So basically you're claiming guilt by association!? That's disappointing. Just because I agree with a poster on a few points does not mean I agree with him on many other issues. I have questioned him and disagreed with him many times and on many threads (including this one), but you seem to think I should be arguing with him all the time on every point I don't agree with!? Well, I simply don't have the time and after years of conflict with Ventolin, I don't really want to! I'd prefer to pick my battles more carefully.
Yes, I believe there is enough evidence to suggest Ovett was capable of much faster over 800m - an Olympic win with a 50.5 second lap, a 1:44.1 in a Championship final off a 49.9 first lap (not optimum for a 1:43.0), and the fact he had pbs over 400m and 1500m that were comparable with what Cram and Elliott ran, who both broke 1:43.0. It is not far fetched to consider Ovett was capable of 1:43 low and therefore break Juantorena's WR in 78. At the same time, by writing that, it doesn't mean there weren't others (non Brits) capable of something similar. But that's down to others to put forward suggestions and evidence.
The 2 mile race in 78 was well known for being a poorly paced race. When Ovett was asked in an interview by Mel Watman in AW at end of 78, "Did you get a kick from that world 'record' in the Coke 2 miles?" he replied with, "It was surprising, because I didn't intentionally set out to break a world record and we were running such a ridiculous sort of race. It was perpetually slowing and speeding up...Henry was slowing down and we were speeding up again....."
Ovett's 1/4 s in that race were - 61.6, 60.8, 62.4, 64.3, 64.3, 61.0, 63.3, 55.8. Not the most efficient, and with more even splits both Rono and Ovett could likely have gone 3 or 4 secs faster. That would be equivalent to around 7:35/7:36 for 3000m, not that far away from Rono's then WR of 7:32.1 is it?
I clearly said that Ovett had the 'potential' to run close to the then 3000m WR, which is very different to saying that he was going to break it. I also clearly stated that he would not have been able to beat Aouita over 3000m, as he was clearly capable of sub 7:30 from about 84 onwards.
I haven't written anything on this thread about Ovett being capable of breaking the 5000m WR in 78, that was Coevett. Again, he had the 'potential' to get close to Rono's 13:08 (set in 78) sometime in his career had he trained for it, but by then Aouita had moved the event on by 10 secs.
That's absolute nonsense. I never pluck random numbers without a lot of back up evidence. I have recently stated on another thread (which I'm sure you've seen) that I believe Coe was capable of something in the 13:20's (13:20 - 13:30) based on his 800/1500 training. I gave numerous pieces of evidence; beating 3 men over 4 miles (in 78) who had all run 13:2* within the previous 3 months; running 6.7km in 18:28 (13:46 pace for 5k but for another mile) in 83, beating Mei (13:32 later that year) and Panetta; beating Cova (who went on to run 13:40 that summer) by 31 secs over 7.5km in 20:59 (1980); a training session and comments made by Frank Horwill, a leading middle and distance coach, who witnessed said training session. That's 4 pieces of evidence. How many more do you want?
I haven't mentioned Coe as being capable of 13:10 on this thread or any other recent ones. I have stated in the past that had he trained specifically for it post 84 he had the POTENTIAL to get close to 13:10, just as the likes of Coghlan, Wessinghage, Gonzales, Deleze and Abascal achieved. 13:10 in the mid 80's was not going to threaten or beat Aouita, and was far off the WR, so perhaps that is a reason why he didn't go chasing times at the longer distance!
I haven't mentioned Cram or Coe as being relevant on this thread, which is about 3000m. I have mentioned Ovett as a good choice for winning a 3000m race in 1980, had he not contested the 800m, but I have also mentioned that Aouita would have been a good bet to win in 84 and 88. I have also commented on Farah not being my choice of winning a 3000m in 2012 and 2016. If I was just like 'all the Brits' then surely I would be claiming Mo would have won both!?
And according to you I can't be like 'all the Brits' as I haven't suggested that Coe, Ovett and Cram would all be winners!
I have never accused Aouita as being a doper and I have also recently stated that he would be a big favourite to beat Coe over all distances above 2000m. So really, I take offence at what you claim to be my purpose on these boards; namely that Coe, Ovett and Cram would win everything up to 5000m and break all WRs.
I'm sorry you feel I should be more confrontational with Covett, and perhaps I would if he'd made personal criticisms or attacks questioning my integrity!
I still have respect for your knowledge and contributions to these discussions, but feel that your sweeping generalisation in your previous post was ill advised and provocative. We have disagreed on several points over the years, but this has always been in a civilised and cordial manner. I have never made a personal remark about you nor lumped you together with a group of people along national lines.
I thought this was meant to be a time of goodwill towards all men/women!?