T&FN Favourite Athletes THE RESULTS No1 Haile Gebrselassie

[mojo]

Nice to see Jon back! He is my fav athletics writer not just because I taught him everything he knows but because he writes in an interesting and engaging way and can always back up his opions. I like my favs just cos I like them!

And on a sidenote I imagine he wrote the above post in between changing nappies. Yes he a Dad! And shockingly enough he did not name HER mojo. Aah well the pressure of living up to the name would be too much.

Congratulations Jon! (and wife of course!).

[mojo]

Oh let's cut to the chase. We all know JJK will be number one.

Or maybe a male athlete with a three-letter nickname.

MLF? I suppose if the Brits have their way.

[oldvaulter]

deleted

[Per Andersen]

Oh let's cut to the chase. We all know JJK will be number one.

Or maybe a male athlete with a three-letter nickname.

You might well be right. Unless it's a male athlete with a three-letter first name and a short last name.

[oldvaulter]

deleted

[Daisy]

The operative term is "nickname".

I'm guessing the winner as one of three people. And I have none of them in my list.

[Vault-emort]

MLF? I suppose if the Brits have their way.

Does MLF stand for 'medallist I'd like to 'f(@#' ?

[Vault-emort]

The operative term is "nickname".

I'm guessing the winner as one of three people. And I have none of them in my list.

The 'winner' has to be James Cleveland (etc), doesn't it?

[Gabriella]

Zelezny was my number 20 for the usual reasons ,namely, not too many triple OG Champions around; great world records in his career and super temperament.

Not just a triple Olympic champ; don't forgot that silver from Seoul where he was leading and only just lost gold. Fan-bleeding-tastic he was.

Not only did he collect an amazing array of titles and medals, but he did this with a terrible back injury in the latter years of his career. The way he peaked at the right time was great, but what I liked best was his appoach to his event. He believed it was about speed and athleticism, not brute force. He trained more like a decathlete and his run-up and technique was amazing, the way he would launch himself with the spear. I also loved his rather unstyled, home-cut hair. With that and his stubble, he always looked like he'd just got out of bed!

My favourite story on him was from back in 92. He was warm weather training at Club La Santa in Lazarote, and each morning there would be a collection of empty vodka bottles in the bin outside his bungalow

[Pego]

The operative term is "nickname".

I'm guessing the winner as one of three people. And I have none of them in my list.

I am pretty sure, my #1 is not going to be it, but if he is not in the top 10, I'll be a tad disappointed.

[liuxuan]

i was actualluy interested to see who would be higher between gwen and irina considering they were such contemporaries - and irina got more votes!!

Between both of them Privalova was a faster starter and also so strong at 400m - with this in mind i always thought her 200m pb should have been sub 21.80! ALSO - if she had more than one healthy season at 400mH i have no doubt she would have gone sub 52!

I really wish someone would upload the monaco '95 200m to youtube - that was one occasion where Gwen and Irina left merlene completely in their dust, irina ALMOST chased torrence down the straight, and it was 21.81 vs 21.87..........if only we could get treated to those kind of races at diamond league meets these days!!

Another big thing to consider about Irina and Gwen was that in 1993 they were both clearly the best two in the world over 400m, they had run 49.89 and 49.83 before stuttgart then posted 48.47 and 49.00 relay splits!! instead they chose to trail in behind gail and merlene over 100m

if they had both gone for the 400m in stuttgart I think it could have been one of the most legendary 400m finals weve ever seen............i think it would have been really close but I think irina's superb technique might have held up down the straight and won her the gold ahead of gwen.

any thoughts??????

[liuxuan]

just having a look at irina''s PB's is actually quite astonishing.......

60m - 6.92
100m - 10.77
200m - 21.82
400m - 49.89 (48.47 relay split)
100mh - 13.56
400mH - 53.02
HJ - 1.72m
LJ - 6.48i
TJ - 13.72

that is just CRAZY TALENTED!!!! imagine if she devoted a season to training for the heptathelon?????

lets do an estimate (being not so generrous with the throws)

100mh - 12.9
SP - 12.00??
HJ - 1.84?
200m - 21.90
LJ - 6.70
JT - 40m
800m - 2:07??

anyone have an idea what this might translate to??

