I WISH Symmonds did 22-mile long runs.
Better question: Peter Snell circa 1962 vs. Symmonds circa 2009 over 800m (on mondo), who wins?
Symmonds: 1:43.83 in Monaco in a fast race
Snell: 1:44.3 in Christchurch, NZ on a grass track
Heck, make it 880 yards for old time's sake.
Perhaps if he made a final for once?
12345 wrote:
I WISH Symmonds did 22-mile long runs.
Better question: Peter Snell circa 1962 vs. Symmonds circa 2009 over 800m (on mondo), who wins?
Symmonds: 1:43.83 in Monaco in a fast race
Snell: 1:44.3 in Christchurch, NZ on a grass track
Heck, make it 880 yards for old time's sake.
You honestly think a 4-turn race on Monaco's surface with a professional pacemaker is only 0.47 seconds faster than a 5-turn race around stakes set out on a rugby pitch?
In oder to be reincarnated, I think that Peter Snell would have to be dead.
Are you kidding? 3 Olympic Golds and multiple world records vs. eliminated in the Olympic qualifying rounds and never won a major race?
Yes, there are some similarities in build, but I'm also built along those lines, and couldn't break 1:54 for 880y when I was in my prime.
Old Miler wrote:
In oder to be reincarnated, I think that Peter Snell would have to be dead.
Are you kidding? 3 Olympic Golds and multiple world records vs. eliminated in the Olympic qualifying rounds and never won a major race?
Yes, there are some similarities in build, but I'm also built along those lines, and couldn't break 1:54 for 880y when I was in my prime.
Some people are just old, angry and negative. Could that be you, I think so.
You know what the OP meant. Comparing two stocky short 800/880 runners.
And, the old crap thrown at every decent runners is "they never won a major race."
Symmonds has won several Prefontaine's, defeated the 2004 Oly Champ on several occassions. He is still a runner on the rise.
You know, winning a WC or Oly G's, is literally great, there are tons of fine runners who never accomplish this in their lives. The "gold or your nothing" mentality is a pretty sick one.
Everyone tries for the gold, if they all made it the gold would mean nothing, they are all champions in my book once they run under 1:44.5.
Personally I did not think little squatty body Nick could run under 1:44. He just proved me wrong. He's a tough competitor, never psyched out in races, always shows up, is showing stead improvement, and is working his tail off to improve his racing experience.
If he never wins the gold, and yet runs some fast times and gives us some exciting races along the way...
Good on him!
[quote]Go Symmonds Go wrote:
"... they are all champions in my book once they run under 1:44.5." quote]
And the softening of our society continues.
Snell won '60 800 @ the age of 21.
Symmonds 24 ran in the *3rd* lane on the last turn of his '08 semi and....wonder of wonders....didn't make the final.
...not even close....Symmonds is, by his own admission, too overweight to run the 1500...Snell never had this problem.
Similarities - skin color, maybe hairline...and thats about it...
I am not negative about Symmonds. I agree that, "He's a tough competitor, never psyched out in races, always shows up, is showing stead improvement, and is working his tail off to improve his racing experience." My point is merely that, while Symmonds is "decent runner" (in a world-class sense), Snell is one of the all-time greats. Symmonds is clearly the best American currently competing, and it would be nice to see him do well in Berlin. I think that it is exciting to see him dip under 1:44. If he keeps it going for another 8 or 10 years, then you can compare him to...James Robinson.
I am a fan of both runners.
Strictly on a genetic level, they are probably similar. From a training standpoint, Snell trained a lot more. That's probably why Snell achieved such great international success, even at such a young age.
My hope; Nick Symmonds continues to develop to higher and higher levels. I think a medal in the OG and WC are very possible for Nick. Because he appears to lack pure speed, compared to people like Kaki, he may have to pull a Dave Wottle and come charging from the back of the pack to win a gold or silver medal. It is possible!
Regards,
Tinman
Old Miler wrote:
If he keeps it going for another 8 or 10 years, then you can compare him to...James Robinson.
Perfect...although JR never really got a shot. Just like Don Paige - boycotted out of his best year.
NS needs to start running better than Johnny Gray, then we can talk about "world greats" - 4 Olympic finals in a row, w/ a bronze in '92.
I'm also a big fan of both runners, being from Idaho and fortunate to have met Peter Snell once when he was attending grad school at WSU. I went to an all-comers track meet with him and some other guys. Peter was in his 40's or 50's and decided to long jump that day. He broke 20 feet.
I hope Symmonds has great success.
That said, I wonder what Snell could've done with today's ultra-high tech world with great shoes, great track surfaces, and deeper competitive fields to run in. My guess is sub 3:50 in the mile and 1:42 in the 800.
I still think Symmonds eventual future is in the 1,500.
Old Miler wrote:
I am not negative about Symmonds. I agree that, "He's a tough competitor, never psyched out in races, always shows up, is showing stead improvement, and is working his tail off to improve his racing experience." My point is merely that, while Symmonds is "decent runner" (in a world-class sense), Snell is one of the all-time greats. Symmonds is clearly the best American currently competing, and it would be nice to see him do well in Berlin. I think that it is exciting to see him dip under 1:44. If he keeps it going for another 8 or 10 years, then you can compare him to...James Robinson.
Okay ahole, tell us what you won? when?
You know it is easy to "sit on" this site and post negative crap about every American runner who takes a step forward, or approaches doing something special on the international scene, and if they don't, say "see, I told you so."
You know that is about the surest bet in sports -- because we live in a time when things have morphed from Kenyans out running everyone, to Moroccan's, to Ethiopieans etc. BFD. Some day, as the USA women have done lately, an American male runner is going to get on the podium. And maybe another and another and another.
In the mean time, I suggest you get smart and celebrate the steps along the way, APPRECIATE THE FREAKING SPORT SIDE OF IT YOU MORON, and stop with the casual, "superior" petty, freaking, boring belittling of other athletes, athletes that are more elite than you ever have been.
And if you do not think you are this way, think again. Take a cold hard look at yourself.
And the same to the rest of you nambering constantly negative mushroom heads.
A dude goes under 1:44 for the first time and you cannot even imagine how special that is...out of all the millions of people in the world, out of the millions of athletes over the past 100 years...you can't take a moment to purely say "good on ya," "way to go mate," "good run!"
Truly the definition of sick.
Truly the definition of an overstatement.
it is worth at least 1.5sec per lap, i.e. he would be close
to WK's WR.
Go Symmonds Go wrote:
Okay ahole, tell us what you won? when?
ah yes...and I am sure your high school could beat up his high school....
Go Symmonds Go wrote:
Some day, as the USA women have done lately, an American male runner is going to get on the podium. And maybe another and another and another.
You mean like....Jeremy Wariner...LaShawn Merritt...Bershawn Jackson...Angelo Taylor?
This is the same clown from the Rupp threads. Never posts under one name.
"You know what the OP meant. Comparing two stocky short 800/880 runners."
Maybe he has grown in the past 50 years, but Peter is about 6 ft tall.
korektape wrote:
"You know what the OP meant. Comparing two stocky short 800/880 runners."
Maybe he has grown in the past 50 years, but Peter is about 6 ft tall.
"2 English speaking caucasians who ran 1:44.xx"
That's about as close as you get:
PS 182/75
NS 175/75