I also have those nostalgic memories of sitting with my mum in the living room as she shouted encouragement at the television as we watched David Wilkie swim to victory at the Montreal Olympics and Daley Thompson in the decathlon in Los Angeles and Fatima Whitbread with the javelin.
I remember watching this race LIVE as a 15 year old. Kip Keino was well known to me. But Pekka Vasala was a new name to me. But boy was he impressive here. Superb 1500m runner. He must be a legend in Finland.
@I sari Yes, I seem to recall that Jim Ryun was entered to run in the 1500, but for some reason, either illness or injury, he didn't make the starting line in the heats.
@I sari Yes, I seem to recall that Jim Ryun was entered to run in the 1500, but for some reason, either illness or injury, he didn't make the starting line in the heats.
@I sari Yes, I seem to recall that Jim Ryun was entered to run in the 1500, but for some reason, either illness or injury, he didn't make the starting line in the heats.
Incredible. Vasala, and Keino, ran their last 800m in 1:49. I ran XC and track (4) years in high school and I never even broke 2 min in the half. Of course, these guys are running at such a higher level, but still. Sheeesh!
Pekka Vasala had such a beautiful running style; a delight to watch. Kip Keino will always be remembered as the first of an era of Kenyans that changed the face of distance running.
About Kip Keino, you are right to mention those Kenyan runners' breakthrough in long distance running. It was widely accepted, at that time, that black athletes could never run long distances because they didn't have stamina. But how time have changed, eh? Today they are absolutely unbeatable, especially East and North African athletes; marathons etc, they have dominated them all . . . .!!
@@macvatu Those athletes live at high altitude, and have the God given genetics to run distance. I think there is one tribe in Kenya that has a huge percentage of the best marathon times ever....it's basically one little group of people.
I remember Lasse Viren but didn't know of this guy. That was SOME kick there at the end to beat a future, gold medal, world champ. Seems to me the Finnish track coach should've gotten some bonus money when he got back home as well the "Flying Finns" who did well in 1972 & '76
I was there for the last day of Track & Field, in the "standing room only" section that was at the turn of the track as it went down the back-straight. This video gives me a better view, of the race and finish, than what I witnessed in-person. It came as a surprise with everyone around us that Vasala won. A lasting memory I have was after the event, where Rod Dixon visibly expressed elation upon looking at the scoreboard to discover he finished in third place . . . you'd thought he won the race!
Dixon checked to see if anyone was coming..then surged past the runner who had earlier passed him...almost did seem he did just enough to get a bronze Olympic games metal...all good!...better than the dummy Murphy in 2020 800...pushing and shoving with African runners instead of taking the lead from the outside.
@@nickbamber268 Very interesting opinion - the first of your propositions. The second one - life becoming too easy through the development and evolution and losing the old-time-courage is every nation's issue and they have to deal with it...I just can't imagine Finland being the only nation having failed in this. But the training methods after blood doping was banned...I'm not sure what the other athletes did, but the Finns had difficulties to leave the illegal resources (like Vainio winning Silver Medal in 10 000 meters LA 1984 and caught using banned methods). The issue might be that the Finnish athletes didn't change their training to the global standard after blood doping was banned, but resumed doing the old way and were left behind in the progress.
@@jh79male Well, you Finns can't have your cake and eat it! Finns always used to go on about their unique sisu so if it really did exist then it might have been part of the reason for the success of the really great athletes like Nurmi. This early success most likely created considerable pressure on the later generations of athletes to succeed as Finnish sports followers were (and still are) amongst the most ardent supporters of their nation's athletes. As for using non-approved or unethical methods of course the Finns were not unique in that. Suspicion also fell on one or two of Britain's super top middle distance runners during the 80s. Then we had the Spanish wonder when Spanish athletes suddenly became world class around the time of the Barcelona olympics, about the time when EPO started to become popular. God knows what is available nowadays. I see a lot of amazing times that would not have been considered humanly possible 40 years ago. One of the main interests in watching athletics nowadays is to try to figure out who's honest and who's not!
