I reckon this is one of the greatest performances in history. Regardless of nationality, I love a maverick in sport...and Dave Wottle will always be a hero of mine.
The power of even splits. Patience and he did not waste time and energy running wide. He stayed in lane one until the last 100. He maneuvered masterfully to avoid breaking stride. He had more left because he didn’t go out fast. Amazing race!
He ran a positive split, so saved reserves on the opening lap for a very fast finish. He ran @54.3 seconds for the opening lap and @51.5 seconds for the last lap.
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
@@418cjpaul I’ve never seen anyone run into another athlete from the bend. The Russian was impeded & fouled by the German. Not slightly bumped, he lost 5m instantly and then was bumped again going back. The American was totally just lucky. Without this foul he would have been second. Total gold medal winning fluke. Feel very sorry for the Russian as he was clearly the better runner. I’m not Russian or American. Watch the race from the Russians perspective next time.
@@APBCTechnique I watched again and I have to agree with you. unfortunately there was no solution which would be fair. the German could have been disqualified but that wouldn't have helped the Russian . not every wrong has a remedy
I saw this race live when I was 12 years old. Dave Wottle inspired me to become a 800 runner even though I was never very good at it. Fastest was a 2:07. Him and that cap was so cool with his closing kick. Dude was only 19 years old college student at the time. Doesn't get enough credit for his Olympic victory for us old school guys.
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
@@APBCTechnique give it a rest already man, we get it, you're salty. Both he and Dave ran great races and were only .03 apart at the finish. Fantastic race for both, can we just leave it at that?
@@clarkfox6975 relook the race, be humble, not salty and you’ll see the American only win because of the foul by the German to the Russian. Or the Russian would have won by 5m
One of the smartest races ever. He knew Arzhanov was the one he needed to beat. He kept his eye on him and as soon as Arzhanov made his move, he went with him.
Best race ever! Staying that far back in a short race at a world-class level takes guts. Wottle seemed so casual like a stroll in the park. Amazing competitor.
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
If you ever focus on Wottle, he actually holds steady. The difference was that everyone in front of him went out too fast. Yes, he said he would have done it too if he could, but it definitely worked out for him, and he never gave up. In the American coverage doing color commentary, Liquori even notices the field coming back by the bell and thinks by then he might have a good shot.
Yeah, Wottle has admitted luck definitely played a role. He says if Arzhanov wouldn’t have kicked so early, he would never have caught him.@@APBCTechnique
Little known fact is that Wottle was a miler for his entire life. He only ran the 800m for about 4 months: for the Olympic trials and then Olympic Games. He didn't race the 800m before or ever again after that. Wottle admitted this in a recent interview.
Definitely one of the best 800m finals ever, up there with Coe/Ovett. One of my earliest Olympic watching memories as an 8yo and still one of my favourites.
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
The pack went out quickly for the first 200m in 24.9, Wottle couldn't keep up and fell back 10m. With no one asserting the lead they slowed in the second 200m and Wottle regained contact with the pack. Wottle ran a fairly even pace for the race, with his 200m splits at 26.4, 27.1, 26.2, and 26.2. That means he ran a negative split of 53.4 for the first 400m and 52.4 for the second. Wottle said that "It wasn’t so much a kick, as people coming back to me."
To me, this video is like dropping an apple 100as of times and being just as surprised each time it hits the ground. There's something magic about that.
Wow! How interesting! For me it was Franz Klammer's downhill in 1976 at the Innsbruck, Austria Olympics--but it is impressive how far Wottle came back from!
My Dad shared this with me one day when I was having a bad day at work and was considering to quit the job I hated. It reminded me not to give up despite how bad it was and it helped open doors for me as I stuck through the bad times. I even use this as Motivation when I run Marathons! As long as I finish nobody can take that away from me!
Like Paul Travis below, I never tire of watching this race over and over. Turns out that the first 200m ate up too many energy reserves and Wottle wanted no part of that. This was a brave tactical decision carried out to victory in the final couple of strides.