[preston]

Privalova, imo, is the best all-around sprint athlete there was. I'm fairly confident that she could have run sub-13 100h if she needed to but...why would you want to make her a heptathlete? That's the problem with European athletics right now: the conversion of some of the best athletes to multi athletes too quickly (Schippers?).

Privalova was in the right events; if anything she should have been much faster! I thought for a moment that Ionela Tirlea could have been a decent comparison.

[mump boy]

Privalova, imo, is the best all-around sprint athlete there was.

Tell that to Irena Szewińska or Betty Cuthbert

[Fortius19]

lets do an estimate (being not so generrous with the throws)

100mh - 12.9
SP - 12.00??
HJ - 1.84?
200m - 21.90
LJ - 6.70
JT - 40m
800m - 2:07??

anyone have an idea what this might translate to??

6769

[Tuariki]

just having a look at irina''s PB's is actually quite astonishing.......

60m - 6.92
100m - 10.77
200m - 21.82
400m - 49.89 (48.47 relay split)
100mh - 13.56
400mH - 53.02
HJ - 1.72m
LJ - 6.48i
TJ - 13.72

that is just CRAZY TALENTED!!!! imagine if she devoted a season to training for the heptathelon?????

lets do an estimate (being not so generrous with the throws)

100mh - 12.9
SP - 12.00??
HJ - 1.84?
200m - 21.90
LJ - 6.70
JT - 40m
800m - 2:07??

anyone have an idea what this might translate to??

I don't have any bright ideas as to what your estimates might translate to other than look up the scores on the IAAF scoring tables. I thought you would have done that already. What I do know is that it is a pretty interesting theory of performance you are developing here.

While it is reasonable to say you are not being generous with your "throw" estimates you are sure as hell being exceedingly generous with your projections:
[*] hurdles at 12.9 when her best was only 13.56
[*] HJ at 1.84 when her best was only 1.72
[*] LJ at 6.70 when her best was only 6.48

And as mump boy infers I agree she has a way to go to match the all round sprint accomplishments of Betty Cuthbert and Irena Szewinska. or a host of others who have all set multiple world sprint records and/or won Olympic Golds or World Championship golds in the sprints. Something that Privalova hasn't.

[Rog]

The greatest all round sprinter could only be either Marita Koch or Irena Szewinska.

In the cases of Privalova and Torrence, it is certainly true that their best 400 times do not reflect their potential. These times were set in 93 when neither was at her very best, and didn't match the relay legs they ran in the WC after contesting both 100 and 200 and then the 4x100. I think had they specialised in the 400 they could both have run between 48 and 48.5 when in peak form - possibly Torrence under 48, as a 49-flat first leg was really something special. Certainly I think both could have beaten Perec, can't help thinking that would have been a better use of time than chasing Gail Devers over 100.

[Gabriella]

It's clear Privalova was a great all-round talent and could have been very successful in the heptathlon had she specialised in that event. She was very technically proficient, she had those good jump marks from when she was younger, so one assumes she could master the technique of at least the SP, if not the JT. As to what score she could have achieved, it's all speculation, but that period between 94 and 98 would have been an opportunity to make an impact in that event.

I agree she spent too much time on the shorter sprints. She said the 100m was her favourite event, but over that distance she 'only' won Olympic bronze (92) and World bronze (95) at global championships; many lesser women have won more. The 400m or 400mh should really have been her event though. You do wonder what she could have achieved over 400mh had she taken that event up sooner. With a flat best of 51.4 in 2000 (in reality she was probably in around 50.4 form come Sydney) it's clear she was stronger in previous seasons. Had she mastered the 400mh in 93-95, we could definitely have seen at least a mid to low 52.

Aside from her accomplishments, she came across as gracious, humble and pleasant. I loved the fact that, like Ottey, she just wouldn't throw in the towel when past her best and continued to train and compete. Being competitive in the 200m final at the Russian nationals in 2008 just short of 40 was great. There are some good clips of her training on Youtube, doing bounding, drills, split squats etc.

[preston]

Privalova, imo, is the best all-around sprint athlete there was.

Tell that to Irena Szewińska or Betty Cuthbert

Uhm... imo means "in my opinion", so yes I would tell that to Szewińska and Betty Cuthbert and NOT take a single thing from what they accomplished in the sport (well, maybe I wouldn't tell them...kind of rude). Cuthbert nor Szewińska, for all their considerable excellence showed the breath of events that Privalova showed in an obviously more competitive era. We have a difference of opinions: I think you weight medals too heavily, and you think I weight performances too heavily.

