Is Aouita really the most versatile athlete ever?

Said Aouita also ran 8:21 in the steeple to win silver at the 1987 Mediterranean games. definitely the lost versatile runner ever. Sprint or distance.

Running 3:28 1500, 59:low half, 2:08 marathon inside of a year, and winning WC in the 5000 and 10000 makes Farah the current "Greatest Range."

I dare think he could run a 1:45 800 too.

Plus Kipchoge.

The most versatile athlete?

Ashton Eaton.

Most Versatile Runner?

Probably still ashton eaton.

He can do a lot of stuff other than running.

Shugga Daddy wrote:

No, But he certainly raced a variety of distances. Haile G I would think could match him at pretty much every distance plus go all the way up to the marathon. Paul Tergat could also be considered the most versatile based on his range from 3-10k on the track, numerous XC titles, and world records in the half and marathon.

Haile G and Tergat could not touch Aouita at 800m, 1500m, one mile, 2000m. 3,000m and two mile -- maybe a toss-up between Haile and Said -- although I suspect Said was better (Tergat not in the conversation until you get to 10k).

Its Aouita. In 1988 he would have been the Olympic gold medal favorite in the 1500, 5000, or 10,000. In the modern era there hasn't ever been a runner like that. Geb and El G never raced the 800 seriously and Aouita ran 1:43.86 and was an Olympic Bronze medalist two years after being ranked number one in the world in the 10,000.

You had to have been around at the time to truly appreciate Aouita, He was a major star and he was never ever boring, Crazy dude,. Dropping down to 800 instead of just only defending his 5000 at the Olympics,. Or even as the current WR holder in the 1500 not focusing on that race. Won by Peter Rono. a US collegiate runner that I don't think even ever won an NCAA title.

I think he was attempting an 800/5000 double but was racing through an injury and dropped the 5000.

Aouita was great but he is dq'd for me as he was a complete dick and gold medal doper.

Decathletes events (except the 1500) are really variations on the same theme. A typical good 400m type with ok coordination can do all those sprints/jumps/ throws pretty well. More versatile than 800 to marathon? Seems so, but it isn't.

Also, decathletes are far from the best in any of their events.

a hack wrote:

Also, decathletes are far from the best in any of their events.

Yeah I was focusing on Aouita being the most versatile mid-distance runner ever. Obviously not the most versatile athlete.

Bo Jackson, JIm Thorpe, or Babe Didrickson?

Kip Keino might be even better than Aouita

1:46.4 800m when WR was 1:44.3 (same as Aouita - 2.1 secs of the record)

best ever Oly performance over 1500m (2nd AT) at mexico (1.8 secs off WR)

3:53.1 mile on muddy cinders at altitude in Kenya '67 (2 secs off WR)

3k and 5k WRs in '65

3rd fastest ever 10K in '68

and

Olympic gold in steeplechase, just 1.6 secs off the WR in '72

to put it in perspective, his equivalent time in 2020 would be

1:43.0 - 800m

3:27.8 - 1500m

3:45.1 - mile

7:20 - 3k

12:43 - 5k

26:38 - 10k

7:55.2 - steeplechase

no one is coming close, not even Aouita or Geb

cool kid wrote:

The most versatile athlete?

Ashton Eaton.

Most Versatile Runner?

Probably still ashton eaton.

He can do a lot of stuff other than running.

Yeah, the decathlete has to be the one if you're talking true all around versatility.

Now its Kevin Mayer who is king of the hill.

Souly wrote:

Kip Keino might be even better than Aouita

1:46.4 800m when WR was 1:44.3 (same as Aouita - 2.1 secs of the record)

best ever Oly performance over 1500m (2nd AT) at mexico (1.8 secs off WR)

3:53.1 mile on muddy cinders at altitude in Kenya '67 (2 secs off WR)

3k and 5k WRs in '65

3rd fastest ever 10K in '68

and

Olympic gold in steeplechase, just 1.6 secs off the WR in '72

to put it in perspective, his equivalent time in 2020 would be

1:43.0 - 800m

3:27.8 - 1500m

3:45.1 - mile

7:20 - 3k

12:43 - 5k

26:38 - 10k

7:55.2 - steeplechase

no one is coming close, not even Aouita or Geb

Probably shared the same doctors (literally - One of Aouita's favorite doctors/hospitals was in Mexico).

Steve Ovett

800m 1:44.0 (0.5 seconds off WR). Would have been WR 5 years prior.

1500m 3:30.7 (WR)

Mile 3:48.4 (WR)

Two Mile 8:13.5 (WR)

5000m 13:25.0 (1978 12 seconds off WR) Would have been WR 12 years prior.

