I also have those nostalgic memories of sitting with my mum in the living room as she shouted encouragement at the television as we watched David Wilkie swim to victory at the Montreal Olympics and Daley Thompson in the decathlon in Los Angeles and Fatima Whitbread with the javelin.
I remember watching this race LIVE as a 15 year old. Kip Keino was well known to me. But Pekka Vasala was a new name to me. But boy was he impressive here. Superb 1500m runner. He must be a legend in Finland.
@I sari Yes, I seem to recall that Jim Ryun was entered to run in the 1500, but for some reason, either illness or injury, he didn't make the starting line in the heats.
@I sari Yes, I seem to recall that Jim Ryun was entered to run in the 1500, but for some reason, either illness or injury, he didn't make the starting line in the heats.
@I sari Yes, I seem to recall that Jim Ryun was entered to run in the 1500, but for some reason, either illness or injury, he didn't make the starting line in the heats.
I was there for the last day of Track & Field, in the "standing room only" section that was at the turn of the track as it went down the back-straight. This video gives me a better view, of the race and finish, than what I witnessed in-person. It came as a surprise with everyone around us that Vasala won. A lasting memory I have was after the event, where Rod Dixon visibly expressed elation upon looking at the scoreboard to discover he finished in third place . . . you'd thought he won the race!
Dixon checked to see if anyone was coming..then surged past the runner who had earlier passed him...almost did seem he did just enough to get a bronze Olympic games metal...all good!...better than the dummy Murphy in 2020 800...pushing and shoving with African runners instead of taking the lead from the outside.
Pekka Vasala had such a beautiful running style; a delight to watch. Kip Keino will always be remembered as the first of an era of Kenyans that changed the face of distance running.
About Kip Keino, you are right to mention those Kenyan runners' breakthrough in long distance running. It was widely accepted, at that time, that black athletes could never run long distances because they didn't have stamina. But how time have changed, eh? Today they are absolutely unbeatable, especially East and North African athletes; marathons etc, they have dominated them all . . . .!!
@@macvatu Those athletes live at high altitude, and have the God given genetics to run distance. I think there is one tribe in Kenya that has a huge percentage of the best marathon times ever....it's basically one little group of people.
I remember Lasse Viren but didn't know of this guy. That was SOME kick there at the end to beat a future, gold medal, world champ. Seems to me the Finnish track coach should've gotten some bonus money when he got back home as well the "Flying Finns" who did well in 1972 & '76
Incredible. Vasala, and Keino, ran their last 800m in 1:49. I ran XC and track (4) years in high school and I never even broke 2 min in the half. Of course, these guys are running at such a higher level, but still. Sheeesh!
If your best was close to 2 minutes you might have been able to hang with the pack for the first 800m, running flat out of course. Then you would have merely had to follow it up with a 1:35 700m to be in with a shot of winning 🙃
Rod Dixon gets Bronze here but goes on to win an incredible come from behind victory in the 1983 New York City Marathon, I finished 1 hour behind him! Great day!
@@nickbamber268 Very interesting opinion - the first of your propositions. The second one - life becoming too easy through the development and evolution and losing the old-time-courage is every nation's issue and they have to deal with it...I just can't imagine Finland being the only nation having failed in this. But the training methods after blood doping was banned...I'm not sure what the other athletes did, but the Finns had difficulties to leave the illegal resources (like Vainio winning Silver Medal in 10 000 meters LA 1984 and caught using banned methods). The issue might be that the Finnish athletes didn't change their training to the global standard after blood doping was banned, but resumed doing the old way and were left behind in the progress.
@@jh79male Well, you Finns can't have your cake and eat it! Finns always used to go on about their unique sisu so if it really did exist then it might have been part of the reason for the success of the really great athletes like Nurmi. This early success most likely created considerable pressure on the later generations of athletes to succeed as Finnish sports followers were (and still are) amongst the most ardent supporters of their nation's athletes. As for using non-approved or unethical methods of course the Finns were not unique in that. Suspicion also fell on one or two of Britain's super top middle distance runners during the 80s. Then we had the Spanish wonder when Spanish athletes suddenly became world class around the time of the Barcelona olympics, about the time when EPO started to become popular. God knows what is available nowadays. I see a lot of amazing times that would not have been considered humanly possible 40 years ago. One of the main interests in watching athletics nowadays is to try to figure out who's honest and who's not!
@@nickbamber268 Eikö teillä kommareilla ole mitään muuta tekemistä, kuin levittää tuota Suomi-vihaanne kymmenillä eri nikeillä kaikilla urheiluvideoilla, joissa suomalaiset jotenkaan menestyy. Pitäisi lynkata tuollaiset maanpetturit!!
@@nussu72 I remember seeing Martti running a 5K in Rauma in 78 and then beating Wor Big Bren in Prague. He got caught, remember! Don't fake your outrage. Doping of one kind or another was common in Finland in the 70s.