Thanks for putting this up. Like others here I saw this live however I dont remember our family having a color TV so this is the first time seeing it in color. Whether you saw it in B/W or color that victory was kind of a big deal...sort of like 'Miracle on Clay'. Shirley Babaschoff, the Munich swimming gold medalist, went to my high school and they had a huge homecoming for her after she returned in the Fall.
Just graduated from HS that year, used to run the 880 yards in track..to this day, I still considered that race as the best in all of Olympics; though Van Niekerk in 2016 (400) and Warholm this year comes close. Ran track in college for one year, we joke about other runners with "watch out for that guy, he might Wottle you" during meets, it was that enigmatic//
@@dadman8474 Yes. There’s dozens of high quality 800m races run every year both in championship settings and on the Pro Circuit. This one has stood out for me as one of the best races in history where the runners competed over 2 laps. If we’re talking about different 2 lap race distances, there’s also some great indoor 400m races that are exciting to watch, I’d recommend the latest NCAA indoor track championships.
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
If you listen to this commentary and then that of ABC Wide World of sports, this guy had no clue Wottle had a chance. In contrast on turn 3 of the bell lap Marty Liquori doing the color commentary (and the 1971 US mile winner), said "Wottle is in perfect position". He knew the ability of Wottle and that the stars were lining up for him at that moment.
Thank you. I think this became his trade mark after in the longer races. This commentator is not the one I remember when I was watching in my teens. He was tracking Wottle's race, becoming more excited as he overtaking the pack. This one completely ignored him till he finished 1st.
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
Avevo 11 anni e stavo incollato alla TV in bianco e nero a guardare le olimpiadi..... Ne ricordo tantissimi , i taliani e non . Ma la mia memoria va a te Wattle e aNadia Comaneci....nell gare di paese sei stato la mia ispirazione. Quel cappellino in testabe quella tua tattica di stare in coda prima dell' ultimo giro. Sei stato una ispirazione, vederti gareggiare era pura gioia...certo a livello metaforico, La tua tattica di corsa è un' insegnamento di vita...🥇🙏🙏🙏🙏
Muazzam ve örnek bir yarış. Taktik, kendine güven, ciddiyet. Sporculuk. Teşekkürler usta Dave Wottle. -A huge and exemplary race. Tactics, self-confidence, seriousness. Sportsmanship. Thank you, Master Dave Wottle-
1) The others made a stupid positive split (52+54) vs equal split for Wottle (53+53) 2) he made the shortest distance keeping in lane 1 3) he was protected from the wind being behind 4) you surely run faster with a cap.
I appreciate that David Coleman can tell which one is Boit and which one is Ouko. The American commentary is famous and often-played since an American won this, but we just hear about “one Kenyan” and “the other Kenyan.”
He barely made it throu the semis and prelims Felt sick disnt want to run. Yet he ran the best 800 ever ran. Perfect splits. This is what i call runners illusion. He doesn't really speed up. it's just that everyone else slowed way down
Looks like Wottle was a similar distance behind the leader on the final bend as Coe was behind Ovett, though the latter finished much faster I assume. Would be interesting to compare the distances and times over the last 100/200m for 1972 and 1980 .
Actually Coe was closer to Ovett. Coe only ran the final 100m 0.1 faster than Ovett despite having Ovett as an open target (although that Deano character will claim Coe made up 15m over the last 70m lol). Coe's problem was that it was a 'slow' pace along with a very, very strong Ovett running a 50.8 final lap. Coe needed a fast race, but he let the field go out slowly giving everyone else a chance. Coe was not the best tactically over 800m despite his abilities. He had a bit more room for error over the 1500 obviously. Had Coe taken the field out in 49 - 50 in Moscow he'd probably have pulled off the double.
Yes having looked at the two races I can see that Coe was closer to Ovett than Wottle was to the leader. The earlier pace was also much slower in 1980 (over two seconds at the bell is significant). Ovett was also in excellent form and superior to the 1972 field. However, I think Coe's 400m speed was superior to Ovett's (46 sec 400m/45 sec relay I think), and he would have beaten Ovett if he'd been on his shoulder coming off the final bend. A 49-50 second pace at the bell, though it destroyed Coe in 1978, might have won him the race because Ovett could not handle a very fast pace (pb just outside 1:44), though the question is whether that pace would have affected Coe more if he had led. Would certainly be interesting to hear Deano's take lol. In his defence, he does back up much of what he says with stats.
