Why die?? wrote:
What do you mean "appropriate respect in the US"?! Find me a trie track fan in the states that doesn't completely respect or revere him. .
Avocado is correct, and you are not. The point was that many serious track fans, including me and rojo (I found this out about 6 months ago), were not aware that the guy TRIPLED at the '68 games (an unprecedented triple attempt in the modern games? anyone know?). So yes, if lots of people are not even aware of that fact, then surely they can not appreciate what they are not aware of. Secondly, so many track fans in the USA, and many reside right here on this site, whine and complain that "poor Jim Ryun" was "disadvantaged" in his 1500 race against Keino because the race was at altitude and KK had a teammate that
paced/"rabbitted" him the first 1/2 the race. Disadvantaged??? Keino was running his 3rd final and 6th race in 8 days, was very sick with gallstone complications (?), was ordered not to run the 1500 final by his doctor, crawled off the table in his office, missed the bus to the final and had to jog to the stadium, only barely arriving in time to sign in for the race! All of that against a fresh Jim Ryun whom he proceeded to, yes, "crush". Disadvantaged indeed.
So Avocado is certainly correct in his assessment of the lack of respect given to what Keino achieved at those games. It's probably the most amazing story I've heard regarding a performance at the Olympics, bar none.