Why is Sebastian Coe's technique considered the best?

Max Denbigh wrote:

May someone elaborate on why Coe's running technique considered by many (not all) to be the best/smoothest?

How does it compare/differ to Ovett, El Guerrouj or Morceli?

It's obviously subjective, just like who is the most beautiful woman in the world!

Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

When he was at his best Coe's stride and technique looked effortless. He appeared to float above the track, more so than anyone else I have witnessed, but that is just an opinion.

His shoulders and trunk always looked relaxed, and his torso was 90 degrees to the track, with no movement in the head. Others, like Ovett, who also had a beautiful stride, had a slight forward lean, which isn't considered by many to be ideal.

I never thought Coe looked that effortless nor particularly smooth and floating.

I think his slighter build kind of disguised the fact that he was powering along.

Some forward lean is actually ideal.

A few people have mentioned El Guerrouj's forward lean as a negative even though he is a very smooth runner.

Opinions vary wrote:

I never thought Coe looked that effortless nor particularly smooth and floating.

I think his slighter build kind of disguised the fact that he was powering along.

Some forward lean is actually ideal.

Yes a minimal forward lean, but not as much as Ovett's.

According to this:

Torso The position of your torso while running is affected by the position of your head and shoulders. With your head up and looking ahead and your shoulders low and loose, your torso and back naturally straighten to allow you to run in an efficient, upright position that promotes optimal lung capacity and stride length. Many track coaches describe this ideal torso position as "running tall" and it means you need to stretch yourself up to your full height with your back comfortably straight. If you start to slouch during a run take a deep breath and feel yourself naturally straighten. As you exhale simply maintain that upright position.

Or this:

The body is held upright with the back relaxed but straight with minimal forward lean

Those coaches work with slow white people. The Africans all lean forward.

The book on form needs a re-write.

Opinions vary wrote:

I never thought Coe looked that effortless nor particularly smooth and floating.

I think his slighter build kind of disguised the fact that he was powering along.

Some forward lean is actually ideal.

How can you not say this is smooth?

And if you compare Coe and Ovett about 2 mins into this video as they approach the bell at some speed, Coe's shoulders and torso are more relaxed than Ovett's. Coe's torso is slightly forward but straighter than Ovett's, who has a more pronounced lean.

The only form in the middle distances as good as Coe's was Kipketer's, which also looked effortless.

2 Lpas wrote:

Opinions vary wrote:

I never thought Coe looked that effortless nor particularly smooth and floating.

I think his slighter build kind of disguised the fact that he was powering along.

Some forward lean is actually ideal.

How can you not say this is smooth?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6aH0TlRWuY

And if you compare Coe and Ovett about 2 mins into this video as they approach the bell at some speed, Coe's shoulders and torso are more relaxed than Ovett's. Coe's torso is slightly forward but straighter than Ovett's, who has a more pronounced lean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKvbzPgYwbk

The only form in the middle distances as good as Coe's was Kipketer's, which also looked effortless.

At actual speed it looks a bit tight and jerky. A smoother athlete has a bit more float rather than piston-like movement.

Opinions vary wrote:

At actual speed it looks a bit tight and jerky. A smoother athlete has a bit more float rather than piston-like movement.

At top speed, technique and form should change and become more like that of a sprinter, with more piston like movement!

2 Lpas wrote:

Opinions vary wrote:

At actual speed it looks a bit tight and jerky. A smoother athlete has a bit more float rather than piston-like movement.

At top speed, technique and form should change and become more like that of a sprinter, with more piston like movement!

Yes, but a smoother athlete appears less piston like.

Opinions vary wrote:

2 Lpas wrote:

At top speed, technique and form should change and become more like that of a sprinter, with more piston like movement!

Yes, but a smoother athlete appears less piston like.

I'd like to see a "smoother athlete (who wins and runs a 12.1 last 100m in a 1500) appear less piston like". Please post a video of there smoother athletes running those sorts of times in last 100m.

Deanouk wrote:

Opinions vary wrote:

Yes, but a smoother athlete appears less piston like.

I'd like to see a "smoother athlete (who wins and runs a 12.1 last 100m in a 1500) appear less piston like". Please post a video of there smoother athletes running those sorts of times in last 100m.

El G , Borza and Kipketer were all smoother. Try to follow the basic premise and not get sidetracked by your fanboyism.

I am just as much of a fan of Coe as you are but also realistic.

Deanouk wrote:

Opinions vary wrote:

Yes, but a smoother athlete appears less piston like.

I'd like to see a "smoother athlete (who wins and runs a 12.1 last 100m in a 1500) appear less piston like". Please post a video of there smoother athletes running those sorts of times in last 100m.

Here's one. You may have heard of him. Now I know you're going to go on about him not running 12.1 but he's just coasting and pulling away. Smoother too.

2 Lpas wrote:

Opinions vary wrote:

I never thought Coe looked that effortless nor particularly smooth and floating.

