Flumpy wrote:Why is everyone trying to pre-empt the result with all these lists and guess work. Mump's said he'll be finishing the list within the next week. Can't people wait?
Personally I don't see what the hurry is. I'd like just a couple of names a day until the top 10 and then a while off for the WI's before resuming with 1 a day for the final reveal.
Why are people so impatient?
It's because people are enjoying this thread so much - take it as a compliment!
Personally, I'm just pleased that Pre didn't make the top 20.
Having read the last 3 pages in some detail, I'm confused as to the motives of some people's voting! The term "favourite" to me, means the person who was fascinating to watch and follow and who achieved a considerable amount in his/her event/s and era.
Am I right in thinking that some people are voting for who they "liked" the most? In other words, personality! If that's the case then one could vote for any athlete who has ever stepped foot on a track based on a personal association or individual preference. It would also be reflected by when voters grew up. A lot of those on my list are from the 70's and 80's. A lot of current athletes leave me somewhat cold.
Then again, many are clearly voting for who "achieved" the most, i.e the greatest in their event or era. If this is the criteria then there can only be a limited list. For me, Koch should be in the top 10 and Pre (sorry, no disrespect to his fans) shouldn't be in the top 50. The former won a drawer load of gold medals and set countless world records over 2 distances. The other, while inspiring and a great role model, didn't.
My list tended to be a fusion of the 3 above. In other words, those who achieved greatness but who also had a fascination or mystique about them that wasn't tangible. But what do I know! There have been a lot of surprises on here already for me.
You are correct, deanouk. The point has been made previously by several posters that "favorite" is not necessarily contingent on level of performance but can be influenced by personal acquaintance or other subjective factors.
Flumpy wrote:Why is everyone trying to pre-empt the result with all these lists and guess work. Mump's said he'll be finishing the list within the next week. Can't people wait?
Personally I don't see what the hurry is. I'd like just a couple of names a day until the top 10 and then a while off for the WI's before resuming with 1 a day for the final reveal.
Why are people so impatient?
It's because people are enjoying this thread so much - take it as a compliment!
Personally, I'm just pleased that Pre didn't make the top 20.
I'd have to go 100s deep before Pre crept onto my list. Yet, conversely, if you wanted to get into personalities it was fun to hang with, he'd be very near the top of my list.
Similarly, Coe not really on my favorite-athlete radar either, but as a guy I enjoy schmoozing with now, he's definitely A-list material. He's absolutely nothing like his Lord Coe persona.
lonewolf wrote:You are correct, deanouk. The point has been made previously by several posters that "favorite" is not necessarily contingent on level of performance but can be influenced by personal acquaintance or other subjective factors.
It's right there in the first post in the "rules" for the competition:
<<So can you all PM me with your top 20 FAVOURITE athletes of all time, we're looking for Favourites not best>>
deanouk wrote:My list tended to be a fusion of the 3 above. In other words, those who achieved greatness but who also had a fascination or mystique about them that wasn't tangible.
This is where most of my athletes lie. I left out some real greats as they did not have the last part, for me. There is no doubt that my list is dominated by athletes that got me interested in track and field in the first place.
oldvaulter wrote:.... In order to have more fun with this. Mump's overly-slow pace of releasing results was killing interest and spoiling the fun. Same with restricting speculations about the placement of names that had not yet appeared....
The rules for how a thread should proceed are the property of the thread-initiator.
Not at all a new rule. 99% of threads it doesn't matter if things wander off topic (and I"m as guilty as anybody at so doing). This 1-percenter was a structured thread with a set of rules of where the guy who started it and is doing all the work asked for some ground rules to be followed. I see no problem with such a request, and with the initiator being irritated if it doesn't work the way desired. Not sure why you're taking such umbrage at such a simple thing.
Flumpy wrote:Why is everyone trying to pre-empt the result with all these lists and guess work. Mump's said he'll be finishing the list within the next week. Can't people wait?
Personally I don't see what the hurry is. I'd like just a couple of names a day until the top 10 and then a while off for the WI's before resuming with 1 a day for the final reveal.
Why are people so impatient?
It's because people are enjoying this thread so much - take it as a compliment!
Personally, I'm just pleased that Pre didn't make the top 20.
Having been the one who started the musing about who was left - and who would miss out - I just want to say it is not about pre-empting Mump. As Jon said it is because all of us - at least me and Jon anyway - are enjoying this thread and as we cannot change or influence the final result which has already been deternmined and which will come out in due course when Mump is ready, I thought it would be interesting to ponder over who might be the 21 left - and also might be left out.
And as DecFan and Daisy have opined - there will be some very big names who did not make the top 20 favorite athletes list for anybody. Being great doesn't necessarily make you a favourite. I left one athlete out who is clearly and obviously an all time great. I watched this athlete in high school and followed that athletes career - If Mump had run this thread in the mid 1980s this athlete would have been on it. Subsequent events mean this athlete is no longer one of my favourites. If the list had been the greatest / best athletes this person would be in my top 5 and probably nearly everyone else's. However, I will be interested to see if this athlete makes the top 21 favourites. Probably will.
