In the early 80's I ran the 400 at a D1 school. Not great, but not awful either. Then, I decided I would try a 800 meter run. OMG. I ran a 66 first lap and then died to run a 68 lap or so. There is NO comparison between a 400 sprinter and an 800 mid distance runner. Those who run it successfully are other-worldly. I was not. Juantorena is something off the charts. He is still the GOAT of this double.
@@kenkur27 Hi Ken, myself and 2 mates are from New Zealand. We didn't have ANY tickets for the athletics. But we found out that, each day, any spare or returned/unsold tickets would be sold in the morning. So, we lined up at around 3 am each day and even slept the night before the final day of athletics (on concrete), outside the ticket booths. Managed to buy tickets every day. Made our trip worthwhile! Cheers.
Must've cost alot. I went there with my dad. I got to see this race. I was 13. It inspired me to stay in track. I ran the hurdles but I ran one 800 in under two minutes.
Great to see Sriram Sahab lead the race at half way mark ! He is big Hero for us in India. His record stood for 40years. The world has gone ahead, however Indian Middle Distance Running has not improved. I was lucky to see him train for this Olympics. His training was intense, and one of the Workouts had 100 Strides of 100 m each in India Gate Lawns. Once , I asked him , if he did that, he replied , maybe it was 70 or 80 ! I have never seen a more modest achiever ! Pranam to the Great man
He was a phenomenal runner not bulked up but just relying on natural strength,ability,the heart of a lion and great love and pride for his country. Magnificent!
stantheman5657 Absolutely a STUD ⚡️⚡️⭐️💖 The ONLY MAN EVER to WIN BOTH 800 & 400 ! Nobody will EVER to what this man did in 1976 🌈 I was 13 , it was a fantastic time !
@@depaola63 I think Athing Mu of USA could do this phenomenal rarely attempted double in three years if she trains hard, avoids injury and does not lose her form. She has the best chance of any athlete that I’ve ever seen since Al J. In 1976.
Was 12 years old then, when I watched these Olympic competitions on TV in 🇸🇪! At that time I played both football and ice hockey in the same sports association. Never forget Mr. Juantorena 💪🇨🇺
Alberto Juantorena of Cuba, the only man in Olympic history to win gold medals in both the 800 and 400 metres races at the same meeting. With his phenomenal ten-foot stride, he was destined for greatness anyway but that? A true athletic legend! MsG
I was in the stands that day and everyday of athletics. The amazing thing was the silence that fell over 70000 people every time Juantorena entered the stadium. He really was the hero of that O's.
Great memories. Did you notice the runner in blue vest -Sriram Singh of India ? He was in lead momentarily but could not keep up but his timing stood still as an Asian record for 18 years and a national record for 42 years !!!
Juantoureno...a god given talent...who trained hard...his greatest attribute is that he actually raced his competition ..took their challenge and spit them out...the worst day of Rick Wollhouter's life!
This was my guy as I was coming up. Didn't run well till I became a masters runner in 400/800. Set WR in 45-49 age group 800m in 1:54.18. I was 45. Just missed WR in same age group in 400m, 50.24. Had a memorable masters career.
He will be the only man to ever win these two events in the same Olympics or World Championships. The 400m runners are long sprinters and the 800m runners are middle distance runners with more speed than other middle distance runners. Nobody is both. At the time he did this we all thought that in the future the 800m and future 800m records would be dominated by big 400m runners who moved up to the 800. Mostly this hasn't been the case although David Rudisha is probably what we had in mind. Juantorena is still a legendary hero and a national treasure in Cuba.
He had a 9 FOOT STRIDE !! and it shows !! He was my favorite runner ever and what he did in the 76' games ( I was 13) ....WILL NEVER be done again !! Beautiful runner !! 400/800 double GOLD !! UNREAL !!
Nicky Depaola, we a ImaSportsphile want to thank you so much for your comment....for it "es un espina en mis corazone"....it hits the purpose of our webpage in the center of our heart....as our greatest joy is to bring back fond memories of an event and participant that made a lasting impression in that fan's heart and soul.....as our 2300 hrs. of vintage content....of which we have currently posted 20% of the entire library (500 hrs.) after 2 yrs of continuously postng videos to our site....cuz it's our opinion that these athletes, entertainers, musicians, comedians, artists, broadcasters, et al....deserve to be remembered for those awesome moments that their talents brought to us the fans.....and they are being forgotten for their greatness by a world too soon to forget greatness....so, when one of our viewers (4.5 million in 2 years) takes time to relate one of THEIR special moments that all fans of talent have....one that is etched in their minds the moment they see it....and we at ImaSportsphile get to be a part of those fan's memories coming back to them in such a way that the can play it over and over again....to their heart's desire....just like it was yesterday.
@@cy8685 Coe never won the 800 in the Olympics. He finished second twice in that event. He won the 1500 twice, though, which he is the only one to have ever managed. On the other hand, Peter Snell won both the 800 and 1500 in 1964. All that being said, I'm not sure how winning the 800/1500 double is harder than winning the 400/800 double. There have been quite a few examples of runners competing in both the 800 and 1500 while I can't think of anyone but Juantorena for the 400 and 800. The 400 is a very difficult race.
@@zstepohznrebrenhoirer7 My mistake on Coe. But the 800/1500 is OBVIOUSLY a harder double than the 400/800. The longer the race, the more recovery required and the more difficult it is to add another race to your schedule. If you've ever done distance running, you know this.
