Juha Vaatainen's STUNNING 10,000m performance | 50 Golden Moments

[@rpsnider85]

I like how Juha went with the other guy when he made his move, but then slowed for two steps because he apparently thought the other guy was just putting on a short burst to take the lead and not full on kicking yet...then he notices the guy was actually throwing down the gauntlet and was like "alright, I guess we're doing this now" and took the hell off

[@richardfaulkner140]

Wow...that brings back memories of my childhood watching athletics as a GB fan growing up in Italy..nostalgia! Athletic moments etched as markers of our passing years!

[@ajoyandbasantibaksi5236]

Perhaps the greatest finish in 70 years of watching track. Come back and watch this every now and then, still seems unbelievable. (Try watching the video with the commentators from the home country. Don't understand a word of what they are saying, but the commentators basically go "bonkers".)

[@NedGough]

Agreed. I do the same. Vaatainen was the most beautiful runner ever to watch. Pity about all the injuries.

[@joejoejoe4577]

This last lap changed everything in track running. Vaatainen, I believe, had an incredible range - 1.48 pb for 800m, 48 400m and 10.8 for 100m.

[@bertenqvist7324]

It was not that fast only 54.1, it looks like 52-53sec... if they had started 1 lap left, Yifter had 54.5 in Moscow 1980.

[@joejoejoe4577]

@@bertenqvist7324 They didn’t get serious until 300 to go.

[@jamesl9998]

What a kick

[@PaulVinonaama]

Haase, too, had so much speed. Both Väätäinen and Haase made their records here, but I believe they might have run much faster with even pacing. (No rabbited races back then.)

[@BANAANISOSELYFZT]

MY IDOL AND HERO

[@bradoneil536]

Sharafetdinov had a pretty great last lap as well. He was much closer to Väätäinen and Haase than the 4th/5th/6th guys were to him.

[@mikenealon4042]

what a finish by the Finnish

[@odrauderojas2576]

And the second too!

[@ajoybaksi3654]

Have always wondered if there has ever been such a fast finish to a quality 10 K race. About 55 sec for the last lap, but sprinting started ~80 m into last lap. What was the timing of the last 200 m, would think 26-27 sec.; V's 400 m PB is listed below at 48 sec. What about Hasse? After 5-6 very successful seasons (except for 68 Olys), he just about disappeared from the scene after this crushing loss.

[@bertenqvist7324]

No väätäinen 400m record is 48.9 but still doable for 10 000m runner 800m 1.48.8 is actually more impressive he wasn´t that fast anymore when acquired endurance but still had used for it with impressive spurt.