@@nickbamber268 Eikö teillä kommareilla ole mitään muuta tekemistä, kuin levittää tuota Suomi-vihaanne kymmenillä eri nikeillä kaikilla urheiluvideoilla, joissa suomalaiset jotenkaan menestyy. Pitäisi lynkata tuollaiset maanpetturit!!
@@nussu72 I remember seeing Martti running a 5K in Rauma in 78 and then beating Wor Big Bren in Prague. He got caught, remember! Don't fake your outrage. Doping of one kind or another was common in Finland in the 70s.
Rod Dixon gets Bronze here but goes on to win an incredible come from behind victory in the 1983 New York City Marathon, I finished 1 hour behind him! Great day!
Muistan katsoneeni tämän kilpailun LIVE 15-vuotiaana. Kip Keino oli minulle hyvin tuttu. Mutta Pekka Vasala oli minulle uusi nimi. Mutta oli hän vaikuttava täällä. Loistava 1500 metrin juoksija. Hän on varmasti legenda Suomessa.
Kip Keino was passed his best, Rod Dixon was never going to win it, and Mike Boit was an 800m runner. The greatest threat was always going to be Vasala who had a best time of 1.44 for 800m.
Vasala was coached by Kari Sinkkonen who was mentored by Arthur Lydiard. In addition to great coaching, Finnish runners were tactically and technically superior to others. These facts are often forgotten because of the doping mess.
@@djangorheinhardt I bet you know nothing about what you are writing about. Vasala was in excellent condition for the entire summer 1972, having run almost a WR (1.44.5) in 800m and was one of the favorites here.
@south islander The only thing we know for sure is that Kenians are fully loaded nowadays as they have been caught masswise. Makes you suspect also the Keino era.
@@archiewoosung5062 correct. Top bloke and now a top commentator. Made the most of a limited talent. Like a lot of athletes didn't have the best early training. Need to go faster rather than longer. Better at the longer events.
Great race and superb finish. Though it's mad to think that in the next decade Seb Coe would run almost 7 seconds faster than this winning time. Just count out 7 seconds and imagine just how far in front Coe would have been. It would have to be somewhere between 55 and 60 metres ahead of Vasala!!!
@@PaulVinonaama Coe was definitely capable of faster times than he ever ran but didn't have the kind of pacesetters that others have had , modern nutrition, training methods or the opportunity to race on much faster tracks they have had since the 1990's. And exactly the same could be said about Vasala and most runners from that era.
@@KryptonitetoallBS Weren't there pace setters for Coe? In any case, he often ran expressly in order to break the record (competing with Ovett in this respect) and got closer to his limits. Vasala actually never tried his limits, but in 1972 he had ran 800m in 1.44.5 in a solo run when the WR was 1.44.3, giving an indication of his potential. I believe he might have gotten several seconds of his 1,500m record.
@@PaulVinonaama I don't know enough about Vasala to comment about whether he fulfilled his potential or not. I do know however that Coe had far more potential that he left untapped for various reasons. Injuries effect all athletes but the illnesses which Coe had lost him entire seasons and had a knock on effect for seasons to come. Pacesetters was also another major factor in Coe not lowering the world records even lower than he did. Just google his world record attempts. The pacesetters he had were generally woeful. Later on, top athletes had other top athletes willing to sacrifice their race just for their man to attempt a world record. There were occasions when Coe was in fantastic condition but there was no-one who could push him to run faster as for example Ngeny did for El Guerrouj.
Vassala and Viren along with the whole Finnish team were greatly influenced by Peter Snell's coach Arthir Lydiard of New Zealand, as Lydiard spent 19 months in Finland turning their National program around. I bet Rod Dixon and John Walker did not appreciate that!
If I remember right, Pekka Vasala was a former sprinter and switched over to the 1500 as he got older. This would explain why he was so fast at the end of the race.
I remember the Olympics of 1972, so much personal triumph, shattered by national tragedy as the World watched in horror, and sports announcer Jim McKay coming on saying "they're gone, they're all gone" with trembling, emotional voice.
@@ianbusche1471 the Israeli athletes were killed by terrorists in their dorm/rooms. First it was a hostage situation, with demands, but soon realized the terrorists did not plan on escape.