Great race and superb finish. Though it's mad to think that in the next decade Seb Coe would run almost 7 seconds faster than this winning time. Just count out 7 seconds and imagine just how far in front Coe would have been. It would have to be somewhere between 55 and 60 metres ahead of Vasala!!!
@@PaulVinonaama Coe was definitely capable of faster times than he ever ran but didn't have the kind of pacesetters that others have had , modern nutrition, training methods or the opportunity to race on much faster tracks they have had since the 1990's. And exactly the same could be said about Vasala and most runners from that era.
@@KryptonitetoallBS Weren't there pace setters for Coe? In any case, he often ran expressly in order to break the record (competing with Ovett in this respect) and got closer to his limits. Vasala actually never tried his limits, but in 1972 he had ran 800m in 1.44.5 in a solo run when the WR was 1.44.3, giving an indication of his potential. I believe he might have gotten several seconds of his 1,500m record.
@@PaulVinonaama I don't know enough about Vasala to comment about whether he fulfilled his potential or not. I do know however that Coe had far more potential that he left untapped for various reasons. Injuries effect all athletes but the illnesses which Coe had lost him entire seasons and had a knock on effect for seasons to come. Pacesetters was also another major factor in Coe not lowering the world records even lower than he did. Just google his world record attempts. The pacesetters he had were generally woeful. Later on, top athletes had other top athletes willing to sacrifice their race just for their man to attempt a world record. There were occasions when Coe was in fantastic condition but there was no-one who could push him to run faster as for example Ngeny did for El Guerrouj.
@@archiewoosung5062 correct. Top bloke and now a top commentator. Made the most of a limited talent. Like a lot of athletes didn't have the best early training. Need to go faster rather than longer. Better at the longer events.
Vasala was coached by Kari Sinkkonen who was mentored by Arthur Lydiard. In addition to great coaching, Finnish runners were tactically and technically superior to others. These facts are often forgotten because of the doping mess.
Muistan katsoneeni tämän kilpailun LIVE 15-vuotiaana. Kip Keino oli minulle hyvin tuttu. Mutta Pekka Vasala oli minulle uusi nimi. Mutta oli hän vaikuttava täällä. Loistava 1500 metrin juoksija. Hän on varmasti legenda Suomessa.
Vassala and Viren along with the whole Finnish team were greatly influenced by Peter Snell's coach Arthir Lydiard of New Zealand, as Lydiard spent 19 months in Finland turning their National program around. I bet Rod Dixon and John Walker did not appreciate that!
@@djangorheinhardt I bet you know nothing about what you are writing about. Vasala was in excellent condition for the entire summer 1972, having run almost a WR (1.44.5) in 800m and was one of the favorites here.
@south islander The only thing we know for sure is that Kenians are fully loaded nowadays as they have been caught masswise. Makes you suspect also the Keino era.
I remember the Olympics of 1972, so much personal triumph, shattered by national tragedy as the World watched in horror, and sports announcer Jim McKay coming on saying "they're gone, they're all gone" with trembling, emotional voice.
@@ianbusche1471 the Israeli athletes were killed by terrorists in their dorm/rooms. First it was a hostage situation, with demands, but soon realized the terrorists did not plan on escape.
@@jsmariani4180 you are more than likely correct. Israel no longer sends athletes to the games as a reminder to the world what transpired. I need to do more research as to what transpired in 1972, but haven't allowed myself to do so.
Rye Cooder, You are right sir, nobody copied Jim Ryun's 1500 m world record running yet. 60.5 - 1:58 - 2:55 - 3:33:1 The last 300 was 38.1. El Guruge got to the closest running 39.1 last 300 on the 2:55 1200 in the 2004 Olympic 1500 m final. Yet, Ryun would have beat him with about 6-7 meter, what means there wouldn't have been a real race, different class. Jim Ryun was the greatest ever 1 miler talent.
Yes Jim Ryan was amazing! Phenomenal talent. I wish he had run the 800 at Mexico as well as 1500. I think he could have won. But he had had mono and was not at his best. A little bit of a hard luck kid.
If I remember right, Pekka Vasala was a former sprinter and switched over to the 1500 as he got older. This would explain why he was so fast at the end of the race.
I never liked Gammoudi, and i was elated when Billy Mills outkicked him in the 10K at the 1964 Olympic Games to win the Gold Medal in one of the greatest kicks of all-time.
@@AllinGold2 Yes, Gammoudi is one of the greatest Olympic Distance Medalists of all-time, but he was outkicked by the amazing Native American, Billy Mills in the 1964 Olympic 10K final. And only Dave Wottle's kick in the 1972 Olympic 800m final matches Billy Mill's kick. Mills Olympic Victory in the 10K at the 1964 Olympics was sweet because Gammoudi bumped & both fouled Mills & Clark in that last lap sprint. Had Gammoudi tried to pull that crap against Steve Ovett he would've been punched in his adam's apple and collapsed right on the spot. I respect Ovett for his running abilities (Gold Medal in the 1980 Olympic Games in the 800m and bronze medal in the 1,500m at the 1980 Olympic Games) and for his mental & physical toughness. Steve never took crap from anyone.
