World Relays USA Team Announced: US 4x800 W Looking Great. Simpson, Symmonds, Centro, Cain NOT Running

Clearly, there's no Salazar in T-E-A-M.

What a great idea for a world meet. Just put this one in at the end of the season.

My guess is that the Nike athletes are preparing for Prefontaine which is just 6 days after the world relays

I suspect they want to be sharp and ready for Nike's big meet.

When is the World Championship of Nike meet scheduled?

World Relays wrote:

My guess is that the Nike athletes are preparing for Prefontaine which is just 6 days after the world relays

I suspect they want to be sharp and ready for Nike's big meet.

1) Yet another reason to hate nike. If they didn't at a minimum condone doping, the sport would be way better off. Now this.

2) But yet again, it's not really Nike - it's Alberto.

Leer is Nike, Torrence, etc.

Gatlin also not running, and of course no Felix, which makes the competition with Jamaica a joke. In addition to no Symmonds, no Sowinski, but Solomon is going.

psssstttttt....coolaid is the secret word for the not-to-be-mentioned elixir, Nikeaid.

There are a host of Nike athletes running. Jenny Simpson isn't a Nike athlete and she's not running. Nick Symmonds is a Brooks athlete and he's not running. None of Alberto's athletes - Nike are running.

USATF needs to exert more influence to get athletes to run. For the stars it may not matter. At the very least USATF should not be paying athletes to run the Oxy High Performance meet (in year's past, USATF paid for travel for top athletes to that meet that is why so many run it) at the expense of the World Relays.

Everything that is wrong with our sport's appeal I believe is illustrated by athletes running Oxy instead of World Relays. USATF should realize this and not financially encourage it.

Tennis players can't go do exhibitions at the expense of major events. They lose ranking points. Golfers have to play so many events. In track and field, everyone is a free agent and can do what they want. I'm all for athletes rights but their needs to be more central control for the sport to flourish.

At the end of their careers, do you think most athletes would say "yeah running that 'b' level time trial at Oxy" was a better decision than running World Relays? I don't think they will. I think it's a very short sighted decision.

Fans need to express their displeasure with athletes for skipping it.

USATF could also implement policies like you turn down a relay spot for a world event like this without an injury, you get no funding from USATF for anything else for the rest of the year. You can get prize money but any other travel or whatnot, you don't get. At least have that policy in place for major World events which this is trying to be.

Not surprised Alberto is holding his runners out + not convinced any of them would make that much difference, but does anyone know why Symmonds and Jenny BS are skipping iit?

wejo wrote:

USATF could also implement policies like you turn down a relay spot for a world event like this without an injury, you get no funding from USATF for anything else for the rest of the year.

There will be many dislocated cuboid bones if such policies are introduced.

A number of the athletes not running World Relays are running Shanghai, including Simpson, Moser, Sowinski, Gatlin. Uceny and Kimberlyn Duncan are doing both.

It looks to me that the bigger US stars are doing Shanghai only, and they probably get more money there.

coach d wrote:

A number of the athletes not running World Relays are running Shanghai, including Simpson, Moser, Sowinski, Gatlin. Uceny and Kimberlyn Duncan are doing both.

It looks to me that the bigger US stars are doing Shanghai only, and they probably get more money there.

Got it. Still not sure I understand why Jenny BS is skipping the relay meet, but it's not the first time she's left me confused. No mention of Symmonds in your post - do we think he's injured?

As far as I know Solomon is doing world relays, Sowinski is doing Shanghai only, Brandon Johnson is doing Shanghai and World Relays, Robby Andrews is doing Oxy and World Relays.

Symmonds...nada. With al the love for Nike, maybe he's saving himself for Pre (full sarcasm mode).

coach d wrote:

As far as I know Solomon is doing world relays, Sowinski is doing Shanghai only, Brandon Johnson is doing Shanghai and World Relays, Robby Andrews is doing Oxy and World Relays.

Symmonds...nada. With al the love for Nike, maybe he's saving himself for Pre (full sarcasm mode).

Which is why I ask [no sarcasm] "What's up with Symmonds?"

Also, separate question: what would the USA men's A team 4 x 1500m actually be?

USA , Piss poor teams across the board!

Looks like Christian Taylor has jumped onto the 4x400 team.

Symmonds doesn't shock me. The guy hasn't raced outdoors. Do we konw if he's fit at all? I'm not sure he'd even be top 4 in the US right now. Well I take that back, he's almost always top 4 in US but i don't think it's that much of a difference if he runs or not given the fact he hasn't raced.

The one that surprises me is Sowinski. Why wouldn't he be there? He's in great form, not a big name and thus could benefit a lot from a medal, possible WR, American record,etc.

I can't believe he's not on the team.

As for the US 4 x 1500 team, it would be Centro, Leo, Lopez and Wheating if they were all healthy and in form in my opinion.

It would be interesting though if they selected teams with a lot of thought as you might want guys who are good at time trialing in case the US loses contact with kenya up front.

it's gonna be fasicinating to watch. Does it get broken up right away? is the firs leg tacitcal? etc.

Yes, our article says Simpson is focusing on the DL. We talked to her agent. I tweeted at Symmonds but don't think he tweeted back.

Our top 4 is Solomon,

Dkny64 wrote:

Not surprised Alberto is holding his runners out + not convinced any of them would make that much difference, but does anyone know why Symmonds and Jenny BS are skipping iit?

We talked to Ray Flynn and he said Jenny just wanted to focus on the Diamond League this year. Said it was her decision not a group one (ie once Mary and Treniere aren't running, Jenny figures the medal chances are lower so she doesn't run).

We tried to reach out to Nick Symmonds and didn't get a response. Treniere through her agent declined to comment.

Mary Cain's trying to graduate high school I get that.

I just wish the people currently race fit would have done it. It's not that taxing to run an 800 or 1500 for your country. Shanghai to Bahamas isn't the easiest trip in a week, but these are pros. And I think some of the people not running aren't going to be in the Bahamas.

IAAF could have solved the problem by putting this at the end of the season but I think they have the Continental Cup and it is hurricane season in the Bahamas.

I bet the Beijing meet is tied into the Asian tour compensation package for some of the athletes.

Johnson went 1;47 mid off the 13+ terminal time hour flight and a flipped day/night going to Asia.

Now after a second race back in the silver tube for another 13+tt hours and another wake/sleep switch. How much faster will he be able to go after navigating halfway around the globe again?

I doubt there is a Shanghai>Bahamas non-stop. Minimum 3 changes of equipment.

That goes for the others mentioned above

Yes , if any athlete is receiving funding from USATF they should be required to run in a meet like this.

Agents won't say it but there is not appearance money so reduced income for them , naturally they don't want their people running.

How well did USATF promote this to the athletes ?