@@jsmariani4180 you are more than likely correct. Israel no longer sends athletes to the games as a reminder to the world what transpired. I need to do more research as to what transpired in 1972, but haven't allowed myself to do so.
Rye Cooder, You are right sir, nobody copied Jim Ryun's 1500 m world record running yet. 60.5 - 1:58 - 2:55 - 3:33:1 The last 300 was 38.1. El Guruge got to the closest running 39.1 last 300 on the 2:55 1200 in the 2004 Olympic 1500 m final. Yet, Ryun would have beat him with about 6-7 meter, what means there wouldn't have been a real race, different class. Jim Ryun was the greatest ever 1 miler talent.
Yes Jim Ryan was amazing! Phenomenal talent. I wish he had run the 800 at Mexico as well as 1500. I think he could have won. But he had had mono and was not at his best. A little bit of a hard luck kid.
This race shamelessly left Jim Ryun out..even though he was fouled in prelims a d put in that heat by computer mistake. This race went just over 61 on first finishing in 3:36 Ryun could and did run 61 finishing 3 sec faster than this over keino as well.
I remember this like it was Yesterday! I listened to the opening of these Games on the first Crystal Radio that I had just completed while laying in bed (Australia) and then before long the TERRORISTS STRUCK! What a low act of Humanity that was and still is. John.
I never liked Gammoudi, and i was elated when Billy Mills outkicked him in the 10K at the 1964 Olympic Games to win the Gold Medal in one of the greatest kicks of all-time.
@@AllinGold2 Yes, Gammoudi is one of the greatest Olympic Distance Medalists of all-time, but he was outkicked by the amazing Native American, Billy Mills in the 1964 Olympic 10K final. And only Dave Wottle's kick in the 1972 Olympic 800m final matches Billy Mill's kick. Mills Olympic Victory in the 10K at the 1964 Olympics was sweet because Gammoudi bumped & both fouled Mills & Clark in that last lap sprint. Had Gammoudi tried to pull that crap against Steve Ovett he would've been punched in his adam's apple and collapsed right on the spot. I respect Ovett for his running abilities (Gold Medal in the 1980 Olympic Games in the 800m and bronze medal in the 1,500m at the 1980 Olympic Games) and for his mental & physical toughness. Steve never took crap from anyone.
Why in hell have all the munich 1972 1500m vids been taken down? 7th vid I've tried. Wonder if it's a "me" thing, or did RU-vid just have a remove-the-vids wave? Can anyone else see this video?
In regard to lasse viren I believe it was no mistake he was a dual Olympic champion , dedication and correct training methods got him there . Would he of been as successful today , probably not , this was pre African era and dominance in these distances . Simple as that - Hi from Australia
Only americans dopers?? Pure illusion!!In those time all the east block already knows how to use anabol steroids! and Finnish used already both: steroids and blood transfusion!
Blood doping was perfectly legal in Olympic sports until 1986. The US cycling team was doing it openly in the 1984 LA Games. You guys do know that blood "doping" involves storing a pint of one's own blood in cold storage, and then re-infusing it on the eve of the competition, right? It wasn't cheating--it was athletes doing what they always do, taking an edge, and this one was perfectly legal at the time.
I am Finn. Race was 10.09.1972. I was only 2 years old. Luckily We have YLE and internet, so We can enjoy old times. I hope these results in Wikipedia are correct. Final Rank Athlete Nation Time 1st place, gold medalist(s) Pekka Vasala Finland 3:36.3 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Kipchoge Keino Kenya 3:36.8 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Rod Dixon New Zealand 3:37.5 4 Mike Boit Kenya 3:38.4 5 Brendan Foster Great Britain 3:39.0 6 Herman Mignon Belgium 3:39.1 7 Paul-Heinz Wellmann West Germany 3:40.1 8 Volodymyr Panteley Soviet Union 3:40.2 9 Tony Polhill New Zealand 3:41.8 10 Tom Hansen Denmark 3:46.6 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1972_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men%27s_1500_metres