Foster said he did his fastest ever 800 in this race 1 51 yet vassala ran sub 1 50 in this race foster knew then that he didn't have enough speed to win an Olympic 1500 but he showed amazing guts ,this was 8 years before to of the best 1500 metre runners of all time and from the same country Ovett and Coe came onto the scene
This race shamelessly left Jim Ryun out..even though he was fouled in prelims a d put in that heat by computer mistake. This race went just over 61 on first finishing in 3:36 Ryun could and did run 61 finishing 3 sec faster than this over keino as well.
I remember this like it was Yesterday! I listened to the opening of these Games on the first Crystal Radio that I had just completed while laying in bed (Australia) and then before long the TERRORISTS STRUCK! What a low act of Humanity that was and still is. John.
Why in hell have all the munich 1972 1500m vids been taken down? 7th vid I've tried. Wonder if it's a "me" thing, or did UA-cam just have a remove-the-vids wave? Can anyone else see this video?
Kip Keino was passed his best, Rod Dixon was never going to win it, and Mike Boit was an 800m runner. The greatest threat was always going to be Vasala who had a best time of 1.44 for 800m.
In regard to lasse viren I believe it was no mistake he was a dual Olympic champion , dedication and correct training methods got him there . Would he of been as successful today , probably not , this was pre African era and dominance in these distances . Simple as that - Hi from Australia
Only americans dopers?? Pure illusion!!In those time all the east block already knows how to use anabol steroids! and Finnish used already both: steroids and blood transfusion!
Blood doping was perfectly legal in Olympic sports until 1986. The US cycling team was doing it openly in the 1984 LA Games. You guys do know that blood "doping" involves storing a pint of one's own blood in cold storage, and then re-infusing it on the eve of the competition, right? It wasn't cheating--it was athletes doing what they always do, taking an edge, and this one was perfectly legal at the time.
This was won in 3:36.3 with probably a 40.0 final 300m. Ryun who was clearly fouled in heats was denied entry. When Ryun just turned 20, he ran 3:37 with a 36.4 final 300m, just destroying kickers who could run 52/3 Las 400m...such as Tummler, Norpoth and Grelle So he had a race one second slower but 3.6sec faster in final 300
Tuolloin yli neljäkymmentä vuotta edellisestä olympiakullasta. > Tänä kesänä, tänä vuonna 50 vuotta Pekka Vasalan (....ja Lasse Virenin) kultamitaleista Eikä uutta mitalistia, olympiatasolle ole näköpiirissä.
Pitkät ratamatkat ovat nyky-Suomessa jo aika niche. Ennen oli joka viikonloppu kyläkisoja, nyt ei ole harrastajapoolia, mistä voisi huippuja edes nousta
History shows that the athlete that runs the last lap in 53.5 - 52 seconds wins the race, and that has consistently been the case in almost every championship for the last 40 - 50 years so there is no suspicion, in my mind, of any foul play here.
The first great last lap was ran in Helsinki in 1971. Jurgen Haase ans the Finn Vatainen ran the last 300 under 39 seconds in the man 10000 m final. From then the winners had to run the last lap under 53-54 seconds in major competitions. Jim Ryun's last 300m still unmatched when he ran his world record of 3:33:1. Last 300m was clocked 38,1 after a 2:55 1500m.
Amazing picture quality for 1972.
When I watch these old races, I can hear my mom sitting in the living room chair excitedly yelling encouragement. I love the memories.
I also have those nostalgic memories of sitting with my mum in the living room as she shouted encouragement at the television as we watched David Wilkie swim to victory at the Montreal Olympics and Daley Thompson in the decathlon in Los Angeles and Fatima Whitbread with the javelin.
I remember watching this race LIVE as a 15 year old. Kip Keino was well known to me. But Pekka Vasala was a new name to me. But boy was he impressive here. Superb 1500m runner. He must be a legend in Finland.
Pekka vasala all time my best for 1500m
I was watching it too and I was missing my hero Jim Ruyn. This race was not complete without him.
@I sari
Yes, I seem to recall that Jim Ryun was entered to run in the 1500, but for some reason, either illness or injury, he didn't make the starting line in the heats.
@I sari
Yes, I seem to recall that Jim Ryun was entered to run in the 1500, but for some reason, either illness or injury, he didn't make the starting line in the heats.
@I sari
Yes, I seem to recall that Jim Ryun was entered to run in the 1500, but for some reason, either illness or injury, he didn't make the starting line in the heats.
