HMMM. SO...... RUPP

people are either over hyped or over criticized. usually neither are 100% justified.

Todd Williams never got better than 10th in the Olympics or Worlds and people tend to think he was pretty good.

You have to have realistic expectations. The American Record in the 10k IS a lap down to Bekele.

Top US times in 2009 before WC:

27:36.99 1 Tim Nelson Oregon TC 05/02 Payton Jordan

27:39.68 4 Anthony Famiglietti Saucony 04/25 Hamilton Inv

27:52.53 1 -Galen Rupp Oregon 06/25 USATF

27:58.59 2 Dathan Ritzenhein Nike 06/25 USATF

28:00.22 10 Fasil Bizuneh New Balance 04/25 Hamilton Inv

Top times in the World in 2009 before WC:

26:57.36 Josephat Muchiri Ndambiri KEN 12/02/1985 1 Fukuroi 03/05/2009

26:58.40 Josephat Muchiri Ndambiri 1r2 Tendo 16/05/2009

26:59.88 Martin Irungu Mathathi KEN 25/12/1985 2 Fukuroi 03/05/2009

27:01.83 Gideon Lekumok Ngatuny KEN 10/10/1986 2r2 Tendo 16/05/2009

27:09.40 Ali Abdosh ETH 28/08/1987 1 Utrecht 14/06/2009

This should be old news. We've been "a lap down" for quite some time save for a few rays of sunshine over the years like Meb. Part of the reason has always been too much specialization. Bekele could probably perform well in the 1500m while our 10k guys likely could not. There's this "well I can always just move up" mentality and this isolationist mentality.

Take the top 10 guys in the 5k and the 10k and force them to train together. I don't care where, just do it. Hansons have had moderate success with relatively poor talent because they reach into that survival mentality, that fight or flight instinct. I believe this happened in the 80s as well with the GBTC and Athletics West.

It is as it always was...

Alan

Soul Intent wrote:

All you Americans saying he is going to do stuff in the Worlds, all that hype over nothing. He wasn't even first Aemrican home, so why wasn't the focus more on Ritzenhein. Infact Galen Rupp was nearly lapped by Bekele, even with a SB. How on earth could yous hype up a person who comes 8th in the worlds. Not just hype, but go on to say he might be in the mix.

***i have nothing against Galen, i just have a thing about people hyping him up. I wish him well and hope he does better in the future.

If you knew anything about how many races Rupp did this year previous to Berlin, or if you had a brain in your head to actually read, you would know that he had a legendary year winning EVERY UNIVERSITY race from XC to Nationals, with the exceptions when he stepped down work on smaller races and his kick. Everytime he stepped down to 5k, he won.

He won 6 individual national times in one year, this soon on his Beijing performance, as teh top non-African finisher.

You have nothing against Rupp, and yet you make negative opinions while not being fully informed -- or giving the ahtlete any credit for the year he's had.

You infer that you are not American...but you tell us nothing about your qualifications to judge...and American chat board.

What's your name? How do you run? What do you work at? What is your performance like?

Ever done anything exceptional in your life?

I didn't think so - you posted nothing of any intelligence.

And, IF you were paying attention and attending in good faith, you would know there was a very small minority here saying that Rupp would do anything this year.

In fact the majority knew he was injured, hoped for the best, but also knew he'd had a long year of 24 races already, and that to expect much in Berlin was unrealistic. That Rupp is now out of college, and it is more realistic put some expectations on him next year when he will be able to train to PEAK IN THE SUMMER, not in the spring as athletes do for the American collegiate system.

If you were not ignorant, you would know all these facts.

If you really wanted to know people's opinions, you might have done some reading in advance -- or let's just be honest, you have read all those facts as they are on almost every thread on the guy.

You just chose to show how stupid you are.