This was a highly anticipated race. Boit was ranked #1 in the world the previous year but in the Olympic year of 1976 many countries including Kenya boycotted the Games. Juantorena ends up winning. Boit perhaps had something to prove in this championship race and it turned out to be a classic. Two great warriors.

52 seconds on the first lap, 52 on the second, with all the pressure from Boit behind. You have to have tremendous mental strength to withstand the pressure from those behind. The most incredible thing is that in the first 400 metres Juantorena maintains a stride of between 2.50 and 2.60 metres. Much longer than the rest of the runners. Only Rudisha in modern times has been able to achieve such a magnificent stride.

@billplaney2585

Жыл бұрын

A "magnificent stride" is not something you can "achieve" - either you were born with very long legs or you weren't. No amount of training will change that.

@juliomiguel6597

7 ай бұрын

@@billplaney2585 he meant rather to maintain that stride. Even if you have long legs, it's not easy to keep it to the maximum for long.

@dhdavidholloway

Ай бұрын

Arop has quite a long stride as well

Mike Boit finished second in more great races than any other runner I can recall

What an exciting race! You can't really say that Juantorena controlled the entire race, as Boit really charged hard at the end. I still have vivid memories of his exploits in 1976 and used to have that Track and Field News poster of him up in my house (along with the one of John Walker). The quality of this copy is superb for its time, too. Too many of these old videos are terrible quality.

I enjoy the 800 meters more than any other distance because of the strategy, and because sometimes you see amazing bravery in stretch duels like this one.

@jimmason8502

5 жыл бұрын

The 800 is a very difficult race. That last 300m is the hardest thing in track, save for the 1500m in the decathlon. Next hardest race is the 3000m. That one just sucks, feels like a 1500 then you gotta run ANOTHER 1500m

@michaelfoulkes9502

Жыл бұрын

All the distance races are very difficult.

Juantarena opens his legs and shows us his class

I read somewhere that the great Juantarena used to train so hard that they resorted to packing his body in ice to cool down his core. Sounds like an urban legend but it gives you an idea of how hard his training was. You can see it paying off in the strength he exhibits at the very end of the race.

@redrum4100

3 жыл бұрын

Wouldn't surprise me with the ice, which was later adopted by Paula Radcliffe and Kelly Holmes, among others.

This is by far the greatest 800m race of all time. Of course by todays terms not the fastest, but the most dramatic. I was kid and remember the build up to this race after the African nations boycotted the previous years Olympics, many wondered who would win between Alberto Juantorena and Mike Boit. Just an amazing race.

Juantorena was a man among boys. He gallops like a horse. Amazing strength and speed.

@redrum4100

3 жыл бұрын

That's why they called him "El Caballo" (the horse).

@nickbamber268

Жыл бұрын

Haha Mike Boit was no boy!

Alberto Juantorena...My favourite...My time in the 800...1:54.3...

Dieu, que l' athlétisme, Avait encore, Cet air AUTHENTIQUE. ALBERTO, PRINCIER, SIMPLE, CORDIALEMENT

Still gives me chills watching this race, a pity it didnt happen the year before.

Love watching Juanterena

My second post to this video, having just watched it again. Last lap of approx 51.5 for Juantorena - that is incredibly fast, especially when you consider David Rudisha's last lap in his WR in 2012 was 51.63. And, he didn't really start running until the last 300m!

@johnrogan9420

4 жыл бұрын

Would love to see Alberto take down Radish who?...strongest and cleanest runner ever...don't trust the greyhound style of running wire to wire...Juantoreno took the measure of challengers and out machoed them!

@randyevermore9323

4 жыл бұрын

And Boit ran the second lap even faster than Juantorena.

@gakaface

4 жыл бұрын

@@randyevermore9323 - You're probably right! But it's only the winner's time that counts!

