What a weekend that 10.04 is exciting but what I wanted to post about is Allan Wells.Two weeks after the 1980 Olympics in Cologne the American sprinters who did not go to Moscow got their chance to run against Wells.So that would be Mel Lattany,Stanley Floyd and Harvey Glance throw in Carl Lewis,Steve Williams and Donald Quarrie and you have a stacked field.To this day I'm sure Wells will still call this his most important race beacause he smoked them all.So when people start downplaying Wells Oly win throw the date of August 8,1980 at them.
2009 European Junior Champs.
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white lightning
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Great post speedster. Allan Wells didn't back down from anyone. He was a stud. He was built for speed. Allan was also as mentally tough as any sprinter I've ever seen. You could not shake this guy. He knew what he wanted to do an just went out and did it. I never got to see him sprinting live, but I have watched his races hundreds of times. Great form, and very nice top end speed. He was respected by everyone.
Colonel_Reb
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speedster, you wouldn't happen to know where I can find a video clip of that post-Olympic 1980 win in Germany for Wells, would you?
white lightning
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I'm looking for it as well Colonel_Reb. For now, here is two of Wells races. His gold medal at the 1980 Olympics and his gold medal at the 1982 Commonweath Games where he beats Ben Johnson running a wind aided 10.02! Enjoy the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpLaeh5RTMY&feature=PlayList&p=67A18B7EE9AC8789&index=62&playnext=2&playnext_from=PLEdited by: white lightning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpLaeh5RTMY&feature=PlayList&p=67A18B7EE9AC8789&index=62&playnext=2&playnext_from=PLEdited by: white lightning
Colonel_Reb
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Thanks white lightning. Those are really awesome races! Is it accurate to say that Allan Wells was THE fastest man in 1980? Seeing him beat Johnson is really cool. Of course Johnson started doping after this. His improvements are hard to explain otherwise, same with Lewis and pretty much everyone else since.
What was the name of the post-Olympics race in Germany that Allan won? If I knew what it was called, I should be able to find something about it.
What was the name of the post-Olympics race in Germany that Allan won? If I knew what it was called, I should be able to find something about it.
Wells won the race against Stanley Floyd and Mel Lattany in Koblenz.
Here is an article with Wells recounting the race:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/2371517/Wells-driven-on-by-anger.html
Here is an article with Wells recounting the race:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/2371517/Wells-driven-on-by-anger.html
Colonel_Reb
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Thanks for the link, Jack! Thats a great read. Very enlightening! I sure hope I can find some video of that somewhere. I wish I was old enough to remember his running, but it sure is cool to see some of his races and read about him now.
I'm sorry to continue swerving this thread toward Allan Wells,I just think the opportunity exists for sprinting stars like him to come along for the first time in years. And ofcourse using Track and Field as a base sport the caste walls can come down in the bat and ball games.I believe if my memory holds the meet that he took down his potential american rivals along with other scalps was in a meet called the iaaf golden sprints,it was a pre-cursor to the golden spike and golden league stuff going on now all competitors had to run a sprint double and the best combined time won. Wells took a lot of well known scalps over his career Lewis,Lattany,Johnson,Christie,Floyd,Mennea(In the 200m too),Woronin;it is a who's who of that era of sprinting.Wells never held a WR a lot of the time he didn't have the best pr of the men lined up against.He was Just an amazingly dogged competitor you better respect him when you took your marks.His running style was raw power near animalistic...In actuality there is a young man who reminds me alot of him ...Pickering
albinosprint
Mentor
it's that great top end speed! Wells would come from the back of the pack and get you at the line. he was great to watch. he never would blow the competition away, but he would still leave you in awe.Edited by: albinosprint
Jimmy Chitwood
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i'm not nearly as knowledgable about track as the rest of you guys are ... but am i mistaken in thinking that Pickering and Wells are very similar? it seems to me that they're both muscular, compact guys who have tremendous closing speed.
on a side note, it's a shame that we have to go back to Wells to talk about a dominant White sprinter. White kids need role models, and it's no surprise that with no sprinters to look up to, it's been so long since Whites have been competitive at the elite level.
the example being set with Ra-milestone Guliyev, Cristophe 'Pepe Le Flew' Lemaitre, Paul Hession, Craig, all the 400 meter guys and so on ... well, it's AWESOME! keep up the good work, gentlemen!
also, i don't want to neglect mentioning my favorite lady sprinter ... Nicola Sanders! she won the 400 at Crystal Palace!
on a side note, it's a shame that we have to go back to Wells to talk about a dominant White sprinter. White kids need role models, and it's no surprise that with no sprinters to look up to, it's been so long since Whites have been competitive at the elite level.
the example being set with Ra-milestone Guliyev, Cristophe 'Pepe Le Flew' Lemaitre, Paul Hession, Craig, all the 400 meter guys and so on ... well, it's AWESOME! keep up the good work, gentlemen!
also, i don't want to neglect mentioning my favorite lady sprinter ... Nicola Sanders! she won the 400 at Crystal Palace!
albinosprint
Mentor
Jimmy,
your right on the money! Wells & Pick have great closing speed.
your right on the money! Wells & Pick have great closing speed.