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Athlete of the Decade

  • 20-12-2009 03:54PM
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 134 ✭✭


    Now that the decade is appraoching an end -what athlete has been deserving of the mantle of athlete of the decade.

    I know the Bolt brigade will be out in force on this one but longevity must be a factor in such a discussion.

    For me its Kenenisa Bekele.
    2nd Yelena Isinbayeva

    Both have been utterly dominant and ultra consistent over the years and its a close call between them.


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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 396 ✭✭helpisontheway


    Kiptanui wrote: »
    Now that the decade is appraoching an end -what athlete has been deserving of the mantle of athlete of the decade.

    I know the Bolt brigade will be out in force on this one but longevity must be a factor in such a discussion.

    For me its Kenenisa Bekele.
    2nd Yelena Isinbayeva

    Both have been utterly dominant and ultra consistent over the years and its a close call between them.
    1.Bolt-May not have been dominant for as long as others but that isnt really his fault as he is young.Without doubt the athlete of the decade!
    2.Isinbayeva
    3.Bekele

    Id love to throw Felix Sanchez in for his utter domination of 400m hurdles for years but i suppose the lack of a world record will probably lead to him being a forgotten man.:(


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 134 ✭✭Kiptanui


    1.Bolt-May not have been dominant for as long as others but that isnt really his fault as he is young.Without doubt the athlete of the decade!
    2.Isinbayeva
    3.Bekele

    Id love to throw Felix Sanchez in for his utter domination of 400m hurdles for years but i suppose the lack of a world record will probably lead to him being a forgotten man.:(

    Sanchez was a class act but not worthy of inclusion compared to the others - after all, Angelo Taylor won two of the three Olympic titles available in the decade. Both were .47 seconds off the WR by Kevin Young (46.78) with a mere 47.25!!

    If we ignore longevity as per Bolt, Hicham El Guerrouj must also feature. Hewas the fastest man in the world for 8 consecutive years, 4 of those in this decade. I don't think his 3 mins 26.00 is in danger any time soon either.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭myflipflops


    Kiptanui wrote: »
    For me its Kenenisa Bekele.
    2nd Yelena Isinbayeva

    Both have been utterly dominant and ultra consistent over the years and its a close call between them.


    Agree with the above.

    I don't think it's that close between them though as Ininbayeva dominated in a 'new' event that hasn't reached it's peak in competition yet whereas Bekele dominated for a full decade in an incredibly competitive environment.

    I actually don't see how there is any arguement against Bekele being the dominant overall athlete from 2000-2009.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    3 world records in 1 Olympics when added to what he did again this year is enough to make up for the fact Bolt was only at his peak for 2 of the 10 years. Longevity, longsmevity - he is not only the most exciting thing to happen to the sport this decade but also since Seoul or before that or for as long as I am into athletics. He was runner-up in the Time Magazine Person of the Year in the States. A sportsman from track and Jamaica making that sort of impact outside the sport in the US says a lot. Thats the off the track stuff. The on track stuff speaks for itself - 5 world records at a championships when it really matters at a time we also have the 100m at its most competitive ever. Maybe not only athlete of the decade he would be in the running for sportperson of the decade. He transcends athletics while at the same time delivers better than anyone in the past decade in athletics when it really matters. You could write a thesis on the man!!

    For longevity I'd throw in Alekna too.

    10 years against the best in the world at a champs and he has:
    5 Golds
    2 Silver
    1 Bronze
    2 4th

    Gold in Sydney '00
    Silver in World 01
    Silver in Euros 02 (essentially worlds)
    Gold in World 03
    Gold in Athens 04
    Gold in Worlds 05
    Gold in Euros 06
    4th:( in Worlds 07
    Bronze in Beijing 08
    4th :( in Worlds in 09 aged 37.