@robertdelisle3502

3 жыл бұрын

It would be great to watch Juantorena's awesome form looking at Rudisha's backside from about 20m back. All the times under 1:42. Who owns almost half of them? 1 1:40.91 David Rudisha KEN 17.12.88 1 London 09.08.2012 2 1:41.01 David Rudisha KEN 17.12.88 1rA Rieti 29.08.2010 3 1:41.09 David Rudisha KEN 17.12.88 1 Berlin 22.08.2010 4 1:41.11 Wilson Kipketer DEN 12.12.70 1 Köln 24.08.1997 5 1:41.24 Wilson Kipketer DEN 12.12.70 1rA Zürich 13.08.1997 6 1:41.33 David Rudisha KEN 17.12.88 1rA Rieti 10.09.2011 7 1:41.51 David Rudisha KEN 17.12.88 1rA Heusden-Zolder 10.07.2010 8 1:41.54 David Rudisha KEN 17.12.88 1 Saint-Denis 06.07.2012 9 1:41.73 Sebastian Coe GBR 29.09.56 1 Firenze 10.06.1981 9 1:41.73 Wilson Kipketer DEN 12.12.70 1 Stockholm 07.07.1997 9 1:41.73 Nijel Amos BOT 15.03.94 2 London 09.08.2012 12 1:41.74 David Rudisha KEN 17.12.88 1 New York City 09.06.2012 13 1:41.77 Joaquim Cruz BRA 12.03.63 1 Köln 26.08.1984 14 1:41.83 Wilson Kipketer DEN 12.12.70 1 Rieti 01.09.1996 15 1:41.89 Nijel Amos BOT 15.03.94 1 Monaco 12.07.2019

@geoplaten337

2 жыл бұрын

Rudisha went out much faster. I think his record setting race went out sub 50. Juantorena was fantastic, but you can only be judged against your peers. Rudisha dominated his in a similar manner.

Respected Shri Ram Singh I honour your spirit

wow...that is strength!

My third post to this video. Juantorena took 166 strides on the last lap which makes his average stride length 2.4m or 7 foot 4 inches. Coe on average takes 188 strides to get round the second lap making his stride length 2.1 metres. So Juantorena has a stride length one foot bigger than Coe and takes twenty strides less than him! This equates to 194 strides per minute for Juantorena compared with 218 strides per minute for Coe (1981 WR). Interesting comparisons. Most of us mere mortals can barely strike the ground at a rate of 160 strides per minute in a full sprint, with a stride length half of 2.4m.

@paulfogartysongs

5 жыл бұрын

holy shit. 2.4 meters!

@johnrogan9420

4 жыл бұрын

@@VictorOctavian lol!

Juantorena, an awesome athlete.

@starmersbarber

2 жыл бұрын

Indeed. he was one of my first athletics heroes (alongside Lasse Viren). That second lap looked really quick. A great race.

You have been India's fabulous runner, though not many Indians remember, but I

The film quality is excellent for 1977

Negative split in a world class 800m championship - impressive.

A consistent 52 second per 400 meter pace...incredible!!!

Juantorena looked beaten in that homestretch, but just refused to lose. This reminds me of Hichem El Guerrouj's 2004 1500m gold medal win.

I love how Bout closed the gap and Juantorena still pulled away again a little at the end.

Wow, look at the back kick on that stride, that dude will spike the (heck) out of you!

@SirPeter6464

3 жыл бұрын

I can't imagine wanting to run behind him. Must have been a great advantage.

Does not get any better...ever!

Qué manera de correr tan elegante la de Alberto Juantorena. ¡Qué zancada!

NICE TO WATCH IT

I think he knew that it was important to run speed out of Boit which he did to his credit...and that was always his strength.. being able to kick from way out...

@mrcatohead Good point - I think an athlete with only one hand would be an exception as long as they were doing a crouch start. In short: standing start - no hands on ground crouch start - all hands on ground.

While this was one of the best 800m of all time, I never understood Juantorena's tactics. With such amazing 400m pace, you'd have think he would, at least occasionally, attempt to slow the pace and leave it until the last 100m/200m. That said, hats off to him for getting stuck in and making the 800m a true-run event, and never a pacemaker in sight for his many great sub-1.45s

@trickygoose2

3 жыл бұрын

With seven other runners in the field, one of them could just go past him and speed it up.

Great

toyed with Boit...amazing!

