Yup. I actually attended a running camp where his coach spoke, and the dude ran 8 consecutive 100m that were all within a few hundredths of a second apart. Rest of the field ran out of gas and he looked like he was spitting all out, but he was just super consistent.
Dave Wottle was our Dean of Admissions at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. I ran Cross Country and distance Track there (one season with Mike Wottle, his youngest son, as a team mate). Dave Wottle told us it wasn't a plan . . . he was going as fast as he reasonably could go from the gun. He would show runners his medal and hand out VHS tapes of the race for anyone who asked.Very welcoming and friendly. He stopped running in his middle years because a student who didn't know who he was took Wottle's knee out in a rec. basketball game.
I would argue this is the single greatest run of all time. This is a testament to the importance of pacing. Dave Wottle never sped up (check his splits), everyone else slowed down. Run your race, do not get caught up in what others are doing.
Liz mccolghan, Tokyo 1991. 10,000m. Up against runners who consistently sprinted past her at the end of races she set a relentless pace, dropping them one by one. Re comebacks in races...just look at Christine ohorogu 400m runner.
This is the second greatest run! The first was by unknown at the time American Billy Mills who blew past world record holder Ron Clarke in the last 100 meters in the 10,000 meter race in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo! Becoming the first and only American to win at this distance!
I believe Billy Mills was of American Indian heritage which was very unique. I was 0 years old then so I read of it later in my "Guiness Book of World Records"
Dave didn’t come back; the field came back to him. They went out too fast and he just maintained his perfect consecutive 26 second 200 meters through 2 laps.
If he'd turned his hat backwards it would have been more aerodynamic and the brim would've acted like a spoiler, creating extra downforce for better traction. Could've been a win by 0.06 at least. 🙃
Lasse Viren was the GOAT at the Olympic 1972!! Gold 5000m and 10 000m , in 10 000m he fall down in the race.. but came back and won the race! That was the best race in that Olympic!!!
This race was so inspiring! When I ran track in the mid-70s in high school and I needed some inspiration I would call out the names of David Wottle, Jim Ryan, and Kip Keino
Dave Wottle ran according to his plan & pace with a baseball hat & won it in the Olympic Race in 1972?! Wow , that was something to remember alright! 🌷🌿🌏💜🕊
This race & the image of David Wottle in his ball cap winning the 800m in a furious dash was the image that our schools best fastest Miler had in his mind to inspire him: It goes to show the power of example & imitation to others. Our champ was Robert Scott, he donned a cap like David here & set the school mile record of 4:23 in 1979 - at Christian High in San Diego. I'll never forget Robert saying "Hey guys look I'm David Wottle...." Great memories - even if I was 30 seconds behind my buddy !
Dave Wottle was our Dean of Admissions at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. I ran Cross Country and distance Track there (one season with Mike Wottle, his youngest son, as a team mate). Dave Wottle told us it wasn't a plan . . . he was going as fast as he reasonably could go from the gun. He would show runners his medal and hand out VHS tapes of the race for anyone who asked.Very welcoming and friendly. He stopped running in his middle years because a student who didn't know who he was took Wottle's knee out in a rec. basketball game.
The 1972 Olympics was full of drama that was projected to the audience with narrative that kept us at home watching daily. I would come home from my restaurant job and watch it on TV. It was inspiring and fun. It was tragic and sad.
I remember David when I was in high school. I had the opportunity to meet him. And out of the blue David had wrote me a letter congratulating me for achieving my goal as a runner. I still have the letter today
Mine is Billy mills in 64 Tokyo. He wasn't even supposed to be in the team for usa and was a nobody and biggest underdog. Never in contention and all odds against him until he opened the NOS in the end
He won the race because the track coach got him to even qualify. He was a miler and the track coach had no backup runners for the 800. Dave agreed to qualify so the US had their backup. The rest is history.
Whittle had an injury I believe so he couldn’t train before this race I want to say some three or four weeks. So my understanding is he started the race with a slower pace to see how he felt and I think to his own amazement his body had found the rest before the event was just what he needed
It was a rough moment at those Olympic games that year, because of the Israeli athletes being murdered. A truly horrible time! They almost cancelled the rest if the games.
Odd that I never heard of this before - pretty dramatic comeback - you'd have thought I'd have seen this over the years - I wonder why it was never shown so much ?
Not an uncommon attack even in today's 800/1600 races...but super special when amongst the best talent in the world. One of the greatest races for sure and the greatest hat without a doubt...it had to have added at least a second to his time 👍🏼
The hat, it had to be the hat. 🤠
Remember watching this Olympics. It was early advanced aerodynamics and pre Lycra post natural polyester pigments and fibers
USA SWEETIE THAT'S UNCLE SAM 👏👏👏
Cheated with that hat performance enhancing😢😢😢😢😂😂😂😂
Wasn't a comeback, it was a plan
Thank you!
