2012 Rio Men's 800m : has there been a faster race _at any distance?_

Coevett wrote:

Armstronglivs wrote:

It was as though the earlier rounds didn't exist. Juiced or not, Rudisha is an incredible talent, but I am highly sceptical that the rest of the field of much less distinguished ability could run between 1.41xx-1.43xx in a championship final. It pretty much told me that anti-doping is still only mere window-dressing in the sport.

I remember after watching it that Andrew Osagai's time of 1:43.77 left me open mouthed. Was he really faster than Ovett and the likes of McKean? Then again, it was his home Olympics and he did then finish 5th at the World Championships the following year in 1:44.3 Has had a lot of injuries throughout his career too.

I don't know if it's been mentioned but every athlete in the final ran the fastest ever for the position they finished in (ie. Osagai's 1:43.77 was the fastest ever 8th place in a final). So objectively, it was the 'fastest' ever 800m.

An 800 to be remembered for decades wrote:

Coevett wrote:

I remember after watching it that Andrew Osagai'stime of 1:43.77 left me open mouthed. Was he really faster than Ovett and the likes of McKean? Then again, it was his home Olympics and he did then finish 5th at the World Championships the following year in 1:44.3 Has had a lot of injuries throughout his career too.

I don't know if it's been mentioned but every athlete in the final ran the fastest ever for the position they finished in (ie. Osagai's1:43.77 was the fastest ever 8th place in a final). So objectively, it was the 'fastest' ever 800m.

He ran about 3 tenths faster than Ovett (1:44.09) and was just barely faster than McKean (1:43.88). Osagaiis the 4th fastest Brit at that distance behind Coe, Cram & Elliott. Interestingly, Osagaidoesn't have a fast 400 (47.69) and a very slow 1500 (3:48.99). Compared that to the fast 1500 times of Coe & Cram (3:29.xx), Ovett (3:30.xx) and even Elliot (3:32.xx).

Nonetheless, an entertaining race and the intros were a riot. I like Osagai's but what the heck was Amos doing? A true teenager having some fun.

Chinesedrugs wrote:

Star wrote:

That’s 5 women in one distance race with no rabbit going under the previous world record.

I don’t think any drug can do that.

I think it was about 100m short.

I used to think that until I watched their world championship performances. Junxia didn’t run 3000m at world champs but Yunxia, Linli, and Lirong swept it. They ended up running 8:12, 8:16, and 8:21 respectively. At world champs they were inside 8:30, but you have to remember:

1. It was hot out in Stuttgart summer. It was over 90 degrees and humid so definitely not ideal running conditions by any means and it slowed all the other runners down.

2. It was a championship style race, being very tactical and with the Chinese breaking apart in the latter stages of the race. They ran an incredible 90 second last 600m(7:30 pace), decimating the entire field. The first kilometer was basically a jog.

3. Compare their personal bests with the personal bests of everyone else in the field:

O’Sullivan ran 12 seconds slower than her PB

Radcliffe ran 18 seconds slower than her PB

Murray was 13 seconds off her PB

As you look down the list most people were at least 10 seconds off their personal best and closed in much more reasonable splits. To me this is compelling evidence to show that on their best day, with perfect conditions, pacing, and unlimited drugs (national events didn’t drug test at the time) they were capable of running 9-17 seconds faster than their world champs time. As for Junxia’s 8:06, she clearly was the most talented of all of them by far. They all seemed to perfect the 3000m and training 200 miles a week would allow them to not be sore between heats.

Star wrote:

Chinesedrugs wrote:

I used to think that until I watched their world championship performances. Junxia didn’t run 3000m at world champs but Yunxia, Linli, and Lirong swept it. They ended up running 8:12, 8:16, and 8:21 respectively. At world champs they were inside 8:30, but you have to remember:

1. It was hot out in Stuttgart summer. It was over 90 degrees and humid so definitely not ideal running conditions by any means and it slowed all the other runners down.

2. It was a championship style race, being very tactical and with the Chinese breaking apart in the latter stages of the race. They ran an incredible 90 second last 600m(7:30 pace), decimating the entire field. The first kilometer was basically a jog.

3. Compare their personal bests with the personal bests of everyone else in the field:

O’Sullivan ran 12 seconds slower than her PB

Radcliffe ran 18 seconds slower than her PB

Murray was 13 seconds off her PB

As you look down the list most people were at least 10 seconds off their personal best and closed in much more reasonable splits. To me this is compelling evidence to show that on their best day, with perfect conditions, pacing, and unlimited drugs (national events didn’t drug test at the time) they were capable of running 9-17 seconds faster than their world champs time. As for Junxia’s 8:06, she clearly was the most talented of all of them by far. They all seemed to perfect the 3000m and training 200 miles a week would allow them to not be sore between heats.

But you also have to consider that they broke the world record in the prelims just one day before that.

And for Wang, it was her 5th race of the week with 4 of the races being under the previous world record.

And also the pacing for the 10,000 and 1500m records were very uneven which is not ideal for any fast time, let a lone smashing the world record.

Wang ran faster than the 3000m record for the last 3000m of her 10,000.

They went out in 57 for the 1500 and closed in 60, not the way to run a 3:50 at all. Nearly half of the race is 1:57 pace and about half at 2:05 pace. Doesn't make sense.

Again 5 woman under the old world record in one race. 2 of them never to be heard from again. Who comes out of nowhere, exceeds the world record and disappears?

I have never in my life seen a runner break a world record that the running community was unaware of the day before their race.

What you wrote is a stretch that could possibly explain Qu running 8:12 in a one off race.

But not the day after running 8:12 and also throwing in a 3:50 1500m that same week.

I do think they were drugged as possible but still didn't run the full distance.

Armstronglivs wrote:

Star wrote:

But you also have to consider that they broke the world record in the prelims just one day before that.

And for Wang, it was her 5th race of the week with 4 of the races being under the previous world record.

And also the pacing for the 10,000 and 1500m records were very uneven which is not ideal for any fast time, let a lone smashing the world record.

Wang ran faster than the 3000m record for the last 3000m of her 10,000.

They went out in 57 for the 1500 and closed in 60, not the way to run a 3:50 at all. Nearly half of the race is 1:57 pace and about half at 2:05 pace. Doesn't make sense.

Again 5 woman under the old world record in one race. 2 of them never to be heard from again. Who comes out of nowhere, exceeds the world record and disappears?

I have never in my life seen a runner break a world record that the running community was unaware of the day before their race.

What you wrote is a stretch that could possibly explain Qu running 8:12 in a one off race.

But not the day after running 8:12 and also throwing in a 3:50 1500m that same week.

I do think they were drugged as possible but still didn't run the full distance.

Ayana.