Noah was the only athlete to really challenge El Grrouj. Noah had ridiculous speed and owns the 1000 metre world record. A real real close second behind El Gerrouj, and barring injuries he could have been as great
You were right about Ngeny though. At the time of this race, he had run the second-fastest mile in the history of the world, was the World Junior Record holder in the 1500m and mile, and was the World Record holder in the 1000m.
EL G was extremely lucky when it came to avoiding injury and illness. He never got ill or injured in peak season. Coe was ill for 2 entire seasons, missed 1 whole season with injury and missed 4 major championships with illness. Ovett also missed most of 82 with injury and missed out on 3 major championships, not to mention being affected during the LA Games with respiratory problems.
I wish so much i had El Guerroujs ability to run like that. His style of running is perfect, great stride, good arm swing, and he knows when and where to start his final kick. Infact, my dream is to go to Morocco for a week and visit him. Oh and by the way, good job Noah Ngeny, not many people can beat The great Hicham Guerrouj
Can't sleep, so time to nerd it up... El Guerrouj: 800-1:47.18 (1:42.70 in practice, and closing 800 meters (of 1500 in 2004 olympics)-1:46.34, 1,000-2:16.85, 1,500-3:26.00 (WR), Mile-3:43.13 (WR), 3,000-7:23.09, 5,000-12:50.24...why isn't he still competing? Lagat just won the World Championships and they are the same age! (32 years old)... Noah Ngeny: 800-1:44.49, 1,000-2:11.96 (WR), 1,500-3:28.12, Mile-3:43.40, 3,000-7:35.46...and he ran these times when he was only 20 to 21 years old!
They made the race faster by pacing El Guerrouj and they know the only he'll win is if the race is fast. They do that in all the world championships. The kenyans are working together in this race not sacrificing for the other. Thank you for proving my point.
It's so sad that Noah Ngeny's career was instantly ended by a road accident. HE still holds the 1000m World Record. He was a man with a great kick. When El Guerrouj broke the mile World record at 3:43.12, Noah Ngeny pursued him all the way to the line in a personal best time of 3:43.40. Noah also has a 1,500 PB of 3:28.12 while the WR is 3.26.00. @mrembo87, yes, we beat Africa in Nairobi in July/August 2010 and even Yifter the Shifter knows it. We also beat the World in Moncton Canada.
Thanks for seeing reason. A lot of people want to negate Noah's achievement here claiming that El G was blocking the wind. Osaka 2007 800 M women proved that anybody can ran from the front. Noahs stats show that he was a faster up to 1000 m. On this day he just came out of El G shadow. Unfortunately he had injuries after this and never recovered. We will miss him
must say i wasn't sure about the sound track at first but it definitely works! like the way the beat stops as el guerrouj takes the lead highlighting the loneliness of being out front then returns to give rhythm to the kenyan celebrations.....maybe it's coincidence, and i'm speaking shit but either way the race is a great one and the athletes so sporting at the end....inspiring! well done whymm!
Thanks MissGreenie. I think MJ was one of the most talented individuals to ever put on athletic shoes. Check out the 1996 3000 m world record by Daniel Komen, one of the finest long distance runs ever trust me
Noah Ngeny ran that 2:11 WR 1000m, so it's not much of a surprise, with him being as close to El G as he was (throughout the race) that he out-kicked him. Ngeny was in perfect position having El G lead (about) half of the race like that. Sucks that Ngeny had that injury...because we most likely would've seen more records fall.
El Guerrouj will always be the king of the mile. Ngeny is an awesome runner, but no one can say that's he's better then the "king of the mile." I think it's settled that El Guerrouj should've won every race he ever ran, he was just that good.
omg....this video makes me wanna cry....i watch this like everyday and the same thing just happened to me today....there was a meet that was rele low key and i was supposed to get first....so these guys paced off of me and i freaked out mentally....the guy beat me by .3 seconds and i broke down....ugh...it hurts me still....
Thats why Cram went at 300m. Coe knew his last 100m was better than anybody's, so he went with whatever pace given him (except when he ran bad tactical races!) & go to the front in the last 100m. Each athlete plays to their strengths. If EL G let the pace drop& stayed behind the leader, he ran the risk of getting boxed or getting outkicked. He was supreme at running gradually faster until no one else could stay with him, but didn't necessarily have the best turn of speed, like a Coe or Ovett.
I take what you say, but to be fair I did say it was a minor weakness. Of course he was quality and the best of his era, but a lot of races I saw, including championship ones, he did have his own compatriot pacemakers that often made sure he got the pace or type of race which suits him, namely that he was running free behind the leader or in the lead himself, with a lap to go. You rarely saw him coming from behind or bursting clear of the pack with 200m to go.
Remember Ngeny was extremely young, he had a very promising career ahead of him until his car accident, one can only imagine what he could have done...