    In 2005-2007 he was unbeaten in 37 competitions in a row. There is one big event for this guy a year and he was never outside the top 4.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 134 ✭✭Kiptanui


    Couldn't agree more with what you have written about Bolt in terms of impact on the profile of the sport. He does transcend athletics. However when reviewing a decade I feel that longevity is a vital component. Hopefully for the sake of the sport he will be the athlete of the next decade - athletics needs Bolt. Bolt will create more publicity than any african distance runner or russian field eventer due to his charisma and the fact that his english is far better. Maybe he could throw light on "longsmevity" or even dismiss it as a 7 year old like uttering??!!:D

    We have rose tinted glasss on though if we think he is sportsman of the decade!! If that pole was taken in September Tiger Woods would have won by a country mile. His ability to score birdies would have placed him a long way clear! ;)

    In athletic terms though, we should review in it objective rather than subjective terms - performances, records, medals ........ over the course of the decade!!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭myflipflops


    Kiptanui wrote: »
    Couldn't agree more with what you have written about Bolt in terms of impact on the profile of the sport. He does transcend athletics. However when reviewing a decade I feel that longevity is a vital component.

    What he said.

    Bolt is the greatest athlete/sportsperson on the planet right now. He is also THE MOST IMPORTANT track and field athlete of this decade by a considerable distance. In the context of the opening post and what is being discussed, i think Bekele can lay claim to overall best of the decade.


    Edit: fair point on Alekna.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 606 ✭✭✭aburke


    Bolt, Bekele and Gebreselassie were the names that came to mind for me.

    Isinbayeva is in the right place at the right time. At outstanding talent in a 'new' event. Time will tell how good she really is.

    But my knowedge of field events is so ridiculously small that I didn't recognise
    Alekna, or realise his dominance.

    Bolt has the off-track personality, but on the basis that he has dominated from start to finish of the decade - on the track and over the country, in a discipline that has serious depth, it has to be Bekele.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    Kiptanui wrote: »
    In athletic terms though, we should review in it objective rather than subjective terms - performances, records, medals ........ over the course of the decade!!

    On these terms I will give it to Alekna then. Medals in 80% of the champs in the decade, gold in 50% of them. If we have to be statistically objective we must give it to him then for 2000-2009. He medalled in every Olympics in the decade.

    Look, sprinters/jumpers/throwers etc will give it to Bolt, muckers will give it to Bekele, general knowledgable sports fan will give it to Bolt, casual sports fans will give it to Bolt but will know of but not the name of the little Ethiopean lad and the housewives and average Joe Duffy listener will give it to Bolt or Henry Shefflin and won't have a clue who Bekele is.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,146 Mod ✭✭✭✭robinph


    I seem to remember seeing something before along the lines that Radcliffe had more than half of the top ten fastest ever marathon times for women? Apart from when there is an Olympics on she's been pretty unbeatable for a large part of the last decade over the distance.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭myflipflops


    Tingle wrote: »
    general knowledgable sports fan will give it to Bolt, casual sports fans will give it to Bolt but will know of but not the name of the little Ethiopean lad and the housewives and average Joe Duffy listener will give it to Bolt or Henry Shefflin and won't have a clue who Bekele is.

    This is a fairly irrelevant point in terms of the conversation i think. Just because the average guy on the street wouldn't know Bekele doesn't take away from his achievements surely? The 9.x seconds Bolt runs the 100 in is about all the average man on the street can take of watching athletics anyway!! It doesn't mean that the 26.17 WR for the 10k should be viewed any less impressively, it's just much harder for the average person to gauge!

    I did a quick steal from Wikipedia of Bekele's major victories on the track or World Cross Country which fits in nicely with the thread as it shows him winning a major World title in every year this decade. I know the World Cross is a bit different but the fact that he generally did the long/short course double is unreal consistency.

    In 2001, he 'only won the Junior title at World Cross but this is just about the hardest title to win as a distance runner due to numerous factors. He also came out the next day and finished 2nd in the short course senior race.

