Kiwi's 1976 - 5000m Final

[@tylsimys67]

Viren took commanding lead at about 1000m left, not 600m as some have suggested here. He's mindset was very logical: "I'll stay at front and in the first lane to the finish, if someone goes by so be it."

[@mikedauplaise7477]

Our family was in the standing room only section around the final curve for this race. (Yes, they actually had metal railings for us to lean against, but no seats.) I was 13 years old and I'll never forget it. What a fantastic race! Great memories.

[@John-wx3zn]

Viren is awesome! and that is a memorable race! Thank you to all of the racers! and the commentary and the fans! my goodness!

[@dr.socrates1426]

Thank you very much for posting this race. As a German I'm very glad to see my compatriot Klaus Peter Hildenbrand winning the bronze medal. I admire the runners from New Zealand. My favorite runner is John Walker but I also admire Peter Snell, Dick Quax, Rod Dixon and Murray Halberg. Great Kiwis

[@johnstirling9120]

Look out for a couple of young Kiwis coming through, Theo Quax, (Dick Quaxs son) and Sam Tanner, both are 3.38 1500 runners at present but still very young.

[@dr.socrates1426]

@@johnstirling9120 Thanks for the information

[@tonyking1832]

Thank you it sure was a great era of running for New Zealand.

[@4oyageryramaira269]

So many memories.. goes out to you Dad... Brian Counsell.. (Olympic Harriers Wellington New Zealand)

[@aikirunner]

I was a kid growing up in Quebec and found this race to be spectacular.

[@bitrot66]

I wasn't aware of the 1m above the line rule Rod referred to. What a supreme gentleman he comes across as in this clip, wonderful stuff. Every true long distance fan cherishes this race - one of the all time classics.

[@PaulVinonaama]

I doubt there is such a rule.

[@markgregamy]

that rod dixon new york marathon alway has me teary, amazing emotion from him, in not a kiwi but something magic about that finish , pure elation

[@putuplakkari]

New Zealand's top runners, Dick Quax and Rod Dixon has made this race a memorable one.

[@cryo9216]

Up until recently Rod Dixon was one of only a handful of men who had run under 2:10 for the marathon AND under 4:00 for the mile. Truly great range by a truly great athlete.

[@newnamegeorge1]

viren was an absolute tactical genius and this was his finest moment.

[@terraflow__bryanburdo4547]

Blood doper, along with the other Finns in the '70s and '80s. I love Finland but this was egregious.

[@lipstickonapalin8360]

@@terraflow__bryanburdo4547 agreed. although at the time blood doping wasn't illegal. not yet.

[@djangorheinhardt]

Yes I agree and I think it takes the shine off the gold medal as it was not won honestly. Blood doping should have been made illegal when it was first used by one or two athletes from other countries who found it did enhance their running and gave them superior times .It is all well and good all Viren's backers and supporters saying " it was not illegal then so Viren did nothing wrong " .I still think it was,and is , downright cheating and sullies and tarnishes those gold medals won by Viren .

[@mikkoammala779]

@@djangorheinhardt Problem with blood doping was .... if done "Finnish invention" way - it could not be caught in tests. But this traditional blood doping as a "way-to-go" was actually obsoleted by a superior method: EPO / Erythropoietin (late 80:ies/early 90:ies).

[@Fatima502]

The years have been very kind to Rod Dixon

[@WaryBuck1]

Isn't it amazing how very thin the difference between winning and no medal at all in these elite races? An absolutely great race I remember watching on TV at the time.

[@mahtivaari72]

Viren ran 800m and 1500m only in Finnish national level competitions. If he had run 1500m against, for example, Dixon, Walker or Bayi his record would have been much better than it was. Dixon did not take it into consideration when he felt comfortable due to 5 s better record in 800m. Viren was faster than anyone knew (last 100 m 12,1 seconds).

[@user-ro7ee7]

Oh.. Run you Great... Very-very good Video.. Thanks...