@RawMarketingSolution Actually, at his best, El Guerrouj raced only once at 3000m outdoors, and it was that 7:23.09 performance in 1999. The other times were a 7:49.84 in 1994 and a respectable 7:30.23 in 2003.
pobre Hicham El Guerrouj que tristeza dominando la escena del 96 al 2000 ganandolo todo y pierde en el rush final ...pero demostro que es un gran campeon ...todo le salio perfecto en grecia ...grande hicham sinomimo de perseverancia las dos que perdiste en el 96 y 2000 las ganaste en atenas
Hi funkymario, I am with you. As good as a runner Lagat is, it made me sick to see a bunch of people fighting to not lead in the 07 Osaka T&F World Championships. Lagat, as the master of tactical racing, easily won it. That's why I like Britain's Paula Radcliffe. Front running, fearless.
now.did u see what happened in 2004 Olympics..can u believe somebody could chase his Olympic dream for 8 yrs?and when he got it he got it double to make up for 2 losses.Only one man in the history of Athletics..HICHAM ELGUERROUJ..OH GOD THAT MAN IS NOT HUMAN..I KNOW THE MAN PERSONALLY AND WHEN I SEE THE 2004 RACE I CRY..a lot of reporters cried at that moment..yes..Im crying right now damn
Ngeny was definitely not out of nowhere, he came a very close second to Guerrouj when Hicham ran the WR Mile in 1999, that was before this race...Ngeny isn't random, he is the only other man below 3:44 and if he hadn't got in a car crash after these Olympics I wouldn't be surprised if he had the WR in the mile right now...
@mrembo87 Key word here: consistency. Bekele has won this race three times, but just had a bad day. Bekele defeated Ebuya and Kipchoge in last year's 5000m at the world championships, Ebuya at the 2008 World Championships (at the same venue), Kipchoge in 2005 completely fell apart from Bekele's surges, even when Bekele wasn't fresh (or did you forget that Bekele won the long/short course five years in a row?) Face it: the Kenyans have great quantity, but the real quality is missing...
i do agree with you but he ran 3 27 in 1999 with only 1 pace setter at the beginning of the race and after he continued the job alone if you bring a 800m runner and you run a slow 1500m the 800m runner will win exactley what happened in 5000m in 2004 and 2007 world cup both won by el g and lagat two milers
@RawMarketingSolution No, I'm sorry. I haven't seen either video in a while. And you're right: the 4:44 was four days after the meet in Brussels where he ran 7:23.
Why did Youssef Baba sacrifice himself for EL G as a "rabbit" in this 1500m final? If I worked hard enough to get the Olympic final, I would never sacrifice myself even for a countryman.
You are right. There is a name for this tactics. If you are a runner, you would know it. It is called drafting. But you can only draft if you have a good kick. If you don't, then you are better off going earlier.
he got back to his shape gradually maybe he was 95 90 percent of his capabilities as he improved gradually by time lagat at that year was in his best form you can see this even in the final of athene but one point to raise it is easier running and resting at the back of an athlete rather than taking the lead this is what ngeny and lagat were doing never they behaved like bosses and took the lead in the race as great athlete do
yourfave, you're wrong on a couple points. Whether there is wind or not, the person in second (ie the one drafting) is using less energy than the person leading. If there IS wind, it helps the person in back even more. If everybody is in a big line, the last person has no advantage over the second person. Plus he's obviously way behind!
Yes, I don't doubt that! I would argue that the Moroccan pace setter didn't go fast enough for EL G over the first 2 laps. I'm sure EL G would have preferred 1:52 or faster at 800m, leaving less of a kick in the legs of the Kenyans. I personally think it is wrong for athletes to run as a team and don't think that pace making should be allowed in major Championships as it used to be before the mid 90's
You're not getting the point: the Kenyans you mention have only beaten Ethiopians like Gebreselassie, Bekele, Defar, and Dibaba on the few occasions that they aren't at their best, or by some form of upset. Dibaba wasn't injured in New York, but having missed months of training through injury, you can't expect her to be at her best. Soon, like most of the other Kenyans, Masai will become a thing of the past... Dibaba and Bekele are the best of the best.
3:27 is 3:27 whenever or however you run it! There was nothing wrong with EL G in Sydney, he just let nerves get to him and didn't run as well as Ngeny on the day. Remember Ngeny was no slouch; he had beaten Coe's "unbeatable" 1000m record the year before and run EL G v. close recording a 3:43 Mile! I'll give you that EL G was not at his best early in 2004 and 8th is v. unusual for him, but it was clear when running 3:27 in Zurich (running Lagat v. close), that he was v. near a peak again.
@mrembo87 Nope, you're wrong. Bekele was injured during last year's world cross country, but still an Ethiopian (Gebremariam) managed the title. Gebre and the others have far more consistency. You can boast of your quantity, but your best can't conquer as well as the Ethiopians.
I wouldn't give up an opportunity to race in an event I trained all year for. Defar probably hadn't known that she had the illness until the end of the race (much like Seb Coe finding out his toxiplasmosis when losing in the final stages of the '82 Euro 800m); meaning she could run, but she the illness must have dropped her strength, which one needs much of in the final stages of a championship.