@@cy8685 Sorry but the use of the word "obviously" in caps doesn't make your assertion true. Far from it. As a matter of fact I used to be a mediocre 400-800 runner in high school, as well as a cross country runner. I've run pretty much every distance competitively from the 400 to the marathon. But my running experience is not the point. By your logic, doubling at the 5000 and 10000 should be even harder than doubling at the 800 and 1500. Yet, nine athletes have managed to do it. Two of them have even managed to do it twice (Viren and Farrah). Whereas doubling at the 400 and 800 has only been managed once and the achievement probably won't be replicated. Juantorena was one of a kind. Even runners like Wariner and Rudisha who could have given it a go haven't dared to try. Your mistake is to think that the only relevant factor in all this is recovery, when what actually matters is genetics.
IF only the Olympics had been a year later. And IF only we hadn't lost Ivo Van Damme in a car accident (RIP). Imagine that...Juantorena vs Van Damme vs Ovett (and Boit of course!) Now THAT would have been something to see...
I remember him coming to Jamaica in 1979 I think, for an invitational race... Bert Cameron of St. Jago, just coming out of high school, and losing to Ian Stapleton of KC at Boy's Championships challenged him at the end of the race, but Juantorena gave a massive kick and won. Awesome race! Great memories, also marking the beginning of the rise of Cameron's domination in the 400m.
Back then I heard he initially was playing basketball and a track coach either noticed or was alerted to how fast he covered the court. The track coach was allowed to take him to the track for a workout. Without prep or coaching, Juantorena ran a 50 flat quarter in sneakers on a cinder track ... and the rest is history.
I am so thankful that I could see this 42 years later. I was glued to the radio as a 12 year old hoping that my hero Sri Sriram Singh would pull a miracle and get a medal. It wasn't meant to happen.
Raj Pillai, thank you so much for this comment....as it speaks to the very core of why we have spent the better part of the past 3 years posting 2500 vintages videos like this one on our site at wwww.imasportsphile.com .....for the memories from the events and the participants conjure up so many wonderful memories of folks and events that need to be remembered....in a world that is too soon to forget. We are so happy to have provided this memory for you.
Our family was there for both of Juantorena's races. I'll never forget those days in the stadium. As a young guy (13), I hadn't heard of Juantorena before. I remember being very disappointed that Rick Wolhuter didn't win the 800. Sadly, the Belgian Ivo Van Damme, who finished 2nd in both the 800 and the 1,500, was killed in a car accident the following year.
Watched alive. It was a good race . At that time. Alberto Juantorena specially thanked Shri Ram Singh for helping him break the then record. As he felt that the pace set by Shri Ram Singh set a good pace . Though Shri Ram Singh was placed Seventh. But Ram's timing was Asian Record. 1' 45.6 ''
Alberto Juantorena is a 400 meter sprinter. In the olympics there are too many heats to run so running a 44.26 final is very good. Again with out all those heats I am more than sure he would have broke 43.8 seconds. The 800 meters was something new for Juantorena he pretty much jogged the heats. But in the final the pace in the first lap was perfect until Shri Ram Singh raced to the front and slowed down the pace and nearly caused a group collision. Not more than 3 seconds later Juantorena put the pedal to the metal and finished in 1:43.4. Three seconds wasted! This would have been 1:40.4 with no problem.
John, thanks for your comment.....I just love sports fans who have an opinion and like to express it....if you enjoyed this video check out the 1300 videos I have posted at www.imasportsphile.com .....and keep checking in over the next couple of years.....as I have another 2000 hours of sports, comedy and music left to post.
Thanks for bringing these back. I remember watching Alberto on my 18th birthday - he inspired me to keep on running the 800 into college. LOL, there was a lot of friendly Cuban "commie" ranking back then; but, again - it was more American pride than anything else. Alberto deserved his praise. If I recall, the U.S. men had a really good track and field team in The '76 Olympics. We were willing to let Alberto share in some of the glory. His huge stride was unbelievable, and one wonders what he would have done 4 years later in 1980.
jeffry hammel, thanks for this personal and heartfelt comment of tribute to Alberto Juantorena....who was indeed inspiring....as we at ImaSportsphile are happy that you enjoyed this vintage Olympics video....and remember we currently have 2000 videos just like this one posted on our webpage in tribute to those athletes of the past in a world that is too soon forgetting their talents and accomplishments.
I'm a CUBAN-AMERICAN who is SUPER PROUD of CUBANS (BEFORE COMMUNIST Fidel Castro took over)... SADLY, By 1976, Cuba was ONLY sending COMMUNISTS to the Olympics... Though my PARENTS LOST EVERYTHING to COMMUNISM, they ESCAPED and MADE me the PROUD CUBAN-AMERICAN I am today... HOPE Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio ONE DAY become the PRESIDENT of the United States of America!!!!! CUBA LIBRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I ran high school track and cross country back in the early 70's. As a middle distance runner I competed in the mile, 880, mile relay and sometimes anchored a mile medley relay team, but never the open 880. I never say a distance runner run the open quarter, or a quarter miler run the 880. I was awe stricken when I saw Alberto win gold in the metric quarter and half mile in 76. He surprised the hell out of a lot of milers and half milers. Nowaday's I hear it's common for quarter milers to compete in the half mile too. Times have changed.
The fastest electronically timed non-altitude 400m at this time was that of Vince Matthews, 44.66, from the '72 Olympics. Both Juantorena and Newhouse bested it in this race.
Alberto was basically a pro runner. He trained full time. Given everything by Cuban state. Same as Russians and east Germans. Tremendous advantage he had.
Jose Duarte, thanks for your comment....as you have no idea how much it means to those of us at Ima Sportsphile who have the daunting task of posting the entire 2300 hours of vintage videos on our site....as comments like yours inspire us to keep on keeping on until every video is posted....for when one of the participants in our video was the inspiration for another athlete to follow in their footsteps....that is the best. Definitivamente era un figura inolvidable !!