[@tommytempo1]

@putuplakkari Agreed, but so did Brendan Foster surging to break up the field, Hildenbrand's dive at the finish and Viren's guile. A fantastic race.

[@mahtivaari72]

When watching this video I feel ironic that a Kiwi (Arthur Lydiard) was the man behind the great Finnish runners in 70s. Lydiard was recruited to Finland in late 60s. It has been told that his salary was incredible compared to what an average Finn earned at that time.

[@user-vt7fl8zr5n77]

The Best Viren Fantastik finish...

[@gary1961]

The finish to this 5000 metre race is very similar to four years earlier in Munich with Steve Prefontaine being pipped on the line for the bronze medal.

[@terrysfreefoodtv]

i served both of them at Cobb and Co in 1980

[@blade0954]

good video,thank you from Scotland.

[@mansikkarahka-tn4ml]

NICE TO WATCH IT

[@athleticscoach2012]

Brilliant stuff !

[@stuartross8735]

I saw viren in nz at a series they had each summer .he couldn’t beat an egg. Blood doping for the big events?

[@tylsimys67]

Or just the right tuning towards what really counts which ability seems to be lacking our today's athletes and their managers TOTALLY - and I don't mean gold medals or world records, just to be able making your SEASON BEST where it matters. 95% of our athletes fails constantly to beat even that, never mind pushing a bit further, meaning no gold from Summer Olympics in ANY event for 16 years. What comes to Viren, before any proof that those other competitors were pure as snow white your comment is just garbage from probably an all-around loser.

[@redrum4100]

RIP Dick Quax 😞

[@multiio1424]

Viren had the inside lane for the last 600 meters, while all his opponents had to run on the 2nd or 3rd lanes, which means they had several meters more to go. That's not to say Viren played unfairly -- he gained this advantage by taking the initiative with 600 meters to go, but still, physically, three other guys were on par.

[@TheNeutralViewFromSwedenAKAHer]

That is a pretty bald claim considering that was Viren's fourth gold in the Olympics. the Kiwis were good runners but Viren was a great champion.

[@juha2031]

Finally i found a version that has Lasse speaking, but of course it is talked over.

[@HawkAmExpat]

Lasse Viren ran an absolutely brilliant race to win the gold. Quax and Dixon were awesome, both very tough and gutsy runners, like their mate John Walker, but Viren was just too much--the premier long distance runner of his generation. And so cool, Viren just got the job done with little fanfare and incredible skill.

[@virginiakirsch7918]

with perhaps a little help from blood doping. but we'll never know.

[@HawkAmExpat]

Virginia, you may be right. But this was Dick Quax's race to win--I was sixteen at the time, running cross-country and the mile&2 mile, and a track junkie. OK, word on the street from NYC to Auckland was that Quax would tear it up at Montreal, take it to Viren like nobody had before and stand with the gold. And IF Quax had done that--hammered down from the beginning with the goal of running a 13:10--I have no doubt that Quax would have beaten Viren. But Viren had something in his toolbox, as us commandos say, that played heavily in his favor when it came to the big throw-down in Montreal: Viren instilled fear in his opponents. And that is a helluva' advantage, whether you're leading a raid or trying to win an Olympic final. You're gotta' bring some to get some--yes, another commando proverb, and the last for now. And Viren brought utter, total self-confidence in his ability to win any kind of race, anytime, anywhere. Had Quax had that kind of faith in his own ability to DICTATE the terms of this race, Quax would have won. Quax was just flat-out the premier cat, the Honcho, the Sensei, the Ronin of the 5000 meters, in the 12 months prior to Montreal. And I for one bet, and yes, lost $200 US dollars, on Quax. O well! Cheers.

[@docpj72]

Mike Tucker I agree- Quax was the man to beat in' 76 but Viren was playing with house money in this one, having 3 golds already under his belt and as you mention, he was a master tactician and the greatest distance runner of his generation-he could dictate the tempo and he was wise in avoiding going out in lane 2 or 3 like the Kiwis did and conserving his energy by running the most efficient race.

