Trey, You are a world-class decathlete, as I’ve already mentioned, so I highly value your opinion on this point. I also would not be surprised at a world record by Bryan Clay this year—but he would have to accomplish it with a respectable 1,500, based on his own standards, as I’m sure you would agree. When you say, “You’ve obviously never competed in more than 4 decathlons in a year, much less two within a month’s time,” you are attacking me and not my position. Comparing me to Clay is like comparing your boxing ability to Lennox Lewis’s, or Chad Smith’s striking and ball handling ability to Ronaldo’s. But now that you’ve made me the issue, I will prove my point by making myself the comparison to Clay. I last competed in track and field, for family and economic reasons, at age 14 in 1968. The distances of my throws (10 shot, 30 discus, 45 javelin) were many meters shorter than Clay’s, the distance and heights of my jumps (6 long , 1.6 high, 3 vault) were many centimeters shorter than Clay’s, and my sprints and hurdles (11.6 100, 55.0 400, 17.5 hurdles) were many seconds slower than Clay’s. But as mediocre as I was, even for a 14-year boy, I ran the 1,500 in 5:00. And, believe me, a 1,500-meter time of 5:00 is mediocre, even for a 14-year old boy. Case closed. Phil
|