The 800m and 400m were in two different 'sessions' at the Montreal Olympics, so there wasn't any overlap of heats and finals. Rumor was the IOC set it up that way for publicity purposes as Alberto was so dominate in those two races back then. These days the races are grouped differently to allow doubling up, but by 800m/1500m and 200m/400m. Not possible to do the 400m/800m anymore.
El Caballo. Best long sprinter ever. The equivalent of Coe and Johnson in one. One of a kind. Routed hard for Wohlhuter and Newhouse but was mesmerized by Juantorena.
Bruce your comment pretty much sums up my feeling as I watched Juantorena as a 20 year old college quatermiler in 76...I literally couldnt believe what I was seeing. That cat changed my life.
When I was a kid in Panama the athletes in Cuban squad were my heroes... it made believe that if the Cubans can, then so can the rest of Latin America... . Just more government support and its possible..
I might remembered his time 1976, time; was 1.43.50 ?, in this race 76. Van Damme(R.I.P.) fantastic. One of the most beutiful 800m Finals ever. Juantorena like a Gaselle, van Damme, super talented, nearly got him. I was 12..very good memories:)
Alberto Juantorena is a 400 meter sprinter. 9 foot strides can jog a 45 second quarter mile. In the Olympics there are too many heats to run so running a 44.26 final is very good. Again with out all those heats I am more than sure he would have broke 43.8 seconds. The 800 meters was something new for Juantorena he pretty much jogged the heats. But in the final the pace in the first lap was perfect until Shri Ram Singh raced to the front and slowed down the pace and nearly caused a group collision. Not more than 3 seconds later Juantorena put the pedal to the metal and finished in 1:43.4. Three seconds wasted! This would have been 1:40.4 with no problem. No difference between Alberto Juantorena and David Rudisha. Just the date.
What many people have forgotten is that John Walker, from New Zealand, attempted the 800m as well but never managed to get through the heats to make the final cause he just wasn't fast enough! Later, in the 1500m, with Ivo van Damme and Rick Wolhuter breathing down his neck plus other former 800m runners, he outkicked them all on the last lap of a slow 1500m. Now that was remarkable! Cheers.
Bayi had become far less consistent by 1976. And even if he was there he wouldnt have made the final because he had got malaria. After that illness he was never really the same over 1500m. Then faster athletes came along better than both Walker and Bayi.
@@rjh6037 Yes, you are completely correct. It meant there was no real pacesetter for the 76 Montreal 1500m final, making for a slow race. All those current and former 800m runners all "sat" and waited, hoping to scoop the gold on the last lap. Making Walkers effort even greater to hold them off. Cheers.
After Juantorena's feats in the 800, many assumed the best 800 meter runners of the future would be big horses like him. Then just three years later, along came a 5'9" whippet named Sebastian Coe, who took huge chunks off of Juantorena's record. You just never know.
@@johnrogan9420 Not only do you not know how to spell, you know nothing about rEPO. The human human erythropoietin gene wasn't even sequenced until 1985, so rEPO didn't exist when Coe ran his best times. So your claim is garbage.
Carl, thanks for your comment.....as it motivated me to watch the video again....and you are absolutely correct in your analogy....and since I have so much more Olympics and track & field already posted on my webpage at www.imasportsphile.com .....I think you will find more interesting videos to view.
Carl, thanks for your comment....for Juantorena in this video definitely looks to outclass the other worldclass athletes in this race.....and I have many more track and field videos in my Olympics and Other Sports sections of my webpage at www.imasportsphile.com
jorarmona, thanks for the comment....for in this lil ole chiweenie Sportsphiles opinion....el caballo was the perfect nickname for Juantorena.....also, I have a lot more track and field videos already posted at www.imasportsphile.com
F. Scott Fitzgerald, thanks for your comment....for in our opinion at ImaSportsphile....Juantorena was certainly on the top shelf with the rest of the great 800m runners like Rudisha, Snell, Coe, Whitfield, Moens, Kipketer and Harbig....but he didn't hold the top spot in the world long enough to deserve the title of GOAT.
So, do both of you folks thinks Michael Johnson's 200m / 400m golds at Atlanta in 1996 are equal to Juantoreno's "GOAT" and "double GOLD will NEVER be done again"?
@@imasportsphileiii6483 In my opinion, they are both equal and incredible performances, in the same league as El G's 2004 Olympic Gold Medals in the 1500 & 5K!
Notice that the race was run in lanes until the 300m mark, I like that, it brings the speed out and cuts down on bumping and elbowing on the first turn, however, it was abolished after 1976 because the fans did not like it and officials thought being in the outside lanes would be a disadvantage, if they seed them it would not matter, the 400 is run that way, being a track athlete I wish they would bring it back, especially in big meets.
We at ImaSportsphile web page responsible for posting this video along with 2400 other vintage videos we've posted....really appreciate when a viewer takes time to make a thought provoking comment.....as we feel suggestion is worthy of consideration by those who make those decisions.
Eleuthero5, thanks for your comment.....for it is "spot on"....as we are glad you enjoyed one of the 1500+ vintage sports, comedy and music videos that we have posted at www.imasportsphile.com....as we are sure there are many more in our Olympics and Other Sports - Track and Field sections that you will enjoy also....plus, you might want to bookmark our site and not rely on utube....cuz we have 9,000 more vintage videos to post and are using 100 different channels under different names on the tube solely as weigh stations for our 2300 hours of content that we are posting on our site.