That said, Privalova, a former speedskater, DID NOT stay with the sprints too long, she just kept gettting injured; and she was more injured when she was trying to make the 400h/800m switch later in her career. I also don't think it's optimistic to project 12.9 for her. The 13.56 came in the first or second season when she was making the 400h switch and even her 400h "technique", to use the term loosely, left some ticks in the clock. And, I also agree that if Privalova had taken up the event 3 years prior that we would have possibly seen the first woman to run under 52! (in that Gold winning race in Sydney Privalova DESTROYED an Olympic Champion and 2 World Champions - all younger than she was) Tuariki using her "bests" and acting like she specialized is wholely disingenuous to the argument of her athletic talent. Take one look at Gabby Mayo of TxA&M and it's obvious that Privalova would have been sub 13! Take a look at Chioma of Nigeria and it seems likely that she may have even approached 7m+! And, when you consider that Privalova was 5'9-5'10" the idea of her being able to jump 6' - or 2" over her head- is very likely!

Privalova, imo, was considerably more talented than Gwen Torrence but she may not have been as competitive. Or, she was just another athlete suffering from "Russian Fever", which is where you show outstanding during indoors or preseason and totally flub the champs.

[Rog]

Actually Szewinska was world ranked in at least five events - 100, 200, 400, 400 hurdles and long jump - and was top ranked and won medals at all but the 400 hurdles.

[gh]

Szewińska was also No. 6 in the pentathlon in '65, back when she was a kid.

[gennady]

It was probably the only one who was WR-holder in 100m, 200m and 400m.

[preston]

I looked back at what I wrote and versatility may have been a better word to use; "sprint" would certainly make the argument more vociferous and even I would agree the favor would swing more closely to Koch and/or Szewińska for best ever - and that's on the basis of the performances!

Of the 23 times that a woman has run under 7.00 seconds for 60m Privalova has 12 of them (Ottey 4; Thanou 3; Jones 1, Jones-Ferrette 1 and Devers 3); she has as many times between 7.01 and 7.04 as women who have only run between that range (15:18; Torrence, VCB, Cooman, Koch etc). The idea that this woman would be a 400h is nearly preposterous; that type of range is unheard of (though Koch has a 7.04...). SHE RAN 50.23 INDOORS! A time that was 4th fastest ever when she ran it (Kratochvílová was WR holder) I just don't think we saw the best of Privalova...2:09 800m at almost 35 and nearly 14m (13.72) in the triple jump! I'll concede that I may have extrapolated her potential versus actual performances with a bit too much abandon but she looks like she could have been world ranked in about 10 different events and that's how I'm determining her being "best".

[mump boy]

Sorry for my lack of attaention, i moved flat on Thursday and have no broadband.

Before i continue i just wanted to comment on Marie Jose Perec one of the most sublime runners to ever set foot on a track.

Insanely talented, gorgeous with a bit of diva i think she was my No5

96 400m is obviously her major achievement anf i wonder what she could have done if she had concentrated soley on the 400m and attacked the WR, surely under 48.

I also love the fact that she felt bad for beating Merlene in the 200m and the way she flounced out of Sydney with some cock and bull story about having a stalker, when the reality was she was scared of losing. That Sydney race would have been a whole different ball game with MJP in the race

the rest of the 4 votes today

[Flumpy]

I didn't realise she's left.

I think she was my #3.

Love the women even though her winning the '96 200m is my biggest ever athletics disappointment

It's a real shame that she was so much better than everyone else of her era as with a bit more competitsh I'm sure she could have got a lot nearer to that mythical WR. She seemed bored by the event after a while as the result was a foregone conclusion. Obviously she would have won in '93 had she competed and then after '96 lost all enthusiasm.

She was only 28. She ran 53.21 in the 400h with a horrible technique.

Some proper battles with Cathy in the late 90's and a proper attempt at the hurdles could have been spectacular viewing but was never to be.

[Gabriella]

That Sydney final would have been even more spectacular had Perec been in the race. I do think Freeman would have run faster had Perec been on the start line, but I also imagine the Australian would have been much more tense as well, knowing her Bete Noir was capable of destroying her dream. Wolfgang Meier predicted Perec would run around 48.85 and we know how accurate he could be at predicting his athletes times. Which does raise the question agaion as to why Perec chose Meier as her coach; it was just the most bizarre decision that reinforced her as an enigma.

