greatest ever at 800m

I agree that on actual achievements, Rudisha comes out on top due to his 2 Olympic golds and his front running WR. But I don't think he's as dominant as Kipketer or Coe were at their peak. The vast majority of Rudisha's wins and fast times came about as he was paced to a very fast first lap. On occasions, when the pace hasn't been super fast on first lap, he has been crowded and out kicked. He hasn't got the turn of pace to win in slower paced races. This is his Achilles heel.

Kipketer and Coe had more in their armoury. When they were in peak form they could beat everyone in their era whatever the pace. They were more versatile 2 lap runners with more options as to how to run a race.

In terms of impact on the history of the event, Harbig, Snell and Coe stand out. All 3 were 1.5 secs or thereabouts faster than anyone else in history in their time. Rudisha has only improved the WR by 0.2 in 3 instalments.

Call me old fashioned but I think the best 800m runner of all time is the guy with the world record

mediocresprinter wrote:

Call me old fashioned but I think the best 800m runner of all time is the guy with the world record

Old fashioned.

The point is Kipketer or somebody else might run faster than Rudisha if they all raced together. It's a hypothetical to have a fun conversation. If you wan't to oversimplify it to the WR, we get it. You don't have anything else to contribute here. Go continue being mediocre.

Flounder With Hush Puppies wrote:

mediocresprinter wrote:

Call me old fashioned but I think the best 800m runner of all time is the guy with the world record

Old fashioned.

The point is Kipketer or somebody else might run faster than Rudisha if they all raced together. It's a hypothetical to have a fun conversation. If you wan't to oversimplify it to the WR, we get it. You don't have anything else to contribute here. Go continue being mediocre.

The greats such as Rushida and Wayde have the confidence to run from the front and just go as hard as they can on the biggest stage of them all. Rushida did that better than Kipeketer did so Rushida is the best for now

Rudisha could not front run Kipketer.

Did you even watch the Olympics this year? Kipketer led the first part.

Usain Gebrhawaiian wrote:

Did you even watch the Olympics this year? Kipketer led the first part.

I was obviously referring to London 2012 you complete melt

You think worse than you sprint.

Boba Milk Tea wrote:

You think worse than you sprint.

True, I'm the 800th best sprinter in my country, doubt I'm the 800th best thinker.

mediocresprinter wrote:

Boba Milk Tea wrote:

You think worse than you sprint.

True, I'm the 800th best sprinter in my country, doubt I'm the 800th best thinker.

Ture, probably like what? 800,000th?

That's with the assumption they could have stayed with him

Except that Rudisha has two Olympic golds and Coe and Kipketer have zero.

Completely irrelevant. If they were all in the same race Rudisha would not win. That is the point, moran!

Possibly wrote:

If Ventolin is going with hypothetical times he needs to include T8.

Dirt track, no training,

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/modern-man-a-wimp-says-anthropologist-1802501.html

Hahah, an onion article.

There is absolutely no way we can know how fast T8 ran 20000 years ago. By looking at fossilized footprints.

Absolute poppycock!

Coe and Kipketer couldn't even beat the men who beat them out of Olympic gold. How the hell are they going to beat a man who is faster at both 800m and 400m, with the confidence to front run a world record in an Olympic final and then defend that title 5 years later.

Rudisha is the best ever at 800m!

Possibly wrote:

Except that Rudisha has two Olympic golds and Coe and Kipketer have zero.

The will all keep quiet when Rudisha wins his third Olympic gold

Kipketer did not compete in 1996. He would have V Rodal easy.

Possibly not wrote:

Coe and Kipketer couldn't even beat the men who beat them out of Olympic gold. How the hell are they going to beat a man who is faster at both 800m and 400m, with the confidence to front run a world record in an Olympic final and then defend that title 5 years later.

Rudisha is the best ever at 800m!

Personally, if Kipketer and Coe were put in the London 2012 Olympic final, I don't see Coe running 1:40.8. Kipketer might have but I can only base that on the fact that he ran 1:41.11 once. Rudisha is the most consistent 1:41 runner ever and all those runs are leading the whole race. I'd give him the nod in this hypothetical race.

As for the GOAT, Rudisha takes it by a landslide:

First man sub 1:41, most runs under 1:42, two Olympic Golds in the 800m (rarely completed ever), set a couple WRs and set the current WR in the Olympic Final.

Possibly not wrote:

Coe and Kipketer couldn't even beat the men who beat them out of Olympic gold. How the hell are they going to beat a man who is faster at both 800m and 400m, with the confidence to front run a world record in an Olympic final and then defend that title 5 years later.

Rudisha is the best ever at 800m!

I agree that Rudisha probably has achieved enough to be considered the greatest ever. Snell's achievements are comparable at championships, and he was further ahead of his peers than Rudisha is, during his era. The one point against Snell (which is not his fault of course) is that there wasn't the depth in talent in the early 60's.

There is a difference between not winning a race and 'not being able to beat' the winners.

Coe was certainly the best 2 lap runner going in to Moscow by a long shot, but chose to run 10+ m in the final and probably the worst tactical race in his career. He lost that final, but of course that's his fault.

Kipketer wasn't at his best in 2000 or 2004. He too ran wide.

Coe at his peak in 81 was capable of at least 1:41.5 on the tracks of the day, which weren't as fast as the mondo ones Rudisha runs on. He ran 2m wide in his WR. It was also early June and he was not at a season peak. When I asked him what he felt he could have run in 81 had he had a few attempts at his own WR later in the season, he said, "1:41.2/ 1:41.3". When I then added what that would be if he'd had the London 2012 track to run on, he said, "a few tenths faster".

Kipketer ran 1:41.24 off a too fast first 400m in 97. With better pacing he would have gone under 1:41.0.

If both Coe and Kipketer had been in that London final, and drafted off Rudisha, it would have been very close down that last home straight. Certainly both Kip and Coe would have beaten Amos.

But in the real world Rudisha ran the best individual 800 ever, breaking the WR and winning gold in the process, and for that he has to be considered the GOAT for 800m