Having ran umpteen 800ms, I know exactly how they work. And while I agree with much of what you say, don't kid yourself: if Juantorena ran an 800m race in even splits to 700m, and those even splits were slow enough to warrant only a 1.49 should he continue at that pace, then, given the energy he'd saved, his last 100m, should he decide to go all out, would be extraordinarily quick. Too quick for anyone to handle, so providing they were in the same positions as this race, he'd win it with ease.

If that was his race plan he should have hit the front with 400 Metres to go and tried to take the big man on... but Juantorena took up the race with 300 Metres and from there controlling same all the way.. Mike Boit made his move off the last bend and just came up second best.. mind you it was indeed Close... Great Race....

Pure strength..

A peak Coe was every bit as fast as Borza. In 81 Coe ran a 45.6 relay (which is on here) from a stumbling take over, where he was practically standing at the beginning of his split. He had also just front run a 1:44.0 800 90 mins earlier and eased up in the last 20m. He was certainly capable of an open 400 in under 46 that year. His official 46.87 pb was in 79 after a heat in which he jogged the last 40 and ran a 46.9. Coe, of course had vastly superior endurance than Borza.

el caballo...the horse...alberto juantoreno

Señores los tiempos del 1er y 2do 400 de Juantorena en la I Copa del Mundo en 1977 no deben haber sido 52 y 52, sino aproximadamente de 52.5 y 51.6, descomunal, pues Singh pasó en punta 52.4

Strong like no other...Alberto Juantoureno!

@juliomiguel6597

Жыл бұрын

Juantorena 😉

Damn good race

Just shows what we missed the year before in Montreal in what could have been the race of the century (except for Moses/Aki Bua). The great Mike Boit once again just misses out as in Munich '72 (Wottle), Christchurch' 74 (Kipkurgat). He always seemed to be up against men that were inspired on the day. By '77 Juantorena was the better runner but in '76 Mike might just have edged out El Caballo.

JUANTORENA IS MY IDOL

Again some guys like Coe and Kipketer can kick even of a fast pace. In the 81 World Cup, Coe ran a last 100m in 12.0, easing up and 15m ahead of the rest of the field. And I have a race in which he ran the last 100 in 11.3!! in a 1:47 race. In the 86 European, run in 1:44.5 (pretty fast) Coe's last 200 was 24.8 and last 100 was 12.4. Considering the extra distance of about 9m he ran going wide on the bends, that represents a 24.5 closing 200 in an equivalent 1:43.3 race.

Alberto Juantorena, the only person to ever win Olympic gold over 800 and 400 metres at the same meeting. I've always wondered what he could've done over 200 metres with his magnificent, ten-foot stride. MsG

@deetsepnopoulos3122

3 жыл бұрын

He was a 200 meter prior to moving up to the 400. He added the 800 training in 1976. His bio lists a personal best of 20.5 in the 200.

He must have had a big big heart because he was a lot heavier than his competition. And where he got that long stride I would like to know because that really stands out

The great Mike Boit.

@bear1568

7 жыл бұрын

Agreed. Mike Boit is my favorite 800m runner of all time. Incredible longentivity at such a high level, raced more than anyone, never ducked anyone and could run different styles and tactics.

@randyevermore9323

4 жыл бұрын

Indeed. He pushed Juantorena to his limit.

@deetsepnopoulos3122

3 жыл бұрын

@@bear1568 Boit was a very good 1500 meter runner. Check out some of his performances in the late 70's.

My uncle Zygmunt Zabierzowski was Juantorena's coach

Kipketer also ran a 24.6 last 200 in a 1:42.77 race in Monaco 97. These are both "kicks" in that they were faster than the penultimate 200 run in both races. And their intrinsic worth is greater than what the WR was in this race above. Of course if we're talking about maxed out WR runs, then no you don't kick at the end of a 1:41; it's who slows down the least.

Buen Atleta

Thanks. Just found the race. Looks like Cram ran wider than González's line on the second-last bend, so roles reversed, perhaps cram would have ran that bit quicker.

JUAN'S UPPER BODY STRENGTH WAS THE DIFFERENCE!

@666zerowolf

8 жыл бұрын

Alberto...ok....Juantoreno...made a great reputation for himself!

@666zerowolf

8 жыл бұрын

52 seconds times 2.....wow...that is strong!

