Bert Cameron in '84 OG

[eldrick]

i was thinking of that semi he ran, when he virtually stopped half-way round, with a hammy sprain & then started running again to finish in an incredible 45.10

can anyone who rememebers the race/taped it/copy of T&F News of the time ( Boss-man GH ?) describe it in more detail

on the web, i read an article which said T&F News at the time estimated he lost ~ 1s because of that episode

[George Matthews]

Re: Bert Cameron in '84 OG

one of the geatest things i have ever seen in track. He reaches the back straight in good position and suddenly arches his back and reaches down to his hamstring think it was the left one but would have to see the tape again to check] he hops and brings all of his weight down onto the other leg briefly as the field [400 was HOT in 1984] surges away and he loses easily 5-6 metres. Then, suddenly, he starts running again with a flailing brutal cadence that seems futile and foolhardy but, hey, this is the Olympics.
He makes ground on everyone and Goes past Antonio Mckay as if he is standing. He lunges for the line in a qualifying position and then just stands there motionless for awhile, taking in his achievement. I remember Lee Evans telling him after that he had a world record in his legs but, of course, he had to scratch from the final and until 88 he never approached that level again.
Somehow the BBC [bless them] had an isolated camera on Cameron throughout that race and the whole sequence is seen in full. If ever you want to see something to inspire you to the next session that would be hard to beat. Great memory.

[berkeley]

Re: Bert Cameron in '84 OG

Agreed, one of the most phenomenal recoveries I've ever seen in T&F. Other candidates would have to be Viren in '72 (falls, then gets up to win in a WR) and Nehemiah circa '81 - stumbles over a hurdle so badly that both hands touch the ground, then rights himself to finish in something like 13.3.

[Shanks]

Re: Bert Cameron in '84 OG

>Agreed, one of the most phenomenal recoveries I've ever seen in T&F. Other
>candidates would have to be Viren in '72 (falls, then gets up to win in a WR)
>and Nehemiah circa '81 - stumbles over a hurdle so badly that both hands touch
>the ground, then rights himself to finish in something like 13.3.

I saw footage of that Nehemiah on a pre Barcelona programme - it was phenomenal.

I wonder what Devers lost in the '92 final - I think she was headed for high 12.3's.

[utopian]

Re: Bert Cameron in '84 OG

Regarding Gail Devers in 1992. A few weeks later, I happened to be looking through Ken Doherty's Track and Field Omnibook and there was a picture and a warning against thinking about the finish line without taking into account the last hurdle.

[rockit]

Re: Bert Cameron in '84 OG

Hi,
I agree it was one of the greatest efforts I have ever seen in track and field. I was at the race in the 84 Olympics in Los Angeles. He ran the last 200 like a bolt of lighting. Everyone in the crowd was shocked at his Olympic effort.

Bob Darling

[eldrick]

Re: Bert Cameron in '84 OG

any idea how long he stopped for before restarting his run ?

[dj]

Re: Bert Cameron in '84 OG

From Howard Willman's T&FN story:
". . . at 130m [Cameron] shot up in the air and winced at a cramp in his left hamstring. He hopped along for some 40m while the field continued its drive down the backstretch.
". . . He had given up as much as 10m to his rivals during his trouble."
"Last at 200m, he blazed a ferocious third 100m--10.8 compared to 11.1 and 11.5 for the first two--to be 7th with 100m to go."

His splits were 22.6/22.5, 45.10.

[berkeley]

Re: Bert Cameron in '84 OG

I wonder what Devers lost in the '92 final - I think she was
>headed for high 12.3's.

Devers '92 doesn't really qualify as a recovery ... she was lucky enough to have her momentum carry her across the line. Same with Hildenbrand in the Montreal 5K.

[macthrow]

Re: Bert Cameron in '84 OG

I found the Olympic 1984 400 meter semi-final tape with Bert Cameron, it's 5min coverage 63MB file. It was truly an amazing to see Cameron get back into the race after giving up so much ground with a hamstring pull. Email me at [email protected] if interested in downloading.
MAC