Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

[DaddyP]

Does anyone have any info on how this guy trained?
He really was one heck of a good sprinter!

[jhc68]

Re: Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

He was an extraordinary specimen, just a very quick guy. He ran here in Santa Barbara for a while as a student at Westmont. He had good, traditional coaching there under Jim Klein, a very solid technician. But Ravelo seemed to pick and choose his races and did not always represent Westmont at every event on their schedule, or sometimes approached even important NAIA meets as training events. He was already a world-class sprinter when he arrived here and no one I have talked to seems to know much about his early development: Madagascar is a long way from here. He looked middle-aged even in the prime of his career and his eligibility now days, even at an NAIA school, would probably have faced major challenges.

Westmont people claim that Ravelo was honored with his picture on a postage stamp in Madagascar before he left there to come to California. The story is that the government wanted to suck up to him to guarantee he would return and represent the nation in future O-games. I've also heard the unsubstantiated story that he was robbed and shot some years ago in Africa and as a result one arm has become shriveled and partially paralyzed from nerve damage. All in all, he is a fascinating and mysterious kind of guy.

[79.]

Re: Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

He was also one of the finalists of the very historical
1968 MEXICO 100m, the first 100% black Olympic
final.
I was just thinking that islands from the Indian Ocean
are a kingdom of incredibly talented sprinters like
BUCKLAND from the Mauricius Islands showed
recently at the Paris WC.

[DaddyP]

Re: Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

Thanks for the replies. Nice info.
Does anyone have any details on the type of track workouts Ravelo did under Jim Klein? He had a great start, but also a very strong finish, which is unusual for a guy with legs that short.
I'm guessing that he included lots of 'speed endurance' workouts in his training regimen.

[richard hymans]

Re: Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

This is a long winded post, but it may be of interest to some American readers. Back in 1972 the principal athletics tv commentator in the UK was David Coleman. He covered each OG from 1960 to 2000. He was excellent coevring distance events, but ran into problems with field events and (as on this occasion) the sprints. David particularly enjoyed the challenge of live broadcasting, and he had 40 seconds to check the line-up before going live for heat 10 of the Munich 100m. "In lane 1 Vas-il-i-os Papa-jorg.." (no David it's Papa-gorg-op-ou-los). "Lane 1, it's Vas-il-i-os Papa-gorg-op-ou-los, and in lane 2 Jon-Louis Ravel..(we're going live). In lane 1 "Papa-gorg-op-ou-los, in lane 2 the tiny Madagascan" . A commentator's lot is not always an easy one.

[Track fan]

Re: Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

Did he represent France at the 68 Olympics? I don't recall a representative from that nation in the final.......

[79.]

Re: Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

No, only Roger BAMBUCK (10"11) was representing
France in this famous 1968 100m final.
Roger BAMBUCK also ran the 200m final.

[berkeley]

Re: Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

>Back in 1972 the principal athletics tv commentator in the UK was David
>Coleman. He covered each OG from 1960 to 2000. He was excellent coevring
>distance events, but ran into problems with field events and (as on this
>occasion) the sprints.

I seem to remember more than one memorable pronouncement from David. My favorite was from the Montreal 400 final, about 150m into the race:

"Junatorena opens his legs, and shows his class!"

[Sprint Stat Man]

Re: Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

Since it's not been mentioned, Ravelomanantsoa was born March 30th 1943. His best was 10.18, run in qf4 of the '68 OG, behind Charlie Greene's 10.02 (also a lifetime best). He qualified 4th in sf2 in 10.26 and was 8th in the final in 10.28.

He also ran in Tokyo in '64 (6th in ht in 10.89) and in Munich in '72 (6th in sf in 10.46). His best away from altitude was 10.26 in 1971.

The heat Richard Hymans mentions was won by Vassilios Papageorgopoulos (10.24) from Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa (10.29). Also in the race were Jorge Vizcarrondo and Zainuddin Wahab! Truly a commentator's nightmare.

[Track fan]

Re: Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

I remember Bambuck in the finals representing France, I assumed he did to, I guess I was wrong.

[rhymans]

Re: Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

The quote about Juantorena in the Montreal 400 was made by the late (and great) Ron Pickering (not David Coleman)

[malmo]

Re: Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

Teacher once asked me to give an example of a mnemonic. I stood up and responded, "Ravelo Man Ant Soa."

Dead silence, and knowing nods from a couple of friends on the track team, ESPN football analyst Bryan Burwell being one of them.

I may misspell El Guerrouj or Gebrselassie on occasion, but you'll never see me misspell Ravelomanantsoa.

Re: Jean Louis Ravelomanantsoa

Teacher once asked me to give an example of a mnemonic. I stood up and responded, "Ravelo Man Ant Soa."

Dead silence, and knowing nods from a couple of friends on the track team, ESPN football analyst Bryan Burwell being one of them.

I may misspell El Guerrouj or Gebrselassie on occasion, but you'll never see me misspell Ravelomanantsoa.

LOL!!

Heard a lot about you, but can't be bothered doing a search. Are you as bad as rumour has it?!

[bad hammy]

So what is the record for reviving a dead thread?? This one was one day under two years old.

So what is the record for reviving a dead thread?? This one was one day under two years old.

Dunno, but a dead forum seems to take , er, 4 months. Wonder why?