[@HawkAmExpat]

Paul Johnson Well-said, Paul. And check out Viren's training prior to both Munich and Montreal--he was running in the mountains in Kenya, in deep sand in Brazil, and he never missed a day running in the snow in Finland. Reckon that's where he earned that house money! Cheers.

[@DisasterOnline]

Virginia Kirsch My opinion is, that there simply is no point what-so-ever to argue anymore about whether Viren used doping or not. It's in the PAST now. And past can't be changed no matter what you do. What's done is done. Viren won and that's it. Viren was a police officer, so do you think that a man in law enforcement would use doping? Not in Finland.

[@putuplakkari]

@tommytempo1 I totally agree, a fantastic race.

[@tommytempo1]

Interesting to note that the fastest last lap may have been run by Willie Polleunis of Belgium in 6th place.

[@johnstirling9120]

It would be interesting to go back to Quax, (when he was alive) and Dixon and ask if you could go back to that day, you are 600 meters out, what would you do differently?

[@tommytempo1]

@@johnstirling9120 For Quax - not running a fast last lap when he didn't need to, to win his heat, beating Viren and showing his hand. kzbin.info/www/bejne/goKyfmxnf7uUmas For Dixon, he should have let Foster get on with breaking the Olympic Record in the heats and doing the minimum to qualify, saving his legs for the Final. Going into the last lap of the Final, Quax was giving the leaders a 4m start. As Dixon said, his mistake was letting Hildenbrand get between him and Viren with 200m to go. Both Kiwi's ran extra distance in lane two coming round the bend into the straight, while Viren ran next to the kerb virtually all the way round, conserving energy. Both Kiwi's were greatly disappointed. Great athletes and a great race. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZi3ip2fnpytb9U

[@johnstirling9120]

@@tommytempo1 absolutely right, after the heats Viren out thought them. Both the Kiwis had faster 1500 speed, ( Quax 3.36 or thereabouts , Dixon 3.33 ) and over 5k Dixon was within a second of Viren and Quax almost 3 seconds faster. IMO both the Kiwis should have stuck to Virens outside shoulder like glue till 100 out then kicked away. I don't know who would have won but there wouldn't be much in it. As for the great "what if" of Prefontaine, I don't really think he would have made much difference, albeit a probably faster race which would have suited both Kiwis, but i think "Pres" racing style didn't suit big championships. Fascinating , but unsolvable discussion. J PS. I think Foster was foolish to try the 5/10 double, he was shot by the 5k final and just hanging on and says himself that in the 10k final he was buggered.

[@gary1961]

@@johnstirling9120 Prefontaine would have HAD to be in the lead on that last lap to have stood any chance of a medal. As a known front runner, I think he'd have learnt from Munich in 72 and ran from the front from at least 6 laps out gradually increasing speed in the hope of breaking the field. Alas, we'll never know.

[@stephenmartinez9355]

Can you imagine the dynamics if Prefontaine would have been thrown in to the mix?

[@homemadefood7197]

The world will never know .

[@gary1961]

One thing is certain, he would have had to run the first two miles a hell of a lot faster than in Munich 72. Maybe a 4.15 first mile followed by a 4.10, with a final mile of 4.05, add on around 30 seconds for the half lap and you come in with a time of around 13 minutes and not only an Olympic gold, but smashing the World Record too. It would be that second mile of 4.10 that would shatter the field. David Moorcroft ran something very similar to this when he smashed the existing 5k World Record in 1982 with an exceptional piece of front running to drop the WR to 13 minutes exactly.

[@sikaerkki666]

god i hope u dont hate me,this is best coverage of that run,im finn and love to see good race

[@jacknikitos6185]

Look at great Viren"s technics of running.