You assume wrong. The last lap of the 1980 800m was 50.8 seconds the fastest last 400m in an major 800m. Coe was finishing fast but Ovett had 5m on him at the bell. Coe’s last 200m was under 25 seconds. Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
@@APBCTechnique Coe was probably a half meter behind Ovett at the bell. Ultimately is doesn't much matter, because Coe lost and Wottle won. You've commented many times about the Russian getting bumped. There's a lot of what-ifs that could be played here. What if everyone had run their fastest time? Wottle, the world record holder at the time, would won by a decent margin. You say lucky, I say he wasn't foolish enough to try to go all out the first 200m of the race, stayed out of trouble, and finished well. All while battling tendinitis in his knee.
Amazing performance , gutsy finish , it's tremendously inspiring watching him come from so far back , he had a great strategy laying back and saving the gas for the end , great lesson for life itself , pace yourself , I believe the good Lord Jesus had his hand on his shoulder and gave him the strength to pull it off !!
I was still in elementary school at the time. And the only thing I remember about Wottle was the big deal they made about his wearing the hat. But I wish I could remember the details of this race too.
I have watched this race 100 times. I am trying to convince my young friends coach you don't have to lead the race ...run your race plus the kid is 6' 6". Everybody drafts and the team's won't wear tights in cold weather . He is tying up at about 550meters loses 7 9 seconds than catches his wind and has a ripping finish. Only a freshman at pr 2 1 9 but a 55 sec quarter man has potential. I show him this video all the time.
Good point about Andy Carter. Also, if he'd run wide of the Polish athlete instead of losing momentum in the home straight, he would probably have got 4th.
Was this on a Saturday or Sunday? I seem to remember being in my granny's little terrace house in York, maybe my dad had seen it earlier in the afternoon because he said Watch the guy in the hat. Could be my earliest athletics memory.
During the medal ceremony,Dave forgot to remove his cap.Later,he got a call from the States.The caller said :"Hat on or hat off,you're still a Great American."Said Spiro Agnew.
At 200 m Wottle was practically speaking out of the race, in this final. At 500 m into the race Wottle kicked for the fist time, when he saw Arzhanov go for the front position. Did Wottle know that Arzhanov would be his strongest oposition, who knows? Then again, in the last bend at about 670 m, Wottle kicked for the second time and made progress. Finally at about 750 m Wottle kicked for the finish - and incredibly beat Arzhanov. 3 kicks by Wottle. Tactically genius! What a race and what a cold fish Wottle was.
@@normanlinden5786 And what I find often gets left out in these discussions was that at the time of that race Wottle was the co-World Record holder @ 800m, yes he had been hurt after the Olympic Trials [where he tied the World Record] but in many ways he was still the class of the field. He has candidly admitted in many interviews that the fact the first lap was 52 and not 50 allowed him to be in position to kick for the win.
@@carlrossi7989 - excellent post. So many times I've read articles or watched videos of this race and the writers seem to imply that he was a virtual unknown going in and his win was a huge upset. As "TheCitroenCX" noted above, Wottle ran a tactically brilliant race.
Simply awesome , ladies and gentlemen ! This comeback in the very final forty / fifty meters reminds me a lot about Alberto Cova's incredible victory in the 10000 meters men's final at the 1983 IAAF Athletic World Championships in Helsinki
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
Hi...I actually stopped uploading stuff sometime ago because of this problem...it's incredibly random though clips from the Olympics seem to be pulled up more than most and it may well be it changes depending which country you are streaming from? I don't monetise any of my videos but someone is making a few cents out of these... really cheesed off over the Seb Coe vids I put on and were subsequently removed for " copyright infringement " when they are still available on the Tube. Confused? Oh yeah....
