ankle bone wrote:
Personally, I would say "Good job on that 800 brah, but naw brah. Run that A-time if you want to be all up in the trials."
Hyperbole is a wonderful thing, but I'm going to presume the panel doesn't act like Ronnie on Jersey Shore in their proceedings.
The story of Alan Webb:
On July 21, 2007, at a meet in Brasschaat, Belgium, Webb broke the American record in the mile. His time of 3:46.91 bested the 25-year-old record of 3:47.69 run by Steve Scott.
But sadly...
...He then finished 8th in the final of the 1500 m at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan
and so on...
World Track and Field Championships 9th 3:41.04 Helsinki, Finland 2005-08-10
and so forth
Olympic Trials Finals 5th 3:41.62 Eugene, Oregon 2008-07-06
etc..
Olympic Qualifying Round 1 9th 3:41.25 Athens, Greece 2004-08-20
Alan Webb, flame out!
Why is there so much focus on one athlete added to a field of 40, who is not expected to factor into the medals, is not taking a spot from another athlete, he is doing something that's within the rules and is has been done before?
...are you telling me that Alan Webb does not qualify to be thrown a bone?
TrackCoach wrote:
Why is there so much focus on one athlete added to a field of 40, who is not expected to factor into the medals, is not taking a spot from another athlete, he is doing something that's within the rules and is has been done before?
The warring ideals are (to summarize kind of roughly):
Time Slaves: Participants for the Oly Trials should be determined by whether you hit the A-standard and then all B-standard athletes should be chosen from based upon times run within the qualifying window, from fastest to slowest in the relevant event.
Webbers: Participants for the Oly Trials should be determined by whether you hit the A-standard and then all B-standard athletes should be chosen on the basis of an assortment of criteria: (i) projected ability, (ii) whether you hit an A-standard in another event, (iii) previous ability, or some combination of (i)-(iii).
I feel sorry for him. I would want to disappear. He wouldn't even make college all American at this point.
asfadsfads wrote:
Hassan Mead was the guy who got screwed out of the 5k final 4 years ago because Rupp decided to just run the prelim as a workout, sprint for the finish, flash the "O," and not run the final. If he gets screwed over because of more Nike shenanigans...I don't even know what to say.
I know what to say: Hassan should have worked harder. Four years later and he's still in same borderline position? Whose fault is that? Last time should have given him the motivation to take things up a level this time. If he hasn't improved enough to be a real contender this time then why should they care?
troof be told wrote:
I know what to say: Hassan should have worked harder. Four years later and he's still in same borderline position? Whose fault is that? Last time should have given him the motivation to take things up a level this time. If he hasn't improved enough to be a real contender this time then why should they care?
that's what I say to Webby.
Hassan did qualify for the 10k. If we're saying that Webb is qualified because he has the 1500 standard as well then Hassan should get entry to the 5k too. It is just a slippery, slippery slope and the USATF has a screwed up system they need to fix.
Wow, harsh at all?!?! Hassan Mead has been running consistently for the last 4 years. This Oly Trials was much faster to get into than 4 years ago. I will put my money on Hassan Mead over Allen Webb when they race on Monday as Mead will still get into the meet.
This is the classic USATF position of helping out those who have had a silver spoon up their a$$ for the last 10 years while screwing over those that have been barelly scrapping to get by. In this sport there is little room for growth and very little support for the little guy while the athletes with big money behind them get every luxery possible including an unwarrented berth into the Olympic Trials in this case.
All of the breaks and all of the resources Webb has had throughout his career and he continues to get things handed to him based on his name.
Give Hassan Mead his shot, Webb has had his...
Stelaaaa! wrote:
Wow, harsh at all?!?! Hassan Mead has been running consistently for the last 4 years. This Oly Trials was much faster to get into than 4 years ago.
No, not harsh at all. Four years ago Hassan was some guy on the cusp. Four years later the game has stepped up, as you say, and where is he? Still on the cusp. Why should they care about someone in that position over someone with better credentials? That's life.
Hassan Mead-13:33
Allen Webb-13:49
That SHOULD be all that matters.
Stelaaaa! wrote:
Hassan Mead-13:33
Allen Webb-13:49
That SHOULD be all that matters.
But it isn't. Like I said, that's life.
troof be told wrote:
No, not harsh at all. Four years ago Hassan was some guy on the cusp. Four years later the game has stepped up, as you say, and where is he? Still on the cusp. Why should they care about someone in that position over someone with better credentials? That's life.
Stop saying "they." It is John Chaplin and his bogus committee with no transparency and loose rules. Webb doesn't have better credentials in this race by the rules that the USATF laid out. You say "that's life" but if it were you you'd be up in arms. Our sport has problems and it needs to be held to professional standards. Making it a good ol boys club is holding us back in so many ways -- this is just another one of them.
troof be told wrote:
Stelaaaa! wrote:Hassan Mead-13:33
Allen Webb-13:49
That SHOULD be all that matters.
But it isn't. Like I said, that's life.
You are right it obviously isn't and that's what has people upset about this.
troof be told wrote:
No, not harsh at all. Four years ago Hassan was some guy on the cusp. Four years later the game has stepped up, as you say, and where is he? Still on the cusp. Why should they care about someone in that position over someone with better credentials? That's life.
Hasan was on the cusp of the finals 4 years ago, and is on the cusp of prelims this year. So really he has digressed, much like Webb.
Really if you are going to say that Alan has had his shot, then you would have to say that Hasan has had his shot as well.
Before we start commenting on the progression of Hassan Mead, let us all take note of the fact that HIS LUNG COLLAPSED in the Fall of 2010. A bit of a setback for a long-distance runner, no?
The latest word is that they are taking 25 to the 5K heats instead of 24. They are adding Alan Webb and he is not displacing anyone. Fair or not, at least he's not leaving #24 high and dry. Currently that's Trevor Dunbar.
We're being heard somewhere---
"The popular running website, letsrun.com, with its merciless anonymous message boards, has made a collective project of scrutinizing the career of Webb,"
Tim goes on to say there is more about this on Friday. The issues isn't Alan specifically, it is about the USATF's favoritism and loose rules. Fam should be in if Webb is. Why does Webb get to petition early? Where is this "word" coming from? So insidery... there is a reason that the message boards yell about this stuff.
Meh, not any more of a setback than the injuries Webb has had.
Goldenboy wrote:
The latest word is that they are taking 25 to the 5K heats instead of 24. They are adding Alan Webb and he is not displacing anyone. Fair or not, at least he's not leaving #24 high and dry. Currently that's Trevor Dunbar.
So, he's leaving #25 high and dry. Who is that?
The same criteria should be applied to every single event, and the only fair criteria is by time. If the top 32 have entry to the 800m, then the top 32 should have entry to all the other events.
Whoever is making the bad decisions at USTAF needs to make a good one for once, and to get out of there and retire.
The original plan was to take 24 entries, so number 25 (currently Forest Braden) wasn't going to get in anyway. So, the debate isn't about #25 getting screwed out of a spot, its whether its fair to allow Webb in at all. We can all debate that until the cows come home, but as long as John Chamberlain is making the calls what we think really doesn't matter. And he's made that clear. Chamberlain needs to go, but I doubt that happens any time soon.