[@anittamoilanen9314]

💓🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@Daveglorious]

Jeez... Rod Dixon! He looks about 24!

[@theringmaster886]

ESPN? What's this documentary? You have the full one?

[@a690ac52ed7]

I don't think Hildenbrand needed to dive. It looks like he was catching Dixon in time anyway. You can see Dixon tying up if you watch the finish.

[@tommytempo1]

Dixon may have medalled had he not run wide coming off the bend. Quax ran a very fast last 400m in his heat beating Viren and may have made Viren reconsider his race tactics for the final. Viren knew that if it was a very slow race he would not beat the milers Quax and Dixon.

[@a690ac52ed7]

Absolutely. Dixon ran a longer race than Quax, Quax a longer race than Viren, by virtue of the fact that both had to run wide. Viren had an almost inexorable instinct for both running the tangents and staying out of tangle ups, with the exception of the 1972 10k, of course. On the day Viren did everything right, and at the Olympics that's what counts.

[@WaryBuck1]

I agree. I believe had he simply run for a medal, staying on lane 1 or 1 1/2 around that bend, that he would've held off Hildebrand. He would have passed him early on the straight and been able to edge down toward the curb and Hildebrand would've had to swing wide to repass him and I don't think he could've done that by the finish. Of course, Dixon wasn't running just for third as he came off the turn.

[@MAOLALAIDH]

Looks more like he stumbled so didn't have much choice....

[@Arthur_Pint]

And no-one on here is even mentioning 'Viren's' pre-games 'suspicious' 'blood treatments'. He won nothing between his victories at Munich and Montreal, and yet in 1976, against a runner like Dixon who had an 800m PB a 5 full seconds better, Viren somehow out sprinted him over the last 2 laps! How so ?????????

[@PaulVinonaama]

First, there is no evidence for those "blood treatments". Second, they would in no way explain his superiority in the Olympic years: why wouldn't those "treatments" be as well employed in the non-Olympic years? Third, there are other very well-known explanations: lack of motivation in 1973 and injuries in 1974-75. Fourth, he was in excellent condition in 1972 and 1976 for a large stretch of time (running WRs in 1972 both before and after the Olympics); I doubt the "treatments" would have such an effect.

[@Tawadeb]

Yes Dixon has mentioned the blood doping.

[@MultiCgp]

If Hildenbrand hadn't dove Rod Dixon would have gotten bronze - yup vindication for Rodney years later 1983 in the NYM! What a race that was - then 3 yr.later he paid us a visit here in Victoria to run in a low key 10 km road race (and won it of course, not without some pushing from two of our locals then)

[@sikaerkki666]

true,i still think dixon should got medal,hate those divers,more in soccer,fuck those pussies...

[@MAOLALAIDH]

Looks more like he stumbled so didn't have much choice, but was going to beat him anyway....

[@olavijoenkoski6360]

Vieläkin tulee tippa silmään kun katsoo tuota juoksua. Oli ne aikoja kun Lasselle hurrattiin.

[@vesalatvala5351]

Hildenbrand-parka katselee ympärilleen ja kuvittelee että pahimmat vastustajat ovat Quax ja Dixon - Lasse pesi ne kaikki niitten omalla kiriaseella😁😁!

[@cy8685]

During my entire childhood I had only one hero - Lasse Viren. When I was 50 I met him in person - and he hit on my wife. The hero's image was shattered!

[@jamesfleming5849]

C Y? That's life's paradox. Everyone who seems to be great at something usually turns out to be a delusional egotistical .......narcissism and self importance bordering on mental illness -if not already there.I do believe your story.Hitting on your wife???Just be glad he's not filthy rich also.Well he might be.He has that sense of entitlement about him.

[@PaulVinonaama]

@@jamesfleming5849 Perhaps you should not believe everything writes in a KZbin comment. At least, Viren is not at all known as egotistical narcissist. He is extremely modest.

