1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games - Coe and Ovett

[meisterly]

cram always believed these Olympics came a year early for him. in 1985, he cleaned up everything and broke the world 1500 and mile records. and Said Ouita would have been around too. still, Coe and Kipketer were 2 of the most fluid style middle distance runners ever seen.

[deano27671]

@meisterly Aouita was around in 84 too!? He chose to run the 5000m in LA, as he knew he had more chance winning that than beating Coe & Cram in the 1500. The thing with the Olympics is that every athlete knows exactly when they are going to be and train to reach a peak on a specific day. They all knew when that day will be. Some are able to plan and get it right when it matters the most. Cram had 3 attempts at the Olympics & didn't get it quite right. Running well in 85 didn't quite compensate.

[GOATAli]

Fuck me, a 53 second final lap, ridiculous speed.

[barney6159]

@GOATAli i was in high school when i saw a kid run the mile in 4;10 laps in 64 64 65 56 what a kick

[GOATAli]

@barney6159 Barney, how old was the "kid?"

[zitalee2]

I was there....Cruz ran a great race..what an experience to attend an Olympic games

[CorrerPorVida]

i cant believe that shift in pace the last hundred, its amazing.

[bootymanager]

Coe was actually a very smart tactician. You watch him closely and he is always in a good position here, whoever was leading. He knew that if he could get in front of Cram before the last 200m and just hold him off around the bend, he probably had it won. Cram had a great sustained finish, but didn't have Coe's acceleration. Cram was difficult catch if he went from 200-250 from the finish and held his form. Still magic to watch these races. Cruz was equally impressive in the 8.

[fitzieo1]

The Olympic champion followed by the world champion and behind him the world record holder. I don't think we will ever see this again, the holy trinity. What a great age of middle distance running.

[deano27671]

No, unfortunately not. The press and fans alike took it all for granted. What we'd give to have any one of them now!

[deano27671]

Don't feel too sorry for Cram, he did win European, Commonwealth & World titles; in Coe's absence due to illness! I think saying he was half fit in LA is a bit generous; he wasn't perhaps at his very best, but you don't win Olympic silver only half fit. He had pretty much the same build up (yes with a few injury niggles)as he had before Helsinki, which he won. If he hadn't won in 83 would we have made the same excuse for him!?

[deano27671]

In 88 he shouldn't have been greedy to run the 800 when he got slightly injured a month before Seoul in Rieti, and maybe then he would still have won the 1500! I feel more sorry for Coe being denied the chance of winning his 3rd consecutive Olympic title by incompetent selectors and "worried" athletes who said he should go but then were against Samaranch's proposal to offer him a wild card. These athletes included Cram, and their opposition forced the IOC chairman to withdraw his offer. Karma!?

[franknjess]

Samaranch's proposal actually meant nothing, as IOC rules actually state the athletes have to abide by their National Federation's qualifying rules etc. Cram was no greedier than Coe or Ovett. He unfortunately had a calf problem (sheath over the muscle) that many runners with thin ankles and relatively large calves suffer from. Cram did win the World Championship, not bad at all. First man to run under 3:30 in the 1500, and in his best form a far better 1500/miler man than Coe.

[deano27671]

That's why Coe had 2 Olympic golds and Cram had 1 silver from 3 attempts. Coe and Ovett ware both capable of running well under 3:30 from 1979, as various commentators and track experts (e.g Mel Watman, Peter Matthews, etc) have put in writing. He was unfortunate enough not to get decent pacing when at a peak. The fact he ran within 0.1 of Cram's best 1500 time when he was 30 and past his best, clearly shows this.

[deano27671]

If you do some research (it's in T&FN October 1986, which is obviously where you got most of your inaccurate stats from on another post), you will know that Coe would have broken Aouita's record that day, had he not stumbled when Chesire slowed and bumped in to him on the last lap, forcing Coe to run wide. Ask any leading statistician who are the greats of 1500m and they will all put Coe above Cram. He had more WR's over 1500 & Mile and won more Olympic medals.

[franknjess]

You can win a medal if you are far better than the rest of the field. With Steve Scott being in crap shape and Ovett sick, the only runners in the field with 3:33 or faster potential in the race were Coe and Cram. Everyone knew Cram had been hurt - even here in the States. His form was off, he couldn't drive over the last 300. Deano's man-love for Coe blinds his judgment on many an occasion.

[deano27671]

Lol! What a muppet! It's not Coe's fault Scott was in crap shape. He wasn't injured or anything, & 10 days later ran 3:33 coming 2nd to Coe in Zurich. Cram was in as good a shape as he was going in to Worlds 83; his coach Hedley even said so. Yes, he was short of a few races, but find me a single race in which Cram covered the last 100m in a 3:32 or faster 1500 or Mile in 12.7 as Coe did in LA. The guy won by 7m, gong away with every stride. Even Scott said no one would beat Coe in that form.

[bootymanager]

@deano27671 True, Scott wasn't that unfit. Coe should've broken the world record in Zurich. Robinson was a couple of seconds off and ideal pace at 800 and everyone was still with Coe, so he decided to win the race, rather than go all out and be beaten. He didn't get the opportunity for a rast one-off 800 either in an Olympic year. He would've run 1.42 at least on that form we saw in LA.

[deano27671]

Yes, I agree. In fact if you take into consideration how wide Coe and Cruz ran in the LA final, both actually ran under 1:43 that day. Coe must have run about 807m in LA. In Zurich the first 400m was spot on (55.2 for Coe, but then Robinson covered the second lap in over 60 secs; Coe in 1:56.0. After that it was out of the question, though Coe's last 100 in 12.5, 200 in 25.6 and 400 in 53.0, showed he had loads left in a 3:32.

[fitzieo1]

@deano27671

3 August 1984 800m 1:45.71 1h Los Angeles, USA Olympic Games

4 August 1984 800m 1:46.75 3qf Los Angeles, USA Olympic Games

5 August 1984 800m 1:45.51 1sf Los Angeles, USA Olympic Games

6 August 1984 800m 1:43.64 2 Final Los Angeles, USA Olympic Games

9 August 1984 1500m 3:45.30 2h Los Angeles, USA Olympic Games

10 August 1984 1500m 3:35.81 3sf Los Angeles, USA Olympic Games

11 August 1984 1500m 3:32.53 1 Final Los Angeles, USA Olympic Games

Seb Coe LA Games

[deano27671]

@fitzieo1 Thanks! Still the best set of races in a championship ever IMO.

[Daz555Daz]

Always felt a bit sorry for Crammie that he never got the Olympic gold that his talent deserved. Too young in Moscow, only half fit in LA, and then cruelly injured just weeks before Seoul.

As for Coe - what a man, and what a talent.