T&FN Favourite Athletes THE RESULTS No1 Haile Gebrselassie

[DrJay]

Note we have reached 1000 posts!

[Daisy]

My brother found himself crossing a road alongside JE a couple of years back. He said nothing but as they reach the other side, as a tribute, he did a little hop, step and jump. No words were exchanged but my brother felt that JE appreciated the gesture.

Tell him if he ever crosses the road with Mary Decker to trip her up

Would he carry Derek Redmond across the street?

[mump boy]

My brother found himself crossing a road alongside JE a couple of years back. He said nothing but as they reach the other side, as a tribute, he did a little hop, step and jump. No words were exchanged but my brother felt that JE appreciated the gesture.

Tell him if he ever crosses the road with Mary Decker to trip her up

Amazing

[mump boy]

My brother found himself crossing a road alongside JE a couple of years back. He said nothing but as they reach the other side, as a tribute, he did a little hop, step and jump. No words were exchanged but my brother felt that JE appreciated the gesture.

Tell him if he ever crosses the road with Mary Decker to trip her up

Would he carry Derek Redmond across the street?

Haha this couild run and run

[Fortius19]

My brother found himself crossing a road alongside JE a couple of years back. He said nothing but as they reach the other side, as a tribute, he did a little hop, step and jump. No words were exchanged but my brother felt that JE appreciated the gesture.

Tell him if he ever crosses the road with Mary Decker to trip her up

Would he carry Derek Redmond across the street?

Haha this couild run and run

Haha, yeah. Ask him to shove Merga for me!

[Daisy]

Tell him if he ever crosses the road with Mary Decker to trip her up

And take his shoes off before crossing with Zola Budd.

If he was crossing with Bolt he'd have to get a head start and cross before the white man started flashing.

[LopenUupunut]

We've just passed "You, A Desert Island & Your iPod"

[Tuariki]

Mary Decker was one of the most ungracious people to ever set foot on a track. What ever you think the reasons for the fall in LA or Zola Budds participation, she certainly did nothing on purpose and I would suggest she suffered more from it than Decker. While her initial reaction is understandable her subsequent actions where unforgivable as she fanned the flames while budd got death threats

There's an interview they did together, I think it was on Australian tv, years later and Mary Decker is just vile. I can't find it but will keep looking.

Having said all of that she was an amazing athlete and deffo deserves a place on this list

As this is a list of favourites then of course it is up to each individual to set their own criteria for determining what makes an athlete one of their favourites. I agree with mump boy that Decker was an amazing athlete . And I also agree that she was and continues to be apparently one of the most ungracious and unpleasant of athletes. Even if she had managed to win an Olympic Gold or two her personality would always stop her from being on my favourite list.

[DecFan]

Anyone who thinks Jonathan Edwards is "gracious" and a "true gentleman" has obviously never heard the venom with which he commentates on Philips Idowu or Dwain Chambers.

You're right, I've never heard Edwards speak of Idowu or Chambers. Perhaps it's easier to think of someone from a different country as gracious, in that after retirement we see little of them.

As for Mary D-S: Had I made this list in 1983 after Helsinki, she surely would have been high on it. She would have been off it after LA, and then sank lower and lower in later years.

[liuxuan]

[

41st (6 votes 54 points)

Allen Johnson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Johnson

i met allen johnson as a Gb vs USA match in Glasgow in 1998 when I was only 12 and he made my day. despite certain british athletes not being bothered to smile or give much time to the fans, he gave me a big hug and signed my book and i told him i had his atlanta final on tape lol.

his 12.95 in atlanta was definanately worth 12.90 had he not clattered the last however many hurdles - obviously thats the name of the game but it was mighty impressive nonetheless!

[bushop]

Remember MJ's reaction when he lost his WR to Usain Bolt - he was genuinely chuffed.

1. chuffed. To be very pleased, proud or happy with yourself.

My brother found himself crossing a road alongside JE a couple of years back. He said nothing but as they reach the other side, as a tribute, he did a little hop, step and jump. No words were exchanged but my brother felt that JE appreciated the gesture.

Great story.

Tell him if he ever crosses the road with Mary Decker to trip her up.

Would he carry Derek Redmond across the street?

Ask him to shove Merga for me!

And take his shoes off before crossing with Zola Budd.

If he was crossing with Bolt he'd have to get a head start and cross before the white man started flashing.

Thank you.

[pakillo]

Allen Johnson was on my list too, Just wanna remind you of quarterfinal in Athens 2004 where he came as a big favourite for gold but final happened without him Of course we don't know what would have happened later but that was one of the saddest moment of athletics competition at Athens OG (for me), and Merlene Ottey's DNF in 200 semi...

