Edwin Moses's Sports Injuries

I am very grateful and also appreciative of some of my friends and colleagues who are paraplegic, who have lost less, and there's no change coming for them. Having been in that situation and actually experienced what it was like, and being in a situation where there may not have been help, I'm very grateful, in fact.

What if I told you that one single defeat inspired a runner to go on the longest winning streak in sporting history? This is the story of an unbroken winning streak for the record books. On August 26, 1977, Edwin Moses from the United States placed second in the 400-meter hurdles in Berlin, Germany. This was Moses's first loss in over a year. From this moment until 1987, he maintained an unbeaten streak of 122 consecutive races against the world's greatest competition. During this decade, he won two Olympic titles, two World Championship titles, and broke the world record three times, ultimately lowering the all-time fastest performance to 47.02 seconds. Moses's ability to hold extraordinary speeds from start to finish made him a formidable opponent. In 1985, he held all of the nine fastest times ever run in the event, with the closest competitor a full half-second behind his personal best. Moses's journey to the top was swift; he won his first real 400 hurdles race in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1976, and quickly became a worldwide sensation. In 1977, a stumble over the final hurdle marked his first defeat in over a year. However, just nine days later, he bounced back with a remarkable performance at the IAAF World Cup in Düsseldorf, Germany. This victory marked a key turning point from great to virtually unbeatable. From 1977 through 1980, Moses became a huge force in track and field, but he missed the 1980 Olympics due to the United States' boycott. Despite this setback, he continued to dominate, setting a new world record of 47.13 seconds in July 1980. In 1981, Moses went undefeated and ran under 48 seconds on six occasions. After missing the 1982 season due to illness and injury, he returned in 1983 to break his own world record again with a time of 47.02 seconds. This record stood for nine years. Moses successfully defended his Olympic title in 1984 with a time of 47.75 seconds. His closest competitor, Danny Harris, was an 18-year-old who continued to challenge Moses over the next three years. On June 4, 1987, Harris ended Moses's winning streak with a time of 47.56 seconds. Despite this defeat, Moses continued to dominate and won the 1987 World Championships in Rome with a time of 47.46 seconds, barely beating his rivals by just two-hundredths of a second. Moses aimed for the 1988 Olympics, but his speed was fading, and he placed third with a time of 47.56 seconds. After receiving his first non-gold medal in a global event, Moses retired from track and field, leaving behind one of the greatest legacies in the sport's history. Edwin Moses never avoided the world's greatest runners and never stopped his pursuit of sporting greatness.

Just past his 32nd birthday, the great Ed Moses wins his last major title by a mere 0.02 seconds. In a thrilling race, Moses battled against Harold Schmidt and Danny Harris. Despite intense pressure, Moses maintained his lead and crossed the finish line first, securing his victory. The finish was so close it required a photo finish to determine the placements, with Moses ultimately taking first, Harris second, and Schmidt third. This victory solidified Moses's dominance in the event, even at the age of 32.