Ben Johnson Question

[OwenSamuela15]

With all the new supplements and drugs that are sliding through Track and Field's front door undetected, does anyone have an opinion on Ben Johnson's probable success had he run in this era?

I am by no means an advocate of performance enhancing drugs but Ben Johnson's potential to set the mark is thought provoking. Keep in mind that the steroids that he was taking made his body recover quicker, they did not directly make him run faster. He still had to train and maybe the success he was seeking would have came without them, just a little later.

Just putting it out there for discussion.

[tafnut]

Re: Ben Johnson Question

uh oh . . .

[OwenSamuela15]

Re: Ben Johnson Question

LOL..... Seriously though, I would like to hear what everyone has to say on this subject.

[tafnut]

Re: Ben Johnson Question

>LOL..... Seriously though, I would like to hear what everyone has to say on >this subject.<

be careful what you wish for . . . we have this range of opinions:

A. he would have been that good without steroids (which you imply above)
Z. he was a second-rate journeyman until he juiced.

I am somewhere in the R to V range.

[pv22']

Re: Ben Johnson Question

faster tham good ole tim m...................

[bad hammy]

Re: Ben Johnson Question

> faster tham good ole tim m...................

Depends on who had the more effective juice.

[pv22']

Re: Ben Johnson Question

>Depends on who had the more effective juice. <
yep, so tim probably did, so if ben was on that then what? 9.69?

[slowcoach]

Re: Ben Johnson Question

>>A. he would have been that good without steroids (which you imply
>above)
Z. he was a second-rate journeyman until he juiced.

I am somewhere
>i the R to V range.

I'm in the A - D range.

Ben: World's fastest human (post Hayes of course)

[abinferno]

Re: Ben Johnson Question

BS, 10flat runner at best without the illegal assistance.

[Daisy]

Re: Ben Johnson Question

>uh oh . . .

uh oh . . .The great tafnut would have worded it differently?

Pat yourself on the back Patty-boy.


(with apologies to LO)

Re: Ben Johnson Question

10.1 max.

[pv22']

Re: Ben Johnson Question

>BS, 10flat runner at best without the illegal assistance<
yea, but that wasnt the question posted. bj with balco=9.6 something

[26mi235]

Re: Ben Johnson Question

Ben was helped by his unusual start; my impression is that this technique requires great strength. If so, take that advantage way first. Then the other effects also matter. He was able to train harder. Drugs help some athletes more than others, and Ben might have been one of those types (looking at his build, I would guess so).

[OwenSamuela15]

Re: Ben Johnson Question

With all the new supplements and drugs that are sliding through Track and Field's front door undetected, does anyone have an opinion on Ben Johnson's probable success had he run in this era? <<<< That was my original question as PV22 pointed out. Please address it if you have an opinion.

PV22 you stated that you feel a 9.69 might have been possible. Quick question? Didn't Ben Johnson burn a 100m dash in 9.69 that was very wind aided? I remember him burning one prior to his 88 Seoul run that was amazing.

[cladthin]

Re: Ben Johnson Question

>Ben was helped by his unusual start; my impression is that this technique
>requires great strength. If so, take that advantage way first. Then the other
>effects also matter. He was able to train harder. Drugs help some athletes
>more than others, and Ben might have been one of those types (looking at his
>build, I would guess so).
He started in this manner when he started in track- long before the drugs. It's not as though the start itself was some type of PED-just one technique characteristic he posessed by chance.