I think his slighter build kind of disguised the fact that he was powering along.

Some forward lean is actually ideal.

How can you not say this is smooth?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6aH0TlRWuY

And if you compare Coe and Ovett about 2 mins into this video as they approach the bell at some speed, Coe's shoulders and torso are more relaxed than Ovett's. Coe's torso is slightly forward but straighter than Ovett's, who has a more pronounced lean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKvbzPgYwbk

The only form in the middle distances as good as Coe's was Kipketer's, which also looked effortless.

In the first video, Coe's left hand does flail slightly.

In the second video, everyone looks smooth when running next to Jurgen Straub with his awkward arm action.

All runners have an innate ability to run smoothly, but you also need an ability to transfer that smoothness into a full sprint.

Coe has smoothness but you do need the ability to sprint like a cheetah,

out of all male and women sprinters --- Marlies Gohr. Her legs look like a bobbin on a sowing machine. But your body type characteristics will vary.

Run naturally how you feel.

You're quoting Runner's World? You should read and try to understand some of the informed posters rather than try arguing with them. You obviously know nothing.

I never thought Coe was as smooth as he was in slow motion to the chariots of fire tune, but in 1980 Ovett actually looks better, he just got arrogant and over confident before the 1500m (he was on a massive winning streak) and ran in lane 2-3 for most of the race after 3:36 in the heat. Coe wanted revenge. Anyhow, Ovett has a stride like that we have seen in a few elite Africans (Bekele, El Guerrouj, Kipketer, Aouita). His foot appears to kick back almost to 180°. Interestingly, Coe and Moreceli look similar from waste down, little guys that maximized their strides.

Ilene Dover wrote:

Those coaches work with slow white people. The Africans all lean forward.

The book on form needs a re-write.

And let me add that most runners do not gaze to the horizon, but rather down about 5-10 meters ahead.

Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:

I never thought Coe was as smooth as he was in slow motion to the chariots of fire tune, but in 1980 Ovett actually looks better, he just got arrogant and over confident before the 1500m (he was on a massive winning streak) and ran in lane 2-3 for most of the race after 3:36 in the heat. Coe wanted revenge. Anyhow, Ovett has a stride like that we have seen in a few elite Africans (Bekele, El Guerrouj, Kipketer, Aouita). His foot appears to kick back almost to 180°. Interestingly, Coe and Moreceli look similar from waste down, little guys that maximized their strides.

There seem a lot of exaggeration there. If you read or watch the accounts of others in the race and who were behind the scenes of their rivalry in Moscow, the overwhelming consensus was that Ovett, far from being arrogant or over confident, was actually nervous and questioning himself on the day of the 1500 final.

You seem to imply that a 3:36 heat somehow affected Ovett for the final! ?

Ovett ran 3:36.8 and then 3:43.1 in his heat and semi. That shouldn't be testing for someone of his calibre.

Coe's heat and semi were run in 3:40.0 and 3:39.3. So, if you had the combined times of both their prelims, Coe's was actually (marginally) faster. Whatever, they would have reached the 1500 final equally 'tired' after v similar times ran in both 800 and the 1500 heats.

If you were not implying this, then apologies.

Ovett did NOT run most of the final 'in lane 2-3'. In fact he never touched lane 3 once in the entire race once they completed the first 100m.

Running in lane 2 or on the line between 1 and 2 has no impact on distance run on the straights. It only becomes an issue on the bends.

Having looked at the race in detail, I estimate Ovett ran about 15.5m extra during the course of the race. However, Coe also ran wide on some bends and covered an extra c. 12m.

But, Coe received no drafting at all (other than some negligible amount getting into position in the opening 100m) until about 1000m. He was always running on the outside of Straub.

Ovett got a lot more drafting in the early stages, certainly enough to negate the 3.5m extra distance he ran.

If you think Ovett's technique looks better, that's fine and your opinion. I tend to disagree, but they were both beautiful movers to watch.

Opinions vary wrote:

El G , Borza and Kipketer were all smoother. Try to follow the basic premise and not get sidetracked by your fanboyism.

I am just as much of a fan of Coe as you are but also realistic.

It isn't 'fanboyism', it's a general held consensus by many commentators and experts for many years.

Kipketer I'll give you, smooth as silk and certainly one of the best looking movers in the history of T&F.

El G and Borza, I don't think so.

Here is an interesting thread from 2012, discussing the issue in abstract, with no athlete's name mentioned in the original title of the thread.

Interestingly, there are many posters on there that bring up Coe as having "Best Running form you ever seen"

Of course it is a subjective question, but this thread does seem to be going a long way into naming practically all Coe's rivals as having better form.

As another poster wrote in the 2012 thread, which I think best sums up the topic,

"Coe's form will always be iconic. The blue print for all other middle distance runners. Seldom matched, never bettered."