Billy Mills Stays Up to Speed, Recalls 10.000m Final

[EPelle]

http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7223 ... ck_check=1

The finishing sprint is vivid in Mills' mind.

"I caught (then-world record-holder Ron Clarke of Australia) with 30 yards to go, and (Tunisia's Mohammed) Gammoudi had taken the lead. They were probably a foot apart," Mills said. "I ran to catch them, with my mind (saying) once I catch them, I'm going to try to sprint. When I broke the tape. ... the Japanese official came up to me and I said, 'Oh my God, do I have one lap to go?' I had low blood sugar, and you get confused. He looked at me and moved his hand and smiled, and said, 'Finished. New Olympic champion.'"

[marknhj]

Re: Billy Mills Stays Up to Speed, Recalls 10.000m Final

I saw Billy speak at Palm Springs High School last month. It was a very enjoyable evening, John Carlos (on faculty there) was in the audience.

[kuha]

I've heard him twice over the years--an unforgettable experience. Once, he played a tape of the last lap of the Tokyo race and watched it with us. I watched him and the screen at the same time--I could tell he was still as full of wonder--all those years later--that he'd DONE it as he was on that day in 1964.

[Double R Bar]

Yes, I've heard him too. Sure wish I had been in Tokyo to see that race. I still play the video because it is so unbelieveable. What a race.

[paulthefan]

every time I watch that race I get on the edge of my seat and marvel, sometimes I scream yes yes as if Im in battle sometimes I just explode into laughter at the wonder of it... Watching him fly past clark and gamoudi just never gets old.

[EPelle]

Lead-in video of Mills speaking at the high school which puts on the meet:

http://dyestatcal.com/image/7xc/October ... lls%20.wmv

[marknhj]

Lead-in video of Mills speaking at the high school which puts on the meet:

http://dyestatcal.com/image/7xc/October ... lls%20.wmv

I'd seen the last 100m many times but never the whole last lap - I had no idea there was so much pushing or that Billy came from so far back. Tremendous stuff.

[jamese1045]

Re: Billy Mills Stays Up to Speed, Recalls 10.000m Final

http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7223480?source=rss&nclick_check=1

The finishing sprint is vivid in Mills' mind.

"I caught (then-world record-holder Ron Clarke of Australia) with 30 yards to go, and (Tunisia's Mohammed) Gammoudi had taken the lead. They were probably a foot apart," Mills said. "I ran to catch them, with my mind (saying) once I catch them, I'm going to try to sprint. When I broke the tape. ... the Japanese official came up to me and I said, 'Oh my God, do I have one lap to go?' I had low blood sugar, and you get confused. He looked at me and moved his hand and smiled, and said, 'Finished. New Olympic champion.'"

Thanks for that! A true highlight in t&f.

RC and MG were tough and determined, but that just couldn't at that moment beat inspiration.

[jeremyp]

Just watched the Japanese version of 1964 Olympics (arty - not for track fans) and they show Billy holding up the "No:1" finger to an official, with a look of disbelief on his face. It was cool to put that in context with his fear about having stopped too soon. No wonder with the commotion on that last lap with all those lapped runners. Where there any appeals made? Clarke pushed Billy aside, then Gammoudi pushed Clarke aside.

[BYU grad]

Epelle...thanks for sharing...I watched it several times...amazing. Also, you could hear the students cheering right after the video and then seeing Mills begin his talk saying he had wings on his feet...that was fun.

[26mi235]

Our track/XC coach had us go to a talk he gave (probably sponsored by a religious group and not a school event) probably a year later. He had video of the race but that was only a modest portion of his talk.

The speed that he had down the stretch was phenomenal; it reminds me (really, the other way around) of Webb's surge in the 1500 in Paris but it was longer.