Ed Koch asked:
<<< The more interesting question this thread raises to me is not how to
characterize Pre but what he would have done if he had lived. Who was it who
put on the list an interesting scenario a while back? Some questions:
1. Would he have medaled in Montreal? >>>
In my opinion: not in the race that actually occurred. But with him in
there it may have developed differently. He may have run the 10k also,
changing the face of both races. Viren and Foster did. Almost all of the
main players in 1972, '76 and '80 doubled in the 5k/10k or 10k marathon.
<<<
2. If he lost in the 5K in Montreal, would he have moved up to the
10K/Marathon thereafter? >>>
He already had a small set of great 6M/10k times, and may have been moving
toward the 10k or a 5k/10k double for 1976. He had run 27:09y and 27:43.6.
He may have fared better at 10k in Olympic races, although I don't see him
in front of Viren, Lopes, Foster either.
-----Original Message-----
From: Conway <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Saturday, August 25, 2001 12:14 AM
Subject: Re: RE: t-and-f: SI article about most overrated and underrated
>Simply stated, I think an at his best Pre today would give the US the
>ability to talk about a "medal hope" at something above 400 meters on the
>track ..
>
>And I am surprised that everyone has allowed Kennedy to be put in the
>overrated category in an earlier post when he has been the only real
>legitimate distance threat the US has had since Padilla, Marsh and Maree
>(oops another import) ..
>
>Conway Hill
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent: Friday, August 24, 2001 8:24 PM
>Subject: Re: RE: t-and-f: SI article about most overrated and underrated
>
>
>>
>> In a message dated 8/24/2001 7:31:55 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>>
>> << Big fish in a fairly small pond. Even in the US distance Golden Age,
>> holding a bunch of US NRs is admirable, but not that big a deal in the
>> overall picture. It's kind of like holding all the basketball national
>> scoring and rebounding records in Canada.
>>
>> Kurt Bray >>
>>
>> You know something, I'm 52 years old and have been running since freshman
>> year HS and I have never seen another runner like Steve Prefontaine. I
>also
>> greatly admired Gerry Lindgren, Herb Elliot, Peter Snell and Jim Ryun. Is
>Pre
>> "over rated"? I don't think so. His achievements actually are huge when
>you
>> consider that today's "elite" runners don't even attempt to run the range
>of
>> races that Pre excelled at. But actually, I find all this stuff on the
>list
>> knocking Pre pretty boring and stupid. But I guess typing is a lot less
>> tiring than running.....
>>
>> JT
>>
>
>
