What is the best rivalry in track and field of all time?

Savinova vs Semenya

fixed

Old Ultra Guy wrote:

1924 Olympic 5000 Paavo Nurmi gold Ville Ritola silver

1928 Olympic 5000 Nurmi silver Ritola gold

1928 Olympic 10000 Nurmi gold Ritola silver

total Olympic medals Nurmi 9 gold Ritola 5 gold

Nurmi 3 silver Ritola 3 silver

Mackey v Salazar

Letsrun v Flotrack

Track v Relevance

Plessy v. Ferguson

Rodgers Salazar

How has no one else mentioned this yet

Coe vs Ovett

First names that popped into my head.

The Big Meet between Stanford and Cal.

Historical duel meet that has been taking place for a long time.

I've never seen any rivalry hyped up as much as Carl Lewis vs Ben Johnson. (maybe the Dan vs Dave commercials)

Carl wins the 1984 Olympics in 9.99 with Ben getting Bronze.

Ben wins the 1986 Goodwill Games in 9.95 with Carl getting Bronze - but it's in off year and Carl wasn't in great shape.

Heading onto the 1987 World Championships Carl was getting fit.

And in fact Carl Lewis tied the world record in the WC finals by running 9.93.

But that was only good enough for Silver as Ben Johnson crushes the record in 9.83.

In 1988 they had a pre-Olympic match in Zurich.

Carl wins the race, equaling his PR of 9.93.

In a short interview after the race, Ben says " Seoul will be different".

Then comes the Seoul Olympics and everyone was watching this rivalry.

Even the prelims were making news.

Carl runs the best first round time - 10.14, Ben ran 10.37

Quarter finals: Carl fastest overall in 9.99, Ben is third in his heat in 10.17 (behind Linford Christie and Dennis Mitchell)

Carl wins his semi in 9.97, Ben wins his semi in 10.03

Then comes the finals and I don't remember a more anticipated event in any track race I have ever seen.

We're starting to think that Carl is going to win this.

He does set a new PR in 9.92 but Ben shocks the world with his 9.79 finish with his finger high in the air while looking over at Carl.

http://i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/120523022345-olympics-1988-seoul-johnson-lewis-smith-christie-horizontal-large-gallery.jpg

But Ben was busted and Carl received the Gold and the world record

https://vault-cdn.si.com/SI_ISSUE_IMAGES/Sports%20Illustrated/1988/10/19881003/Sports_Illustrated_702560_19881003-001-775.jpg

I think to be the greatest rivalry they need to repeatedly take world records off each other and/or beat each other at the Olympics. If one always beats the other, it's probably not the greatest.

So for me it's either Nurmi-Ritola or Coe-Ovett.

I think Nurmi & Ritola were in the same individual race at the Olympics 4 times, with Nurmi winning 3 times and Ritola once. The two also exchanged world records over 10,000m twice.

Coe-Ovett went one win each at head to head Olympic meetings, and exchanged records over 1 mile. Again, by exchange I mean Ovett took Coe's record, and then Coe took it back again.

Anderssen - Hagg might have qualified as the greatest if there had been an Olympics when they were at their best.

Not sure if you all would count this as a rivalry, but I've always been a fan of

Zatopek and Mimoun. Mimoun got second to Zatopek in the '48 10,000, and both the 5 and 10 in '52.

Then he finally bested Zatopek in the '56 marathon, the two congratulating each other after the latter finished.

Not the greatest rivalry in track, but Suzy vs. Regina.

If you're talking world record rivalry then it's Gebrselassie vs the world.

He takes Aouita's 5000 record, loses it to Kiptanui then gets it back, BIG time, lowers it again, then loses it to Komen then gets it back.

He takes the 10,000 record form Sigei, loses it to Hissou, gets it back, loses it to Tergat then gets it back again.

Finally he loses both record to Bekele as he gets past his prime.

He really didn't have a racing rivalry because he almost always won with the exception of the one loss to Komen who could be considered a rival.

He never lost on the track (I think) to Tergat and never beat Bekele so those weren't great rivalries.

Legat vs. El G

Coe vs. Ovett vs. Cram

Rocky vs Drago

HardLoper wrote:

1600/800 guy wrote:

Komen / Haile or Haile / Bekele. If we are talking distance,

/ EOT

Those aren't even rivalries. You could have at least said Haile vs. Tergat

Considering the number of times they traded wins in major races, and also traded world records, I think both Komen and Haile would disagree with you. They were definitely rivals. However, for some reason, Haile had more respect for Tergat (who was also a rival, just at different distances, so I agree with you there).

Star wrote:

If you're talking world record rivalry then it's Gebrselassie vs the world.

He takes Aouita's 5000 record, loses it to Kiptanui then gets it back, BIG time, lowers it again, then loses it to Komen then gets it back.

He takes the 10,000 record form Sigei, loses it to Hissou, gets it back, loses it to Tergat then gets it back again.

Finally he loses both record to Bekele as he gets past his prime.

He really didn't have a racing rivalry because he almost always won with the exception of the one loss to Komen who could be considered a rival.

He never lost on the track (I think) to Tergat and never beat Bekele so those weren't great rivalries.

^^^Amazing when he was smashing those world records 20 years ago

Trackbot! Prs Haile Gebreselassie

Trackbot! PRs Haile Gebreselassie

You've got some great ones just in the mile/1500

Hagg vs. Anderson

Coe vs. Ovett

Elliot vs. Lincoln

Bannister vs. Landy

Bayi vs. Walker

Liquori vs. Ryan (probably US fans only, but "Liquori Grins and Wins" cover on SI was the inspiration for just about any kid in the early 70's