500-meter runner for the Schools Championships. I went to little Peter Rono and said, 'You're going to be a 1,500 runner. I need you.' ''
Rono gave his grave consent. ''That was his breakthrough. He won the Schools 1,500 and 5,000 double three times. He's really a 5,000 man. He has no hope in a real sprint, but if everybody's tired, he can maintain his speed.''
Thus it was that in Seoul little Peter Rono led the last 800 meters of the Olympic 1,500 final and made everybody tired. In the stretch, with Steve Cram and Peter Elliott of Great Britain straining on his heels, Rono smoothly maintained his lead to the finish. He was the first St. Patrick's boy to win an Olympic gold medal.
In his honor, the school planted the Peter Rono tree in the courtyard. It is of the species Spathodea nilotica. The Nandi Flame
Read more: http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=3303271&page=1#ixzz2jOhevjix