I liken it to Sammy Wanjiru, same age, tragedy, Wanjiru won the Beijing Olympic Marathon is a fashion that was unusual, just ran full out on his own in the heat with reckless abandon:
It's definitely because Pre had a large connection with Nike and was valuable after death as a form of marketing for the brand.
Yes, Pre was valuable because of his influence and impact both on the track and off. Pre was Nike’s first sponsored runner, and he helped launch Nike Running as a successful brand. Kiptum eventually benefited from that success.
Pay respect where it’s due. Both Pre and Kiptum deserve our respect and appreciation.
She’d won 8 tennis grand slams as a teenager before getting stabbed during a match. She went back to playing after a couple years (and I think won one more?) but was never the same.
I remember Lenny Bias. He definitely had the potential to be Michael Jordan 2.0. He was a lot like Jordan in his ability to make moves on the court that just couldn't be defended.
Lenny Bias is the best answer because the NBA is bigger than running. Other big basketball What Ifs because of injury not death are Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Derrick Rose and Jay Williams. In other sports a big what if is Bo Jackson.
He was "legendary" because they made sensationalized movies about him that every American high school runner watched
Kiptum was a far better and more famous athlete
More potential than Sammy Wanjiru, too. Sammy's marathon career was already struggling by the time of his death
Have you ever wondered WHY they made movies about Pre? It’s because his influence and impact went far beyond what times he ran.
Mythology was created about him because he died young, like the fiction that he took a heroic stance against amateurism or that he was the first Nike runner
I remember Lenny Bias. He definitely had the potential to be Michael Jordan 2.0. He was a lot like Jordan in his ability to make moves on the court that just couldn't be defended.
Lenny Bias is the best answer because the NBA is bigger than running. Other big basketball What Ifs because of injury not death are Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Derrick Rose and Jay Williams. In other sports a big what if is Bo Jackson.
Have you ever wondered WHY they made movies about Pre? It’s because his influence and impact went far beyond what times he ran.
Mythology was created about him because he died young, like the fiction that he took a heroic stance against amateurism or that he was the first Nike runner
I'm surprised nobody mentioned Salvador Sanchez. That's in many ways the closest example, IMO, because it happened the same way, at even younger age, and there was already tons of aura about him.
Boxing was huge in that era. Sanchez' death translated far beyond the sports world, especially in Spanish speaking countries. I remember it being the lead story for days on Spanish networks here in Miami. Everyone was stunned.
However, I thought Sanchez was a bit overrated. You couldn't say that at the time but 4 decades removed nobody is going to threaten to kill you. That would have been reality in certain circles in 1982.
Kiptum is the most numbing and tragic example because he was likely to reset the parameters in an event that was already becoming higher profile.
I do suspect there will be young Ethiopians and Kenyans who reach Kiptum level much sooner than some are projecting.
Let's see, Monica Seles is properly included. That has to be near the absolute top. The Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee looked to be a forthcoming superstar until shockingly being diagnosed with leukemia about 5 years ago while still a teenager. She survived and still competes but is more a feel good story than Olympic medal contender. Never the same.
Many racehorses suffered tragic fate. During that gap of 25 years of no Triple Crown winner between Citation and Secretariat, a key variable was that several never made it to the starting gate, like General Duke in 1957 and Hoist the Flag in 1971.