No one forced any one to run from the front or at the back. It was his choice and style and on this day he lost to a better runner. Frankly any one who followed Ngeny's career, will know that sans the injury he at 21 years old was so much more accomplished
which wind did el G block? by the same theory the guy who runs last should win since everybody runs ahead of him and blocks the wind. A look at Ngeny's performances before the olympics reveal that he has the potential to go all the way and win, which he did on this day
The person who set the 800m world record was born in Kenya but he changed his appearence when he went to Denmark to go to a good school, then he became a Denmark citizen to run pro, so actually the 800m world record doenst belong to Kenya {Wilson Kipketer}
@mrembo87 No, he broke Paul Tergat's half marathon world record when he was 18, and Gebreselassie's when he was 20. Let's see if Masai can continue to win titles like the great names of Dibaba, Defar, and other Ethiopians.
Lol! U don't know what you're talking about! Coe won many medals over 800m, including golds at the World Cup (equivalent to a World title before they existed!), 2 Europa Cup golds, a European gold and a European indoor, not to mention 2 Olympic silvers. He was WR holder for 18 years and was 1.71 secs faster than anyone else in history; the greatest margin of superiority at that distance than anyone else since the War, and a greater margin than ELG had over his peers at 15 or mile.
ZOMG I LOVE THIS MOVIE I WATCHED IT 5 TIMES AND I it inspires me so much EL Morraco Man is so fasssst Too bad he didnt' win kENYANS ARE AMZING BUT SO IS EL GUERRAJ
Hi my friend! I don't think that Morceli did it on purpose. It would take a lot of talent and luck to make one particular athlete fall down at a crucial point in the race. But we will never know. I think it was just bad luck for EL G. We must remember that Morceli was one of the all time greats and I believe deserved to win an Olympic title. Luckily EL G was able to do so 8 years later. I think he would have found it difficult beating Morceli at that point in his career.
@SawViking No, I think there is a financial incentive in many cases to switch nationalities- after all, these men have families to feed, and in such a large pool of talent like that in Kenya/ Ethiopia, you can go unnoticed (and sometimes mistreated by governing bodies). There's a theory that explains why there is such big influx to Kenyan marathoning- it's far more lucrative than the track. Still, I don't think Lagat's incentive was financial (a 3:26.34 1500m runner is better off I'm guessing).
in 2000 he never run 3 27 in 2004 he had respiratory problems he was getting gradually into his form and true lagat that year was in his best form i dont say el guerrouj was injured but he had an operation that year and his preparation was not good can you show me the performance of el guerrouj in 2000 races? in 2004 he was ranked 8th in a race is that normal? after this he had few races he managed hardly 3 30 or 3 31 and 3 27 second place he as he started preparation late
True, but that doesn't mean that every athlete is a Michael Granville...I'm just trying to say that Ngeny deserves more respect than that is given to him and that there was a possibility that he could have been even better had he not got in a car crash....don't shoot him down so pre-emptively
ur r ight Ngeny wasnt anybody..he broke the mile world record with Elguerrouj when he raced as his pacemaker, but..what people have to know is that Elguerrouj didnt lose because he wasnt good enough but because he was haunted with 1996 Olympics when he fell and he spent the night before the race crying.he wasnt mentally prepared and in the race he felt his legs were too heavy to cary.he said himself that if the race was 50 m longer he could've placed fourth.
The big problem for Kenya is the absence of consistency, management, and development. Its constant recycling of its best athletes is hindering its ability; Noah Ngeny was Kenya's top miler, and yet they decided to cut him from the 2001 team (leading to the ensuing car accident); Sammy Kitwara might've performed better than most Kenyans in Berlin, yet he too was cut. The list goes on...
one question in your opinion do you think that morceli in atlanta 96 made el g fall on purpose? after seeing the action many times it seems to me he did it on purpose?
i didn't shoot him down...and i always saw that guuy as one of the best millers. I saw that mile world record Live and he scared me on his last 100m that was his greatest race. tome there is my top 5 best milers in the history. 1) elguerrouj 2) Lagat 3)Morceli 4) Noah 5) Balaa? Aouita? or even Fermin cacho
Its hilarious because Kenya has excellent runners constantly pouring out of their country. Morocco on the other hand sees excellent runners every once in a while like Guerrouj. Getting to the point is that because Kenya has so many good runners, none of them seem to surpass the great Hicham Guerrouj and his untouchable world records. El guerrouj focused almost entirely on the 1500m and the mile. If he really attempted to practice the 3000m he could of smashed Daniel Komen world record.
Wrong: It is the Kenyans who need to be at their best to beat Ethiopians. Bekele is probably not as fit as he was a few years ago, and the stress fracture lost him several months of training, but he didn't lose a single 3/5/10,000m race last year. And when you thought that Ethiopia had only three guys, Gebremariam took the gold; Ethiopia also has Sihine and Gebreselassie, and others who have won several medals (even swept 1-2-3) in championship long distance events.