I thought Perec was too slim in 97 and didn't look healthy. Her DNS in the Athens 200m SF after a great heat was disappointing but we learnt then that if Marie did not want to race, Marie would not race. Diva with a capital D. A similar thing happened in Stuttgart 93 when she just seemed to give up at the end of the 200m when Privalova was alongside her and she knew she had missed gold, rather than fight for the bronze medal.

I was never a fan of her supposed 'grace'...I always thought her uppper body looked rather awkward and her arms criss crossed her body, but she had a great long stride and I loved her face when she decided she would fight; she looked fierce.

[Powell]

I was never a fan of her supposed 'grace'...I always thought her uppper body looked rather awkward and her arms criss crossed her body

Yeah, I also thought she looked awkward. She seriously reminded me of Olive Oyl; even her hairstyle was similar

[mump boy]

now we're getting down to the sharp end we have nothing but legends for your consideration

59th (4 votes 50 points)

Virgilijus Alekna

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

58th (4 votes 51 points)

Don Quarrie

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

57th (4 votes 54 points)

Joan Benoit (maybe Allyson Felix can those that voted for her please let me know so i can correct)

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

56th (4 votes 56 points)

Fanny Blankers Koen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Blankers-Koen


55th (4 votes 58 points)

Bob Hayes

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


54th (4 votes 60 points)

Marlies Gohr

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlies_G%C3%B6hr


53rd (4 votes 67 points)

Bobby Morrow

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

[dukehjsteve]

Glad to see Bobby Morrow appear... he was my # 3. Again, timing has a lot to do with my choice of him. 1956 was the year Track & Field became my # 1 sports interest. He met the best, beat the best, and made a great comeback in 1960 that just fell short. There was a great article about him in Sports Illustrated about 10 years ago. Maybe someone else can dig it out and post it. He was deservedly SI's " Sportsman of the Year" for 1956.

I've got 2 left.

[trevorp]

58th (4 votes 51 points)
Don Quarrie

I had Don in 18th place so contributed 3 of those points. He was the first male sprinter I started rooting for: I liked his style of running and his pleasant demeanour, which was quite unlike some of the more aggressive, posturing athletes. In addition to his many achievements, his longevity was exceptional and he seemed to long outlast his peers.

[Pego]

I've got 2 left.

Unless I overlooked somebody, I still have 9 left.

[mump boy]

I've just added up everyone else and i have 52 left

after all the messign about we're kind of back on track i'm not saying there aren't loads of mistakes just that it should end up at No1 not No2 or -3 !!

[Fortius19]

Wow! I am surprised Alekna scored so high, over John Powell and Ulf Timmermann, etc.

I had him as my number five. I started off as a discus thrower and really became a fan of the sport in the late 90's. Would have loved to see him duplicate (or better) Al Oerter's record. In addition to his two gold and one bronze Oly medals, he almost had one in '96 (5th). Love to see him get another medal in London!

I've got 12 left that haven't shown up.

[Daisy]

58th (4 votes 51 points)
Don Quarrie

I had Don in 18th place so contributed 3 of those points. He was the first male sprinter I started rooting for: I liked his style of running and his pleasant demeanour, which was quite unlike some of the more aggressive, posturing athletes. In addition to his many achievements, his longevity was exceptional and he seemed to long outlast his peers.

I had Quarrie #9 on my list. Supreme talent and seemed like fun character in interviews. I started paying attention to track and field in the late 70's and he was one of the first sprinters that really caught my attention. Currently have 11 athletes still in contention on my list.

[TN1965]

56th (4 votes 56 points)

Fanny Blankers Koen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Blankers-Koen

I am one of the voters. Of course, she was way before my time. I first learned about her in a bibliography that I found in a school library when I was in the 5th grade. This book was on the great track & field stars from the past, including Thorpe, Owens, Nurmi and Zatopek.

She was the one of the only two women in the book, but two other things caught my attention. First was her versatility. I have always admired athletes who excelled in both track AND field events, and I have chosen a few other athletes for the same reason.

Second was the fact she missed her prime to WWII until she was finally able to seize the opportunity at an age when women were considered too old to compete. That has given me an important lesson about perseverance in life.