Wottle is behind because hes the only one running at the proper pace for a strong kick at the finish. Everyone else is out too fast, and they all fade. Russian totally breaks down at end
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
I reckon this is one of the greatest performances in history. Regardless of nationality, I love a maverick in sport...and Dave Wottle will always be a hero of mine.
Every time I watch this, I’m afraid Wottle won’t quite make it to the line first, but he always wins.
'And did he win? I think he did.'
I still get chills seeing this…. Watched it live !!!!
The power of even splits. Patience and he did not waste time and energy running wide. He stayed in lane one until the last 100. He maneuvered masterfully to avoid breaking stride. He had more left because he didn’t go out fast. Amazing race!
Thanks for telling us what we just watched.
You’re welcome.
@@DadsvDadseh it’s actually not obvious to most people that his splits were even. It’s looks like the last 200 meters is flying fast.
He ran a positive split, so saved reserves on the opening lap for a very fast finish. He ran @54.3 seconds for the opening lap and @51.5 seconds for the last lap.
@@69skobie43 That's a negative split lmao
I have watched this at least 100 times and never tire of doing so
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
@@APBCTechnique yes he was slightly bumped but this is not uncommon in races like this
@@418cjpaul I’ve never seen anyone run into another athlete from the bend. The Russian was impeded & fouled by the German. Not slightly bumped, he lost 5m instantly and then was bumped again going back. The American was totally just lucky. Without this foul he would have been second. Total gold medal winning fluke. Feel very sorry for the Russian as he was clearly the better runner. I’m not Russian or American. Watch the race from the Russians perspective next time.
@@APBCTechnique I watched again and I have to agree with you. unfortunately there was no solution which would be fair. the German could have been disqualified but that wouldn't have helped the Russian . not every wrong has a remedy
@@418cjpaul your right sadly.
I saw this race live when I was 12 years old. Dave Wottle inspired me to become a 800 runner even though I was never very good at it. Fastest was a 2:07. Him and that cap was so cool with his closing kick. Dude was only 19 years old college student at the time. Doesn't get enough credit for his Olympic victory for us old school guys.
2:07 is not bad. Our school record was 2:02.
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
@@APBCTechnique Wottle said the Russian kicked earlier than usual which cost him.
@@APBCTechnique give it a rest already man, we get it, you're salty. Both he and Dave ran great races and were only .03 apart at the finish. Fantastic race for both, can we just leave it at that?
@@clarkfox6975 relook the race, be humble, not salty and you’ll see the American only win because of the foul by the German to the Russian. Or the Russian would have won by 5m
One of the smartest races ever. He knew Arzhanov was the one he needed to beat. He kept his eye on him and as soon as Arzhanov made his move, he went with him.
Ich bin 78 Jahre alt und sah seit 1960 praktisch alle Rennen von 100m.bis Marathon.Nur das 800m Rennen von Wottle.Sensationell!
1:58 high school best here. And Dave was my fave, too. I even wore a hat like his. Love watching this video over the years.
I found this by accident. I’ve watched it heaps of times and one of my favourite sporting moments
Best race ever! Staying that far back in a short race at a world-class level takes guts. Wottle seemed so casual like a stroll in the park. Amazing competitor.
In an interview he said he couldn’t keep pace, he was able to catch the group on lap 2 when no one wanted the lead.
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
If you ever focus on Wottle, he actually holds steady. The difference was that everyone in front of him went out too fast. Yes, he said he would have done it too if he could, but it definitely worked out for him, and he never gave up. In the American coverage doing color commentary, Liquori even notices the field coming back by the bell and thinks by then he might have a good shot.
Second best finish after the Women's 4 x 400 relay 1969 Euro champs Besson v Board
Yeah, Wottle has admitted luck definitely played a role. He says if Arzhanov wouldn’t have kicked so early, he would never have caught him.@@APBCTechnique
Little known fact is that Wottle was a miler for his entire life. He only ran the 800m for about 4 months: for the Olympic trials and then Olympic Games. He didn't race the 800m before or ever again after that. Wottle admitted this in a recent interview.