[mump boy]

sorry i've been so slow with this, i've just moved house and have no broadband in the new flat and haven't been to the office much as i've been waiting in everyday for furniture delivery etc

i promise i will finish the countdown in the next week

[oldvaulter]

deleted

[mump boy]

sorry i've been so slow with this, i've just moved house and have no broadband in the new flat and haven't been to the office much as i've been waiting in everyday for furniture delivery etc

i promise i will finish the countdown in the next week

Good! At the rate things have been going, some of us oldtimers are in danger of dying of old age without ever knowing who the top favorite are!

Hang on in there

[Daisy]

At the rate things have been going, some of us oldtimers are in danger of dying of old age without ever knowing who the top favorite are!

I know I shouldn't laugh but this is hilarious I hope you can hang on!

[DrJay]

At the rate mump is comng up with excuses (some really diverse, good ones!) maybe we should worry about whether HE will hang in there long enough to finish!

[oldvaulter]

deleted

[Vault-emort]

My favorite now is Jillo Gill. I have really enjoyed watching her decimate all the women's shot records. They say that her grandfather, Jacko, was one of the greats back in the day.

[mump boy]

37th (6 votes 63 points)

Roman Sebrle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_%C5%A0ebrle

36th (6 votes 70 points)

Carolina Kluft

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Kluft

35th (6 votes 72 points)

Renaldo Nehemiah

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaldo_Nehemiah

34th (6 votes 74 points Kip Keino)

Kip Keino

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kip_Keino

33rd ( 6 votes 87 points)

Abebe Bikila

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abebe_Bikila

[Marlow]

35th (6 votes 72 points)
Renaldo Nehemiah

The Skeetster only 35th?!
I had him top 5. I think sumuvyall held that whole 49ers thing against him!

[Daisy]

I had him top 5.

He was 7th choice. And Keino my 3rd. And I'm down to 7 left.

[mump boy]

35th (6 votes 72 points)
Renaldo Nehemiah

The Skeetster only 35th?!
I had him top 5. I think sumuvyall held that whole 49ers thing against him!

Really ?? i was surprised he was so high

I think he's one of those athletes where you had to be there because he does absolutely nothing for me at all

[Daisy]

I think he's one of those athletes where you had to be there because he does absolutely nothing for me at all

I was there and awed. He seemed to skim the hurdles in a way that was totally different to the others. Possibly my imagination but that was the sense you got. Untapped potential is another factor that makes him rise up, the 'what if' element. Probably not very objective, but that is the way with favourites.

I never saw Keino run but he was one of the greats when I started to take an interest in track and field and for some reason that I can't explain he always caught my attention. Probably for his 1500 Mexico alone, "the pace here, suicidal" who can't be impressed by that kind of aggressive running.

[Marlow]

I think he's one of those athletes where you had to be there because he does absolutely nothing for me at all

Didja ever see him in a head-on shot skimming the sticks? Ever heard of his Penn Relays heroics? He had the Maximum Wooooo Factor at Franklin and that's saying a WHOLE lot. His battles with Foster were the stuff of Epic Legend!

[Gabriella]

Ah, Kluft

She came through when there was very much a changing of the guard; Lewis, Braun & Sazanovich were either retiring or losing form and only Barber looked capable of big scores. But then along came Kluft with a WJR and a European title to announce herself on the world scene.

She had such a fun personality that really turned the idea of 'boring' and introverted Scandinavians on it's head! The way she would jig about between events, really enjoying herself was a breath of fresh air. But she could still focus like the best and she could work herself up into a fighting mentality.
She has such great technical ability and was a complete natural. She didnt get where she was out of a bottle; she wasn't all muscle but just had a gift and great co-ordination. The fact that she loved her event so much was obviously a factor too. I loved her "I'm just a small girl in a big world" quote.

It was great to see her rise to the challenge when perhaps not at her best; when she injured her ankle; when Barber laid down the gauntlet; when it appeared Sotherton may break her indoors and when cheating Blonska pushed her all the way in Osaka.

I dont think she ever fulfilled her potential though; there was more to come in the 100mh, SP, 200m, LJ, JT and 800! A score of over 7100 was possible.

I really was disappointed when she left the heptathlon in 2008 and we've been robbed what could have been some great clashes with Dobrynska, Ennis and Chernova. But total respect to her; she changed events and has stuck with it when faced with injuries and criticism.