I run xc and I can say that one of my teammates stuck in 3rd place the whole race then in the last 200m sprinted ahead of everyone
Yup. I actually attended a running camp where his coach spoke, and the dude ran 8 consecutive 100m that were all within a few hundredths of a second apart. Rest of the field ran out of gas and he looked like he was spitting all out, but he was just super consistent.
Even pace wins the race!@@scruffythejanitor1969
Dave Wottle was our Dean of Admissions at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. I ran Cross Country and distance Track there (one season with Mike Wottle, his youngest son, as a team mate). Dave Wottle told us it wasn't a plan . . . he was going as fast as he reasonably could go from the gun.
He would show runners his medal and hand out VHS tapes of the race for anyone who asked.Very welcoming and friendly.
He stopped running in his middle years because a student who didn't know who he was took Wottle's knee out in a rec. basketball game.
I would argue this is the single greatest run of all time. This is a testament to the importance of pacing. Dave Wottle never sped up (check his splits), everyone else slowed down. Run your race, do not get caught up in what others are doing.
Very well put!
Wottles' was more dramatic but Billy Mills' run was better!
@@TV-fv1ih They were both equally great. One was not "better" than the other.
Liz mccolghan, Tokyo 1991. 10,000m.
Up against runners who consistently sprinted past her at the end of races she set a relentless pace, dropping them one by one.
Re comebacks in races...just look at Christine ohorogu 400m runner.
Yea, it wasn't a comeback, it was a well executed plan
Bro passed 7 people in 200m… crazy
7. ... OLYMPIC. ... FINALISTs
I remember studying this race during a cross country camp in high school. This guy is a legend.
If you ever ran the 800m you know the race doesn't really start till that last 300m. Dude was in good position coming off the last curve.
I remember watching this race with my father in 1972. Those hats were famous back then.
I don't think I saw it. I was born in September of that year. 😊
Same here with my dad. So memorable.
This is the second greatest run! The first was by unknown at the time American Billy Mills who blew past world record holder Ron Clarke in the last 100 meters in the 10,000 meter race in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo! Becoming the first and only American to win at this distance!
And I wanna say he broke own pr by like 2 minutes or something insane
I believe Billy Mills was of American Indian heritage which was very unique.
I was 0 years old then so I read of it later in my "Guiness Book of World Records"
Dave didn’t come back; the field came back to him. They went out too fast and he just maintained his perfect consecutive 26 second 200 meters through 2 laps.
Exactly
He did come back. Negative splits says he came back.
Wottle's Throttle! I remember it well. Old UK plodder here, enjoying the memory.
If he'd turned his hat backwards it would have been more aerodynamic and the brim would've acted like a spoiler, creating extra downforce for better traction. Could've been a win by 0.06 at least. 🙃
True
With a hat XD
The power of negative splits
When you are the best even 15 meters behind the last runner, nobody can Stop You.
Lasse Viren was the GOAT at the Olympic 1972!! Gold 5000m and 10 000m , in 10 000m he fall down in the race.. but came back and won the race! That was the best race in that Olympic!!!
I raced against Viren once. Some 20k fun run in Malibu Ca😊
@@PInk77W1 nice dude 👍🏻🍺
PRE!
This race was so inspiring! When I ran track in the mid-70s in high school and I needed some inspiration I would call out the names of David Wottle, Jim Ryan, and Kip Keino
Chills. I've seen it a million times, but still, chilling.
If I understand correctly, he forgot to take the hat off when they played the national anthem during the medal ceremony.😂
Lol maybe
I know it’s not olympics but look at Andrew Lloyd the Australian 5000m runner at the Auckland commonwealth games. That’s a great comeback
That hat helped get that extra time back lol
I watch many many races of the past and never seen thin one. Thanks
The come from behind was Waddles SOP.
I'm pretty sure Mike Boit pronouces his last name like the second syllable of Detroit not the french pronunciation used in the video
True
Bwah, ha ha.
I was 13... I stood on the couch beside my father and we cheered loudly enough to wake up my mother and sister... Great memories with my dad...
I watched this on TV and was standing up, jumping around, and screaming it was so exciting.
I remember this. I watched it live.
a great call by Jim McKay also, one of the most amazing thing I ever saw
He was my track coach in college, he ran his race according to plan, they ran too fast and burned out at the end.
BGU?
Where did he coach?
There's only one thing anyone remembers about the '72 Olympics so good job highlighting this positive performance!
Prefontaine too
The truly mindblowing thing about this race is that Wottle had equal 200 meter splits
Bro had an evil squirrel on his villain arch controlling him under his hat.
BUCKEYE POWER RIGHT THERE
After he wins he looks like he just walked out on the track for the first time... not even breathing heavily
Right! Insane
Forget Paul Newman. That's the "Hustler!" 😂
Dave Wottle ran according to his plan & pace with a baseball hat & won it in the Olympic Race in 1972?! Wow , that was something to remember alright! 🌷🌿🌏💜🕊
This race & the image of David Wottle in his ball cap winning the 800m in a furious dash was the image that our schools best fastest Miler had in his mind to inspire him:
It goes to show the power of example & imitation to others.