I tend to disagree. It is possible to kick at the end of an 800m, but it depends on the pace. I can see both sides of your argument with seanofafrica. If the race is really slow, e.g. 1:49, then Juantorena should have been able to outsprint Boit, as his 44.26 400 ability comes into play. As a 1:43 performer at best, then 1:49 isn't going to be a big deal in affecting his speed endurance. I'd say Boit's best bet would be in a race where both are close to max effort, i.e, arround 1:44.

Вот это забег,вот это я понимаю!

Juantorena...CUBA 🇨🇺🇨🇺🇨🇺🏅

@mrcatohead Presumably the European Athletics Association.

Alberto Juantorena is the ideal runner in history in this event the 800 meters. El Caballo is a 400 meter runner with 9' strides given better weather than in Montreal a sub: 44.26 time can be accomplished. The 800 meters was a experimental event for him no one knew what was possible. But watching him cruse in the heats and in the final on the first lap 50.00 second range then the race slowed down for 3 seconds because of a slower runner taking lead then Juantorena No. 217 deciding just to blast away to a 1:43.4 finish. Subtract that 3 seconds lost from 1: 43.4 what do you get. 1:40.4. It's to bad.

Yeah, Coe was definitely speedy (10.7s 100m), so when compared with his endurance, a sub 46s 400m is logical. I'd like to ask you if you have any stats on the fastest last 400m of a 1500m. There seems to be some confusion regarding González & Cram's times at Prague in 87. I'm sure I recall the announcer saying Cram was 50.1s and González 49.5s, which I'm guessing is the 'record'?

The great Mike Boit. Second lap 51.3?.

indian athletics standards haven’t changed since.

Alberto Juantorena AKA El Caballo.

If Juantarena just focused on his own form rather than continually looking behind and to the side of him he would have won this race more comfortably. I'd understand it if it was a heat and you wanted to save some energy, but in a final it's just wasted energy!!!

@dimosnik7961

3 жыл бұрын

A day before he won and 400 metres...

@tommytempo1

2 жыл бұрын

@@dimosnik7961 Juantorena won the 800m on the Friday and then finished third in the 400m on the Saturday. However, Juantorena lodged a protest that he could not hear the starting pistol due to crowd noise. The 400m was re-run on the Sunday and Juantorena won it in 45.36.

kozmon0t, regarding your opinion that Borza was an underachiever: he was the Olympic champion and would have won the 2005 World title but for the drug cheat Ramzi. That's not too bad! And I'm not sure you've looked up Coe's records right. His first world record wasn't 1:41.80 but 1:42.33 (so I'm not sure where you got your 24.0, 26.0, 24.8, 26.0. splits from?). His 100m pb was 10.7, which I reckon is fairly fast!

negative split 1.44.0 in 1977. Holy sweet Jesus.

The Prague race is on here. The 2 of them were abreast at the bell in 2:55.4, so neither of them broke 50sec. There was no "official" last lap but Gonzales was c. 50.0/50.1 and Cram 50.1/50.2. That is the fastest that I know of and which can be corroborated with video footage. I think someone once said that Kipchirchir ran sub 50 (c. 49.6) in a 1500 in around 3:50, so v, slow. Others claim Ryun ran a 50.6 in a 3:38.2, but no one seems to have ever seen footage of this race.

@ohen

5 жыл бұрын

Fermin Cacho ran something around 50.5 in the last lap of the 1992 1500 race (after a very slow first 3 laps), but he slowed down considerably, waiving at the crowd in the last 20 meters and I think he could have run a sub-50 final 400 if he had pushed himself.

I've watched 3 races of Juantorena's and have noticed that he didn't shake hands with or congratulate the other athletes after the race ... not even Boit after an epic battle. Strange.

Classic. Possibly could have had a WR if he looked ahead the entire race.

Interestingly, Juantarena entered the final straight in lane one but crossed the line in lane two. Just saying.

@banjocracy

6 жыл бұрын

Marginally so. But take a look at what Johnny Gray did to Nixon Kiprotich in the 1992 Olympic final. Cost him the gold medal maybe?

