wybuller (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

I don't dispute that Coe ran further. I simply say that it doesn't matter. Unless one is obsessed with armchair stats.

wybuller (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

I can't be bothered with this any more. The point that you fail, or are unwilling to grasp, is that none of this matters. Ovett won, Coe lost. Deal with it. Whether or not it's on the inside or outside of the lane, Coe is running in lane one off the final bend. It is therefore simply false to say he ran the entire bend in lane 2. Otherwise, I ran on many athletic tracks, including Crystal Palace. My own relative inability over 1500m only contributed to the awe in which I held Coe and Ovett.

deano27671 (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

I have discussed this issue with various statisticians over the years, including Mel Watman (who was there in the stadium!) and Peter Matthews. I think I would prefer to be in agreement with them and follow what my eyes tell me than succumb to the will of someone who won't even acknowledge that Coe ran wider than Ovett for the entire last (2) bends, as even the commentator goes on to state after the race!

deano27671 (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

The headshot 200m out goes into the beginning of the bend and thus does have relevance. As the camera angle cuts, Ovett is clearly on the inside of lane 1 behind Kirov while Coe is never inside the line dividing 1 & 2. You clearly have no understanding of the layout of an athletic track and are either in need of a visit to the opticians or are suffering from delusions.

wybuller (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

Coe is clearly in lane 1 coming off the bend, not in lane 2, so what you're saying is simply not accurate (quite apart from being splendidly irrelevant). The head-on shot down the back straight apparently shows Coe in lane 3 (and Ovett in lane 2 for much of it). But it being a straight, I'm suspect your trundle would discern no difference in distance...

deano27671 (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

If you are a 200m runner in lane 2 and run as close to the inside lane as possible, you are still running 3.5m further than the guy inside you! Coe was running way outside that line for most of the bend, and then ran on the line as he entered the home straight. He wouldn't have run any further into lane 1 as he would only have to come out wide again to pass Guimaraes & Kirov! If anything 3.5m is a conservative estimate! Go & measure the difference on the stagger using a trundle wheel. It's 3.5m

deano27671 (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

I know the bit about Ovett running wide was a joke, hence the flippancy of my response about 20cm! As far as the other issue goes, you must have an eyesight problem! Coe is clearly running wider than anyone in the headshot 200m out (more like lane 3 than 2 even). He then runs outside 2 athletes as the camera cuts to a side shot of the bend (Marajo & Warren). He then runs outside Wagenknecht, staying wide and entering the straight running practically on the line between lanes 1 & 2!

wybuller (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

The business about Ovett running further in the 1500 was intended as a joke. As I've already said, I don't see the relevance of these stats. Had Coe run the last lap in lane 8 and still recorded 50.5, so what? He'd have lost. If we must talk about stats, then, yes, Coe ran part of the final bend wide to overtake two athletes side by side. He then moved inwards. The images clearly show that coming off the final bend, he's in lane 1. So your figure of 3.5m is spurious, as well as irrelevant.

deano27671 (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

Of course its not Ovett's fault that Coe ran like an idiot and Ovett ran the best race on the day. He was the champion and had a psychological advantage over Coe, but that doesn't mean he was unbeatable over 800m on that day. As for Ovett running further than Coe in the 1500m final. LOL!, I think it was more like 20cm than 2.7234cm, but even if that is taken into consideration, Coe still ran the last 400m, 200m & 100m faster than Ovett, and was going away all down the home straight!

deano27671 (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

So, just to make things crystal clear, Coe ran the last 200m 0.1 sec faster than Ovett, despite running at least the 3.5m stagger differential further; thats worth about 24.5/24.6 had he been able to run on the inside like Ovett! So he closed marginally "officially" by 0.1. But what your eyes see doesn't show the whole picture. He was running the equivalent of 0.5 secs faster than Ovett over the last 200m.