Anyone else ever "skip" the 1:44s?

[DrJay]

Anyone other than Webb ever knock their 800 PR down from 1:45+ to the 1:43s without running something in the 1:44s first?

[midnightsun]

Andrea Benvenuti ITA was 5th at the OG in 1992, having a PB set the same year of 1'45"05 if I'm not mistaken.

The week after the OG, he went to Monaco and won in a new PB of 1'43"92.

He then become European champion in 1994.

[gh]

Think that mind-numbing race at the '84 Oly Trials.

Earl Jones from 1:45.79 to 1:43.74, Johnny Gray from 1:45.41 to 1:43.74... I'm guessing John Marshall (1:43.92) probably did it as well.

Jones was just a 1:48.6 guy as the year began, ran 1:46.88 in April, 1:45.79 at the NCAA then the 1:43 (!!!).

[gh]

It's not a 1:44-skip, but but I'll be shocked if somebody can top this one:

Jim Ryun (both times 880y) from 1:50.3 as a high school junior to a World Record 1:44.9 as a college frosh! (1:49.7 to 1:44.3) Although he did run a 1:47.7 relay leg as a HS senior (and 1:50.5 in the open).

The 1:44.9 was his first 2-lap final of the year and only the eighth of his life.

Just more reasons why he's still atop my all-time hypothetical mile race.

[BCBaroo]

It's not a 1:44-skip, but but I'll be shocked if somebody can top this one:

Jim Ryun (both times 880y) from 1:50.3 as a high school junior to a World Record 1:44.9 as a college frosh! (1:49.7 to 1:44.3) Although he did run a 1:47.7 relay leg as a HS senior (and 1:50.5 in the open).

The 1:44.9 was his first 2-lap final of the year and only the eighth of his life.

Just more reasons why he's still atop my all-time hypothetical mile race.

I had not heard that one. That is insane.

[pela2]

All 16 performers with a PB over 1:45 when they run their first sub 1:44

1:43.03 Kenneth Kimwetich KEN 01.01.73 2 Stuttgart 19.07.1998
1:43.15 Mehdi Baala FRA 17.08.78 5 Rieti 08.09.2002
1:43.56 Arthémon Hatungimana BDI 21.01.74 2rA Zürich 16.08.1995
1:43.64 Japheth Kimutai KEN 20.12.78 3rB Zürich 13.08.1997
1:43.74 Earl Jones USA 17.07.64 1 Los Angeles 19.06.1984
1:43.74 Johnny Gray USA 19.06.60 2 Los Angeles 19.06.1984
1:43.84 Olaf Beyer GDR 04.08.57 1 Praha 31.08.1978
1:43.84 Alan Webb USA 13.01.83 1rA Heusden-Zolder 28.07.2007
1:43.86 Ivo van Damme BEL 21.02.54 2 Montréal 25.07.1976
1:43.88 Donato Sabia ITA 11.09.63 1 Firenze 13.06.1984
1:43.92 John Marshall USA 05.11.63 3 Los Angeles 19.06.1984
1:43.92 Andrea Benvenuti ITA 13.12.69 1 Monaco 11.08.1992
1:43.95 Philippe Collard FRA 26.02.60 1 Nice 13.07.1987
1:43.97 José Parilla USA 31.03.72 3 New Orleans 24.06.1992
1:43.98 David Sharpe GBR 08.07.67 1rB Zürich 19.08.1992
1:43.9 José Marajo FRA 10.08.54 1 St Maur 12.09.1979

[eldrick]

beautiful stats pela !

those musta taken a lot of time to dig up !!!

[eldrick]

actually coupla points -

- kenny was just 0.04s shy of going < 1'43, so almost 1'45+ to 1'42+

- coe went from a 1'43.97 in '78 to a 1'42.33 in '79 : if he'd been a fraction slower in '78, he'd have (?) still only guy to go from 1'44+ to 1'42+

[Mennisco]

Not a question of skipping the 44s, but probably everything from the 54s on up to the 57s or higher. Jarmila Kratochvilova had only run three 800 meter races before her WR 1:53.28 in Munich '83. What were those times?

[pela2]

beautiful stats pela !

those musta taken a lot of time to dig up !!!

naa, I'm good at sorting already compiled data

[kevin_saylors]

actually coupla points -

- kenny was just 0.04s shy of going < 1'43, so almost 1'45+ to 1'42+

- coe went from a 1'43.97 in '78 to a 1'42.33 in '79 : if he'd been a fraction slower in '78, he'd have (?) still only guy to go from 1'44+ to 1'42+

Frederick Onyancha (Ken) did skip the 1:43s!

He was 3rd the the Atlanta OG final (first race with 3 or more under 1:43) with his best ever time: 1:42.79. His prior best was 1:44.02, when placing 3rd in the OG semis 2 days before. Before Atlanta, his best was a 1:44.10.

Kevin

[eldrick]

someone will also have to look up tellez & sepeng

[kevin_saylors]

someone will also have to look up tellez & sepeng

Hezekiél Sepeng (RSA), 2nd in the Atlanta OG at 1:42.74, had a best prior to Atlanta of 1:43.47.

Norberto Téllez, 4th in the Atlanta OG at 1:42.85, had run 1:43.79 in the semis. His best prior to Atlanta was 1:44.31.

[eldrick]

prior to wining gold in '84 with 1'43.00, i'm not sure if cruz had broken 1'44, so he couda failed to go from 1'44+ to 1'42+ by 0.01s

[kevin_saylors]

prior to wining gold in '84 with 1'43.00, i'm not sure if cruz had broken 1'44, so he couda failed to go from 1'44+ to 1'42+ by 0.01s

Cruz's coach told the Track and Field News tour in Los Angeles that Cruz would run, on consecutive days, 1:45, 1:44, 1:43, and 1:42.

As you point out, his missed the 1:42s by 0.01 s. He did run 1:43.82 in the semis the day before the final.

His best prior to Los Angeles was 1:44.04.

Kevin