Wariner Wants to Break 43,00

[pherekydes]

And don't forget Carl Kaufmann was given 45.08.

It's made out that Davis' performance was out on a different planet for 1960.

[paulthefan]

had Kaufmann drawn a more outside lane, say 3 through 6 he wins.

[mal]

Re: JW sub 43

We seem to be assuming that MJ and BR ran at the top of the event, and that JW is measured from that point backwards. And we are discussing how we get him in the shape needed to surpass the MJ Benchmark.

I don't believe that MJ ever reached his potential in the 400. I don't think his 400 is the same quality of mark as the 200. I believe he should have run sub 43, and the lack of makes us view the time differently. I also think that BR had his career truncated by his time out of the sport.

I think that perhaps the JW is closer to an outstanding result than we think, and that perhaps there are a number of other "one day wonders" who may get there too.

One day wonder meaning a guy who may not last through 4 rounds of an international meet, but will "surprise" in a one off final.

Actually some of us dont even think that MJ is the greatest 400m man of all time. I cant imagine anyone thinking that BR is even close to such a claim. WR s are not what makes a runner the greatest, MJ is great because on many of the biggest stages he totally dominated. I dont know if 43.18 run in the late 90s is worth a 44.6 run on cinder in the mid 60s.. Call it as you see it but some of us are not convinced. They are both through the stratosphere performances.

One thing the OGgold/WCgold Wariner is not is a "onedaywonder", and it is simply a fact that EVERYONE will run their fastest when unencumbered of a 4 round competition... BR and MJ included.

Don't disagree with much you say here. Except, I never said I thought MJ was the greatest of all time. Never would I think BR was. You are the only one to mention it. I said they were at the top of the event. Which if you rank times I guess they are.

There were a lot of 400 m men I preferred to watch over MJ and BR.

[Per Andersen]

Re: JW sub 43

There were a lot of 400 m men I preferred to watch over MJ and BR.

That's right. Let's now praise famous men (Apologies to James Agee)

Let's look at Arthur Wint in London '48. This is what he did:
800m heat July 30. SF July 31. Final Aug 2.

400 Heat & QF Aug 4. SF & Final Aug 5. Won the 400 in 46.2 = OR on probably the worst track in Christendom.

[paulthefan]

And to get an idea of how immense this man was on and off the track, check out, http://www.wintworks.com/

Wint was a a human being of breathtaking greatness... how many athletes in the past 50 years match his accomplishments: very very few... yep some of us would pick Wint over every 400m man of the past 40 years.

[George P.]

It seems like there are some apples-and-oranges type comparisons being made here. E.g., JW's career to date (he's still very young) is being implicitly contrasted with the long, productive career of someone like MJ. The latter, I believe, had a PB of around 44.2 at JW's age.

As for the undercurrent of discussion about whether or not JW is a top-drawer talent -- please, gimme a break! :roll:

[stallion]

I read an article in the L.A. Times on Jeremy. His mother comments on last summer's drug rumors. I recollect a poster last year seemed to be informing us of positive drug tests, later proven to be erroneous. One of you geniuses can post the link, or maybe it's on the front page.

[EPelle]

(article link is in gh thread about who:s the greatest draw in the sport)

[stallion]

Thanks Epelle. Jeremy and the reporter appear not to be historians of his event. Jeremy makes a comment about he and Michael being the only ones to understand the feeling of running forty-three seconds, and the next sentence the reporter says something like "Jeremy speaks the truth."

[EPelle]

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/sp ... 700453.php

But after Wariner went 43.62 last summer, even Johnson seems resigned that the record is living on borrowed time.

"We don't discuss it that much anymore," Wariner said, referring to the once good-natured kidding about the record with Johnson, his mentor and agent. "He kind of feels it is going to happen one day and doesn't want to admit it yet."

[paulthefan]

Thanks Epelle. Jeremy and the reporter appear not to be historians of his event. Jeremy makes a comment about he and Michael being the only ones to understand the feeling of running forty-three seconds, and the next sentence the reporter says something like "Jeremy speaks the truth."

Yep, they are speaking truth to power!... someone hand him a history of the 400m so he can see guys running 46 seconds on dirt during the great depression.