Wottle/Arzhanov/Boit:1972 OG 800m.Final,Munich

In a slowish final USA athlete Wottle ran a perfectly judged even pace ,picking off the other athletes down the home straight who quite simply went too early and subsequently ran out of steam.

[mikenshirl]

Every time I watch this, I’m afraid Wottle won’t quite make it to the line first, but he always wins.

[starmersbarber]

I reckon this is one of the greatest performances in history. Regardless of nationality, I love a maverick in sport...and Dave Wottle will always be a hero of mine.

[markkanazawa]

One of the smartest races ever. He knew Arzhanov was the one he needed to beat. He kept his eye on him and as soon as Arzhanov made his move, he went with him.

[fredrohrer]

I still get chills seeing this…. Watched it live !!!!

[BigPermDawg]

The power of even splits. Patience and he did not waste time and energy running wide. He stayed in lane one until the last 100. He maneuvered masterfully to avoid breaking stride. He had more left because he didn’t go out fast. Amazing race!

[cjpaul]

I have watched this at least 100 times and never tire of doing so

[fcwinterthur]

Ich bin 78 Jahre alt und sah seit 1960 praktisch alle Rennen von 100m.bis Marathon.Nur das 800m Rennen von Wottle.Sensationell!

[sananto]

Best race ever! Staying that far back in a short race at a world-class level takes guts. Wottle seemed so casual like a stroll in the park. Amazing competitor.

[James-akaRhino]

I saw this race live when I was 12 years old. Dave Wottle inspired me to become a 800 runner even though I was never very good at it. Fastest was a 2:07. Him and that cap was so cool with his closing kick. Dude was only 19 years old college student at the time. Doesn't get enough credit for his Olympic victory for us old school guys.

[inmanmark]

To me, this video is like dropping an apple 100as of times and being just as surprised each time it hits the ground. There's something magic about that.

[erichvonmolder]

This was 51 years ago and I still got excited. DAMN!

[Tblillard]

1:58 high school best here. And Dave was my fave, too. I even wore a hat like his. Love watching this video over the years.

[hughmaitri]

I found this by accident. I’ve watched it heaps of times and one of my favourite sporting moments

[christianmani]

Little known fact is that Wottle was a miler for his entire life. He only ran the 800m for about 4 months: for the Olympic trials and then Olympic Games. He didn't race the 800m before or ever again after that. Wottle admitted this in a recent interview.

[Gerryinthewoods]

Dave Wottle makes me proud to be a BGSU grad and American. I love watching this race.

[jc]

Definitely one of the best 800m finals ever, up there with Coe/Ovett. One of my earliest Olympic watching memories as an 8yo and still one of my favourites.

[mikeworldwide]

I’ve watched this race a million times and every time I think “No way Wottle pulls this off”

[paulgraham]

Oh it takes your breath away! Watched this as a 10-year-old and was blown away, and it still blows me away today

[hvymettle]

The pack went out quickly for the first 200m in 24.9, Wottle couldn't keep up and fell back 10m. With no one asserting the lead they slowed in the second 200m and Wottle regained contact with the pack. Wottle ran a fairly even pace for the race, with his 200m splits at 26.4, 27.1, 26.2, and 26.2. That means he ran a negative split of 53.4 for the first 400m and 52.4 for the second. Wottle said that "It wasn’t so much a kick, as people coming back to me."

[Eleuthero]

Like Paul Travis below, I never tire of watching this race over and over. Turns out that the first 200m ate up too many energy reserves and Wottle wanted no part of that. This was a brave tactical decision carried out to victory in the final couple of strides.