Best victory laps

[paddyb]

I just posted a reply to La Spigs greatest moments and I wrote about masterkovas 800m celebration in 96 OG.

her victory lap was one of the best ever. she races down the back straight and then when she gets to the 100m start and then gestures to the crowd as much as to say "check this" then proceeds to sprint about 50m before jogging home. I like to think it was a bit of fun, a bit of showing her personality and a lot of "hey you 1500m girls see how fit I am!"

hope this topic hasn't been done before...

any other good ones?

[nevetsllim]

Re: Best victory laps

The commentators said for most athletes, that would be a hard fartlek session!

[La_Spigola_Loca]

Re: Best victory laps

her victory lap was one of the best ever. she races down the back straight and then when she gets to the 100m start and then gestures to the crowd as much as to say "check this" then proceeds to sprint about 50m before jogging home. I like to think it was a bit of fun, a bit of showing her personality and a lot of "hey you 1500m girls see how fit I am!

I thought she wanted to give everyone a replay of her home straight ??? and probably then decided not to carry it through to the line.

I don't know about other favourite victory laps, but was certainly aware of a few very annoying ones, namely- Holmes running all across the UK after her 2004 double, first jogging for 2 laps and then mounting a vehicle where her 2 gold medal had been waiting, grabbing the medals and then ride the vehicle around the track. How daft was that???

[bad hammy]

A recent one I saw where the athlete was having a GREAT time jogging and waving to the crowd and was just as happy as could be: Xiang Liu at this year's Pre meet. gh had to play traffic cop, preventing Liu from running through the women as they were getting ready for their hurdle race.

[mcgato]

Tulu and Meyer after the 1992 Oly 10 was pretty touching.

[SQUACKEE]

Pre in Eugene in front of his legion of fans after his latest masterpiece.They all know now how lucky they were to be in that moment in time.

[Andrea_T]

Tina Lillak's in Helsinki 83: she ran round that fast the Finnish team seriously considered for the 4x400

[FrankS]

Coe "flying" down the back straight after his Moscow 1500m win.

[trig]

Pietro Mennea at the 1980 Olympics. The Russians were not allowing victory laps. After Mennea won he kept going for his victory lap. The officials couldn't catch him.

[EPelle]

Freeman. Australia. Entire world ran that victory lap with her.

[runforlife]

Pre in Eugene in front of his legion of fans after his latest masterpiece.They all know now how lucky they were to be in that moment in time.

Agreed. One of those things you ever forget and you appreciate the memory of it.

[James Fields]

Greatest victory laps

PaddyB nominated:
Masterkova's 800m celebration in 96 OG. ... her victory lap was one of the best ever. she races down the back straight and then when she gets to the 100m start and then gestures to the crowd as much as to say "check this"
--------
Masterkova's victory laps for both her 800m and 1500m victories were enjoyable for our group, first because of her masterful strategic moves combined with strength dominance during the races -- and second because her spurts in the victory lap were effective in thwarting the horde of trotting photographers who have over the years become a dominant visual image on TV of victory laps.

Masterkova was not going to let non-competitors share her moment and in the stands we delighted in having her do so-- thus giving us the sight of a champion alone without running stride truncated by a mob that can and should do its work from the sidelines.

[mump boy]

i loved it in athens el Guerrouj was on his victory lap as kelly was on the medal rostrum. he comes up behind her and holds two fingers up as if to say look at us we've got 2.

[skyin' brian]

ummm.....pretty sure a nominee has to be Godina/Nelson Gold/Silver at Edmonton '01. not sure if they completed a full lap, but was still pretty cool. then again i haven't seen too many victory laps.

Didn't Cal Ripken have a good one after setting the IRON MAN record?

[Jay Peterman]

Alan Pascoe falling flat on his arse twice attempting to re-hurdle the first two on his lap of honour (can't remember if it was the CG or EC, anyone help?) in 74.

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.....