The training and the competition currently will make this superhuman feat never be repeated. A 400 with crazy top speed and also strong speed endurance. A 800 with good speed and strong endurance. No one ever medals even in both only good 400/800 m runners besides him are Emmanuel Korir, David Rudisha and Sebastian Coe.
gakaface, thanks for your comment....for it motivates me to continue my daunting quest to post 2300 hrs of vintage sports, comedy and music at www.imasportsphile.com ....and with 1400 videos (370 hrs) currently posted.....I have a great deal of "amazing footage" for your viewing pleasure....so enjoy!
Younger T&F fans might not know this but when Alberto won the 800m title and broke the world record, the received wisdom was that this was the 800m physique of the future . 6ft 2in and 180pds plus. A 400m specialist who could push that huge frame up to 800m. Then Coe arrived. 5ft 9ins and 130 pds plus. Well, there you go.
Rick Wohlhuter had the misfortune to peak in a non Olympic year, 1974 when he would have walked the gold. He was too lightweight in this company and overpowered by Juantorena and Van Damme. I think if he hadn't tried to take on 'El Caballo' on the back straight he may have had enough strength to finish second. He seemed to ease up right at the end in disappointment and it was a shame that in a race where the world record was broken he didn't at least equal his own personal best.
The commentator is wrong to say Juantorena was the first Cuban to win a medal in track and field. Enrique Figuerola won the bronze in the 100 metres in 1964 behind Bob Hayes and Harry Jerome
The commentator appeared to be in a coma. He did not even think that the end of the race was worthy of comment. He should be commentating in a morgue - the doctor is now removing the heart, snooze, and now trying to locate the spleen, longer snooze, etc. In fact, that's where they probably found this guy. Prone of course.
If the Olympics had a Hall of Fame, no doubt Alberto Juantorena would be in it right now!!!
In the early 80's I ran the 400 at a D1 school. Not great, but not awful either. Then, I decided I would try a 800 meter run. OMG. I ran a 66 first lap and then died to run a 68 lap or so. There is NO comparison between a 400 sprinter and an 800 mid distance runner. Those who run it successfully are other-worldly. I was not. Juantorena is something off the charts. He is still the GOAT of this double.
I was in the stands and saw both the 800m and 400m finals (and heats). Fantastic. We watched all of the athletics.
So did I, except for the last day (couldn't get ticket), which was too bad as I didn't get to see our Canadian Greg Joy win silver in the high jump.
@@kenkur27 Hi Ken, myself and 2 mates are from New Zealand. We didn't have ANY tickets for the athletics. But we found out that, each day, any spare or returned/unsold tickets would be sold in the morning. So, we lined up at around 3 am each day and even slept the night before the final day of athletics (on concrete), outside the ticket booths. Managed to buy tickets every day. Made our trip worthwhile! Cheers.
Must've cost alot. I went there with my dad. I got to see this race. I was 13. It inspired me to stay in track. I ran the hurdles but I ran one 800 in under two minutes.
@@kenkur27
I watched the entire olympics1976 ...1980....1984..
I was the editor of a sports magazine.
That’s right , well said: the horse/el caballo 🙌
Alberto Juantorena, The Horse. Long live The Horse!
Absolutely FANTASTIC what this man did in July of 1976 ⭐️ I was 13 and this was a wonderful time to have been a kid ❤️Alberto ran BEAUTIFUL 💪
Great to see Sriram Sahab lead the race at half way mark ! He is big Hero for us in India. His record stood for 40years. The world has gone ahead, however Indian Middle Distance Running has not improved. I was lucky to see him train for this Olympics. His training was intense, and one of the Workouts had 100 Strides of 100 m each in India Gate Lawns. Once , I asked him , if he did that, he replied , maybe it was 70 or 80 ! I have never seen a more modest achiever ! Pranam to the Great man
It was because of Sahab's first lap that the world record was broken.
❤🙏🏻 respect
@@redrum4100 True and Alberto Juantorena credited Sriram for setting the pace
Yes very true and Shivnath Singh finished 11th in marathon. I think he still holds the national record for marathon even after 45+ years have gone by.
He was a phenomenal runner not bulked up but just relying on natural strength,ability,the heart of a lion and great love and pride for his country.
Magnificent!
That's my man, Juantorena who is an Olympic legend.
stantheman5657 Absolutely a STUD ⚡️⚡️⭐️💖 The ONLY MAN EVER to WIN BOTH 800 & 400 ! Nobody will EVER to what this man did in 1976 🌈 I was 13 , it was a fantastic time !
@@depaola63 I think Athing Mu of USA could do this phenomenal rarely attempted double in three years if she trains hard, avoids injury and does not lose her form. She has the best chance of any athlete that I’ve ever seen since Al J. In 1976.
the heart of lions allows for only very short sprints though... :)
Was 12 years old then, when I watched these Olympic competitions on TV in 🇸🇪!
At that time I played both football and ice hockey in the same sports association. Never forget Mr. Juantorena 💪🇨🇺
Alberto Juantorena of Cuba, the only man in Olympic history to win gold medals in both the 800 and 400 metres races at the same meeting. With his phenomenal ten-foot stride, he was destined for greatness anyway but that? A true athletic legend!
MsG
I’ve never seen anybody with such a perfect stride when running. EL CABALLO!!!
Apparently you haven't seen David Rudisha at the London 2012 Games. That was the most awesome 800 m race in history so far.
One of best runners of all time!
Thanks, I was running the 880 and 4x440 relays in high school in 76. I remember this well. He is so big and strong yet fluid and graceful.
I was in the stands that day and everyday of athletics. The amazing thing was the silence that fell over 70000 people every time Juantorena entered the stadium. He really was the hero of that O's.
And his PEDs
Great memories. Did you notice the runner in blue vest -Sriram Singh of India ? He was in lead momentarily but could not keep up but his timing stood still as an Asian record for 18 years and a national record for 42 years !!!
