Johnson vs Bailey Fastest Man Alive match race

[JMysterio]

I remember this as being the most hyped single track and field event ever. And I can't think of any other one so hyped, not even the sub 2:00 marathon got so much publicity. It was pretty unique and I never realized all the behind the scenes things that went on.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/d3zz9q/donovan-bailey-vs-michael-johnson-the-biggest-race-that-never-happened

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailey%E2%80%93Johnson_150-metre_race

[Merner521]

I think I missed the live on TV event, so only saw a recap, but much more vividly, I remember 2000 OT 200m when Green and Johnson both pull up lame. Oh well, This Capel guy looks like he'll win gold anyway, then he loses out because the starter held the set too long during the Oly final, and then fails to call Capel's false start, and Kenteris ends up being a big story, which later ended not so well...

[Chicago]

The 1971 Ryun-Liquori race may have had more hype, at least domestically. It even made the cover of Sports Illustrated.

[JMysterio]

Those were in the context of major meets, this was a special event...something like a pay-per-view but it was on network, prime time TV. Bob Costas was the reason behind it. He made a comment proclaiming MJ as the fastest man alive and DB and Canada took offense to it. This thing was setup months in advance. It was televised over the world. 2.5 million in Canada alone watched it.

To be honest, only distance runners cared about Ryun-Liquori. Even track novices understood the significance of the 100 meter dash and the phrase fastest man alive.

[Conor Dary]

Ryun was a far bigger deal in his prime with the general public than MJ ever was. I remember in 1972 having a poster of Shorter on my dorm wall and some guy came in who hated sports asked if that was Jim Ryun.

[JMysterio]

Well my chosen anecdote is I was running some 200's on the public track and a middle aged jogger asked if I was faster than Michael Johnson. Not the point.

We're talking about the event. Show me a track event specifically setup as a match race like this was. It gained a worldwide audience on it's own merit.

[gh]

The 1971 Ryun-Liquori race may have had more hype, at least domestically. It even made the cover of Sports Illustrated.

and surpassing even that on a worldwide basis was probably Bannister/Landy, Commonwealth Games '54 in Vancouver (but I'm biased, since that's my first-ever memory of trrack talk)

[Trickstat]

In the UK at least (obviously!), Coe vs Ovett at the 1980 Olympics was a very big deal. It's not remembered that much now, but the Budd vsDecker-Slaney rematch at Crystal Palace in 1985 was heavily hyped at the time. Also Christie vs Lewis at Gateshead in 1993.

[Conor Dary]

In the UK at least (obviously!), Coe vs Ovett at the 1980 Olympics was a very big deal. It's not remembered that much now, but the Budd vsDecker-Slaney rematch at Crystal Palace in 1985 was heavily hyped at the time. Also Christie vs Lewis at Gateshead in 1993.

Coe v Ovett was a big deal here. And who can forget Budd v Slaney.

[NotDutra5]

Ryun was a far bigger deal in his prime with the general public than MJ ever was. I remember in 1972 having a poster of Shorter on my dorm wall and some guy came in who hated sports asked if that was Jim Ryun.

I often wear a Kansas Jayhawk Cross Country sweatshirt. I can't even recall how I ended up with it but let's say it's a bit unusual here on the west coast of Florida. At a HS basketball game about 2 years ago (where I am the scorer/timekeeper) I was standing facing the fans and a guy said to me "how's Jim Ryun doing?" It didn't register immediately but then it dawned on me what I was wearing.

I think that says a lot about Ryun's recognizeableness with the general public.

[Conor Dary]

Even when Ryun didn't win he was the big story...