I was there for the last day of Track & Field, in the "standing room only" section that was at the turn of the track as it went down the back-straight. This video gives me a better view, of the race and finish, than what I witnessed in-person. It came as a surprise with everyone around us that Vasala won. A lasting memory I have was after the event, where Rod Dixon visibly expressed elation upon looking at the scoreboard to discover he finished in third place . . . you'd thought he won the race!
Rod Dixon several years later openly accused another Finn of "blood doping" I.e. cheating.
Rod was a kid who had no expectations on him......yeah, he was happy!
Dixon checked to see if anyone was coming..then surged past the runner who had earlier passed him...almost did seem he did just enough to get a bronze Olympic games metal...all good!...better than the dummy Murphy in 2020 800...pushing and shoving with African runners instead of taking the lead from the outside.
Spank
V ahuset
He won third place by a mile! He knew where he finished!
Pekka Vasala had such a beautiful running style; a delight to watch.
Kip Keino will always be remembered as the first of an era of Kenyans that changed the face of distance running.
About Kip Keino, you are right to mention those Kenyan runners' breakthrough in long distance running. It was widely accepted, at that time, that black athletes could never run long distances because they didn't have stamina. But how time have changed, eh? Today they are absolutely unbeatable, especially East and North African athletes; marathons etc, they have dominated them all . . . .!!
Did Kip Keino attend WSU?
@@macvatu Those athletes live at high altitude, and have the God given genetics to run distance. I think there is one tribe in Kenya that has a huge percentage of the best marathon times ever....it's basically one little group of people.
I remember Lasse Viren but didn't know of this guy. That was SOME kick there at the end to beat a future, gold medal, world champ. Seems to me the Finnish track coach should've gotten some bonus money when he got back home as well the "Flying Finns" who did well in 1972 & '76
@@macvatu Bolt was a short distance runner and shouldn't take part in this discipline!
Pekka Vasala was such a majestic athlete and moved with such grace and elegance.
1972 was a great year, not just for sport, but for life itself.
Dude, this is great quality! Thanks for the upload.
Tyyyt4rgihggghhjhhhhghhhhvhvbvvhhhhýyh
Hvidovre
Great race. Hard to believe this was 1972 going by the video quality.
probably recorded with the Beta-Max system... a pity everyone went VHS...
Incredible. Vasala, and Keino, ran their last 800m in 1:49. I ran XC and track (4) years in high school and I never even broke 2 min in the half. Of course, these guys are running at such a higher level, but still. Sheeesh!
2:33 for me in hs....last place
Eleven seconds is huge over 200 meters.
If your best was close to 2 minutes you might have been able to hang with the pack for the first 800m, running flat out of course. Then you would have merely had to follow it up with a 1:35 700m to be in with a shot of winning 🙃
Great victory for the Finn. Our brave Brit Brendan came in 4th or 5th after a sterling start. Better suited to longer distances!
يا عمار
Nothing to do with being brave, he basically wasn't good enough.
@@francishunt562 Leading from the front in an Olympic final is not for the faint hearted.
The era of British middle distance dominance was just around the corner.
Excellent last lap - 53.5! Good race.
moreover, penultimate lap was 55.2
Very-very good Video
Thanks..
Forever Super Run...
Awesome Kick! The winner made it look easy. Fun to watch.
Rod Dixon gets Bronze here but goes on to win an incredible come from behind victory in the 1983 New York City Marathon, I finished 1 hour behind him! Great day!
I remember that! I only read about it in the newspaper.
Rod Dixon was only 20 years here.
Yes he beat the fireman Smith
@@lsari6948 22.
I seem to remember I think another Olympics he was in third place and got piped in the last 5 metres the athlete I think dived
Saw Vasala race just before the Olympics, he looked super strong, thought he'd win Olympic final, one of the few I got right.
The quality of the footage is amazing for being processed, considering Munich was almost 50 years ago.
Almost?? It WAS over 50 years ago.😁
No, it's by b/w kinematografia but later enhanced colorized and shown with dubbed commentary. Finns found out about their victory around 3 days later.
Tämä oli legendaarinen juoksu, teki vasalat
Vasala's winning time in this race (3:36,33) is still today (2020) the NR of Finland.
Maybe things went backwards in Finland after blood doping became illegal. Or maybe life became too easy and the Finns just lost their sisu.
@@nickbamber268 Very interesting opinion - the first of your propositions. The second one - life becoming too easy through the development and evolution and losing the old-time-courage is every nation's issue and they have to deal with it...I just can't imagine Finland being the only nation having failed in this. But the training methods after blood doping was banned...I'm not sure what the other athletes did, but the Finns had difficulties to leave the illegal resources (like Vainio winning Silver Medal in 10 000 meters LA 1984 and caught using banned methods). The issue might be that the Finnish athletes didn't change their training to the global standard after blood doping was banned, but resumed doing the old way and were left behind in the progress.
