i actually disagree, wottle recovered a huge gap in his race by running even splits and leaning at the line, symmonds justout kicked everyone in the last 100, still a great effort and an amazing time, but less impressive
LOVE this video. Used it as part of an advisory lesson towards the end of the school year. I called the Lesson "Finish-Close-Kick!" and gave some background on Wottle. How is the school year kind of like race? How do you think you're finishing? etc.
Saw both of these races live and saw Pre and Frank Shorter run as well. The physical abilities were spectacular but the real race was the chess games played out like Pre and Lasse Viren in the 5000 that Pre lost . The mind games were something to witness. I did and still do my track time pushing 70 but in 7 second blasts down the quarter mile.
No comparison! Wottle was 2 seconds back at one point and a full second behind at 400. He didn't gain the lead until the final 2 meters. Simmonds ran a typical race - he was with the pack the entire way and took the lead with 110 meters to go. Wottle = WOW! Simmonds = ZZZZZZ!
Completely agree. And Wottle won Olympic gold by beating the top 7 runners in the world, Symmonds won the Pre Classic by beating mostly unknown Americans like Andrew Wheating, Lopez Lamong, Khavis Robinson. And it was on his home track in Oregon, not half way around the world in Germany. He beat Arzhanov, who hadn't lost a race in 2 yrs.
@socksoup Actually I am. The tactics are strikingly similar. Obviously the magnitude of what Wottle did is far greater than what Symmonds did. But, they are both incredibly exciting races on big stages with race plans that rhyme. I hope you enjoyed it.
Nice video, dude. And the music jibes really well with the running. Two of the greatest races I have ever seen, along with Billy Mills, and the chick from Minnesota who falls and then gets up to win the race. All inspiring.
Why didn't I just come here before re watching this ten time trying to figure out why the guy winning the race looks SO different from different angles, and what did he do with his hat? Truly stumdfied...as usual...come to the comments and have all questions answered :)
Kelly Ann Pope yes I watch the video at one point there's a man standing on the side of the track with a hat as the pack of runners Move Along you can see that but that was not in the Dave wottle baseball cap race it's sort of threw me for a second but I had seen both races many times never noticed the guy on the sidelines till this video made me laugh
Amazing race. For me, I always thought wearing a cap in an 800m race would not help me. Not sure why just seems like it would be a distraction. But it worked for him.
Amazing video, indeed. I don't know about your claim that Webb and Wheating will be the "real deal." Alan Webb has been elite since high school, and while he's run some great 800 times, he seemingly has no interest in running the event at the Olympic level. Wheating is great and certainly has the potential to do some great things as well. However, Symmonds drilled America's best 800 runners in that race by over a second. Why wouldn't he be good in two years?
@socksoup also other small similarities... - winner passes two black athletes that were previously leading for the majority of the race - someone dives (literally hits the track) going after it - one case the win, another the last olympic spot
@10thrunner I think it's just like that because of Pre's untimely death. Such a devastating end to such a great athlete just made people look at him a little bit more. Not taking away from Dave though, also an amazing runner, but again, the death just seemed to highlight Pre.
@ScreamedTheHeretic Yeah i'm not gonna lie, i didnt really realize how dumb this comment was until after i watched the video all the through...made this comment before i saw the whole race -_______-