Simply incredible athlete....I can't say any more.
The Indian sriram sigh set the asian record that stood 20 years.
Coming from a fellow Indian he got guts to overtake the race favourite
He was a beast.Simply superb runner.
Juantoureno...a god given talent...who trained hard...his greatest attribute is that he actually raced his competition
..took their challenge and spit them out...the worst day of Rick Wollhouter's life!
This was my guy as I was coming up. Didn't run well till I became a masters runner in 400/800. Set WR in 45-49 age group 800m in 1:54.18. I was 45. Just missed WR in same age group in 400m, 50.24. Had a memorable masters career.
your post is motivation for me age 57
Amazing times !!
@Just think my HS records still stand from '70-'71. 440/880 man. Cinder tracks too. 2 years won every event. JHS Monroe Michigan.
@Just think hi
He will be the only man to ever win these two events in the same Olympics or World Championships. The 400m runners are long sprinters and the 800m runners are middle distance runners with more speed than other middle distance runners. Nobody is both. At the time he did this we all thought that in the future the 800m and future 800m records would be dominated by big 400m runners who moved up to the 800. Mostly this hasn't been the case although David Rudisha is probably what we had in mind. Juantorena is still a legendary hero and a national treasure in Cuba.
A beast who managed all those heats and saved his best for the finals.
Love of country. No BS politics.
As I remember, he was a Fidel bootlicker, so there was plenty politics there.
He had a 9 FOOT STRIDE !! and it shows !! He was my favorite runner ever and what he did in the 76' games ( I was 13) ....WILL NEVER be done again !! Beautiful runner !! 400/800 double GOLD !! UNREAL !!
Nicky Depaola, we a ImaSportsphile want to thank you so much for your comment....for it "es un espina en mis corazone"....it hits the purpose of our webpage in the center of our heart....as our greatest joy is to bring back fond memories of an event and participant that made a lasting impression in that fan's heart and soul.....as our 2300 hrs. of vintage content....of which we have currently posted 20% of the entire library (500 hrs.) after 2 yrs of continuously postng videos to our site....cuz it's our opinion that these athletes, entertainers, musicians, comedians, artists, broadcasters, et al....deserve to be remembered for those awesome moments that their talents brought to us the fans.....and they are being forgotten for their greatness by a world too soon to forget greatness....so, when one of our viewers (4.5 million in 2 years) takes time to relate one of THEIR special moments that all fans of talent have....one that is etched in their minds the moment they see it....and we at ImaSportsphile get to be a part of those fan's memories coming back to them in such a way that the can play it over and over again....to their heart's desire....just like it was yesterday.
Sebatian Coe (84) and Kelly Holmes (04) have won both 800 and 1500 in the same Olympics - obviously a tougher double than 400/800.
@@cy8685 Coe never won the 800 in the Olympics. He finished second twice in that event. He won the 1500 twice, though, which he is the only one to have ever managed. On the other hand, Peter Snell won both the 800 and 1500 in 1964.
All that being said, I'm not sure how winning the 800/1500 double is harder than winning the 400/800 double. There have been quite a few examples of runners competing in both the 800 and 1500 while I can't think of anyone but Juantorena for the 400 and 800. The 400 is a very difficult race.
@@zstepohznrebrenhoirer7 My mistake on Coe. But the 800/1500 is OBVIOUSLY a harder double than the 400/800. The longer the race, the more recovery required and the more difficult it is to add another race to your schedule. If you've ever done distance running, you know this.
@@cy8685 Sorry but the use of the word "obviously" in caps doesn't make your assertion true. Far from it. As a matter of fact I used to be a mediocre 400-800 runner in high school, as well as a cross country runner. I've run pretty much every distance competitively from the 400 to the marathon. But my running experience is not the point.
By your logic, doubling at the 5000 and 10000 should be even harder than doubling at the 800 and 1500. Yet, nine athletes have managed to do it. Two of them have even managed to do it twice (Viren and Farrah). Whereas doubling at the 400 and 800 has only been managed once and the achievement probably won't be replicated.
Juantorena was one of a kind. Even runners like Wariner and Rudisha who could have given it a go haven't dared to try.
Your mistake is to think that the only relevant factor in all this is recovery, when what actually matters is genetics.
I was 24 and recall fondly, watching that Cuban who ran like a gazelle. Lovely!
IF only the Olympics had been a year later. And IF only we hadn't lost Ivo Van Damme in a car accident (RIP). Imagine that...Juantorena vs Van Damme vs Ovett (and Boit of course!) Now THAT would have been something to see...
I remember him coming to Jamaica in 1979 I think, for an invitational race... Bert Cameron of St. Jago, just coming out of high school, and losing to Ian Stapleton of KC at Boy's Championships challenged him at the end of the race, but Juantorena gave a massive kick and won. Awesome race! Great memories, also marking the beginning of the rise of Cameron's domination in the 400m.
It's amazing to see again Yvo Vandamme ❤
I remember these shows. That guy was the best announcer. He did a lot of NFL films, too.
Back then I heard he initially was playing basketball and a track coach either noticed or was alerted to how fast he covered the court. The track coach was allowed to take him to the track for a workout. Without prep or coaching, Juantorena ran a 50 flat quarter in sneakers on a cinder track ... and the rest is history.
Yes, the coach was from Poland.
I am so thankful that I could see this 42 years later. I was glued to the radio as a 12 year old hoping that my hero Sri Sriram Singh would pull a miracle and get a medal. It wasn't meant to happen.