He was actually the World Record holder at the time - 1:44.3 on the July 1st 1972.
Definitely one of the best 800m finals ever, up there with Coe/Ovett. One of my earliest Olympic watching memories as an 8yo and still one of my favourites.
Mine too, same age! Wottle was so cool and audacious, fantastic.
Coe/Ovett final was not good at all.
There was little drama because Coe ran a terrible race.
Dave Wottle makes me proud to be a BGSU grad and American. I love watching this race.
That is absolutly banging mate! Last to 1st!
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
@@gezza7560 Hats off to the 'Throttle'.
Me too Gerry, and I also ran track/cc there back in the early 80's. Dave would come back yearly for team alumni gatherings, great guy!
The pack went out quickly for the first 200m in 24.9, Wottle couldn't keep up and fell back 10m. With no one asserting the lead they slowed in the second 200m and Wottle regained contact with the pack. Wottle ran a fairly even pace for the race, with his 200m splits at 26.4, 27.1, 26.2, and 26.2. That means he ran a negative split of 53.4 for the first 400m and 52.4 for the second. Wottle said that "It wasn’t so much a kick, as people coming back to me."
Greatest finish of all time...
This was 51 years ago and I still got excited. DAMN!
To me, this video is like dropping an apple 100as of times and being just as surprised each time it hits the ground. There's something magic about that.
Makes me sad I watched this as a young man as I'm 62 now. I mark this my most rememberable moment in any Olympics by an individual.
The 72 Olympics were awesome.
Both 76 and 80 suffered from boycotts and those after (non-amateur ones) from drug misuse
Wow! How interesting! For me it was Franz Klammer's downhill in 1976 at the Innsbruck, Austria Olympics--but it is impressive how far Wottle came back from!
So damn cool at the finish Wottle.
My Dad shared this with me one day when I was having a bad day at work and was considering to quit the job I hated. It reminded me not to give up despite how bad it was and it helped open doors for me as I stuck through the bad times. I even use this as Motivation when I run Marathons! As long as I finish nobody can take that away from me!
Like Paul Travis below, I never tire of watching this race over and over. Turns out that the first 200m ate up too many energy reserves and Wottle wanted no part of that. This was a brave tactical decision carried out to victory in the final couple of strides.
Even though you know the outcome Wottle still blows your mind with that finish.
Thanks for putting this up. Like others here I saw this live however I dont remember our family having a color TV so this is the first time seeing it in color. Whether you saw it in B/W or color that victory was kind of a big deal...sort of like 'Miracle on Clay'.
Shirley Babaschoff, the Munich swimming gold medalist, went to my high school and they had a huge homecoming for her after she returned in the Fall.
Just graduated from HS that year, used to run the 880 yards in track..to this day, I still considered that race as the best in all of Olympics; though Van Niekerk in 2016 (400) and Warholm this year comes close. Ran track in college for one year, we joke about other runners with "watch out for that guy, he might Wottle you" during meets, it was that enigmatic//
I’ve watched this race a million times and every time I think “No way Wottle pulls this off”
I watched on TV when it happened. Still amazed.
Always been one of my favorite Two Lap races.
Favorite? Any other 2 lap races you know exist besides this one? Lol
@@dadman8474 Yes. There’s dozens of high quality 800m races run every year both in championship settings and on the Pro Circuit.
This one has stood out for me as one of the best races in history where the runners competed over 2 laps.
If we’re talking about different 2 lap race distances, there’s also some great indoor 400m races that are exciting to watch, I’d recommend the latest NCAA indoor track championships.
@@dadman8474bro what are you not aware of the entire sport of track and field
@@Ekzotika-g8wlast time I checked the 800m is the only 2 lap race. The sentence just was not constructed properly
@@brantlauweryssen743I did overlook indoor but I assumed most people watching only considered outdoor 400m tracks only to be legitimate
Staying positive in a negative situations can help change the outcome
I think it had to do more with his planning, Wottle always had a strong kick at the end and always timed it to help him.
You run your race, not your opponent’s
Puts a lump in my throat every time ! I'm not ashamed.