@@jh79male Well, you Finns can't have your cake and eat it! Finns always used to go on about their unique sisu so if it really did exist then it might have been part of the reason for the success of the really great athletes like Nurmi. This early success most likely created considerable pressure on the later generations of athletes to succeed as Finnish sports followers were (and still are) amongst the most ardent supporters of their nation's athletes. As for using non-approved or unethical methods of course the Finns were not unique in that. Suspicion also fell on one or two of Britain's super top middle distance runners during the 80s. Then we had the Spanish wonder when Spanish athletes suddenly became world class around the time of the Barcelona olympics, about the time when EPO started to become popular. God knows what is available nowadays. I see a lot of amazing times that would not have been considered humanly possible 40 years ago. One of the main interests in watching athletics nowadays is to try to figure out who's honest and who's not!
@@nickbamber268 Eikö teillä kommareilla ole mitään muuta tekemistä, kuin levittää tuota Suomi-vihaanne kymmenillä eri nikeillä kaikilla urheiluvideoilla, joissa suomalaiset jotenkaan menestyy. Pitäisi lynkata tuollaiset maanpetturit!!
@@nussu72 I remember seeing Martti running a 5K in Rauma in 78 and then beating Wor Big Bren in Prague. He got caught, remember! Don't fake your outrage. Doping of one kind or another was common in Finland in the 70s.
When he stayed with him, he had to win. God it was so tense. ...from Ireland
beautiful quality video --> thanks
Absolutely nostalgic. That name Keino. I am open to correction but who can forget his legendary battles with
Ron Clarke.
Clarence Mendonca - or with Jim Ryun!!
@@craigpruess5565 Ryun?
Jim Ryun?
@@Widebody20 Oh yes indeed.
Jim Ryun, from Kansas.
Distinctly remember Life Magazine featured him in one of their issues of the mid 60s.
great race by Dixon
binkyxz3...did you get the covid19 vaccine?? Just wondering.
1:48.8 for the last 800 meters. That's flying, especially in 1972.
Indeed!
Det er vakkert å se Pekka Vasala løpe. Hilsen norjalainen.
nice to watch it and there are 5 of my idols
It was a race ahead of its time. Keino made Vasala run the last 800 in 1:49.2. Unheard of at the time.
Imo the Winning time from Vasala is still the National Record in Finland 👍💪🇫🇮🇫🇮🇫🇮
48 years later and it’s still great. Who needs the fancy new shoes?
He could have run that in his Wellies
1500m most brutal of all running distances.
1500 is the best track event. So exciting. Absolutely brutal.
Terve!
Finnish language sounds so cool!
Its not cool. It makes no sense to anybody that isnt Finnish
It is!
Terve terve!
Finnisch ist eine fürchterliche Sprache!
@@bobby1968100 Nicht so grässlich wie Deutsch🤣😆😅
Surprising clear video for 1972...thanks...
Surprisingly clear
Thanks for the good video post ! Enjoying
L' ATHLÉTISME
QUE NOUS AIMONS.
UN SHORT,
DES TENNIS,
TU CAVALES..
DU TRES GRAND..
Мой тренер Владимир Пантилей город Харьков.Вечная память.
Great race and superb finish. Though it's mad to think that in the next decade Seb Coe would run almost 7 seconds faster than this winning time. Just count out 7 seconds and imagine just how far in front Coe would have been. It would have to be somewhere between 55 and 60 metres ahead of Vasala!!!
Vasala might have been capable of much faster times than seen here.
@@PaulVinonaama Coe was definitely capable of faster times than he ever ran but didn't have the kind of pacesetters that others have had , modern nutrition, training methods or the opportunity to race on much faster tracks they have had since the 1990's. And exactly the same could be said about Vasala and most runners from that era.
@@KryptonitetoallBS Weren't there pace setters for Coe? In any case, he often ran expressly in order to break the record (competing with Ovett in this respect) and got closer to his limits. Vasala actually never tried his limits, but in 1972 he had ran 800m in 1.44.5 in a solo run when the WR was 1.44.3, giving an indication of his potential. I believe he might have gotten several seconds of his 1,500m record.
@@PaulVinonaama I don't know enough about Vasala to comment about whether he fulfilled his potential or not. I do know however that Coe had far more potential that he left untapped for various reasons.
Injuries effect all athletes but the illnesses which Coe had lost him entire seasons and had a knock on effect for seasons to come.
Pacesetters was also another major factor in Coe not lowering the world records even lower than he did. Just google his world record attempts. The pacesetters he had were generally woeful. Later on, top athletes had other top athletes willing to sacrifice their race just for their man to attempt a world record. There were occasions when Coe was in fantastic condition but there was no-one who could push him to run faster as for example Ngeny did for El Guerrouj.
Neutral Observer Races over 400 meters sometimes involve tactics. Coe won some races in 3:40. You are making ridiculous comparisons.
