Hicham El Guerrouj and Paula Radcliffe clearly deserve to be athletes of 2002, but they are on their way to being the 21st century versions of Jim Ryun and Ron Clarke in one serious area -- no Olympic gold medals. In fact El G and Radcliffe don't seem to be taking advantage of their professional status to win the gold.
El G does not prepare for tactical 1500s because he does not race at shorter distances as Ryun did. His conquerer at Sydney is the world record holder at 1000 meters
Ryun competed in three Olympics, but he was harmed by his youth in 1964, by altitude in 1968 and by his fall in 1972. However, he prepared for the 1500 by running many 800 races including the 800 at the 1968 and 1972 Final Olympic Trials.
Radcliffe's pace slows only 8.35% from 10k to the marathon. Even Frank Shorter slowed 10.3% in those events. Clarke's best event was 10k, but he lost 10k races at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics and at the 1966 and 1970 Commonwealth Games.
She has one silver medal in 10k at the 1999 World Championships, but her best event is the marathon. However, her marathons have been in cool weather whereas Paris will be warm and Athens will be hot.
I doubt that she can defeat the Ethiopians in the Paris 10k, but if she does, she must win the 5k also to develop the racing skills to win the 10k at Athens. If she loses the Paris 10k she must run the Paris marathon to prepare for the Athens marathon.
Bert Nelson wrote that Ron Clarke is a runner not a racer. El G and Radcliffe are great runners but they are not great racers -- yet.
El G does not prepare for tactical 1500s because he does not race at shorter distances as Ryun did. His conquerer at Sydney is the world record holder at 1000 meters
Ryun competed in three Olympics, but he was harmed by his youth in 1964, by altitude in 1968 and by his fall in 1972. However, he prepared for the 1500 by running many 800 races including the 800 at the 1968 and 1972 Final Olympic Trials.
Radcliffe's pace slows only 8.35% from 10k to the marathon. Even Frank Shorter slowed 10.3% in those events. Clarke's best event was 10k, but he lost 10k races at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics and at the 1966 and 1970 Commonwealth Games.
She has one silver medal in 10k at the 1999 World Championships, but her best event is the marathon. However, her marathons have been in cool weather whereas Paris will be warm and Athens will be hot.
I doubt that she can defeat the Ethiopians in the Paris 10k, but if she does, she must win the 5k also to develop the racing skills to win the 10k at Athens. If she loses the Paris 10k she must run the Paris marathon to prepare for the Athens marathon.
Bert Nelson wrote that Ron Clarke is a runner not a racer. El G and Radcliffe are great runners but they are not great racers -- yet.
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