Our champ was Robert Scott, he donned a cap like David here & set the school mile record of 4:23 in 1979 - at Christian High in San Diego.
I'll never forget Robert saying "Hey guys look I'm David Wottle...."
Great memories - even if I was 30 seconds behind my buddy !
Dave Wottle was our Dean of Admissions at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. I ran Cross Country and distance Track there (one season with Mike Wottle, his youngest son, as a team mate). Dave Wottle told us it wasn't a plan . . . he was going as fast as he reasonably could go from the gun.
He would show runners his medal and hand out VHS tapes of the race for anyone who asked.Very welcoming and friendly.
He stopped running in his middle years because a student who didn't know who he was took Wottle's knee out in a rec. basketball game.
Speed kills, that commi had his heart taken out
The other guys didn’t even shake his hands so shocked by his comeback.
Very humble guy and proved it on the track not talk
I was there. I lived in Nuremberg in the military and was given tickets to the Olympics. I purchased ticket to watch Mark Spitz also.
Saw it live. Never forget it.
Love to meet Dave Woddle!
Amazing finishing pull!
The 1972 Olympics was full of drama that was projected to the audience with narrative that kept us at home watching daily. I would come home from my restaurant job and watch it on TV. It was inspiring and fun. It was tragic and sad.
Dedication and commitment!
I remember Wottle falling down in a race and getting back up and winning.
That’s great mentality and great talent combined to make that great comeback.
Local mechanic wanders onto olympic track and wins!
I saw this race live. It was the most exciting race in my lifetime. I was on my feet at the start of the second lap --- juumping up and down last 100.
Negative splits is impressive!!
Very unusual for that to happen and do well!!
I remember David when I was in high school. I had the opportunity to meet him. And out of the blue David had wrote me a letter congratulating me for achieving my goal as a runner. I still have the letter today
That’s awesome!
I remember this race. Helluva job
The is where the expression "lead from the back" came from.
WOW,what a race!
We built different in Ohio, we race with hats on😂.
Facts
This is one of my favorite stories and videos
Mine is Billy mills in 64 Tokyo. He wasn't even supposed to be in the team for usa and was a nobody and biggest underdog. Never in contention and all odds against him until he opened the NOS in the end
Oh, it WAS!! No doubt about it!!
He won the race because the track coach got him to even qualify. He was a miler and the track coach had no backup runners for the 800. Dave agreed to qualify so the US had their backup. The rest is history.
hardly. Billy Mills 1964.
run forrest run.....even got the hat
Impeccable pacing
Great running and strategy
Wottle needs to work on his dip😂
with thick ass socks too! 😄
Perfect song
Whittle had an injury I believe so he couldn’t train before this race I want to say some three or four weeks. So my understanding is he started the race with a slower pace to see how he felt and I think to his own amazement his body had found the rest before the event was just what he needed
Fastest average speed. That must have been the early days of detailed tactical pacing.
Billy mills
He had his cap on during the nation anthem , funny . I was meet him at a in door track meet , cow palace in San Francisco .
It was a rough moment at those Olympic games that year, because of the Israeli athletes being murdered. A truly horrible time! They almost cancelled the rest if the games.
I remember that well also... It was heartbreaking. I remember seeing the faces of the German people there. They were
Odd that I never heard of this before - pretty dramatic comeback - you'd have thought I'd have seen this over the years - I wonder why it was never shown so much ?
It's called pacing yourself.
Remember it like it was yesterday.....
I was 18 and a track athlete.
Best race ever - in my life.
With his hat on
Billy Mills
Not an uncommon attack even in today's 800/1600 races...but super special when amongst the best talent in the world. One of the greatest races for sure and the greatest hat without a doubt...it had to have added at least a second to his time 👍🏼
Brilliant. I love it.
Bro be like: can we proceed to some other event 😏
Riggy stuck the other runners at the end.
Watched this live. It was awesome
Jason Lezak has entered the chat
Saw it when i was a kid .
Yep, that hat was causing too much drag...
Crazy. Always bet on the gentleman with the hat
It's your pace, not theirs. I used to destroy better runners by running the front half of the race too fast. No matter what, run your pace.
And if I'm not mistaken, the hat is in Smithsonian....
Crazy that Coach Shell used to beat him
Maybe when they were 12
Great vid you need more subs
Appreciate it! Someday..
It was the hat 👒.
No hand shake from his black competitor
Remember it well
Amazing
that was amazing!❤
The Olympics is about the Gold Silver and Bronze. What you accomplished before is not relevant during that 2 week Period.
With a coors light hat on.
He still got lots stored in him
❤
Did it with a ball cap on 😅
Lol he wore a new era hat 🎉😂. Wow congrats