    2009 World Track Champion 5,000 m, Berlin
    2009 World Track Champion 10,000 m, Berlin
    2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Athletics 5,000 m, Beijing
    2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Athletics 10,000 m, Beijing
    2008 African Championships in Athletics 5,000 m, Addis Ababa
    2008 World Cross Country Championships (12K), Edinburgh
    2007 World Track Champion 10,000 m, Osaka
    2006 African Championships in Athletics 5,000 m, Bambous
    2006 World Cross Country Champion in short race (4K), Fukuoka
    2006 World Cross Country Champion in long race (12K), Fukuoka
    2006 World Indoor Track Champion 3,000 m, Moscow
    2005 World Cross Country Champion in short race (4K), Saint-Étienne
    2005 World Cross Country Champion in long race (12K), Saint-Étienne
    2005 World Track Champion 10,000 m, Helsinki
    2004 World Cross Country Champion in short race (4K), Brussels
    2004 World Cross Country Champion in long race (12K), Brussels
    2004 Olympic Champion 10,000 m, Athens
    2003 World Cross Country Champion in short race (4K), Avenches
    2003 World Cross Country Champion in long race (12K), Avenches
    2003 World Track Champion 10,000 m, Paris
    2002 World Cross Country Champion in short race (4K), Dublin
    2002 World Cross Country Champion in long race (12K), Dublin
    2001 World Junior Cross Country Champion 8000 m


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭myflipflops


    robinph wrote: »
    I seem to remember seeing something before along the lines that Radcliffe had more than half of the top ten fastest ever marathon times for women? Apart from when there is an Olympics on she's been pretty unbeatable for a large part of the last decade over the distance.

    Radcliffe's record in major championships rules her out of the debate in my opinion.

    The nature of marathon running and the traning involved has meant that she wasn't in peak shape for the Olympics on 04 or 08 but outside that, her record in major global championships is step or 2 below the athletes already mentioned.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 134 ✭✭Kiptanui


    Tingle wrote: »
    On these terms I will give it to Alekna then. Medals in 80% of the champs in the decade, gold in 50% of them. If we have to be statistically objective we must give it to him then for 2000-2009. He medalled in every Olympics in the decade.

    Look, sprinters/jumpers/throwers etc will give it to Bolt, muckers will give it to Bekele, general knowledgable sports fan will give it to Bolt, casual sports fans will give it to Bolt but will know of but not the name of the little Ethiopean lad and the housewives and average Joe Duffy listener will give it to Bolt or Henry Shefflin and won't have a clue who Bekele is.

    Muckers will give it to Bekele!! Thats akin to saying that EPO/Human growth hormone munching sprinters will give it to Bolt!! It appears when the facts don't back up your opinions you resort to this type of trash. :rolleyes:

    As an aside, as has already been pointed out in this thread, Bekele's championship achievments far outweigh Alekna's. That is no slight on Alekna either - he had a wonderful decade.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 396 ✭✭helpisontheway


    Kiptanui wrote: »
    As an aside, as has already been pointed out in this thread, Bekele's championship achievments far outweigh Alekna's. That is no slight on Alekna either - he had a wonderful decade.

    Thats not really a fair statement as Bekele had far more global championships available too him due to cross country.Alekna had Worlds every 2 years and Olympics every 4.Bekele had that plus a choice of two world XC distances every year.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    Kiptanui wrote: »
    Muckers will give it to Bekele!! Thats akin to saying that EPO/Human growth hormone munching sprinters will give it to Bolt!! It appears when the facts don't back up your opinions you resort to this type of trash. :rolleyes:

    The muckers was a bit of craic, should have used a smilie. Mucker is a term of endearment, see this - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=59209497&postcount=73. We all fit in somewhere.

    If you are a mucker and as a mucker you take offence with the term mucker, I apologise. I regularly call muckers I know muckers and they are fine with it;)

    Would EPO really benefit a sprinter, must get on that stuff:cool:

    But obviously the facet of the sport that most interests you will define who you think is the best of the decade. For the record, Alekna as a thrower has only only one comp a year, so 10 in the decade and he medalled in 8 of those. That, on paper, to me is the most impressive statistical return from the decade. See, its hard to be objective even when you use stats. Alekna has one event a year, Bekele or Bolt may have 2 or even 3 if Bekele fancied indoors. There has to be some level of subjectivity. Its all opninion anyway. I'm saying I wouldn't base it on solely stats over the 10 year period so whether Bekele has a better record than Alekna is irrelevant to me as Bolt wins.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭myflipflops


    Thats not really a fair statement as Bekele had far more global championships available too him due to cross country.Alekna had Worlds every 2 years and Olympics every 4.Bekele had that plus a choice of two world XC distances every year.

