"Best From a State" Rankings

[1.97hjsteve]

Too lazy to do a thorough critique myself, but a few years ago I had fun examining Sports Illustrated's "top 50" athletes from all 50 states, culling out ( of course 0 the T&F ones for comparisons.

Did anyone else do this thoroughly ?

I just remember some ridiculous ones, like Blaine Lindgren being ahead of Jay Silvester in Utah, and I bdelieve Parry O'Brien did not make the California list. Yes, it's a big state so a tough list to make, but not even in the top 50 ?

Did Anybody out there either do an analysis, or want to start one now ?

[jsquire]

I studied the Ohio rankings, and I remember that they ranked Dave Wottle while passing over Harrison Dillard.

Ohio is quite regionally diverse, and generally produces quality athletes across a broad spectrum (even if we don't rack up the All-Americans like some states).

[parkerclay]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/featur ... ates/main/

Here is the article. I'd love to also do a greatest athlete by country. Here's a few off the top of my head (men only for now):

USA - Carl Lewis
Czech Rep - Zatopek
Finland - Nurmi
UK - Daley Thompson
Ukraine - Bubka
Ethiopia - Geb
Kenya - Keino
Australia - Herb Elliott
NZ - John Walker
Cuba - Sotomayor
Russia - Brumel
Jamaica - Herb McKenley
Uganda - Akii-Bua

[jsquire]

>NZ - John Walker

I'll argue that Snell was the greatest Kiwi, and not by only a little.

Some more nations:
Algeria: Noureddine Morceli
Argentina: Juan Carlos Zabala
Austria: Sepp Zielbauer
Bahamas: Troy Kemp
Barbados: Obadele Thompson
Belarus: Igor Astapkovich
Belgium: Gaston Roelants
Bermuda: Brian Wellman
Brazil: Adhemar Ferreira da Silva
Bulgaria: Khristo Markov
Burundi: Venuste Nyongabo
Canada: Donovan Bailey (although some would argue Ben Johnson, since he was railroaded; those people also think Kennedy was assassinated by Martians)

[Guest]

>those people also think Kennedy was assassinated by Martians)

He wasn't?

[jsquire]

More nations:

Cayman Islands: Kareem Streete-Thompson
Chile: Manuel Plaza
China: Ni Ziqin
Colombia: Queribin Moreno
Cote D'Ivoire: Gabriel Tiacoh
Denmark: Wilson Kipketer
Djibouti: Ahmed Salah

One of our social studies teachers is fond of finding someone suitably clueless and asking him to "go to the font of the class [where the maps are], turn around, and show the class Djibouti".

Dominican Republic: Felix Sanchez
Ecuador: Jefferson Perez
Egypt: Hatem Mohammed Mersal
Estonia: Erki Nool
Ethiopia: Clay said Geb, but Bikila might be better
France: Guy Drut
Germany: Udo Beyer (West: Harald Schmid)
Ghana: Josh Owosu

[parkerclay]

Germany is a tough one..I also was thinking Harbig, Riedel or Schult

[Guest]

You are correct about Snell...he totally slipped my mind

[Guest]

Italy . . . Mennea

[gh]

Doesn't hold a candle to Adolfo Consolini.

[Guest]

I admit, I had to Google that one, GH.

[Guest]

Do we count Kitei Son ('36 marathon gold) as Korean or Japanese?

[1.97hjsteve]

Hey what happened to " States" ?

[gh]

If you want to see his name next to a nation, better make him Korean, because Chuhei Nambu is the best Japanese. (Googling yet?

[Guest]

well, I can't take the pennsylvania list all that seriously, when kobe bryant isn't in the top 50, philly boy he was...

interesting list too...

back in 1991, I saw a headline in the Philadelphia Daily News...

Phialdelphia Athlete sets new long jump record...

scratching my head, I thought, Carl Lewis wa born in Philly...

turns out Mike Powell was and live here till about age 6 or so...

probably woudl add Leoru Burrel to the top 50 list too, how many 100 meter world record holdrs are NOT on any given states top 50

[1.97hjsteve]

going from memory but I think Sime and Budd did not make the NJ list. Sime was better than Budd, no question, and Budd's "9.2" at the nationals in NY in 1961 was highly questionable.

I was there that day in 1961 !

Who would make a good leadoff runner for a NJ relay team of Lewis anchoring, Sime running 2nd, and Budd the weakest link # 3 ? Or maybe someoine better than him ? Can't see Lewis or Sime getting bounced......

[Guest]

>Hey what happened to " States" ?>>

There, now it's back

[parkerclay]

If someone has some time, an all-time World Cup fantasy matchup would be cool!

For example,

100meters
US Carl Lewis
SA Lloyd LaBeach
Eur Armin Hary
Afr Frank Fredericks
Aus Hector Hogan ??
UK Linford Christie
NAm Donovan Bailey
CAm Silvio Leonard

[Guest]

Hary over Borzov? Bailey over the loveable Ben Johnson?

[dj]

Picking Nits:

Kobe Bryant isn't really a Philly boy, he was from the burbs.

All-time NJ relay team? How about Dennis Mitchell for the lead-off. And if you don't want Budd on the team, how about putting Andy Stanfield on the second turn? If you want one of the all-time great starters, put Eddie Conwell on lead-off, move Mitchell to #3.

As for Budd's 9.2 being suspect, why would you say that? The auto time for that race was 9.36, indicating better-than-average hand timing. It was faster than Bob Hayes's first 9.1, his St. Louis AAU win on a rubber track (Budd was on cinders) and which was a 9.40 auto.

[1.97hjsteve]

dj, thanks for the additional NJ sprinters. I think I will take Mitchell and Stanfield.

You are right about Budd's 9.2. It was just a accurate/good as all those other hand times. Did not mean to downgrade him.

[polevaultpower]

The Washington Track Annual keeps lists of the best track athletes who either graduated from a WA HS or spent 2 years at one.

I keep my own (more detailed) best from WA pole vault rankings. They are online at http://www.polevaultpower.com/wa/wabest.html

[Russ7291]

Tajikistan--Andrey Abduvaliyev
Georgia-Viktor Saneyev
Latvia-Janis Lusis

Did anyone do Luxembourg yet? That may be the one that is most indisputable.

[Guest]

anyone that does not know the Luxemburg answer would need to bone up on the '52 OG 1500, no doubt.

[BillVol]

What about Gert Weil?

Your Chilean track and field information source:

http://www.fedachi.cl/

[BillVol]

<img src="http://www.fedachi.cl/plaza.jpg">

Didn't know Chile had ever medalled in track. Plaza was silver in marathon in Amsterdam '28. Gert never won a medal, although he was good.

[BillVol]

Try again...