@banjocracy

6 жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/pK2N0Zijcdeyd9Y.html

GREAT BATTLE, LIKE GABRALASSIE, AND TERGOT...LASSE VIREN, NO COULD GET NEAR HIM ON THE HOMESTRETCH...FOGITITABOUIT...

1.44.03!

Boit...wohlhutter..never able to catch Alberto!

Wish Coe and Ovett were in this race.

@archiewoosung5062

6 жыл бұрын

Ovett was running the 1500m...not sure if he ran against Juantorena after Montreal...think '77 was his breakthrough yeart but I don't think Coe was yet on the scene

@simonedwards8888

6 жыл бұрын

Mmmmmmmm yes he was !!!!!!!

Well, this is the year that the 800m will really take off and 1min 44 plus will definitely not be considered a good time.

Also, you're bunching all sprinters in with Rudisha & Juantorena. While these two always run hard from the front, it's not so much a question of attempting to build a lead, but more that they believe that if they time trial the race, since no one else can run those times, they'll win. Your normal sprinter, however, knows he can't time trial it and win. That's why people like McKean used to go to the front and then SLOW the race, or why a speed merchant like Borzakovskiy kicked off the back.

I don't have confidence in the Ryun claim, if only for the fact that I have seen splits for 49.4 & 50.2 as well, neither of which are plausible IMO. Coe ran a 51.1 wide on both bends in the European 86 final, where Cram ran 50.9 on the rails. Coe ran about 5m extra on that last lap so without that his time would have been c.50.5. In actual fact he ran every bend wide in that race & covered c1525m! Meaning his finishing time -3:41.67 was equivalent to a 3:38 had he run in lane 1. Hope that helps

If one can't predict one's speed endurance (and you can if you've been there and tested it), then how can you confidently assert that, had this race been slower, Boit would have won? More to the point, how much slower are we talking about, because your theory, if it hasn't fallen down in the first instance, must fall down at some point - i.e. if they walk around for 400m and then race only the last 400, there's surely little question that Alberto would win?

The horse just had a bit too much in the end. Could over stride a bit. See his best and he is perfect, here near but not perfect. Small things but had the talent to not be perfect.

This is the way all 800 meters should be run, even or negative split

@rajitrajpal7703

4 жыл бұрын

Lol no wtf

I take it you think Coe was no speedster either, since Coe's 400m pb (46.87) is a full second slower than what Borza ran at the age of only 19 (45.84).

"Kicking" is an expression, as I'm sure you are fully aware. I don't disagree with you in general, but I can see you're not getting my point, so I will take it to an extreme. If Bolt ran a competitive 800m against Rudisha, it would be stupid of Bolt, the sprinter in this case, to, as you say, build a lead early. He'll just die. This is why many sprinters sit in and hope for a slow race (just as, on the other shoe, non-sprinter Paula Radcliffe had to get stuck in order to win her disciplines).

Хуанторена?

Who is this Kenyan....??

Olaf beyer GDR 7th place amazing the progress he made in Moscow Olympics, widespread drug cheating.

strongest 800 ever!

Alberto is just jogging...what could he have done if he actually ran?

Don't compare blood dopers coe and Ovett to El Caballo...a clean and natural masterpiece of running...stamina and competitiveness!!!actual races those who challenge him...not some blood doper greyhound...

@martydav9475

4 жыл бұрын

Coe and Ovett were clean.Every athlete in Cuba was on PEDs: it was state sponsored.They were all at it: the Eastern Bloc,Cuba, China - they were notorious.

@johnrogan9420

4 жыл бұрын

@@martydav9475 no

@banjocracy

4 жыл бұрын

@@johnrogan9420 Steve Ovett doping? He was never on my suspect list.

Over striding...lol

Ma corre proprio come un cavallone

overt would off out kicked Alberto, like he did in the 1500m

@zabaleta66

6 жыл бұрын

anfeild8 Not in the 800.

@archiewoosung5062

6 жыл бұрын

Don't remember Juantorena running the 1500

always checking where his opposition was located....matching them stride for stride....not only the strongest 800 trunner ever....the best race strategist ever too...a graceful stride....training only...no EPO like the 1980 Lance Armstrongs of Britten.

@deankeith830

5 жыл бұрын

John Rogan learn to Fuckin spell before commiting Libel !