    Quoting World Champs & Olympics only:

    Alekna - 2 x Olympic Gold & 1 x Bronze
    2 x World Gold & 1 x silver


    Bekele - 3 x Olympic Gold & 1 Silver
    5 x World Champs Gold.


    Both competed in about the same number of Champs at peak with Bekele missing 2001 Worlds due to age and Alekna being 'past' (relative!!) his best in 2009.

    Alekna got all 3 Olympic available in the decade though which partly evens up the fact that Bekele had a more readily made double available to him (5k/10k).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    This is a fairly irrelevant point in terms of the conversation i think.

    I agree, the absence of smilies from my post gave people the impression I was serious. I wasn't;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,525 ✭✭✭✭Krusty_Clown


    Hi, just wondering why Gebreselassie doesn't feature more predominantly? Too much specificity?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 35,514 ✭✭✭✭efb


    Bolt, took athletics back from the brink.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 239 ✭✭ChickenTikka


    For me despite his short while on the scene, it has to be Bolt. Can't put my hand on the detail now ... but newspapers reckoned he knocked more off the 100m record in the last 2 years than all the greats of the previous 30 years put together. I'd vote for him as sportsperson of the decade.
    And I'd vote for Tiger Woods as sportsperson of the decadent.:D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 134 ✭✭Kiptanui


    efb wrote: »
    Bolt, took athletics back from the brink.

    Lets not get carried away. Global athletics was not on the brink. Sprinting was tarnished due to Gatlin, Marion Jones, Montgomery, Chambers, the two greeks etc etc.

    Maybe the same money wasn' in Grand Prix meetings but there are lots of positives.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭myflipflops


    Hi, just wondering why Gebreselassie doesn't feature more predominantly? Too much specificity?

    The vast, vast majority of his medal collection was won previous to 2000. The Olympic gold is his 'only' major outdoor gold in this decade.

    Also, his marathon career, while terrific in terms of time, has lacked any major victory that I can recall. He has dominated Berlin and Dubai over the previous 5 years but these races were set up as time trials for him. He is missing a win in London, NY, Boston or Chicago against a really world class field.

    Obviously, it's not easy to be critical in any way of a guy who has run 2.03.59 in this decade but i don't think his achievements stand up to anybody previously mentioned in this thread.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 35,514 ✭✭✭✭efb


    Kiptanui wrote: »

    Maybe the same money wasn' in Grand Prix meetings but there are lots of positives.

    wasn't that the problem?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 134 ✭✭Kiptanui


    Tingle wrote: »


    Would EPO really benefit a sprinter, must get on that stuff:cool:

    Meant THG. :rolleyes:

    Just a reminder to Helpisontheway. Alekna never broke the World Record either so that ends that really!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 134 ✭✭Kiptanui


    efb wrote: »
    wasn't that the problem?

    It was an issue but hardly had the sport "on the brink"!!!! Lets be realistic.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭Pisco Sour


    I'm amazed that Carolina Kluft isnt getting a mention:

    2002 European Gold
    2003 World Gold
    2004 Olympic Gold
    2005 World Gold
    2006 European Gold
    2007 World Gold

    Add to that:

    2003 World Indoor Gold
    2005 European Indoor Gold
    2007 European Indoor Gold

    A remarkable run of results and her dominance in her event is of the same level as Bolt and Bekele (minus a world record). She was untouchable.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    Kiptanui wrote: »
    Lets not get carried away. Global athletics was not on the brink. Sprinting was tarnished due to Gatlin, Marion Jones, Montgomery, Chambers, the two greeks etc etc.

    Maybe the same money wasn' in Grand Prix meetings but there are lots of positives.

    I would agree with efb and say that athletics was on the brink. Nobody was watching it anymore and nobody outside of the sport really cared. That in my opinion is undeniable and I would say widely accepted. Yes, there are many positives over the past 10 years but until Beijing when Bolt re-ignited it, it was a very ordinary decade after Sydney. Everybody knows Bolt. People might start watching athletics again. Imagine if Gay starts beating him what it will be like. Another great rivalry like Johnson/Lewis or Coe/Ovett.

