Startlist for Memorial Van Damme

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Really? A track meet called the Van Damme Memorial? Huh. I didn't know Jean-Claude was a famous track athlete.

Vessey back in the 800, Solinsky and Tegenkamp in the 5k. You think after watching Ritz take the AR in the 5k Teg and Solinsky will go in with a similar game plan?

Will richards, isanbayeva, and bekele all split the jackpot? I think so

willard > vessey

CWT > us 2k record

13:00 > teg > solinksy

I expect another great sub-2:00 race for Willard.

I think Solinsky will suck, as he ran a 3K on Monday.

I think Teg will make a valiant effort to stay with the rabbits, a la Ritz. I see a 20% chance of a PR (sub 13:05), and a 70% chance of a serious fade to the 13:20 zone. There's a small chance (~10%) that he will run something credible, but not a PR.

Who is on the US team?

4 X 1500 MEN ALGERIE

4 X 1500 MEN AUSTRALIA

4 X 1500 MEN BELGIUM

4 X 1500 MEN ENGLAND

4 X 1500 MEN KENYA

4 X 1500 MEN MAROC

4 X 1500 MEN MIXED TEAM

4 X 1500 MEN SPAIN

4 X 1500 MEN USA

AR list

4 x 1500

14:46.3 National Team 06/23/79

14:52.37 Reebok Enclave 04/29/00

14:53.34 Georgetown 04/27/91

14:57.87 Arkansas 04/30/88

14:58.62 ----Georgetown 04/30/88

14:58.72 Penn State 04/26/86

14:58.81 Auburn 04/26/86

14:59.57 Indiana 04/30/88

15:01.97 Wisconsin 04/24/93

15:02.03 Reebok Aggies 04/29/00

Nut Doctor wrote:

I expect another great sub-2:00 race for Willard.

I think Solinsky will suck, as he ran a 3K on Monday.

I think Teg will make a valiant effort to stay with the rabbits, a la Ritz. I see a 20% chance of a PR (sub 13:05), and a 70% chance of a serious fade to the 13:20 zone. There's a small chance (~10%) that he will run something credible, but not a PR.

Stay with the rabbits? Ritz was in last place early on. What are you talking about?

Stay with the rabbits? Ritz was in last place early on. What are you talking about?

Ritz was last, but at the back of the front back. For the most part, he stayed in contact with that group during the first half of the race. Then he started passing people. I expect Teg will do the same thing.

tool

Nut Doctor wrote:

I think Solinsky will suck, as he ran a 3K on Monday.

If you think the reason Solinsky will suck is because he ran a 3K on Monday then you are clueless.

That's a pretty loose definition of staying with the rabbits.

batondrop wrote:

Really? A track meet called the Van Damme Memorial? Huh. I didn't know Jean-Claude was a famous track athlete.

He's undefeated on the track. He kicks the shit out of everyone on the start line and jogs it in. After going through the junior ranks undefeated, he got bored and went to Hollywood.

Tegenkamp's plan usually is to hang around somewhere between the middle and the back. He probably won't let himself go out in 2:30 or any faster; I would think that he would restrain himself that much.

Tegenkamp has demonstrated pretty sound racing strategies in the past. The only time he criticized himself is for little things that in his mind made a big difference, and often times the little things do make a big difference, but in his past few races he's always made sure he was in good striking position before the leaders take off. And sometimes he catches them.

With Eliud Kipchoge and K. Bekele, I think this race will have a fairly good pace to it- nothing slower than 13:00, but I'm not sure if this race will have rabbits or not. Bekele definitely won't push the pace, but I wouldn't be surprised if one of his competitors (E. Kipchoge?) does push the pace just to see if he/they can tire him (bekele) out.

I think Tegenkamp will stay within 15-20m of the leaders at all time until the last 2k where he'll probably try to start working closer. I personally feel that could be a bad plan though because then he'll have to be working harder just to catch up, plus the pace will probably pick up by then, but who knows.

I say...

1. K. Bekele 12:50.xx

2. E. Kipchoge 12:50.yy

...

...

...

6. Tegenkamp 13:02.xx

...

...

10. Solinsky 13:10

it's pretty incredible that teg could run 13:02 and i wouldn't be all that impressed.

now, 12:55, on the other hand...