Kipketer never won an Olympic title either, and he's one of the 3 greatest ever. Then, on top of that Coe was double Olympic champ and WR holder at his 2ND best distance. Not many athletes can clam that! You can't really use ELG's world titles into comparing them, as they were held every 2 years and weren't around in Coe's time!
i agree that he wasn't from i dunoo where but i don't think that he could beat elguerrouj's WR 15 or mille. He only ran under 3.30 a couple tiems less then 5 El guerrouj always run under 3.30. There is a big difference between el guerrouj and Ngency.
The stadium was oval, if there was any form of wind it means at one point some one benefits from the headwind and others not. Plus, the person in front cause turbulence which means that anybody behind has worse aerodynamics. The point is that ElG had always won from the front and If you look at ElG performances in previous races, he was not so dominant, he won over Ngeny by very small margins and even in Athens he nearly lost to the Kenyan and won by the hair on his back.
Oh Come on! EL G ran a 3:27 weeks before Sydney in 2000 and a 3:27 just prior to the Athens Olympics! You can't tell me that he was not at his best running those sort of times. I always thought it strange that unlike most other great milers; Coe, Cram, Ovett, Lagat, etc; who all seemed human and got beat on occasions when coming back from injury or illness, EL G still seemed to run very close to the WR and win!? You just can't run within a second of the WR if you are ill or injured!
Everybody, don't listen to this "Mrembro" person. If you recall, he said that the Kenyans would sweep the podium in Berlin in the 1500m (1. Kiprop, 2. Keitany, 3. Choge) when his inconsistent heroes didn't even win a single medal (one of them didn't even make the final!)
Had they been in 79 and 81, Coe would have won at least 2 and possibly 4 had he wanted to double up. Coe won a couple of AAA titles over 3000m, but used these as training runs, and had no need to "do anything" at this distance. After all, it isn't run at major Champs, unlike the 800m. :0) EL G even had his own pacemaker in Sydney and still didn't win. He didn't run it fast enough for EL G over the first 2 laps!
I don't think that you can call Ngeny an 800m runner! Despite the 1000m record he ran far more 1500m than 800m. Also, to be a great 1500m runner you should be able to win a race whatever the pace; slow tactical races as well as fast world record attempts. Of course an 800m man moving up in distance will have a better chance against a true miler if the first 2 laps are slow, but the likes of Coe was able to win in both types of races. EL G proved he could do this too with his Athens win.
You have a lot to learn! You have only chosen recent athletes! Lagat, Ngeny and Balaa wouldn't be in most athletic journalists or statisticians top 10!!
I hear what you are saying, and I agree that EL G was great in taking it out from the front, but I don't think that you have to do this to be great! In that case then you can say that Bayi was also great but Coe, Ovett, Ryun, Walker, etc weren't. Coe went out in front in some of his world records but didn't in major championships. The reason EL G went from the front with 700m to go is that it was his best way to ensure victory.
it was a tactical error from el guerrouj he should have raised the pace more but what people should know is that el guerrouj has done a surgery operation on his foot at the year 2000 + ngeny was in a good form in that year as well in the year 2004 el guerrouj had health problems but he could get his form at the end of 2004 and i believe that regardless of winning in 2004 2 gold medals he was not 100percent
Noah Ngeny's terrible injuries robbed us in my opinion of the most naturally talented middle distance runner of all time.
I love ngeny's reaction when he wins. What a boss!
the sportsmanship is inspiring. this is the epitome of how all sports should be like.
Noah was the only athlete to really challenge El Grrouj. Noah had ridiculous speed and owns the 1000 metre world record. A real real close second behind El
Gerrouj, and barring injuries he could have been as great
You were right about Ngeny though. At the time of this race, he had run the second-fastest mile in the history of the world, was the World Junior Record holder in the 1500m and mile, and was the World Record holder in the 1000m.
sick quality and music, bro
EL G was extremely lucky when it came to avoiding injury and illness. He never got ill or injured in peak season. Coe was ill for 2 entire seasons, missed 1 whole season with injury and missed 4 major championships with illness. Ovett also missed most of 82 with injury and missed out on 3 major championships, not to mention being affected during the LA Games with respiratory problems.
a winner for the most part as long as the races were setup & paced for him - a remarkable win/loss & current wr holder
I wish so much i had El Guerroujs ability to run like that. His style of running is perfect, great stride, good arm swing, and he knows when and where to start his final kick. Infact, my dream is to go to Morocco for a week and visit him. Oh and by the way, good job Noah Ngeny, not many people can beat The great Hicham Guerrouj
The song to this video is------------ Seven Cities by SolarStone.
Can't sleep, so time to nerd it up...
