During the Munich Olympics, the star performer in my event, the 10,000, was not well known going into the games. Unlike most athletes who move onto the world class scene over a four- to eight-year period, Lasse’s times were not spectacular. When I checked on his performances the year before the Olympics, I noted that he had finished 17th in the European Championships 10K.
Lasse’s joy was running through the wilds, mile after mile. He loved forest trails and had a variety of routes and workouts. About the only time that you saw Lasse on a track was during a race. But as Lasse ran his trails, he would envision being in the big race, responding to various challenges and coming back strong.
In the trial heat of the 10,000, Lasse ran a smart race and qualified easily without seeming to be very tired. None of the experts I spoke with before the 10K final predicted that he would finish in the top five.
The 10K final evolved into a strategic race. With about eight laps to go (out of 25), there were 10 runners tightly bunched, all in position to win the race. With no warning, Lasse was tripped by a runner, and he fell into the infield of the track, rolling over.
The first action that impressed me was that Lasse ran straight back to where he had been tripped. If he had tried to run the tangent he would have taken too many steps on the infield and been disqualified. There was no doubt in my mind that he has rehearsed this possibility.
The second impressive action was not trying to catch up with the field in the first lap or two. Lasse gradually caught up with the pack over the next two laps, but he didn’t stop there. During the next two laps, he passed one runner at a time.
With two laps to go, Lasse moved into the lead and continued to pick up the pace every 20 yards or so. There were several runners near him with half a lap to go, but Lasse steadily moved away from them. He not only won the Gold, he set a world record.
Lasse won the 5K gold medal in Munich and returned to Montreal four years later to capture the Gold in the 5K and 10K and finish fifth in the marathon.