[@djangorheinhardt]

Well if you Google the name Lasse Viren and follow it by the words "blood doping" you will see a welter of information that has come into the public domain about Viren ,and indeed the athletes in general from Finland,in the last few years.Most of the Finn victories in the 70's have a taint about them with the biggest suspicion about Viren himself.So perhaps Viren is right to be circumspect in his interviews.

[@terraflow__bryanburdo4547]

Be glad you had a wife attractive enough to garner his attention!

[@mahtivaari72]

Viren has told he had several alternative tactics for this run. In this race, he killed faster runners with his 600m spurt where he increased the speed so slowly that nobody even noticed it. There is a lot of nonsense about blood dope but it is forgotten that Viren is perhaps the smartest runner ever.

[@sikaerkki666]

vaari,im with you,and he made evrytime overtakes happens in bends,and if he overtakes,all in straight... but never forget,he was trainers pet,he didi everything and bit more,but his biggest asset was his mind,he could just tactics whatever others did..

[@agnostic47]

" a lot of nonsense about blood dope " If having your blood completely replaced with fully oxygenated blood just before the race is a "lot of nonsense" then Viren played fair. Yes, blood "doping" was legal at the time, but Viren was the only person that did it.

[@IkeVMAX4]

@@agnostic47 you know this how ?

[@sikaerkki666]

and still lasse run like he always does,curves inside,if pass,in straight... like finnish f1 drivers,,, just watch häkkinen vs schumacher in spa...:)

[@michaelwalker2676]

Dick Quax and Rod Dixon ran very well and one of them could have won gold.

[@markwolfshohl6562]

You’re confident you can win with Lasse Viren in the race? Yea...

[@juha2031]

Is Kiwi another word for New Zealander or something?

[@roostermiller]

ahjos yes. Its there native flightless bird

[@Tawadeb]

Yes it is

[@joshberkowitz612]

If only Pre could have been there. :(

[@mahtivaari72]

R.I.P. Kiwi Arthur Lydiard who was the man behind the golden era of Finnish long-distance running in 70s. In addition to Viren, we had distance runners such as Juha Väätäinen (two European championship golds), Pekka Vasala (Olympic gold), Martti Vainio (European Championship gold), Tapio Kantanen (Olympic bronze), Pekka Päivärinta (cross-country World championship gold) and Kaarlo Maaninka (two Olympic medals). There were also many other Finns whose records were world top class but they never had success in big races. Viren has told that it was hard competition in Finland to qualify to Olympic team in 70s.

[@lazharabassi9554]

mahtivaari72

[@desertman1962]

I saw Viren run X-Country in the UK between the Olympics and he performed very modestly. Yet at both the 72 & 76 Olympics he was untouchable the reason being the same as Lance Armstrong some 20+ years later.

[@mahtivaari72]

@@desertman1962 He won 5000m bronze in EC Rome 1974 and his time was even better than in Olympics 72 or 76. He was also then in a very good shape but wasn't enough for gold.

[@militaryhistorian67]

They forgot about the king Lasse Viren

[@PaulVinonaama]

???

[@lipstickonapalin8360]

lucky there were no africans

[@ipv1977]

Род Диксон величайший наивеличайший бегун

[@mahtivaari72]

If Quax had been 2nd or 3rd before the last lap he would have won. He trusted too much in himself.

[@sikaerkki666]

when quax run in third lane in last corner,there he lost it

[@sikaerkki666]

lasse was master to put himself inlane in every run he made,never overtake in bends,,,

[@sikaerkki666]

but those moustasches was fantastic...

[@ipv1977]

Величайшие бегуны!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@MikeDoyle-lw1dr]

Hahahaha…. “The Kiwis had blown it”. Never satisfied Keith.

[@StevenBradley-x6y]

Dixon got his tactics wrong

[@alcammellal]

Stupide! Un 5000m sans les africains(pour cause de boycott).. il n'y a aucune raison pour pavoiser.