El Guerrouj: 800-1:47.18 (1:42.70 in practice, and closing 800 meters (of 1500 in 2004 olympics)-1:46.34, 1,000-2:16.85, 1,500-3:26.00 (WR), Mile-3:43.13 (WR), 3,000-7:23.09, 5,000-12:50.24...why isn't he still competing? Lagat just won the World Championships and they are the same age! (32 years old)...
Noah Ngeny: 800-1:44.49, 1,000-2:11.96 (WR), 1,500-3:28.12, Mile-3:43.40, 3,000-7:35.46...and he ran these times when he was only 20 to 21 years old!
They made the race faster by pacing El Guerrouj and they know the only he'll win is if the race is fast. They do that in all the world championships. The kenyans are working together in this race not sacrificing for the other. Thank you for proving my point.
El Guerrouj looked like he was about to cry when he crossed the line. Calm down, boy, you're gonna get you Olympic gold in 4 years.
wonderfull song , africa is my love
It's so sad that Noah Ngeny's career was instantly ended by a road accident. HE still holds the 1000m World Record. He was a man with a great kick. When El Guerrouj broke the mile World record at 3:43.12, Noah Ngeny pursued him all the way to the line in a personal best time of 3:43.40. Noah also has a 1,500 PB of 3:28.12 while the WR is 3.26.00.
@mrembo87, yes, we beat Africa in Nairobi in July/August 2010 and even Yifter the Shifter knows it. We also beat the World in Moncton Canada.
Awesome to see Kevin Sullivan of Canada coming in 5th place in this 2000 Olympic 1500m final!
Thanks for seeing reason. A lot of people want to negate Noah's achievement here claiming that El G was blocking the wind. Osaka 2007 800 M women proved that anybody can ran from the front. Noahs stats show that he was a faster up to 1000 m. On this day he just came out of El G shadow. Unfortunately he had injuries after this and never recovered. We will miss him
must say i wasn't sure about the sound track at first but it definitely works! like the way the beat stops as el guerrouj takes the lead highlighting the loneliness of being out front then returns to give rhythm to the kenyan celebrations.....maybe it's coincidence, and i'm speaking shit but either way the race is a great one and the athletes so sporting at the end....inspiring! well done whymm!
Thanks MissGreenie. I think MJ was one of the most talented individuals to ever put on athletic shoes. Check out the 1996 3000 m world record by Daniel Komen, one of the finest long distance runs ever trust me
Noah Ngeny ran that 2:11 WR 1000m, so it's not much of a surprise, with him being as close to El G as he was (throughout the race) that he out-kicked him. Ngeny was in perfect position having El G lead (about) half of the race like that. Sucks that Ngeny had that injury...because we most likely would've seen more records fall.
El Guerrouj will always be the king of the mile. Ngeny is an awesome runner, but no one can say that's he's better then the "king of the mile." I think it's settled that El Guerrouj should've won every race he ever ran, he was just that good.
omg....this video makes me wanna cry....i watch this like everyday and the same thing just happened to me today....there was a meet that was rele low key and i was supposed to get first....so these guys paced off of me and i freaked out mentally....the guy beat me by .3 seconds and i broke down....ugh...it hurts me still....
Thats why Cram went at 300m. Coe knew his last 100m was better than anybody's, so he went with whatever pace given him (except when he ran bad tactical races!) & go to the front in the last 100m. Each athlete plays to their strengths. If EL G let the pace drop& stayed behind the leader, he ran the risk of getting boxed or getting outkicked. He was supreme at running gradually faster until no one else could stay with him, but didn't necessarily have the best turn of speed, like a Coe or Ovett.
I take what you say, but to be fair I did say it was a minor weakness. Of course he was quality and the best of his era, but a lot of races I saw, including championship ones, he did have his own compatriot pacemakers that often made sure he got the pace or type of race which suits him, namely that he was running free behind the leader or in the lead himself, with a lap to go. You rarely saw him coming from behind or bursting clear of the pack with 200m to go.
Remember Ngeny was extremely young, he had a very promising career ahead of him until his car accident, one can only imagine what he could have done...
@RawMarketingSolution Actually, at his best, El Guerrouj raced only once at 3000m outdoors, and it was that 7:23.09 performance in 1999. The other times were a 7:49.84 in 1994 and a respectable 7:30.23 in 2003.
pobre Hicham El Guerrouj que tristeza dominando la escena del 96 al 2000 ganandolo todo y pierde en el rush final ...pero demostro que es un gran campeon ...todo le salio perfecto en grecia ...grande hicham sinomimo de perseverancia las dos que perdiste en el 96 y 2000 las ganaste en atenas
Hi funkymario,
I am with you. As good as a runner Lagat is, it made me sick to see a bunch of people fighting to not lead in the 07 Osaka T&F World Championships. Lagat, as the master of tactical racing, easily won it.