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
If you listen to this commentary and then that of ABC Wide World of sports, this guy had no clue Wottle had a chance. In contrast on turn 3 of the bell lap Marty Liquori doing the color commentary (and the 1971 US mile winner), said "Wottle is in perfect position". He knew the ability of Wottle and that the stars were lining up for him at that moment.
Well please share with us what Wottle had done prior to 1972?
@@RK-um9tu world leading 800m time prior to the games.
It's almost ludicrous how far back he was. It was like watching a silent film, starring Buster Keaton running the 800m!
Thank you. I think this became his trade mark after in the longer races. This commentator is not the one I remember when I was watching in my teens. He was tracking Wottle's race, becoming more excited as he overtaking the pack. This one completely ignored him till he finished 1st.
I was 7 years old when I watched this happen.....I can't repeat what my father was screaming.....most exciting race ever.
Wow I remember watching that as a kid in the UK. Awesome stuff
Whatched it live on tv, I thought he was out of it after the first 300.
Wottle must have been the best runner. Every time I watch this he wins.
I agree. I've watched it a few times as well and Wottle does indeed win most of the time it seems.
One of these days his luck will run out.
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
@@alnika6153 Dude. Do the math. This race was 50 years ago 😬🤦♀️
As an American I love this race. However, my favorite 800 meter runner was Alberto Juantorena.
Me too. No one else like 'white lightning'.
David Rudisha was better
He was a great 400m man as well.
Wottle rolled up looking like a dad taking his kids to Disney World and dropped one of the smartest races ever on em.
I can still remember watching this live as a wide eyed 8 year old and am still enamored watching it today.
Avevo 11 anni e stavo incollato alla TV in bianco e nero a guardare le olimpiadi..... Ne ricordo tantissimi , i taliani e non . Ma la mia memoria va a te Wattle e aNadia Comaneci....nell gare di paese sei stato la mia ispirazione. Quel cappellino in testabe quella tua tattica di stare in coda prima dell' ultimo giro. Sei stato una ispirazione, vederti gareggiare era pura gioia...certo a livello metaforico, La tua tattica di corsa è un' insegnamento di vita...🥇🙏🙏🙏🙏
The greatest race in the history of races.
What a run! Wottles second 200 was strong, giving him good position. His second 400 was magnificent.
Wottle did this in every round, but this time it was a shocker!
This still gives me goosebumps every time I see it and with the great David Coleman's commentary (did he win, I think he did).
Muazzam ve örnek bir yarış. Taktik, kendine güven, ciddiyet. Sporculuk. Teşekkürler usta Dave Wottle. -A huge and exemplary race. Tactics, self-confidence, seriousness. Sportsmanship.
Thank you, Master Dave Wottle-
Realmente tremendo. Increíble remontada. La última recta es de ensueño.
so inspiring
This is probably my favorite Olympic moment when I was a kid. Being from Ohio myself made it pretty special.
What confidence and courage to let the other runners lead for almost the whole race knowing he could pass them in the last 10 meters. Wow.
1) The others made a stupid positive split (52+54) vs equal split for Wottle (53+53) 2) he made the shortest distance keeping in lane 1 3) he was protected from the wind being behind 4) you surely run faster with a cap.
Great run! Thanks!
Heroic!! Well done sir!!
You don't need many racesto becomea legend...one race is enough
I appreciate that David Coleman can tell which one is Boit and which one is Ouko. The American commentary is famous and often-played since an American won this, but we just hear about “one Kenyan” and “the other Kenyan.”
Secretariat watched this race and ran the same strategy in the kentucky derby a year later
Announcer had no clue . He did not even mention Wottle as he moved up on the back stretch and walked everyone down.
Greatest race! Great call by announcer great crowd!
Great to hear the BBC version of this race its a classic
My all time favorite Olympic moment.
This is what's great about America...we had a guy like Pre who hammered from the gun and a guy like Wottle who only led in the last meter.
Great run and a wonderfully evocative David Coleman commentary. Thanks so much for this upload.
