Joaquim Cruz Races - 1984 & 1985

Four great performances from Joaquim Cruz -
800m in 1:42.41 at the Van Damme Meeting in Brussels 1984
1000m in 2:14.09 at Nice in 1984
800m in 1:42.98 at Berlin in 1985
800m in 1:42.53 at Cologne in 1985
Commentators - David Coleman and Ron Pickering
BBC Coverage.

[@booklover3959]

As a track fan whose favorite event is the 800, all I can say is THANK YOU for posting this!

[@APBCTechnique]

Cruz’s 4 x 800m races in LA were very good quality. He was a great 800m runner

[@AlexoAprendiz1]

The best in this time! Joaquim Carvalho Cruz, THE BEST!

[@marciaizar5887]

grande Joaquim Cruz!

[@peterbrown6434]

Fantastic Footage pal! Cruz is an ultra legend! As is indeed Coe.Only David Rudisha is greater at 800m

[@sergiopires1534]

Fantastico Joaquim Cruz .

[@AthletixStuffChannel]

Cheers! Great little collection of a great athlete

[@bfc3057]

Cruz's career was stifled after LA with achilles tendinitis and had to do a lot of "running" in a swimming pool (reduced impact). He did well to come back at Seoul 1988. Cruz, Coe, Ovett & Cram didn't have the medical prevention / rehab that modern athletes have today.

[@kevinfitzsimons41]

Amazing races! Thanks for posting!

[@MarcioSilva-n2x]

É melhor de dos tempos.

[@inaldocosta4887]

Muito bom Joaquim Cruz

[@djnando2004]

Brincava de correr.....

[@garetht9205]

First time I've seen the Coe/Cruz Cologne race. I didn't realize Coe pushed him so close in that one. Looked like he was going to kick past him at one point. Fair to assume that the 1981 Coe would have (granting that Cruz wasn't quite in his 1984 form).

[@tommytempo1]

I think Cruz had a bit in reserve in Cologne as he looked back a few times although Coe ran very well after coming back from injury.

[@deano27671]

85 was not a vintage year for Coe and he had a lot of back injury issues throughout the summer. If he could run 1:43.0 when below par, he surely could have run 1:42.5 in 84 and 86, when he was in better form. And even Cruz in his 84 form wouldn't have beaten Coe from 81. Apart from his WR being run in early June, Cruz's failed attempt at Coe's 1000m record, missing it by almost 2 secs, says a lot about the sort of form Coe was in in 81.

[@tommytempo1]

Coe may well have been able to run 1:42.5 in 1984 but Cruz ran 1:41.77 that year. For me, Cram's 1:43.22 at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh was the 800m performance of 1986 and that would have been at least a 1:42 run had the weather been good. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoSsYo2Gftunq5o Who is to say that Cruz in his 1984 form would not have beaten Coe in his 1981 form? It is something that we will never know. What we do know is that they were both fantastic athletes and respect to them both.

[@MrSupplementScene]

I think Cruz is the better 800m runner and definitiely has a faster top sprinting speed. Yes Coe has the slightly better personal record but Cruz had so many sub 1:43s. Deano mentions Coes better 1000m time but all that proves is that he has better endurance that we know he did. In the '88 final his first 200m was in 23 seconds, most runners would completely die after that but Cruz hung on to get the silver medal. If he paced that race better he surely would of run away with it and defended his title. The Kenyan who beat him had a far more sensible pacing

[@themilerman9381]

When Cruz was "on" he was amazing. The way he would put together a string of fast races over two laps was something no other runner at the time could match.

[@mattchoge686]

I think Cruz used his long legs to outduel Coe in the last 30m. It was close thou'.

[@inaldodasilva5279]

Rudisha se parece a Cruz