That's why I like Britain's Paula Radcliffe. Front running, fearless.
now.did u see what happened in 2004 Olympics..can u believe somebody could chase his Olympic dream for 8 yrs?and when he got it he got it double to make up for 2 losses.Only one man in the history of Athletics..HICHAM ELGUERROUJ..OH GOD THAT MAN IS NOT HUMAN..I KNOW THE MAN PERSONALLY AND WHEN I SEE THE 2004 RACE I CRY..a lot of reporters cried at that moment..yes..Im crying right now damn
Nice to see Jason Pyrah (only American in the finals there). What a stud.
Ngeny was definitely not out of nowhere, he came a very close second to Guerrouj when Hicham ran the WR Mile in 1999, that was before this race...Ngeny isn't random, he is the only other man below 3:44 and if he hadn't got in a car crash after these Olympics I wouldn't be surprised if he had the WR in the mile right now...
@mrembo87 Key word here: consistency. Bekele has won this race three times, but just had a bad day. Bekele defeated Ebuya and Kipchoge in last year's 5000m at the world championships, Ebuya at the 2008 World Championships (at the same venue), Kipchoge in 2005 completely fell apart from Bekele's surges, even when Bekele wasn't fresh (or did you forget that Bekele won the long/short course five years in a row?) Face it: the Kenyans have great quantity, but the real quality is missing...
i do agree with you but he ran 3 27 in 1999 with only 1 pace setter at the beginning of the race and after he continued the job alone if you bring a 800m runner and you run a slow 1500m the 800m runner will win exactley what happened in 5000m in 2004 and 2007 world cup both won by el g and lagat two milers
@RawMarketingSolution No, I'm sorry. I haven't seen either video in a while.
And you're right: the 4:44 was four days after the meet in Brussels where he ran 7:23.
Why did Youssef Baba sacrifice himself for EL G as a "rabbit" in this 1500m final?
If I worked hard enough to get the Olympic final, I would never sacrifice myself even for a countryman.
thats so tru man! if he won thsi the 2004 wunt be that good..thxz for bring that up
You are right. There is a name for this tactics. If you are a runner, you would know it. It is called drafting. But you can only draft if you have a good kick. If you don't, then you are better off going earlier.
he got back to his shape gradually maybe he was 95 90 percent of his capabilities as he improved gradually by time lagat at that year was in his best form you can see this even in the final of athene but one point to raise it is easier running and resting at the back of an athlete rather than taking the lead this is what ngeny and lagat were doing never they behaved like bosses and took the lead in the race as great athlete do
awesome race, its still the olympic record
yourfave, you're wrong on a couple points. Whether there is wind or not, the person in second (ie the one drafting) is using less energy than the person leading. If there IS wind, it helps the person in back even more. If everybody is in a big line, the last person has no advantage over the second person. Plus he's obviously way behind!
Yes, I don't doubt that! I would argue that the Moroccan pace setter didn't go fast enough for EL G over the first 2 laps. I'm sure EL G would have preferred 1:52 or faster at 800m, leaving less of a kick in the legs of the Kenyans. I personally think it is wrong for athletes to run as a team and don't think that pace making should be allowed in major Championships as it used to be before the mid 90's
You're not getting the point: the Kenyans you mention have only beaten Ethiopians like Gebreselassie, Bekele, Defar, and Dibaba on the few occasions that they aren't at their best, or by some form of upset. Dibaba wasn't injured in New York, but having missed months of training through injury, you can't expect her to be at her best. Soon, like most of the other Kenyans, Masai will become a thing of the past... Dibaba and Bekele are the best of the best.
3:27 is 3:27 whenever or however you run it! There was nothing wrong with EL G in Sydney, he just let nerves get to him and didn't run as well as Ngeny on the day. Remember Ngeny was no slouch; he had beaten Coe's "unbeatable" 1000m record the year before and run EL G v. close recording a 3:43 Mile! I'll give you that EL G was not at his best early in 2004 and 8th is v. unusual for him, but it was clear when running 3:27 in Zurich (running Lagat v. close), that he was v. near a peak again.
@mrembo87 Nope, you're wrong. Bekele was injured during last year's world cross country, but still an Ethiopian (Gebremariam) managed the title. Gebre and the others have far more consistency. You can boast of your quantity, but your best can't conquer as well as the Ethiopians.
Guerrouj is still #1.
Front running is the hardest way to win a race. You take away at least 8% of the wind from the runners behind you.
I wouldn't give up an opportunity to race in an event I trained all year for. Defar probably hadn't known that she had the illness until the end of the race (much like Seb Coe finding out his toxiplasmosis when losing in the final stages of the '82 Euro 800m); meaning she could run, but she the illness must have dropped her strength, which one needs much of in the final stages of a championship.