The most amazing thing is , Rod Dixon hasn't aged a day since 1972. Unexplained mystery.
Also amazing is that he went from a 1500m runner to winning the NYC Marathon 11 years later.
It's the beer.
A young Brendan Foster in the 1500 meters, I didnt know that, he was later famous as a 5000 to 10000 meter runner and bloody good as well.
I'm not sure, but I think he was the only Brit to get a medal at Montreal (1976) - bronze in the 10k?
@@archiewoosung5062 correct. Top bloke and now a top commentator. Made the most of a limited talent. Like a lot of athletes didn't have the best early training. Need to go faster rather than longer. Better at the longer events.
@@archiewoosung5062 the only track medal yes.
Vasala had impressive technique. Races like this must have convinced Foster to move up to the 5 and 10,000m.
Vasala juoksi täydellisen juoksun taktisesti. Sopivan röyhkeästi vauhtia kiihdyttäen tarvittaessa.
Vasala was coached by Kari Sinkkonen who was mentored by Arthur Lydiard. In addition to great coaching, Finnish runners were tactically and technically superior to others. These facts are often forgotten because of the doping mess.
Hannu tämä on hienoa tietää.
@@MrKLindholm yup
Absolutely correct. See my note about this.
And Dixon was coached by his brother using Lydiard training principles
Muistan katsoneeni tämän kilpailun LIVE 15-vuotiaana. Kip Keino oli minulle hyvin tuttu. Mutta Pekka Vasala oli minulle uusi nimi. Mutta oli hän vaikuttava täällä. Loistava 1500 metrin juoksija. Hän on varmasti legenda Suomessa.
Not as big as Lasse Viren.
Vassala and Viren along with the whole Finnish team were greatly influenced by Peter Snell's coach Arthir Lydiard of New Zealand, as Lydiard spent 19 months in Finland turning their National program around. I bet Rod Dixon and John Walker did not appreciate that!
They were also influenced by drugs.
@@davd1986 Yeah, great doping indeed.
@@danieljacobson6223 skäms på dig!
They were so full of steroids that it poured out of their ears!
@@danieljacobson6223 in compared to Johaug or Kenian runners generally the boys from Finland were sunday school boys
Great to watch this video. Mignon is my neighbour, so..
I remember watching this race a seven years old boy. Kipchoge Keino seemed amasterpiece not to beaten very easily. But Pekka Vasala beat him !
Meikäläinen 8-vuotiaana. Ensimmäiset olympialaiset, joita seurasin. Hienoja muistoja.
@@kenstirrat1468 So you take rumors as facts? As if Finns were somehow more likely to (blood) dope than others. No evidence to support that.
@@kenstirrat1468 Taidat ymmärtää suomea kommentistasi päätellen... viittaa jotenkin Ruotsiin päin....
@@PaulVinonaama Every Finn is blood doped. Blue eyes mean more efficient killing. Period.
Vasala was such a one-hit wonder. I think this is the only major race he ever won, but it was certainly a good one to win.
Very suggestive with that period being the start of ...... er....Finnish "experiments "
@@djangorheinhardt I bet you know nothing about what you are writing about. Vasala was in excellent condition for the entire summer 1972, having run almost a WR (1.44.5) in 800m and was one of the favorites here.
@south islander The only thing we know for sure is that Kenians are fully loaded nowadays as they have been caught masswise. Makes you suspect also the Keino era.
never reached the same heights again, made the 74 euro final , but sort of disappeared thereafter.
Tactically perfect. The Finnish record to this day.
very good video. thanks
A Golden Era for Finnish middle distance runninhg.
Fantastic Feat of Fleet Feet as the Finnish Finishes First. Freakin' A!
John Adams ....just no. Aho no.
@@johnvollmar8414 Oh yes... =)
John Adams Aho is Finnish.
Finnisch findet fast feminin e fabelhafte Frauen fantastisch! Frag Fred, fusioniert fei fast fesch fürsorglich
Olympic games Rome 1960, final 1500 m:
H.Elliott won the gold medal and bettered his own world record with a time of 3:35.6.
Great video considering that this race is from 1972. I was to young to remember this race but heard about this 1500 Olympic final.
Ttidd
That track looks Awesome!
Munich 1972. Teutonic engineering 😉
3 minutes 36 seconds was recorded by Vassala for 1500 meters. Pakistan and Germany field hockey final may be upoaded. Merci Beacoup .
I remember the Olympics of 1972, so much personal triumph, shattered by national tragedy as the World watched in horror, and sports announcer Jim McKay coming on saying "they're gone, they're all gone" with trembling, emotional voice.
Explain I don’t know much about the 1972 olympics. Who was gone?
@@ianbusche1471 the Israeli athletes were killed by terrorists in their dorm/rooms. First it was a hostage situation, with demands, but soon realized the terrorists did not plan on escape.