He barely made it throu the semis and prelims
Felt sick disnt want to run. Yet he ran the best 800 ever ran. Perfect splits. This is what i call runners illusion. He doesn't really speed up. it's just that everyone else slowed way down
Brilliant finish. Did the Russian get sent to Siberia afterwards?
Greatest comeback and racer ever, still get goosebumps every time I watch
Looks like Wottle was a similar distance behind the leader on the final bend as Coe was behind Ovett, though the latter finished much faster I assume. Would be interesting to compare the distances and times over the last 100/200m for 1972 and 1980
.
Actually Coe was closer to Ovett. Coe only ran the final 100m 0.1 faster than Ovett despite having Ovett as an open target (although that Deano character will claim Coe made up 15m over the last 70m lol). Coe's problem was that it was a 'slow' pace along with a very, very strong Ovett running a 50.8 final lap. Coe needed a fast race, but he let the field go out slowly giving everyone else a chance. Coe was not the best tactically over 800m despite his abilities. He had a bit more room for error over the 1500 obviously. Had Coe taken the field out in 49 - 50 in Moscow he'd probably have pulled off the double.
Yes having looked at the two races I can see that Coe was closer to Ovett than Wottle was to the leader. The earlier pace was also much slower in 1980 (over two seconds at the bell is significant). Ovett was also in excellent form and superior to the 1972 field. However, I think Coe's 400m speed was superior to Ovett's (46 sec 400m/45 sec relay I think), and he would have beaten Ovett if he'd been on his shoulder coming off the final bend. A 49-50 second pace at the bell, though it destroyed Coe in 1978, might have won him the race because Ovett could not handle a very fast pace (pb just outside 1:44), though the question is whether that pace would have affected Coe more if he had led. Would certainly be interesting to hear Deano's take lol. In his defence, he does back up much of what he says with stats.
Coe did not run a positive race. His 1500m was a positive, I will win attitude.
You assume wrong. The last lap of the 1980 800m was 50.8 seconds the fastest last 400m in an major 800m. Coe was finishing fast but Ovett had 5m on him at the bell. Coe’s last 200m was under 25 seconds.
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
@@APBCTechnique Coe was probably a half meter behind Ovett at the bell. Ultimately is doesn't much matter, because Coe lost and Wottle won. You've commented many times about the Russian getting bumped. There's a lot of what-ifs that could be played here. What if everyone had run their fastest time? Wottle, the world record holder at the time, would won by a decent margin. You say lucky, I say he wasn't foolish enough to try to go all out the first 200m of the race, stayed out of trouble, and finished well. All while battling tendinitis in his knee.
LEGEND!!!!
It is hard to time a race better than that. That cap was quite distinctive.
I remember watching this.
I hope I can get him r unning c.c. this season. He has 2:00 potential. Got him weight training a bit too.
Amazing performance , gutsy finish , it's tremendously inspiring watching him come from so far back , he had a great strategy laying back and saving the gas for the end , great lesson for life itself , pace yourself , I believe the good Lord Jesus had his hand on his shoulder and gave him the strength to pull it off !!
MAGNIFICENT!
NEVER GIVE UP!
I was still in elementary school at the time. And the only thing I remember about Wottle was the big deal they made about his wearing the hat. But I wish I could remember the details of this race too.
52 года прошло,у меня до сих пор,этот забег перед глазами....Я был убит финишем.
Dave's just so loose and free in the hips...everyone else is pushing- not flowing...
never..ever..give up..ever..Bradbury..
Always run your race and not your opponent‘s!!
Never underestimate anyone.
Wottle is the perfect last name for the winner of this race.
I have watched this race 100 times. I am trying to convince my young friends coach you don't have to lead the race ...run your race plus the kid is 6' 6". Everybody drafts and the team's won't wear tights in cold weather . He is tying up at about 550meters loses 7 9 seconds than catches his wind and has a ripping finish. Only a freshman at pr 2 1 9 but a 55 sec quarter man has potential. I show him this video all the time.
If Andy Carter had gone off at a slower pace and tracked Wottle instead of challenging Ouko and Boit, he could have come fourth.
