Donovan Bailey/Steve Williams

[Guest]

How would you rate Bailey and Williams in the 100 meters compared to other great sprinters ,past and present?

[Guest]

Re: Donovan Bailey/Steve Williams

I don't know that much about Williams, and can't comment on him.

But I'd say Bailey would have to be up there with the best ever. He set a world record and was among the top sprinters in the world for 3 or 4 years, which is as long as almost anyone stays at or near the top.

Say what you want about his attitude/arrogance, but the guy could fly; his anchor leg on the 4x1 in the Atlanta Olympics was unbelievably fast.

[Guest]

Re: Donovan Bailey/Steve Williams

athletics is all about attitude. bailey was good but top 5, NO!!! He had 2 good seasons (96 & 97) All the other years was not that great even his 95 world championship was not great. He is maybe #10 ever and that's pushing it.

[Guest]

Re: Donovan Bailey/Steve Williams

>athletics is all about attitude. bailey was good
>but top 5, NO!!! He had 2 good seasons (96 & 97)
>All the other years was not that great even his
>95 world championship was not great. He is maybe
>#10 ever and that's pushing it.

What 9 would you rank in front of him?Being a former WR holder and OG, I would rank him higher than #10.

[Guest]

Re: Donovan Bailey/Steve Williams

"even his 95 world championship was not great. "

Not sure what you mean by that. What made it "not great?" In my book, winning a WC race is great no matter what.

[Guest]

Re: Donovan Bailey/Steve Williams

>>athletics is all about attitude. bailey was
>good
>but top 5, NO!!! He had 2 good seasons
>(96 & 97)
>All the other years was not that
>great even his
>95 world championship was not
>great. He is maybe
>#10 ever and that's pushing
>it.

What 9 would you rank in front of
>him?Being a former WR holder and OG, I would rank
>him higher than #10.


Hmmm...
In no particular order...
1. Bob Hayes
2. Carl Lewis
3. Maurice Greene
4. Valeri Borzov
5. Jesse Owens
6. Bobby Morrow
7. Charlie Paddock
...now come to think of it, you may be right.

[dj]

Re: Donovan Bailey/Steve Williams

"What 9 would you rank in front of him?Being a former WR holder and OG, I would rank him higher than #10."

The problem here is that the list of sprinters who were OG gold medalists and held a WR is more than ten deep:
OG,name,WR, () valid but not approved, [] auto-time for listed hand-time
1896, Tom Burke
1900, Frank Jarvis,(10.8)
1904, Archie Hahn
1908, Reggie Walker
1912, Ralph Craig
1920, Charley Paddock,
10.4(10.2),9.6,(9.6),9.6,(9.6),9.6,9.6,9.6
1924, Harold Abrahams
1928, Percy Williams, 10.3
1932, Eddie Tolan,
10.4,10.4(10.4,10.4,10.2,10.3,10.53,10.38),9.5,(9. 5)
1936, Jesse Owens, 10.2,(9.4),(9.4,(9.4),9.4,(9.4),9.4
1948, Harrison Dillard
1952, Lindy Remigino
1956, Bobby Morrow, 10.2,10.2,10.2,9.3
1960, Armin Hary, (10.31),10.0[10.25]
1964, Bob Hayes,
10.0[10.06],(9.3),(9.2),9.1[9.40],(9.35),(9.1),(9.1),(9.1)
1968, Jim Hines, 10.0,9.9910.03],9.9A[9.95A],9.1
1972, Valeriy Borzov
1976, Hasely Crawford
1980, Allan Wells
1984, Carl Lewis, (9.93),(9.93),9.92,9.86
1988, Carl Lewis
1992, Linford Christie
1996, Donovan Bailey, 9.84
2000, Maurice Greene, 9.79

There have been 23 different sprinters to win the OG gold. Twelve of them have had claims to a WR in the 100y/m. That's why the notion of having both doesn't automatically qualify someone as being among the five greatest sprinters in history. If it does, you've shortchanged the claims of at least seven people with similar credentials.

[Guest]

Re: Donovan Bailey/Steve Williams

one race does not make you the best for a year. in 1995 he had a good season but that does'nt mean your the best