No one forced any one to run from the front or at the back. It was his choice and style and on this day he lost to a better runner. Frankly any one who followed Ngeny's career, will know that sans the injury he at 21 years old was so much more accomplished
which wind did el G block? by the same theory the guy who runs last should win since everybody runs ahead of him and blocks the wind. A look at Ngeny's performances before the olympics reveal that he has the potential to go all the way and win, which he did on this day
props to kevin and you should treasure this video not often you'll see El G lose one
Elguerrouj: Berkane,Morocco DOB Sep22,1974. Height 5'10 Weight. 140
The person who set the 800m world record was born in Kenya but he changed his appearence when he went to Denmark to go to a good school, then he became a Denmark citizen to run pro, so actually the 800m world record doenst belong to Kenya {Wilson Kipketer}
@mrembo87 The same place as Micah Kogo, who was last year your best 10000m runner, but King Kenya's consistency doesn't live very long...
@mrembo87 No, he broke Paul Tergat's half marathon world record when he was 18, and Gebreselassie's when he was 20. Let's see if Masai can continue to win titles like the great names of Dibaba, Defar, and other Ethiopians.
Lol! U don't know what you're talking about! Coe won many medals over 800m, including golds at the World Cup (equivalent to a World title before they existed!), 2 Europa Cup golds, a European gold and a European indoor, not to mention 2 Olympic silvers. He was WR holder for 18 years and was 1.71 secs faster than anyone else in history; the greatest margin of superiority at that distance than anyone else since the War, and a greater margin than ELG had over his peers at 15 or mile.
thats very sad. poor hicham, sitting on the ground after the race shaking hands when he clearly just wanted the ground to swallow him up
Anyone know what song this is? It's very inspirational and I'd like to have it on my iPod to listen to before I run.
Thanks!
ZOMG I LOVE THIS MOVIE I WATCHED IT 5 TIMES AND I it inspires me so much EL Morraco Man is so fasssst Too bad he didnt' win kENYANS ARE AMZING BUT SO IS EL GUERRAJ
Hi my friend! I don't think that Morceli did it on purpose. It would take a lot of talent and luck to make one particular athlete fall down at a crucial point in the race. But we will never know. I think it was just bad luck for EL G. We must remember that Morceli was one of the all time greats and I believe deserved to win an Olympic title. Luckily EL G was able to do so 8 years later. I think he would have found it difficult beating Morceli at that point in his career.
Ngeny was lucky cuz El G was nervous cuz of 1996 Olympics and plus all that, he DID NOT sleep all night before the 2000 race,
white boy sullivan was just kickin' it the last lap...
great video, more awesome soundtrack....I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS!!!!PLEASE TELL ME!
@SawViking No, I think there is a financial incentive in many cases to switch nationalities- after all, these men have families to feed, and in such a large pool of talent like that in Kenya/ Ethiopia, you can go unnoticed (and sometimes mistreated by governing bodies). There's a theory that explains why there is such big influx to Kenyan marathoning- it's far more lucrative than the track. Still, I don't think Lagat's incentive was financial (a 3:26.34 1500m runner is better off I'm guessing).
in 2000 he never run 3 27 in 2004 he had respiratory problems he was getting gradually into his form and true lagat that year was in his best form i dont say el guerrouj was injured but he had an operation that year and his preparation was not good can you show me the performance of el guerrouj in 2000 races? in 2004 he was ranked 8th in a race is that normal? after this he had few races he managed hardly 3 30 or 3 31 and 3 27 second place he as he started preparation late
True, but that doesn't mean that every athlete is a Michael Granville...I'm just trying to say that Ngeny deserves more respect than that is given to him and that there was a possibility that he could have been even better had he not got in a car crash....don't shoot him down so pre-emptively
ur r ight Ngeny wasnt anybody..he broke the mile world record with Elguerrouj when he raced as his pacemaker, but..what people have to know is that Elguerrouj didnt lose because he wasnt good enough but because he was haunted with 1996 Olympics when he fell and he spent the night before the race crying.he wasnt mentally prepared and in the race he felt his legs were too heavy to cary.he said himself that if the race was 50 m longer he could've placed fourth.
Say what you will about the EPO era...at least their races were fun to watch.
The big problem for Kenya is the absence of consistency, management, and development. Its constant recycling of its best athletes is hindering its ability; Noah Ngeny was Kenya's top miler, and yet they decided to cut him from the 2001 team (leading to the ensuing car accident); Sammy Kitwara might've performed better than most Kenyans in Berlin, yet he too was cut. The list goes on...
one question in your opinion do you think that morceli in atlanta 96 made el g fall on purpose? after seeing the action many times it seems to me he did it on purpose?
what is the name of this song? i love it!
Marathon favors strength in numbers, track and field focuses on only the very top.
i didn't shoot him down...and i always saw that guuy as one of the best millers. I saw that mile world record Live and he scared me on his last 100m that was his greatest race. tome there is my top 5 best milers in the history.
1) elguerrouj
2) Lagat
3)Morceli
4) Noah
5) Balaa? Aouita? or even Fermin cacho
Its hilarious because Kenya has excellent runners constantly pouring out of their country. Morocco on the other hand sees excellent runners every once in a while like Guerrouj. Getting to the point is that because Kenya has so many good runners, none of them seem to surpass the great Hicham Guerrouj and his untouchable world records. El guerrouj focused almost entirely on the 1500m and the mile. If he really attempted to practice the 3000m he could of smashed Daniel Komen world record.