Raj Pillai, thank you so much for this comment....as it speaks to the very core of why we have spent the better part of the past 3 years posting 2500 vintages videos like this one on our site at wwww.imasportsphile.com .....for the memories from the events and the participants conjure up so many wonderful memories of folks and events that need to be remembered....in a world that is too soon to forget. We are so happy to have provided this memory for you.
At least he went for it...Rick should have gone with him...might have broken Alberto's confidence!
Our family was there for both of Juantorena's races. I'll never forget those days in the stadium. As a young guy (13), I hadn't heard of Juantorena before. I remember being very disappointed that Rick Wolhuter didn't win the 800. Sadly, the Belgian Ivo Van Damme, who finished 2nd in both the 800 and the 1,500, was killed in a car accident the following year.
Sad...his second place finish and good sportsmanship after the race were impressive...rip Ivo
Watched alive. It was a good race . At that time. Alberto Juantorena specially thanked Shri Ram Singh for helping him break the then record. As he felt that the pace set by Shri Ram Singh set a good pace .
Though Shri Ram Singh was placed Seventh. But Ram's timing was Asian Record. 1' 45.6 ''
Alberto Juantorena is a 400 meter sprinter. In the olympics there are too many heats to run so running a 44.26 final is very good. Again with out all those heats I am more than sure he would have broke 43.8 seconds. The 800 meters was something new for Juantorena he pretty much jogged the heats. But in the final the pace in the first lap was perfect until Shri Ram Singh raced to the front and slowed down the pace and nearly caused a group collision. Not more than 3 seconds later Juantorena put the pedal to the metal and finished in 1:43.4. Three seconds wasted! This would have been 1:40.4 with no problem.
Rick was in position to win...just ran into a horse that day named Alberto Juantorena!
John, thanks for your comment.....I just love sports fans who have an opinion and like to express it....if you enjoyed this video check out the 1300 videos I have posted at www.imasportsphile.com .....and keep checking in over the next couple of years.....as I have another 2000 hours of sports, comedy and music left to post.
.... except that Rick was 3rd. So even without Juantorena, he still wouldn't have won.
Thanks for bringing these back. I remember watching Alberto on my 18th birthday - he inspired me to keep on running the 800 into college. LOL, there was a lot of friendly Cuban "commie" ranking back then; but, again - it was more American pride than anything else. Alberto deserved his praise. If I recall, the U.S. men had a really good track and field team in The '76 Olympics. We were willing to let Alberto share in some of the glory. His huge stride was unbelievable, and one wonders what he would have done 4 years later in 1980.
jeffry hammel, thanks for this personal and heartfelt comment of tribute to Alberto Juantorena....who was indeed inspiring....as we at ImaSportsphile are happy that you enjoyed this vintage Olympics video....and remember we currently have 2000 videos just like this one posted on our webpage in tribute to those athletes of the past in a world that is too soon forgetting their talents and accomplishments.
He got too many injuries right at the beginning of his career, if not, he would have certainly made better marks.
I'm a CUBAN-AMERICAN who is SUPER PROUD of CUBANS (BEFORE COMMUNIST Fidel Castro took over)... SADLY, By 1976, Cuba was ONLY sending COMMUNISTS to the Olympics... Though my PARENTS LOST EVERYTHING to COMMUNISM, they ESCAPED and MADE me the PROUD CUBAN-AMERICAN I am today... HOPE Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio ONE DAY become the PRESIDENT of the United States of America!!!!! CUBA LIBRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ddaeng!
I ran high school track and cross country back in the early 70's. As a middle distance runner I competed in the mile, 880, mile relay and sometimes anchored a mile medley relay team, but never the open 880. I never say a distance runner run the open quarter, or a quarter miler run the 880. I was awe stricken when I saw Alberto win gold in the metric quarter and half mile in 76. He surprised the hell out of a lot of milers and half milers. Nowaday's I hear it's common for quarter milers to compete in the half mile too. Times have changed.
The fastest electronically timed non-altitude 400m at this time was that of Vince Matthews, 44.66, from the '72 Olympics. Both Juantorena and Newhouse bested it in this race.
the olympiad!
loved this series
El Elegante de la pista
Да, был такой выдающийся кубинский легкоатлет Альберто Хуанторена
Quite an athlete. Quite a humble guy.
Supreme confidence...actually raced against his competitors!
Alberto was basically a pro runner. He trained full time. Given everything by Cuban state. Same as Russians and east Germans. Tremendous advantage he had.
What's your point?
@@lancegiles9250 You cannot understand ?
Ivo van Damme , second in the 800 m in Montreal , died in car accident 5 months after this final.
May he rest in peace...
makes you wonder if he would have challenged ovett and coe(yes i know ovett was in this race)later on
RiposainPace IvoVanDamme .
Amazing runner!
Super athlete.
His performance inspired me to run track and eventually compete in Europe. ¡Figura inolvidable!
Jose Duarte, thanks for your comment....as you have no idea how much it means to those of us at Ima Sportsphile who have the daunting task of posting the entire 2300 hours of vintage videos on our site....as comments like yours inspire us to keep on keeping on until every video is posted....for when one of the participants in our video was the inspiration for another athlete to follow in their footsteps....that is the best. Definitivamente era un figura inolvidable !!
Imasportsphile III Thank you for your contribution. Los felicito.
No one so far has matched his victory in sprint and middle distance event of 400M and 800m in olympics
Unique double has to be a 1 off I've never heard of it before
Will not ever be done again 😳
@@depaola63 Yeah, we'll never see this double again. I don't even know how this was possible. Sheer insanity
@@EliHank Absolutely 💎💥💥He was a once in a lifetime runner! 💎
The 800m and 400m were in two different 'sessions' at the Montreal Olympics, so there wasn't any overlap of heats and finals. Rumor was the IOC set it up that way for publicity purposes as Alberto was so dominate in those two races back then. These days the races are grouped differently to allow doubling up, but by 800m/1500m and 200m/400m. Not possible to do the 400m/800m anymore.