@@billyhndrsn4542 I think most of the Israeli athletes were killed at the airport.
@@jsmariani4180 you are more than likely correct. Israel no longer sends athletes to the games as a reminder to the world what transpired. I need to do more research as to what transpired in 1972, but haven't allowed myself to do so.
EXCELLENT...! 🕵🏻🇫🇮🔥🇫🇮👍👍👍👍👍
The surprise here is the good quality video.
last 800 was ran in approx 1:49 amazing
Vasala's NR was finally broken in May 2024 by Joonas Rinne.
And Rinne did it with the help of a pace-runner.
@@pexi111 So did Vasala:)
@@PaulVinonaama No he did not. In the olympic finals there were (and are) no pace-runners:)
@@pexi111 Keino!
@@PaulVinonaama Nope. Keino wasn't pace-runner. He took the lead only towards the end of the race and finished 2nd.
I am here because I met Hernan Mignon (Belgium) on the bus he addressed this video to me.
Great last 800 but I believe still a slower last 1000m than Ryun's final 1km in 1500m WR.
Very exciting race...lots of position changes
Rye Cooder, You are right sir, nobody copied Jim Ryun's 1500 m world record running yet.
60.5 - 1:58 - 2:55 - 3:33:1 The last 300 was 38.1.
El Guruge got to the closest running 39.1 last 300 on the 2:55 1200 in the 2004 Olympic 1500 m final. Yet, Ryun would have beat him with about 6-7 meter, what means there wouldn't have been a real race, different class.
Jim Ryun was the greatest ever 1 miler talent.
And in the 60’s Ryun was setting records on cinder tracks!
And without rabbit with no pressure on. Nobody pushed him from behind to run those world records.
Yes Jim Ryan was amazing! Phenomenal talent. I wish he had run the 800 at Mexico as well as 1500. I think he could have won. But he had had mono and was not at his best. A little bit of a hard luck kid.
@@davidowen1408 Indeed! Ryan would've outkicked Vasala.
Pekka had to use his hands maybe five times in this run - middle distance is a contact sport.
It's a great pity that Ryun wasn't there.
Vasala ran the last 300 at 39.5. Very good.
If I remember right, Pekka Vasala was a former sprinter and switched over to the 1500 as he got older. This would explain why he was so fast at the end of the race.
Vasala kicking some serious ass :) Keino's kick is a bit inept. He lost to Gammoudi in '68 in the 5,000 final too but he is a legend of a runner.
I never liked Gammoudi, and i was elated when Billy Mills outkicked him in the 10K at the 1964 Olympic Games to win the Gold Medal in one of the greatest kicks of all-time.
@@richardmilliken8705 Gammoudi won 4 Olympic medals. He was a stud.
olympic runner gammoudi
@@AllinGold2 Yes, Gammoudi is one of the greatest Olympic Distance Medalists of all-time, but he was outkicked by the amazing Native American, Billy Mills in the 1964 Olympic 10K final. And only Dave Wottle's kick in the 1972 Olympic 800m final matches Billy Mill's kick. Mills Olympic Victory in the 10K at the 1964 Olympics was sweet because Gammoudi bumped & both fouled Mills & Clark in that last lap sprint. Had Gammoudi tried to pull that crap against Steve Ovett he would've been punched in his adam's apple and collapsed right on the spot. I respect Ovett for his running abilities (Gold Medal in the 1980 Olympic Games in the 800m and bronze medal in the 1,500m at the 1980 Olympic Games) and for his mental & physical toughness. Steve never took crap from anyone.
Those short shorts seemed to require a lot of pre-race adjusting.
Please, anyone from those athletes can write a comment here to tell us his memories about this race, I will be so happy.🌹🇮🇶🌺
Foster said he did his fastest ever 800 in this race 1 51 yet vassala ran sub 1 50 in this race foster knew then that he didn't have enough speed to win an Olympic 1500 but he showed amazing guts ,this was 8 years before to of the best 1500 metre runners of all time and from the same country Ovett and Coe came onto the scene
Bestial y genuino me gustaría ver a los actuales futbolistas de élite correr 200 MTS a este ritmo
Trivia: Kip Keino once ran the London Marathon, in a time that I could beat. But I didn't beat him, as he ran passed me while I was marshalling.
This race shamelessly left Jim Ryun out..even though he was fouled in prelims a d put in that heat by computer mistake.
This race went just over 61 on first finishing in 3:36
Ryun could and did run 61 finishing 3 sec faster than this over keino as well.
Lest we forget this was 5 days after September 05
Massacre begins at Munich Olympics, unfathomable
I remember this like it was Yesterday! I listened to the opening of these Games on the first Crystal Radio that I had just completed while laying in bed (Australia) and then before long the TERRORISTS STRUCK! What a low act of Humanity that was and still is.
John.
Last half in 1:49? Pretty good!
pekka vasala and boit are my idols
Finnish commentary so I knew the home country was going to win. Thank God.
