anyone remember this world cross legend

Ilie Floriou of Romania was pretty tiny if I remember correctly.

Tony Simmons of GB was also.

I remember Prieto. Saw him at World Cross and World Track championships in 1991. I think that was his last year of competing. He was definitely short, but stocky and had some power to him. I saw him one day running with the rest of the Spanish Team and they all looked tall compared to him. Of course, I thought it was just great that all the Spaniards trained together, not too many of the yanks did.

Prieto was a moustachioed Portuguese - I know who you're thinking of - little balding dude but it wasn't Prieto - and he was long gone before 1991

Actually you may be thinking of Antonio Leitao who was Portuguese and led much of the LA 500O before ending fourth or fifth. Prieto I think was also in that one. Wasn't he Portuguese and not Spanish?

Speaking of Portuguese runners do many here realize that Domingos Castro made something like 20 consecutive appearances for his country as a Junior and Senior between '81 and 2001 or '02.

It was Prieto. In fact here are the results to prove it from the World Champs in 1991.

3rd IAAF World Championships in Athletics Tokyo 23-Aug/01-Sep-91

Results - 10000 METRES - Men - Heat

Heat 1 - Saturday, August 24, 1991 - 20:20

Pos Athlete Country Mark

1 Skah Khalid MAR 28:23.28 Q

2 Martin Eamonn GBR 28:23.42 Q

3 Osano Thomas KEN 28:23.56 Q

4 Ntawulikura Mathias RWA 28:23.75 Q

5 Nizigama Aloÿs BUR 28:23.80 Q

6 Ramirez Aaron USA 28:24.52 Q

7 Urata Haruo JPN 28:24.70 Q

8 Tanui Moses KEN 28:25.52 Q

9 Franke Stéphane GER 28:30.13 q

10 Morishita Koichi JPN 28:34.29 q

11 De Assis Geraldo BRA 28:51.25

12 Prieto Antonio ESP 28:57.28

13 Nelson Carey CAN 29:07.27

14 Mwathiwa John MAW 30:31.43

15 Ariunsaikhan Tsuluunbaatar MGL 30:50.77

16 De Gaetano Gerard MLT 31:03.21 (NR)

17 Eningo Elonga Lucas GEQ 35:31.57

Halvorsen John NOR DNF

Silio Antonio Fabian ARG DNF

Barrios Arturo MEX DNS

equatorial guinea in the hizz-ouse!!!

Antonio Prieto of SPAIN won the 1978 World Student X/C Champs.

Incidentally looking at that field for the WXC in Gateshead in '83, jesus what a field taht was, Alberto Cova, Alberto Salazar, Rob De Castella, Pat Porter, Craig Virgin, Prieto, Carlos Lopez, in those days everybody ran it, I think since they introduced the short race its devalued the championships. Its worth noting that Wilfred Kirochi a 1500 runner finished 2nd twice in the long race to John Ngugi, its become money orientated, it was much more of a spectacle with 1 race

Waz, I think you are mistaken about Kirochi. His best finish was 3rd in 1989. You may be thinking of Paul Kipkoech, who did finish 2nd to Ngugi in 1987 and 1988. I don't think Kipkoech was a 1500 man though.

Paul Kipkoech was second to Lopes in '85 and the '87 world champ at 10k. I believe he is dead now.

And how about that 84 WXC. I know Lopes won, but weren't Treacy and Spedding way up there, too, prefacing their OG marathon performances? And wasn't Porter 4th?

Hutchings and Jones were the Silver and Bronze. Not sure about Treacy and Spedding. Treacy was there in '85 and was fairly prominent. Nobody was going to touch Lopes that day. His last 3k was 8 minutes.

Hutchings(in '89) was the last white guy until Lebed to medal.

what about Guerra in Belfast? As for paul Kipkoech he actually finished 2nd three times, Kirochi did only finish third once but he was a 1500m runner which is pretty amazing.

list of all the medallists from 1973 onwards

http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/xc.htm