    Outside of the ever decreasing hardcore nobody wants to see 15 Africans flying around a track in single file for 13-20 odd minutes in some Grand Prix or rounds and rounds of 100m heats at a champs. I might or you might but not the public. Thats why changes are being put forward. No false starts, talk of no races over 5k in stadia, prelim rounds in the 100s at majors, only 7 efforts in the jumps. All these are being tried or debated so as to make the sport more appealing to TV and the public. Even here at local level, marathon 8 hour days at the track, event after event.

    I'll be honest I say I find the longer races dead boring these days. Thats a main reason why I could never vote for Bekele being athlete of the decade. He is a legend of an athlete but I don't know if I would get excited like I did when El Geurroj won the 1500/5000 in '04 or when Bolt got the records in Beijing or Berlin. Coghlan says there are no personalities around in middle or long distance anymore, I think he could be right. Its like watching pursuit.

    Thats the way it was going and added to the drug stories the sport to the general public was non-existent. I think Bolt changed that. Athletics is now cool again. Kids know who Bolt is, they might want to do athletics as opposed to football, GAA or rugby as opposed to not even knowing what the sport was previously. The fact he is so outgoing and great craic is a big factor. You can't but like him. There is a lot riding on his shoulders. Because of that and what he has done, he has to be the Athlete of the Decade. I wonder if we were around in the 30's would we have discounted Jess Owens as he had only had 1 good year?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    04072511 wrote: »
    I'm amazed that Carolina Kluft isnt getting a mention:

    2002 European Gold
    2003 World Gold
    2004 Olympic Gold
    2005 World Gold
    2006 European Gold
    2007 World Gold

    Add to that:

    2003 World Indoor Gold
    2005 European Indoor Gold
    2007 European Indoor Gold

    A remarkable run of results and her dominance in her event is of the same level as Bolt and Bekele (minus a world record). She was untouchable.

    Very true. An amazing sequence. Was she unbeaten in that time? I think she might be.

    Lets hope a comeback for 2012 could be on the cards. Ennis vs Kluft in London would be something else.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭myflipflops


    04072511 wrote: »
    I'm amazed that Carolina Kluft isnt getting a mention:
    .

    Yep, no disagreeing with this.

    Maybe the fact that she didn't compete on the Hepatathlon in Beijing put her out of mind a bit?? Class act all round.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭Pisco Sour


    Tingle wrote: »
    Very true. An amazing sequence. Was she unbeaten in that time? I think she might be.

    Lets hope a comeback for 2012 could be on the cards. Ennis vs Kluft in London would be something else.

    Yep, she hasnt lost an international heptathlon since March 2002 winning 22 including 9 major championships. A major shame that she decided not to defend her Olympic title. I dont know why she couldnt have waited until after Olympic year to experiment with new events (triple jump) and to focus on the long jump.

    Perhaps the cause of her demotivation was that there was nothing left for her to achieve in the event, as the World Record is so far out of sight its scary!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭myflipflops


    Tingle wrote: »
    I'll be honest I say I find the longer races dead boring these days. Thats a main reason why I could never vote for Bekele being athlete of the decade. He is a legend of an athlete but I don't know if I would get excited like I did when El Geurroj won the 1500/5000 in '04 or when Bolt got the records in Beijing or Berlin. Coghlan says there are no personalities around in middle or long distance anymore, I think he could be right. Its like watching pursuit.

    All fair enough and true enough Tingle.

    The age of the 'personality free' distance race is an issue for the side of the sport. The days of John Walker, Coughlan, Coe, Ovett, Sonia, Miruts Yifter, Prefontaine, el Guerrouj and Gebrselassie seem to be gone.

    I still don't see why this has any effect on the debate at hand though. I find Bekele a dislikeable enough character and wouldn't be a fan of his generally but his record just speaks for itself.

    The fact that Bolt is a big personality, a likeable guy and a general totem pole for the sport doesn't come into the equation of this specific debate for me.


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