El Caballo. Best long sprinter ever. The equivalent of Coe and Johnson in one. One of a kind. Routed hard for Wohlhuter and Newhouse but was mesmerized by Juantorena.
Alberto actually raced his comperitors... I am skeptical of even the Kenyans like Rudisha...wire to wire like a doped up greyhound...
Bruce your comment pretty much sums up my feeling as I watched Juantorena as a 20 year old college quatermiler in 76...I literally couldnt believe what I was seeing. That cat changed my life.
When I was a kid in Panama the athletes in Cuban squad were my heroes... it made believe that if the Cubans can, then so can the rest of Latin America... . Just more government support and its possible..
I might remembered his time 1976, time; was 1.43.50 ?, in this race 76. Van Damme(R.I.P.) fantastic. One of the most beutiful 800m Finals ever. Juantorena like a Gaselle, van Damme, super talented, nearly got him. I was 12..very good memories:)
Juantorena and boxer Stevenson changed the Cuban sports forever outside of baseball with bring home gold medals in the Olympics.
Rick totally broke in the final yards..."look what he did to Blue....ran him to death"...Cool Hand Luke
Classic
Remember this race well in 1976. Juantorena was unbeatable. His 9ft stride was incredible.
White Lightning and Teofilo Stephenson, Cuba's Best two of all time!
Alberto Juantorena is a 400 meter sprinter. 9 foot strides can jog a 45 second quarter mile. In the Olympics there are too many heats to run so running a 44.26 final is very good. Again with out all those heats I am more than sure he would have broke 43.8 seconds. The 800 meters was something new for Juantorena he pretty much jogged the heats. But in the final the pace in the first lap was perfect until Shri Ram Singh raced to the front and slowed down the pace and nearly caused a group collision. Not more than 3 seconds later Juantorena put the pedal to the metal and finished in 1:43.4. Three seconds wasted! This would have been 1:40.4 with no problem. No difference between Alberto Juantorena and David Rudisha. Just the date.
What many people have forgotten is that John Walker, from New Zealand, attempted the 800m as well but never managed to get through the heats to make the final cause he just wasn't fast enough! Later, in the 1500m, with Ivo van Damme and Rick Wolhuter breathing down his neck plus other former 800m runners, he outkicked them all on the last lap of a slow 1500m. Now that was remarkable! Cheers.
Filbert Bayi was not there. It was the slowest of races.
Bayi had become far less consistent by 1976. And even if he was there he wouldnt have made the final because he had got malaria. After that illness he was never really the same over 1500m. Then faster athletes came along better than both Walker and Bayi.
@@rjh6037 Yes, you are completely correct. It meant there was no real pacesetter for the 76 Montreal 1500m final, making for a slow race. All those current and former 800m runners all "sat" and waited, hoping to scoop the gold on the last lap. Making Walkers effort even greater to hold them off. Cheers.
An amazing race...Rick should have been the gold medalist....was not expecting "el caballo" to be there!
Great upload
After Juantorena's feats in the 800, many assumed the best 800 meter runners of the future would be big horses like him. Then just three years later, along came a 5'9" whippet named Sebastian Coe, who took huge chunks off of Juantorena's record. You just never know.
Wippett had epo help!
@@johnrogan9420 Not only do you not know how to spell, you know nothing about rEPO. The human human erythropoietin gene wasn't even sequenced until 1985, so rEPO didn't exist when Coe ran his best times. So your claim is garbage.
Alberto...100 percent attitude 👽
ONE OF MY IDOLS IS JUANTORENA
The other athletes look like they're taking baby steps compared to Juantorena's strides. Like small dogs running against a horse.
Carl, thanks for your comment.....as it motivated me to watch the video again....and you are absolutely correct in your analogy....and since I have so much more Olympics and track & field already posted on my webpage at www.imasportsphile.com .....I think you will find more interesting videos to view.
No wonder is knickname was 'el caballo' (the horse).
Carl, thanks for your comment....for Juantorena in this video definitely looks to outclass the other worldclass athletes in this race.....and I have many more track and field videos in my Olympics and Other Sports sections of my webpage at www.imasportsphile.com
jorarmona, thanks for the comment....for in this lil ole chiweenie Sportsphiles opinion....el caballo was the perfect nickname for Juantorena.....also, I have a lot more track and field videos already posted at www.imasportsphile.com
+Imasportsphile III pilkanozna
"There goes Juantorena down the back straight, opening his legs and showing his class". (Ron Pickering BBC)
Remember it well...lol
Was it not David Coleman? One of his classic "Colemanballs!"
He is the GOAT.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, thanks for your comment....for in our opinion at ImaSportsphile....Juantorena was certainly on the top shelf with the rest of the great 800m runners like Rudisha, Snell, Coe, Whitfield, Moens, Kipketer and Harbig....but he didn't hold the top spot in the world long enough to deserve the title of GOAT.
What he did on that 400 /800 double GOLD will NEVER be done again !! Unreal , truly !!
So, do both of you folks thinks Michael Johnson's 200m / 400m golds at Atlanta in 1996 are equal to Juantoreno's "GOAT" and "double GOLD will NEVER be done again"?
@@imasportsphileiii6483 In my opinion, they are both equal and incredible performances, in the same league as El G's 2004 Olympic Gold Medals in the 1500 & 5K!
It is a monster player and a marvel who has never conquered 400m and 800m.