And to Mump - After you have announced the full list can you give us a listing of the athletes with the most #1 votes.
dukehjsteve wrote:Well my clear cut choice # 1 is now gone. Big surprise that it is Valery Brumel. My all time hero in all sports, beating out even Stan Musial. I'll never forget seeing Brumel jump at the indoor AAU meet in 1961 at the old Madison Square Garden. I could go on and on....... I've got 1 left.
Brumel - Same for me. My all time favourite and greatest athlete.
1. please don't discuss who you think is left/will be No1 etc. It seems rather a shame to have come all this way to then work it out between yourselves a couple of days before the end.
2. I chose favourite athlete on purpose, so that we all had something personal invested and todiscuss. I specifically decided to choose those who were my favourite 'athletes' not my favourite people. It would have been quite a different list if it had been one of those i get on with or are personal friends with. Other people decided to interpret favourite in a different way. All interpretations are valid. (although i wish i had been a bit more specific at the beginning).
If you want to have a No1 prediction contest them by all means PM me as some people already have but please no more talk on the thread.
3. thank you Daisy and Pego for working out all the stats i will go back and make corrections where necessary. If anyone wants to work out more stats, (top female, by event, country, a points list etc) then feel VERY free to do so. I will post the the No1 on Wed so we have all of Thurs to discuss before Istanbul takes over. The week after i will start posting individual lists if people would like to talk about their choices.
4. I forgot to talk about Irena Szewinska
She was my No6 i think. Not only is she the greatest female athlete of all time but has worked tirelessly for the sport and was responsible for probably Flump and I's best ever track experience (although it took place at a party not on the track obvs)
I first met Irena at the world indoor athletics champs in Lisbon 01 i think and after that she would often wave hello whenever we saw her which was of course rather thrilling. At the World Cup in Athens 06 we were staying in the IAAF hotel and after the meet there was a party going on downstairs. Not having an official invite we decided to stay in our rooms drinking and watching Imitation of Life and then sneak in later. So after one too many Vodkas, watching Lana chew up the scenery and Mahalia sing the funeral march we ventured downstairs.
We walked into the party no problem but were trying to at least look a little inconspicuous (not really possible). All the athletes were dancing and there were also lots of officials including Irena and Alberto Juanterena. So while we're sitting by the dance floor this older official looking man comes over to us and we thought he was going to ask us to leave, but no. He says the immortal words
"Will you dance with Irena'
The greatest female athlete of all time was asking us to dance
So we ended up cutting a rug with The First Lady of the IAAF and have photos to prove it.
I think we'd all love to see those pics Mump Boy, would you share them with us?
Two other points - how are you getting on with your mac now, I ask because i need a new computer and was thinking of getting a MacBook pro/iMac? I understand they take a little getting used to after windows...
And finally, did you ever get your interview with Jodie Williams?
Rog wrote:I think we'd all love to see those pics Mump Boy, would you share them with us?
Two other points - how are you getting on with your mac now, I ask because i need a new computer and was thinking of getting a MacBook pro/iMac? I understand they take a little getting used to after windows...
And finally, did you ever get your interview with Jodie Williams?
Photos will be posted tomorrow
I wouldn't bother with a Mac I don't see the advantage at all especially considering how expensive they are. I'm a bit pissed off I bought it
As for Jodie interview I just got busy and didn't get round to sending the questions I'll see her in Istanbul and ask if she's still up for it. Sorry
Being a 'young brit' I predictably voted for Kelly, she had the fighting spirit and killer instinct that is often lacking in uk women. Throughout the 90's she was always there ot there abouts but was always let down by injuries that were I'm sure partly od her own making. She seemed to havbe the ability to train hard but not smart. In 97 she was clearly the world No1 going into athens but got injured in her last training session. In 04 she seemed in decent form but had a couple of loses. Most importantly she was fit and we all just had a feeling that it might be her year. I didn't dare think things would go quite so well.
I was lucky enough to be working for the host broadcaster in Athens and watched everything from the meet organisers box, next to Mr GH and kind of forgot I had a job to do while I screamed the house down. After the event finished it all seemed anto climactic as I had no one to celebrate with untill I happened across some union jack clad fans in the Olympic Park and we got absolutely hammered while sinking God Save Kelly.
A copule of days later Jo Fenn took me to the GB team head quarters place where I got to take a photo with Kelly and the first of her BIg G's.
After the 800 the 1500 was a formality
MY favourite thing about the whole episode and the number 1 reason she is on my favourites list is the moment she crosses the line in the 800. She raises her arms in victory with a massive smile and then almost immediately the arms are dropped and the smile disappears as she realises she ]y have got it wrong. She stands there not knowing what to do with herself untill someone shouts from the infield that she had actually won. Those few seconds of human drama are totally amazing to watch.