La belle époque
I'm exhausted just from listening to the commentator. Loved the race strategy.
Anyone! What was the last 800? Was it sub 1:50? Faster than Rio?
I estimate the winner ran 1:48.9
Blood doping, with lasse viren as well
Why in hell have all the munich 1972 1500m vids been taken down? 7th vid I've tried. Wonder if it's a "me" thing, or did UA-cam just have a remove-the-vids wave? Can anyone else see this video?
I heard for training Pekka Vasala used to run up sand dune until he passed out.
MIKE BOIT AND TAPIO KANTANEN ARE MY IDOLS
Kip Keino was passed his best, Rod Dixon was never going to win it, and Mike Boit was an 800m runner. The greatest threat was always going to be Vasala who had a best time of 1.44 for 800m.
Keino won the steeples in these games, though.
@@PaulVinonaama Indeed, but in the longer event he didn't need as much speed as in the 1500m.
legend Paavo Nurmi sent a telegram to Peka not to let Gypsokke geino a meter away
当時50年以上前ですがスパイクも現在と違いいいと思えない中速いタイムです。現在のスパイクを使っていたらどんなタイムで走っていたか考えられます。
In regard to lasse viren I believe it was no mistake he was a dual Olympic champion , dedication and correct training methods got him there . Would he of been as successful today , probably not , this was pre African era and dominance in these distances . Simple as that - Hi from Australia
There was no pre-african dominance, there was a good finnish runners. Africans are not superhuman.
good finnish runners and super doping!
Only americans dopers?? Pure illusion!!In those time all the east block already knows how to use anabol steroids! and Finnish used already both: steroids and blood transfusion!
Blood doping was perfectly legal in Olympic sports until 1986. The US cycling team was doing it openly in the 1984 LA Games. You guys do know that blood "doping" involves storing a pint of one's own blood in cold storage, and then re-infusing it on the eve of the competition, right? It wasn't cheating--it was athletes doing what they always do, taking an edge, and this one was perfectly legal at the time.
Lasse ran away from Yifter in the last laps of the 10,000, and Yifter and Keino were the best African athletes of that era.
Why they dont have more calf muscles?
I guess jockstraps weren't in wide use back in the day??? ;-)
jockstraps ?
@@xl000 lol, common nickname for athletic supports.
Worn to keep the family jewels firmly and comfortably in place.
Was jim ryun in this - did he fall in one of the build up races?
He fell in heats.
@@PaulVinonaama thanks
اين هم ابطال تونس فهل أن تونس أصبحت في خبر كان
Voi veljet mikä tunne, vaikka tää tapahtui jo niin kauan sitten 🇫🇮 🇫🇮 🇫🇮
Couldn't agree more
This is the first Olympics for me.
Brendan Foster wearing his 'lucky' shorts there....
Para hacer 12 segundos en 100 hay que ser muy rápido, el los hizo después de 1400... Chapeau
.
I thought you can only play icehockey in Finland😉
This was won in 3:36.3 with probably a 40.0 final 300m.
Ryun who was clearly fouled in heats was denied entry.
When Ryun just turned 20, he ran 3:37
with a 36.4 final 300m, just destroying kickers who could run 52/3 Las 400m...such as Tummler, Norpoth and Grelle
So he had a race one second slower but 3.6sec faster in final 300
@@bfc3057 sorry the consensus was a foul. Jim Grelle even said so.
The men’s 800m was a more surprising race imo
Good ole rod dixon 👍
El último 100 en 12 segundos...había que ser muy bueno
"VAIN kahdesti on Suomi voittnut 1500 metriä olympiakisoissa"
Tuolloin yli neljäkymmentä vuotta edellisestä olympiakullasta.
> Tänä kesänä, tänä vuonna 50 vuotta Pekka Vasalan (....ja Lasse Virenin) kultamitaleista
Eikä uutta mitalistia, olympiatasolle ole näköpiirissä.
Strōnkettûmø bålėno.
Pitkät ratamatkat ovat nyky-Suomessa jo aika niche. Ennen oli joka viikonloppu kyläkisoja, nyt ei ole harrastajapoolia, mistä voisi huippuja edes nousta
Norjalaiset nyt hallitsevat.Jakob,mutta ei me.
Ingebrigtsen
History shows that the athlete that runs the last lap in 53.5 - 52 seconds wins the race, and that has consistently been the case in almost every championship for the last 40 - 50 years so there is no suspicion, in my mind, of any foul play here.
The first great last lap was ran in Helsinki in 1971. Jurgen Haase ans the Finn Vatainen ran the last 300 under 39 seconds in the man 10000 m final. From then the winners had to run the last lap under 53-54 seconds in major competitions.
Jim Ryun's last 300m still unmatched when he ran his world record of 3:33:1. Last 300m was clocked 38,1 after a 2:55 1500m.