Wrong: It is the Kenyans who need to be at their best to beat Ethiopians. Bekele is probably not as fit as he was a few years ago, and the stress fracture lost him several months of training, but he didn't lose a single 3/5/10,000m race last year.
And when you thought that Ethiopia had only three guys, Gebremariam took the gold; Ethiopia also has Sihine and Gebreselassie, and others who have won several medals (even swept 1-2-3) in championship long distance events.
Great video. Anybody happen to know the song or artist playing in this one?
yes i checked el g performance in 2000m he ran 3 27 well simply he was not god in that race then well done ngeny but he had an operation that year
Kipketer never won an Olympic title either, and he's one of the 3 greatest ever. Then, on top of that Coe was double Olympic champ and WR holder at his 2ND best distance. Not many athletes can clam that! You can't really use ELG's world titles into comparing them, as they were held every 2 years and weren't around in Coe's time!
Uh... your point being? The 10000m is for Ethiopia what the 3000m Steeplechase is for Kenya.
heey please what nae of this song ??
You are right, he was a young person who I think peaked too early
i agree that he wasn't from i dunoo where but i don't think that he could beat elguerrouj's WR 15 or mille. He only ran under 3.30 a couple tiems less then 5 El guerrouj always run under 3.30. There is a big difference between el guerrouj and Ngency.
The stadium was oval, if there was any form of wind it means at one point some one benefits from the headwind and others not. Plus, the person in front cause turbulence which means that anybody behind has worse aerodynamics. The point is that ElG had always won from the front and If you look at ElG performances in previous races, he was not so dominant, he won over Ngeny by very small margins and even in Athens he nearly lost to the Kenyan and won by the hair on his back.
aww i feel sorry for El Guerrouj, all that work to get run down in the last 20m :(
Oh Come on! EL G ran a 3:27 weeks before Sydney in 2000 and a 3:27 just prior to the Athens Olympics! You can't tell me that he was not at his best running those sort of times. I always thought it strange that unlike most other great milers; Coe, Cram, Ovett, Lagat, etc; who all seemed human and got beat on occasions when coming back from injury or illness, EL G still seemed to run very close to the WR and win!? You just can't run within a second of the WR if you are ill or injured!
Everybody, don't listen to this "Mrembro" person. If you recall, he said that the Kenyans would sweep the podium in Berlin in the 1500m (1. Kiprop, 2. Keitany, 3. Choge) when his inconsistent heroes didn't even win a single medal (one of them didn't even make the final!)
kenia es un pais que merece tener la satisfaccionccion de ganar ya que se lo merece por su gran esfuerzo fisico
What's the name of the song?¡ nicee!!
Had they been in 79 and 81, Coe would have won at least 2 and possibly 4 had he wanted to double up. Coe won a couple of AAA titles over 3000m, but used these as training runs, and had no need to "do anything" at this distance. After all, it isn't run at major Champs, unlike the 800m. :0) EL G even had his own pacemaker in Sydney and still didn't win. He didn't run it fast enough for EL G over the first 2 laps!
baala gets fouth 2000 sydney olimpics and he gets fouth in 2008 beijing olimpics
I don't think that you can call Ngeny an 800m runner! Despite the 1000m record he ran far more 1500m than 800m. Also, to be a great 1500m runner you should be able to win a race whatever the pace; slow tactical races as well as fast world record attempts. Of course an 800m man moving up in distance will have a better chance against a true miler if the first 2 laps are slow, but the likes of Coe was able to win in both types of races. EL G proved he could do this too with his Athens win.
lalal why does the Leader of first 2 laps stop
By the time they all cross the finish line, I'd still be halfway done XD
Hicham is good but Im still happy noah won cause he couldnt run anymore cause of his car crash
If you do find out the name of the song please let me know...thanks
You have a lot to learn! You have only chosen recent athletes! Lagat, Ngeny and Balaa wouldn't be in most athletic journalists or statisticians top 10!!
Solarstone - Seven Cities
only time but they don't meet everyday btw
AMEN
does anyone know what the song name is? I haven't been able to figure it out.
I hear what you are saying, and I agree that EL G was great in taking it out from the front, but I don't think that you have to do this to be great! In that case then you can say that Bayi was also great but Coe, Ovett, Ryun, Walker, etc weren't. Coe went out in front in some of his world records but didn't in major championships. The reason EL G went from the front with 700m to go is that it was his best way to ensure victory.
it was a tactical error from el guerrouj he should have raised the pace more but what people should know is that el guerrouj has done a surgery operation on his foot at the year 2000 + ngeny was in a good form in that year as well
in the year 2004 el guerrouj had health problems but he could get his form at the end of 2004 and i believe that regardless of winning in 2004 2 gold medals he was not 100percent