72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

[dj]

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

Rob--

As was mine. It's an interesting topic in trying to decide where you draw the line.

I remember well the letters to Box 296 following the Bachelor-Shorter ties in the early '70s, and how that incensed many people, particularly Fred Wilt. The biggest determinant in one's veiw seemed to be age. The times, they were a-changin'.

[Rob]

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

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[gh]

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

Can't tell you what exact words were passed, but here's my description of the story from T&FN:

<<The semis demonstrated that Borzov has mastered the craft of sprinting as well as he dug into his bag of tricks and roduced a new wrinkle--the Dennis Johnson start. Long after the "fertig" command had been given he slowly creaked into the set position. Considering the long interval used by the starters anyway, the others must have had wiggly fingers by the time the gun went off....

... but the surprising leader coming off the turn was Burton. And 50m out it was still Burton with Borzov pulling even. As he moved alongside Burton, Borzov turned his head and appeared to make some comment and Burton mouthed back at him (shades of Tommie Smith and Ed Roberts in '68). Borzov's effortless glide carried him to an 0.04 margin at the tape.>>

So, assuming I got it right then, words went both ways, Borzov hardly causing Burton to tighten and the finish was a close one.

Subsequent issues of the magazine contain no commentary from Burton on the incident although Larry Black said overall, "I understand he thought all Americans were loudmouths and clowns, but in the races he turns out to be the clown."

[Rob]

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

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Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

>>Burton was drawn
>against Borzov, and he was in fact leading the race up to about 130m. Then
>Borzov shifted up a gear, drew alongside Burton and casually passed some
>remark, which had the effect of causing Burton to tighten-up and start to go
>backwards. Borzov strolled through to take the heat. Since this is an
>American Forum (predominantly), has any member had any contact with Burton
>since that incident in Munich, and if so, did he ever reveal what Borzov had
>said to cause him to lose form so quickly? I would love to know, but here in
>Europe it was always shrouded in mystery.>>

Sounds like a story made up out of whole cloth since the final result was Borzov 20.74-Burton 20.78, which qualifies as a photofinish, hardly Borzov "strolling away."

[Rob]

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

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[dj]

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

Do we want to penalize Peters and Zatopek for talking about the pace of the '52 OG marathon? Were they conspiring to make the pace faster? Were they trying to psyche each other out?

God, let's get on the subject of intentional ties and whether that's ethical. Where's Fred Wilt?

[Rob]

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

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[dj]

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

>Good deal. Do you know if Williams actually ran in any 400 heats in the 72
>Olympic trials?

He was last in his heat of the 200. He'd run 9.3 and 20.3 earlier in the year, but was hurt by the time of the OT.

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

Good deal. Do you know if Williams actually ran in any 400 heats in the 72 Olympic trials?

[dj]

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

Steve Williams didnt
>hit he scene until 73 when he tied the exisitng 100 yrd dash record with a
>9.1I believe he competed for San Diego State and was only freshman or
>sophomore.

Does anyone have info on this?
I also heard his fastest time
>100 yard dash time in high school was an ordinary 9.9! But a month or two
>after graduating he ran a 9.4.

Williams hit the scene in '92, with a 45.2 440y at El Paso, where he was a frosh. He transferred to San Diego State after that, and left the 400 behind.

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

I have seen in a previous thread that the '76 oly 200 winner Quarrie got injured in '72 Oly prelims. Was his great rival of the early 70s Steve Williams a contestant at the '72 Oly trials or was he injured?

Steve Williams didnt hit he scene until 73 when he tied the exisitng 100 yrd dash record with a 9.1I believe he competed for San Diego State and was only freshman or sophomore.

Does anyone have info on this?
I also heard his fastest time 100 yard dash time in high school was an ordinary 9.9! But a month or two after graduating he ran a 9.4.

[cullman]

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

I saw it on TV. Chuck Smith and Larry Burton seemed to hit peak form along with Larry Black drawing Lane 1. They seemed to lose form between the long period between the Trials and the Games themselves.

By the way, I didn't see Smith break the tape in the Trials because I was distracted by Larry Burton's unusual finishing "kick".

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

I have seen in a previous thread that the '76 oly 200 winner Quarrie got injured in '72 Oly prelims. Was his great rival of the early 70s Steve Williams a contestant at the '72 Oly trials or was he injured? What was his 200 PR? I am almost certain that in one of those duels with Quarrie one or both of them went sub 20 secs.
Quarrie had already run a 19.86 in the 71 Pan Am Games held in Cali, Columbia. Apparently he was injured throughout 72.

Re: 72 Olympic Trials 200 meters dash

and was not Borzov's time a nice even electronic 20 flat, not "20.2" as jlightn' said? Which was I think the fastest ever elec.-timed 200 not run at altitude?

Black's time was an impresive 20.2. He gave Borzov a run for his money until Borzov shifted ino overdrive. Borzov has the acceleration of a Volkswagon maintained with the power of a Lincoln Towne Car.