Notice that the race was run in lanes until the 300m mark, I like that, it brings the speed out and cuts down on bumping and elbowing on the first turn, however, it was abolished after 1976 because the fans did not like it and officials thought being in the outside lanes would be a disadvantage, if they seed them it would not matter, the 400 is run that way, being a track athlete I wish they would bring it back, especially in big meets.
We at ImaSportsphile web page responsible for posting this video along with 2400 other vintage videos we've posted....really appreciate when a viewer takes time to make a thought provoking comment.....as we feel suggestion is worthy of consideration by those who make those decisions.
P
its what did ovett out of the bronze,but i think for fast times you're 100% correct
Rick wulhuter had lane 3, the lane most winners in the olympuc games...not his day but he did try valiently!
It's hard enough to win the 200 and 400 but the 400 and 800 is almost superhuman.
Eleuthero5, thanks for your comment.....for it is "spot on"....as we are glad you enjoyed one of the 1500+ vintage sports, comedy and music videos that we have posted at www.imasportsphile.com....as we are sure there are many more in our Olympics and Other Sports - Track and Field sections that you will enjoy also....plus, you might want to bookmark our site and not rely on utube....cuz we have 9,000 more vintage videos to post and are using 100 different channels under different names on the tube solely as weigh stations for our 2300 hours of content that we are posting on our site.
What he did on that 400 /800 double GOLD will never be done again !! I was 13 in 1976 and remember thinking that then !! UNREAL !!
Never again will this superhuman feat be accomplished. Greatness!!
The training and the competition currently will make this superhuman feat never be repeated.
A 400 with crazy top speed and also strong speed endurance.
A 800 with good speed and strong endurance.
No one ever medals even in both only good 400/800 m runners besides him are Emmanuel Korir, David Rudisha and Sebastian Coe.
And donovan brazier
White lightening was simply an astonishing athlete. Such an elegant stride and massive talent.
so Alberto was known as white lightning....we at Ima Sportsphile didn't know that....but we agree he was a massive talent with an elegant stride.
BLACK BOLT !!!!!!!!!!
Amazing footage from a different set of cameras. Thanks for posting.
gakaface, thanks for your comment....for it motivates me to continue my daunting quest to post 2300 hrs of vintage sports, comedy and music at www.imasportsphile.com ....and with 1400 videos (370 hrs) currently posted.....I have a great deal of "amazing footage" for your viewing pleasure....so enjoy!
Younger T&F fans might not know this but when Alberto won the 800m title and broke the world record, the received wisdom was that this was the 800m physique of the future . 6ft 2in and 180pds plus. A 400m specialist who could push that huge frame up to 800m. Then Coe arrived. 5ft 9ins and 130 pds plus. Well, there you go.
Musik he was listed at 6'4 190
Rick was perfectly placed for victory
....but Alberto is "El Caballo"...the Horse!
Alberto WantaRena ..great runner
My uncle Zygmunt Zabierzowski was Juantorena head coach
400 800 как? эти дистанции не совместимы !!!! Феноменально супер бегун
Steve Ovett got the laned 300m start completely wrong as Juantorena sets a new WR.
It was shortened for the next games.
juantorena is a meteor, a man out of the ordinary
A big thank you for all these images, and I remember as if it was yesterday of these two finals and I knew that I was attending unique events
Rick Wohlhuter had the misfortune to peak in a non Olympic year, 1974 when he would have walked the gold. He was too lightweight in this company and overpowered by Juantorena and Van Damme. I think if he hadn't tried to take on 'El Caballo' on the back straight he may have had enough strength to finish second. He seemed to ease up right at the end in disappointment and it was a shame that in a race where the world record was broken he didn't at least equal his own personal best.
Luciano Susanj was excellent in 1974, so no easy victory for Wolhuter.
Does anyone know who is the narrator of this video?
Viva Cuba!!!
The commentator is wrong to say Juantorena was the first Cuban to win a medal in track and field. Enrique Figuerola won the bronze in the 100 metres in 1964 behind Bob Hayes and Harry Jerome
My mistake he said gold and that could be correct
my idol
Can anyone tell me who is the narrator
Dopee dopee!
400 finish...good grief...Alberto was getting faster and faster as the race ended!
Mike Boit got screwed. Rick Wolhuter was ahead of me in high school. Imagine trying to follow in his footsteps.
Who is the narrator?
Wohlhuter was thought to be the successor to Dave Wottle, but it was not to be. He still got the bronze and he was a great middle distance runner.
OJ Simpson commented "He's walking."
Yes, all African countries boycotted the Montreal Games because of Canadian relations to the regime in South Africa.
Le encantaba viajar para regresar con los maletines llenos de ropa. Aprovechador
Lazaro Alex Estupidoooooo!
verdad que siempre tiene que haber un estupido perdedor don nadie como tu que pasara por la vida solo para terminar siendo un cero insignificante.
No olvido esa carrera
www.imasportsphile.com for 1900 vintage videos including many track and field videos in both Olympics and Track + Field category of the site
is there really no better footage??
.... And commentary. Is that a robot?! Terrible even for then.
I wish Coe ran against him would be nice to see which type of runner - the tall lean Alberto Juantorena or the lean strong with a crazy kick coe
Coe would beat him in the 800 hands down!
The commentator appeared to be in a coma. He did not even think that the end of the race was worthy of comment. He should be commentating in a morgue - the doctor is now removing the heart, snooze, and now trying to locate the spleen, longer snooze, etc. In fact, that's where they probably found this guy. Prone of course.
If be hadn't suffered injury he would have just kept winning. On his comeback he damaged his ankle on a runny track curb
Juantorena..CUBA 🇨🇺🇨🇺🇨🇺🏅🏅🏅
Good commentary