Sheer talent aside, Snell had huge reserves of endurance. He built those reserves through years of long runs at just below anaerobic threshold, hill sprint work and, of course, weekly 22-mile runs on the brutal Waiatorua circuit in Auckland. He used his natural speed (slower than most of his opposition) better than anyone else because he was better conditioned than anyone else. Hats off to his coach, Arthur Lydiard! Like today's Africans, he was better because he worked harder and smarter.
Man, if you got this guy to run against the great middle distance runners of today, he would still flatten them. There has never been another like him.
@musik102 Possibly, no runner at that time had Snells strength....as someone else here said he dominated. Jazy would've been somewhere in the daylight that came 2nd, 3rd & 4th.
@thetalkincow Well said. And this is marvelous video. It is rare that we see running as pure art, as performance of supreme physical and aesthetic quality. But it's right here.
We see astonishing performances involving total domination of all his opponents. Despite his own poor tactics, getting boxed at the bell (actually, in all three of his Olympic finals!). Especially, the way he exploded into the top curve of the 1500 just defies rational belief.
Watch all his archived races and gasp with amazement; Rome, Wanganui, Compton, Tokyo etc. And then you must watch Christchurch, 1962. One of the greatest performances in the history of track.
The evidence here and elsewhere is incontestable. Peter Snell is the greatest middle distance runner of all time. Even his opponents acknowledge this fact.
Sheer talent aside, Snell had huge reserves of endurance. He built those reserves through years of long runs at just below anaerobic threshold, hill sprint work and, of course, weekly 22-mile runs on the brutal Waiatorua circuit in Auckland. He used his natural speed (slower than most of his opposition) better than anyone else because he was better conditioned than anyone else. Hats off to his coach, Arthur Lydiard! Like today's Africans, he was better because he worked harder and smarter.
StuC5 1 month ago
i met him this weekend and had good convorsations with him
TheLoganEgros 1 month ago
Thing is, no one could accuse him of juicing either because there was no such thing yet
milesjohnmabynross 1 month ago
Someone said that Peter Snell should have been disqualified in the 1500 for not trying hard enough.
Blind47 3 months ago
Man, if you got this guy to run against the great middle distance runners of today, he would still flatten them. There has never been another like him.
KlamparDafenrad 8 months ago
@KlamparDafenrad,
With certainty.
Nilsondm 8 months ago
It's a pity that Michel Jazy didn't run the 1500m in Tokyo. I don't think he would have beaten Peter, but it would have been a lot closer race.
musik102 1 year ago
@musik102 Possibly, no runner at that time had Snells strength....as someone else here said he dominated. Jazy would've been somewhere in the daylight that came 2nd, 3rd & 4th.
ragers66 8 months ago
Get the audio from this vid at tubepull doht cohm.
ArdineZakaria48 1 year ago
WOW hes amazing
MakereNZ 1 year ago
800 metres is the toughest distance. You need both endurance AND speed, which Snell had.
toby099 1 year ago
simply amazing. Snell, the best ever.
thetalkincow 1 year ago
@thetalkincow Well said. And this is marvelous video. It is rare that we see running as pure art, as performance of supreme physical and aesthetic quality. But it's right here.
We see astonishing performances involving total domination of all his opponents. Despite his own poor tactics, getting boxed at the bell (actually, in all three of his Olympic finals!). Especially, the way he exploded into the top curve of the 1500 just defies rational belief.
KingLiopleurodon 1 year ago
Watch all his archived races and gasp with amazement; Rome, Wanganui, Compton, Tokyo etc. And then you must watch Christchurch, 1962. One of the greatest performances in the history of track.
The evidence here and elsewhere is incontestable. Peter Snell is the greatest middle distance runner of all time. Even his opponents acknowledge this fact.
KingLiopleurodon 1 year ago