I don’t follow T&F much anymore. Do we have any legitimate medal hopes, male or female, from the 800 up?
Suzy Favor-Hamilton, 1500m is the strongest name still going, ranked number 1 in the world currently. The last I read, Bob Kennedy has decided to move on to marathons. . .
T&F is a huge question mark this year with the BALCO scandal blowing several key US performers into the grandstands, and potentially even more huge names falling very soon. Regina Jacobs is the big name in the distance races who has been implicated and will not go to Athens. Go check out www.runnersweb.com for all the updates in the T&F and road racing scene. . .they also post all the major tri and du results as well.
Abdi who was 10th in 2000 10k was training well last I saw him in tucson. I once was running mile repeats at 5:30 pace. He was cruising around the track, just jogging at the same pace as I was doing mile repeats
Suzy will be hard pressed to make the finals, regardless of what she is ranked. She has shown that she can bring the physical requirements to the track, however, she has yet to show up to the big time with the mental game up to the task as well. She is easy on the eyes for a distance runner though.
I think I heard something about Tim Montgomery and BALCO last night.
I know we have some guys that can hang with the pack in the 10k, but do we have anybody that can be a player once the racing starts?
Simple answer, maybe. Deena Drossin is one of a very few Americans capable of competing on the world stage with the potential to medal. She’ll be running the marathon and she has run 2:21. I think the Culpeppers, Alan who will run the marathon (2:09 PB) and his wife Shayne, have a chance, albeit slim. Shayne actually scored a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships earlier this year in the 3000m. The other person to watch would be David Krummenacker in the 800m. He is the World Indoor Champion and could very well medal in Athens. The US’s strong suit has always been the sprints, we’re starting to find out why-with all the drug accusations.
ahh, I forgot about Krummenacker. I remember talk of him moving up to the 1500, any chance? He is tough and outdoors is more suited to his long stride plus he strikes me as smart enough to make it through the prelims with the least amount of damage.
Drossin is pretty tough, however, she is still further away from the female WR than Culpepper is away from the mens WR. Granted, there are many fewer people between Drossin and Radcliff compared to Culpepper and the 2:05/6 guy of the month.
Suzy will be hard pressed to make the finals, regardless of what she is ranked. She has shown that she can bring the physical requirements to the track, however, she has yet to show up to the big time with the mental game up to the task as well. She is easy on the eyes for a distance runner though.
Suzy has always shown up and gone off of the front, or hung on the heels of the front runner, only to die in the final stretch and get outkicked by the others who hung back a little till the end. Honey Bunny and I always bet on whether she’s going to hack a big luggie at the finish, usually does.
As for other track and field athletes, and other Olympic sports such as swimming, we always get peeved when we hear the announcer say which AMERICAN univeristy or college a foreign athlete goes to and runs/swim/etc for but is representing their homeland in the Olympics, not where they train, live and get coached. Hey, if they’re going to our univeristies, using our coaches, they should compete for the USA.
Also isn’t anyone else perterbed that once agin the American Olympic team is being outfitted by Roots, a Canadian clothing company? We found it quite unpatriotic during the past winter Olympics yet people were lining up for hours to get the berets. Yes, it was cute, original stuff, but there are quite a few American clothing companies that would have just as good a job.
Also isn’t anyone else perterbed that once agin the American Olympic team is being outfitted by Roots, a Canadian clothing company? We found it quite unpatriotic during the past winter Olympics yet people were lining up for hours to get the berets. Yes, it was cute, original stuff, but there are quite a few American clothing companies that would have just as good a job.
I think they were afraid to give contracts to US based clothing companies because chances are that by the time the clothing is to be delivered the company will have moved to a different country. That huge sucking sound just never stops . . .
"Also isn’t anyone else perterbed that once agin the American Olympic team is being outfitted by Roots, a Canadian clothing company? "
Not if you’re a Canuk.
No US women will medal in the distance events.
Krummy doesn’t have it in the 800 (indoor champ that he is).
I’m going out on a limb and say that Webb finishes no lower than 4th in the 1500. He’s back and he’s hungry.
If Goucher is healthy, he can be top-5 in the 5000. He’s maniacal, and if he’s on that day, he could scare a few East Africans. He’s a die-trying sort of runner, and anything is possible.
We’ve got to wait till the 5000 trials to see if Ritzenhein is ready yet. He might still be too young.
In the 10000, nobody from these shores will be within a half lap of the leaders.
Marathon? The heat and the hills will favor the small guys. That’s not good, since our best marathoner (Culpepper) is a big guy. So, I don’t hope for much there.
Krum can run with anyone in the world at 800m. Webb will not make it out of the semis…he can’t race (vs time trialing) and doesn’t have the leg speed needed at the int’l level to run a sub-40 sec last 300m. Goucher will never again run under 13:30, and you know what that’ll get you…a spot on your couch watching the Olympics on TV. Culpepper is a big guy? Yeah, he’s tall but he only weighs a 130 lbs, about the same size as Paul Tergat, the WR holder. Deena has a legitimate shot at a medal. Remember, she’s a two-time World XC silver medalist, she likes the hills.
Marathon? The heat and the hills will favor the small guys. That’s not good, since our best marathoner (Culpepper) is a big guy. So, I don’t hope for much there.
Culpepper’s “big?” Tall, yes. But big?
Sounds like you’re from Boulder, as all the names you mention are part of the Boulder enclave. Ritz is looking great right now, but he’s not ready to rock on the international scene.
Marathon? The heat and the hills will favor the small guys.
Heat most probably, but hills? The course is pretty flat, there are a few short (say, 200m) sections at about 5%, and a couple of longer ones (not more than 1km) at less than 3%. Starting line is at sea level and the finish cannot be at more than 100m elevation.
John
Culpepper’s “big?” Tall, yes. But big?
Yes, he’s a bit on the thin side. Still big compared to some of his competitors, though. He weighs around 140? He’ll be racing guys that weigh 110-115.
That’s also why I don’t pick Tergat to win the marathon gold. He’s built like Culpepper.
No, I’m not from Boulder, but that’s where the runners are, eh?
Ritz is world-class. He’s got championships in his future.
Marathon? The heat and the hills will favor the small guys.
Heat most probably, but hills? The course is pretty flat, there are a few short (say, 200m) sections at about 5%, and a couple of longer ones (not more than 1km) at less than 3%. Starting line is at sea level and the finish cannot be at more than 100m elevation.
John
It doesn’t take much in the way of hills to break apart an elite field deep into the race on a hot day. A 3% grade after mile 20 can be a mountain. They’re running right at the redline, and the slightest thing will allow the stronger runner to open a gap. All else equal, I would just say that I favor the littler guys.