[Powell]

Really ?? i was surprised he was so high

I think he's one of those athletes where you had to be there because he does absolutely nothing for me at all

Same for me. I guess a big part of the problem is he has no major championship medals. Although he would have had a good chance in 1991 had he not gotten injured just before the WC...
But I remember when the IAAF had a poll to select the best athletes of all time by event back in 1987, Nehemiah was the clear no. 1 in the 110H (the voting was by an international group of 'experts', not by fans).

[Daisy]

He had the Maximum Wooooo Factor at Franklin and that's saying a WHOLE lot.

Here is some stuff from Walt Murphy, re: Penn heroics.
http://www.waltmurphystrackworld.com/penn/nehemiah.html

And Jon's interview with Pat Connolly is pretty interesting too.
http://atoboldon.sc49.info/letsrap/inde ... pic=5522.0

[26mi235]

Bikila was my number 3 and I am a bit surprised he is not higher given his place in the sport. I am now down to ten left (I think).

[Marlow]

And Jon's interview with Pat Connolly is pretty interesting too.
http://atoboldon.sc49.info/letsrap/inde ... pic=5522.0

"Skeets wasn't allowed to focus on the 100m in high school. But if I could have worked with him from the age of eighteen, he would have matched Harrison Dillard's achievement (double gold in the 100m and 110m hurdles). He clearly could have ran under 9.9 in the 100. . . . Nehemiah could have broken the 400m hurdles world record"

(except for the fact that I agree)

[Tuariki]

Abebe Bikila

My number 5. As a kid reading everything I could about TnF I remember reading the reported discussion between Arthur Lydiard and Barry Magee when they were assessing the opposition just before the the start of the Rome marathon. it went something like "Oh well you can forget about the skinny barefoot African guy relieving himself over there". But for a broken bone in his foot he probably would have won in Mexico City as well for a 3-peat. As it was amazing he managed to get past the 10 mile mark running with that broken bone. And it was such a tragedy that he ended up as a quadriplegic. However, he left an amazing legacy that just keeps getting stronger ad stronger.

Nehemiah

Really ?? i was surprised he was so high

I think he's one of those athletes where you had to be there because he does absolutely nothing for me at all

Same for me. I guess a big part of the problem is he has no major championship medals. Although he would have had a good chance in 1991 had he not gotten injured just before the WC...
But I remember when the IAAF had a poll to select the best athletes of all time by event back in 1987, Nehemiah was the clear no. 1 in the 110H (the voting was by an international group of 'experts', not by fans).

"Skeets wasn't allowed to focus on the 100m in high school. But if I could have worked with him from the age of eighteen, he would have matched Harrison Dillard's achievement (double gold in the 100m and 110m hurdles). He clearly could have ran under 9.9 in the 100. . . . Nehemiah could have broken the 400m hurdles world record"

As this thread is about one's "favourite" athlete then anything goes of course. Nehemiah was a great hurdler and I certainly enjoyed watching him. But really!! Justifying one's choice by saying he could have done this and he could have done that. The only that matters is that he didn't do match Dillard; he didn't run under 9.9 and he didn't break the 400IH.

I have 8 left.

[Daisy]

But really!! Justifying one's choice by saying he could have done this and he could have done that.

I think that is the icing on the cake. Nehemiah's actual results speak for themselves.

I'm assuming that Pre is going to appear soon, and he didn't even have a WR. Just wait for the screams from the peanut gallery when he is #1

[mump boy]

I think he's one of those athletes where you had to be there because he does absolutely nothing for me at all

Didja ever see him in a head-on shot skimming the sticks? Ever heard of his Penn Relays heroics? He had the Maximum Wooooo Factor at Franklin and that's saying a WHOLE lot. His battles with Foster were the stuff of Epic Legend!

i don't doubt any of this and i'm pissed i missed it but Penn Relays don't travel and as he has no hardware and the only videos on Youtube are of him barely beating Munkelt and a grainy one of the WR, i'll have to bow to your superior knowledge

[mump boy]

32nd (7 votes 66 points)

Wilson Kipketer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Kipketer

31st (7 votes 67 points)

Gail Devers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gail_Devers

30th (7 votes 72 points)

Herb Elliot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Elliot

29th (7 votes 78 points)

Florence Griffiths Joyner
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Griffith-Joyner

28th (7 votes 79 points)

Irena Szewinska
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_Szewi%C5%84ska

I've lost 2 in that round and i have a lot to say about them both

i will be back to do it tomorrow

[Atanvarno]

32nd (7 votes 66 points)

Wilson Kipketer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Kipketer

There goes my number 3. Best running style ever. Nobody looked as as smooth and relaxed running 1:42/43 week in and week out. A shame that he didn' t get to run in '96.

I have 5 left.