1/2 Marathon 65;39 (3 minutes 2 seconds off WR.) Would have been WR 11 years prior.

To put those into perspective as you have with Keino :

800m 1:41.4

1500m 3:26.0

Mile 3:43.1

5000m 12:47

1/2 marathon 61:03

Ovett was never interested in times until late 79 when he was arguably already past his very best. He never time trialled the 800m and his times in the distance races were all real races in which he did just enough to win. Ovett had a superior 5000m time as a primarily 800m runner than Keino managed as a primarily distance runner only ten years previously.

c'mon man, You can't compare Ovett with Keino. And suggest Keino was doper. Also - take a look at their backgrounds. In comparison with Steve, Kip was runnin' with Killimanjaro on his back... I did interviews with both of them (Ovett said that he was at his absolute best in '81 and I agree - look at Oslo mile or 1500m in Budapest) but also with Coe, Cram, Boit, Aouita and many other greats. Their opinions are logical and in correlation with love while your is just a pure hate. And I don't believe You've did some runnin' in your lifetime.

cool kid wrote:

The most versatile athlete?

Ashton Eaton.

Most Versatile Runner?

Probably still ashton eaton.

He can do a lot of stuff other than running.

No wrong answer. How do you define an athlete? According to you all it's based on what Ashton Eatons events were in the decathlon.

Too bad the decathlon isn't a good enough test.

What's Ashtons bench press? What's his squat? What's his deadlift ? What's his bicep curl? What's his height and weight?

Oh wait. I know. Only 180lbs.

And he's highly likely to have some sort of myostatin deficiency disorder. Most track athletes do. So at this point it's not even impressive because myostatin deficient athletes are just overall not impressive because it's something they were born with not actually earned.

Wrong answer. Eaton isn't even at running back weight. He's like 175-180. Under weight. Too small. Can't bench. His bench press is probably like 305.

I'm currently at 40 years old benching 400 paused naturally without the use of steroids and 420 with a bounce at 6'0 and 205 LBS.

Among tons of other stuff at the gym that would make eaton look like a joke.

And I can run decently fast for my weight. So this whole athlete concept you have in your head is a joke.

When was the last time Eaton looked like this?

[img]

]

Exactly.

This is what real athletes look like. I don't even have to make the Olympics and i'll always be a greater " Olympic " athlete than Eaton will ever be. And one more side note. I'm way hotter.

But I mean yeah you did a really good job at a reply there. I mean at least you put in a good effort at logic and making sense.

versatile athlete wrote:

cool kid wrote:

The most versatile athlete?

Ashton Eaton.

Most Versatile Runner?

Probably still ashton eaton.

He can do a lot of stuff other than running.

Yeah, the decathlete has to be the one if you're talking true all around versatility.

Now its Kevin Mayer who is king of the hill.

Wrong answer.

The decathlon proves nothing.

Yeah because throwing a javelin proves how strong your upper body is on bench press or throwing a shot put proves how much you can shoulder press.

My 10 power events for my made up running back decathlon which includes the bench, hack squat, deadlift, 60m dash, 100meter dash, 40 yard dash, etc is more of a test of what an athlete is than the current one. Athletes don't do pole vault or the 1500.

Hassan has some range!

:)

the goat wrote:

Kenny Bekele will best every Geb performance when all is said and done. He will have the WRs from 5k-Marathon possibly 3k and 2 mile as well. He will be a double olympic gold medalist in Bejing plus the 10k he already has and he has countless world xc titles. If there is ever someone again who can attempt, let alone win the 5k 10k and marathon at the same games, it is bekele.

He may not be the most versitile now, but he's still only in his early 20s.

Ya love to see the Bekele predictions

yanis wrote:

In my opinion, potentially, at the end of his career Nick Willis of NZL will have the greatest versatility of ANY athlete. His credentials will approach the following:

800m-1.44 Low

1500m-3.28

mile-3.46

3000m-7.30

5000m-12.50

10000m-27.10

Marathon-2.08

Wow, this guy called Willis sub 3:30 in 2006

[quote]jabouko wrote:

[quote]yanis wrote:

In my opinion, potentially, at the end of his career Nick Willis of NZL will have the greatest versatility of ANY athlete. His credentials will approach the following:

800m-1.44 Low

1500m-3.28

mile-3.46

3000m-7.30

5000m-12.50

10000m-27.10

Marathon-2.08

credentials are fine, but position on the all-time lists, number of WRs, Olympic golds and No.1 rankings are privilege of all-time greats. Willis is excellent athlete, but no way near of GOATs.