Bbb wrote:
sjdfkld wrote:Plus 27 World Records?
I really hate when people compare World Records. Haile just had luck to run several years earlier. If his prime was today, he would have exactly zero world records so what?
It is mentally easier though to run 2:03 if the world record is below and you know these times are humanly possible.
This type of reasoning applies to guys like Peter Snell, Jim Ryun, Ron Clarke, etc. who ran in eras where competition was scarce enough that World Records were very vulnerable. Back then, given that it was impossible to financially support yourself by running due to the amateur athletics laws, only the lucky individuals who had jobs that allowed them enough time to train could continue developing post-collegiately.
This ABSOLUTELY cannot be applied to Haile Gebrselassie, who ran in what was arguably the strongest era of distance-running. Gebrselassie ran when Golden League offered a $1 million prize, and legions of Africans were throwing everything on the line at almost every race. Runners in this era could dedicate 100% of their time to running and nothing else.
A decade and a half after Gebrselassie's prime, only ONE runner has ever run faster than his 5000m and 10000m records. Gebrselassie (with some help from Komen) brought the 5000m record from 12:58 to 12:39, and brought the 10000m record from 26:52 to 26:22.
If Gebrselassie was hitting his prime now, Bekele's records would be gone. The reason Gebrselassie didn't run faster was that he didn't have to. Every time a challenger broke his record (Komen, Tergat, Kiptanui, Hissou), Gebrselassie pushed himself until he took it back. The only reason he couldn't do the same to Bekele was that 6 years had gone by and he had grown too old to do so. Modern runners, Kipchoge included, no longer even dream of achieving his times.