It was a total fairytale ending which rarely happens but I have my fingers crossed for another one starring another legendary UK female runner this summer.
mump boy wrote:21st (8 votes 71 points) Jessica Ennis
This would appear to be better evidence of the 'fix being in'
mump boy wrote:I wouldn't bother with a Mac I don't see the advantage at all especially considering how expensive they are. I'm a bit pissed off I bought it
Are they really that more expensive than the compatible 'windows' product? And considering that the MAC laptops I have owned have never broken, I still think they're worth it.
mump boy wrote:I forgot to talk about Irena Szewinska
Irena got 19 points from me as my number 2. Her numerous achievements, phenomenal range (100 - 400H, LJ) and longevity notwithstanding, there was just something so likeable about her. She was the only athlete from that side of the Iron Curtain to capture my affection, being infinitely more sympathetic than any other eastern European (and most of the Westerners, come to that). I'm so pleased to hear that she seems so warm in real life.
mump boy wrote:...we decided to stay in our rooms drinking and watching Imitation of Life...
mump boy wrote:I first met Irena at the world indoor athletics champs in Lisbon 01 i think
You first met Irena at Crystal Palace circa 1990.
We were walking over the bridge discussing which athlete would most like to meet. We'd just decided that it was Irena Szewinska when we turned a corner and completely out of the blue she was standing right in front of us!!!
I deleted my list by mistake so am not 100% certain if she made it or not. My guess i she didn't which in hindsight was a mistake.
Had this been done in 1988 she would have been an easy #1 but unfortunately her legacy is not positive one for the sport and her ridiculous WR's have meant the stagnation of the women's sprints ever since (Despite the thrill of the 90's Sprint Queens).
It's a real shame that we can't have a proper in depth discussion about her career and performances but understand completely why it isn't possible.
I have never cried so much in my entire life as when Kelly won 800m gold. I was an absolute jibbering wreck, literally jumping up and down by myself in my living room, screaming at the tv. I'm surprised the neighbours didn't call the police.
Jon called me straight after and between sobs I stammered.....
'I.....CAN'T.......TALK......NOW!!!'
And promptly hung up on him. We had both been holding our tongue on the old IAAF board (Shhhh) but had a feeling something great was about to happen.
Although it was obviously a fairytale you can't help but wonder what would have happened if she hadn't spent so many years injured, but then all's well that ends well.
My #1 and I'm hugely surprised to see her this high. Absolutely love this woman.
Too much to say now as I have to be up at 7am but her stunning comeback from the burns accident is the stuff of athletics legend, as is her stunning World Cup double and her fantastic Mutola rivalry.
Turning around in Berlin and seeing her stood behind me was one of the highlights of my life. It's very seldom I'm struck dumb
Ennis and Quirot; two of my top ten. I could write for hours on these two; they are both so fantastic.
Jess. What I like about Jess is that she's so accessible. She's really is the girl next door, the girl you went to school with, the girl you had a crush on. She really is as sweet as she comes across too, but she still has that fire inside her. I also love the fact that she is physically not your typical heptathlete. While the other top women are between 5'8 and 6'3, Jess is just about 5'5. Yet she can still HJ better than any of her competitors!
When she came to Osaka I didn't know quite what to expect. I was thinking top ten, maybe top 6 but didnt envisage she'd do quite so well. To me she will always have the Osaka bronze medal, regardless of whether she was on the rostrum or not. The way she was progressing she would have been right up there in Beijing too, if not for that bl00dy injury. There's no point going on too much about her as I'm sure others will have lots to say in her favour too, and she certainly does come across and universally likeable. I really do hope her best performances are yet to come as well.
Quirot. First memory of her was back in Rome 87 when the wide arm action and running from the Wachtal & Wodars contributed to her just missing out on a medal. Come 88 and she was the leading woman over 800m....then Cuba did that pointless boycott. She made up for it in 89 to be the world's leading woman athlete. She beat Breuer over 400m in her own back yard and at the World Cup ran one of the fastest times ever, largely thanks to arch rival Wodars. But it was the way she just appeard to float down the homke straight, even at that killer pace, that sticks in the mind. That running style was just delightful to watch. 91 and 92 saw her cheated out of the medals she deserved by Nurutdinova. I really did think Ana would win in Tokyo and was so disappointed she lost. Come Barcelona and we knew who Nurutdinova was then, but who'd have thought Van Langen would have beaten them both? But it was good to at least see her finally get to an Olympics. That awful accident where she lost her baby and nearly died herself was just terrible. Many athletes would have given up, but she came back as good as ever. I was so thrilled when she won in Gothenberg and even more thrilled when she won in Athens to legitimately beat Mutola (and then repeat that in the Cologne race with a super fast time). Again though, she didn't get the Olympic gold medal she deserved. Her dedicating her Atlanta medal to Castro and the revolution was quite funny though She never fulfilled her 400m talent. Had she concentrated on that event I'm convinced she would have been sub 49.
Because of the twins I met both Irena(I can call her by her first name now right?) and Bubka-all in the space of a couple of hours. I have photos to prove it as well.
I am indebted to them because there is no way I would have approached these two great athletes on my own. They literally shoved me into Bubka's waiting arms!
I was a 14 year old gilrl when Szewinska was in her glory and to have a childhood idol standing right in front of me was an absolute thrill.
I'll see her in Istanbul and ask if she's still up for it. Sorry
Although this being a favourite's poll that would have been perfectly legitimate I suppose.
