Most Respected Trackstar

[NotSoOrdinary]

Who in your opinion is the most respected trackstar(s)? One from the past, one from the present, and they have to still be alive.

[Marlow]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

Who in your opinion is the most respected trackstar(s)? One from the past, one from the present, and they have to still be alive.

If you're looking for the 'elder statesman', whom everyone highly regards:
Ryun?
Oerter?
JJK? (ignoring the Bobby factor)
Joanie or Paula?
Frank?

STACY!!

[guru]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

Evelyn Ashford

[79.]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

Edwin MOSES, Patrick SJOEBERG, Frankie FREDERICKS, Calvin SMITH...
Hailé GEBRESSELASSIE, Bernard LAGAT...
(All of them are very humble and charismatic.)

[nevetsllim]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

Kim Collins.

[Marlow]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

Edwin MOSES

I thought of him and then sadly chose him not . . . ops:

[Dave]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

Carl Lewis. Bolt's time is coming.

[Marlow]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

Carl Lewis.

Performances, yes . . .

[notorious]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

Bolt obviously.

[ATK]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

If were talking overall respect and not just performance, I wouldn't consider Bolt.

[Tuariki]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

An interesting topic.

But does this mean NotSoOrdinary is excluding respected Field stars?

I also think this reflect's one's personal personal values. So for me I immediately exclude athletes who have been caught taking drugs, including those who condone the covering up of their positive tests by their national federations, Seoul 100, those who think their exalted status allows them to commit crimes against others such as a recent TJer.

I have restricted my field to choose from to only those athletes I knew personally and who were true international stars at the time. And so, among the athletes I have had great respect for as great athletes as well as great human beings are :

From my WSU days - former Wazzu stars John Van Reenen and John Ngeno - Pac 8 foes: USC's Randy Williams, Henry Hines and Donald Quarrie.

From my ITA days - Jim Ryun, Randy Matson, Wyomia Tyus, Henry Hines, Bob Beamon and Dave Wottle. The first time I met Henry Hines was when I was a snotty nosed 19 year old freshman competing in the Pac 8 champs at Husky Stadium in 1971. At the time Henry was the best jumper in the world. He came up to me while warming up and demanded to know why I was there and how he didn't want to embarrass me and all Nooooo Zeeeeeeland when he destroyed me. I was thinking like "oh yes sir Mr Hines - what a I doing here against you". Needless to say I did get a bit of a hiding that day. Did beat him eventually - a few years later.

From my time at Westpoint as a coach - Fellow coaches Tommy Haynes and Tommy Hill; two very great and wonderful people as well as great athletes.

However, for my most respected I will go with 3 home grown kiwis - Sir Muarry Halberg, Sir Peter Snell, and Sir John Walker; both for their exploits on the track but mostly for what they have achieved after.

Sir Peter was a Wazzu man heading there in 1975 to do his post graduate PhD studies in exercise physiology and has since gone on to become one of the most renowned sports medicine scientists in the world as a professor at the University of Texas Medical Centre in Dallas. I was an entralled 8 year old listening to his Rome 800 race on the radio.

An hour after Snell won his gold this 8 year old then listened to the commentary of Sir Murray winning his Rome 5000 gold. NZ's finest ever one hour of track and field. I got to know Sir Murray in 1974 when he was in Christchurch for the Commonwealth Games and he was also staying with the Bishop of Canterbury, the late very Reverend Allan Pyatt. He is one of the true heroes of NZ sport. Overcoming a withered arm he became a world record holder and Olympic champion. But his most lasting legacy is the Murray Halberg Trust which he established for children with disabilities and which organises the annual NZ Athlete of the Year Halberg Awards.

SirJohn was born in Papakura, just like me, but a month after me. We were on the Auckland junior team together and then a couple of NZ senior teams. As with Peter and Murray the thing I admire most about John is not his exploits running around the running track but what he achieved afterwards. He has gone on to achieve must greater things for the Auckland community than he ever did as an athlete. He has not let the delibilitating Parkinson's disease take over his life and has dedicated his life to the improving life for children of Auckland.

[vip]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

Maybe the originator of this post should first define "respect" and then we can have a decent discussion. Otherwise, everyone will chime in with their own definition and the results will be all over the place.

It's the same beef I have with "greatest" queries and "Most valuable players" and whatnot. Define the term first. Then the audience will dutifully give the answers.

[Cam9412]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

I would say Evelyn Ashford. Everytime I see comments about her they always seem to positive but most of that could have to do with who and the times that she ran in and the rumors that were being speculated about certain athletes that she ran with.

[dj]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

Who in your opinion is the most respected trackstar(s)? One from the past, one from the present, and they have to still be alive.

If you're looking for the 'elder statesman', whom everyone highly regards:
Ryun?
Oerter?
JJK? (ignoring the Bobby factor)
Joanie or Paula?
Frank?

STACY!!

Oerter passed more than four years ago.

[Tuariki]

Re: Most Respected Trackstar

And my most respected current performers:

Usain Bolt: Never met him but have to go with him for single handedly creating a resurgent interest in track and field in a way no other athlete in history has ever done.

Valerie Adams: For just getting on with job and being so natural in her exuberance and her approach to life in general. Alright - and some kiwi bias here as well.