Good point about Andy Carter. Also, if he'd run wide of the Polish athlete instead of losing momentum in the home straight, he would probably have got 4th.
@@bigbadjohn61 Yes they both got tangled up.
Was this on a Saturday or Sunday? I seem to remember being in my granny's little terrace house in York, maybe my dad had seen it earlier in the afternoon because he said Watch the guy in the hat. Could be my earliest athletics memory.
Saturday, 2nd September 1972.
Hace 50 años Wottle protagonizó la mayor machada de toda la historia de los Juegos Olímpicos.
During the medal ceremony,Dave forgot to remove his cap.Later,he got a call from the States.The caller said :"Hat on or hat off,you're still a Great American."Said Spiro Agnew.
Hurrah for my boy Wattle🤩
At 200 m Wottle was practically speaking out of the race, in this final. At 500 m into the race Wottle kicked for the fist time, when he saw Arzhanov go for the front position. Did Wottle know that Arzhanov would be his strongest oposition, who knows? Then again, in the last bend at about 670 m, Wottle kicked for the second time and made progress. Finally at about 750 m Wottle kicked for the finish - and incredibly beat Arzhanov. 3 kicks by Wottle. Tactically genius! What a race and what a cold fish Wottle was.
Arzhanov was the heavy favorite going into this race so, yes, Wottle knew he would be his strongest opponent.
@@normanlinden5786 And what I find often gets left out in these discussions was that at the time of that race Wottle was the co-World Record holder @ 800m, yes he had been hurt after the Olympic Trials [where he tied the World Record] but in many ways he was still the class of the field. He has candidly admitted in many interviews that the fact the first lap was 52 and not 50 allowed him to be in position to kick for the win.
@@carlrossi7989 - excellent post. So many times I've read articles or watched videos of this race and the writers seem to imply that he was a virtual unknown going in and his win was a huge upset. As "TheCitroenCX" noted above, Wottle ran a tactically brilliant race.
He ran about 26.4 - 26.5 for each 200. Same pace the whole race. They went fast the first 200 and paid for it the last 200.
That’s a Performance Enhancing Baseball Cap.
(Sorry, I’m not sure if it’s a baseball cap but it’s definitely a cap!) 😊
Wish I had a nickel for every time I've watched this race! 🏆🍻🤙❤
So weird to not hear Jim McKay announce it
I watched it live on my parents black and white TV
Simply awesome , ladies and gentlemen ! This comeback in the very final forty / fifty meters reminds me a lot about Alberto Cova's incredible victory in the 10000 meters men's final at the 1983 IAAF Athletic World Championships in Helsinki
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
NICE TO WATCH IT
What a great race by D. W.! Gutsy!!!!
WTF? Why have all the David Wottle vids been taken down? This is the 4th I've tried. Is this a "me" problem, or do others have the same issue?
Hi...I actually stopped uploading stuff sometime ago because of this problem...it's incredibly random though clips from the Olympics seem to be pulled up more than most and it may well be it changes depending which country you are streaming from? I don't monetise any of my videos but someone is making a few cents out of these... really cheesed off over the Seb Coe vids I put on and were subsequently removed for " copyright infringement " when they are still available on the Tube.
Confused? Oh yeah....
Wottle is behind because hes the only one running at the proper pace for a strong kick at the finish. Everyone else is out too fast, and they all fade. Russian totally breaks down at end
Phénoménal 👏👏👏👏
If he’d lost in a photo finish we could blame the wind drag on the cap!
Dave ran the perfect race. He played chess while everyone else was playing checkers.
Arzhanov was bumped!
ARZHANOV IS MY IDOL
Seems like the Russian was bumped by the German illegally and the Russian lost 5m and then got bumped a second time going back. Without this bump the Russian would’ve be 5m clear at the finish. The Russian lost energy gaining back his position at 350m to go which then lost his sprint. The American was lucky. Being out of trouble and running even pace paid dividends for him.
The Russian had a bad race and was unlucky to be bumped
Forget all the hoopla about STOP PRE, there should've been shirts saying Wottle the Throttle.