What the hell did that UCLA grab Sowinski and Greer at the finish for?

ummm why? wrote:

WTF did anyone else just see that. I'm watching on a grainy feed but it looks like the UCLA guy in the 800m prelim literally grabbed the shoulders of Sowinski and Greer at the finish line in an attempt to maybe "boost" himself past them by grabbing them and forcing them backwards?

That seems like the most stupid and blatant inteference I've ever seen in a race. Didn't affect the outcome of anyone but seriously that was completely unecessary and that guy should be DQed IMO. It seriously made no sense. I'd be pissed as hell if someone grabbed me like that at the finish.

Thoughts?

I agree, that was ridiculous. He has no place in the final.

Sowinski and Greer slowed down before the finish and caused the "issue."

I think he was pushing them to the sides to clear them out, but don't look for him to be in the final after that bs, it definitely looks like he impeded Sowinski. And we know that even threatening to touch a Nike runner will get you thrown out of the country.

No. It was a smart move. He was going faster and had absolutely no room as the two decelerated. He saved all three of them from falling/being spiked badly.

If Ryan Martin is smart he'll protest it.

I think he was trying to shove them forward or shove past them to stay ahead of 5th.

A Duckling wrote:

I agree, that was ridiculous. He has no place in the final.

The two runners in front intentionally fell back.

thought the same thing. kept waitimg for the announcers to say something.

ummm why? wrote:

WTF did anyone else just see that. I'm watching on a grainy feed but it looks like the UCLA guy in the 800m prelim literally grabbed the shoulders of Sowinski and Greer at the finish line in an attempt to maybe "boost" himself past them by grabbing them and forcing them backwards?

That seems like the most stupid and blatant inteference I've ever seen in a race. Didn't affect the outcome of anyone but seriously that was completely unecessary and that guy should be DQed IMO. It seriously made no sense. I'd be pissed as hell if someone grabbed me like that at the finish.

Thoughts?

Yeah, I'm watching with some other guys, and one guy just said rather loudly after a silence, "WHAT THE F*CK was that..."

ad vanced wrote:

A Duckling wrote:

I agree, that was ridiculous. He has no place in the final.

The two runners in front intentionally fell back.

Exactly, they knew they were good so they didn't need to lean, that kid did.

It looked they were trying to force him into fifth. Why stop running short of the finish when there are people immediately behind you?

allowing yourself to get into a position of being boxed in does not get you any special priveleges like grabbing the guys in front of you regardless of any pace changes they might make.

He should certainly be dq'd

I'll admit I didn't see it in HD quality and if it was kinda a "push" to get through then that's still not right but that's slightly understandable. But from what I saw it clearly looked like he grabbed onto both their shoulders and sort of dragged Sowinski and Greer backwards, or at least tried to, if that makes sense. Which is pathetic.

I don't really care if he is DQed but he should be. That was a dirty move whether intentional or not, seemed like a desperate attempt at passing a competitor when he made it anyways. Will be interesting to see if he does get DQed, I hope to watch a replay. Just wanted to make a thread because this really pissed me off when I saw it happen lol.

No DQ. The runners in front created the problem.

Don't know which would be worse to see in the final, dude with lousy racing etiquette or dude with lousy beard.

Dude, what are you spouting? The lead runners in an 800m semi intentionally slowed down to impede the guy behind them? You're insane.

It's not the responsibility of the race leader(s) to stay out of the way of the people behind them on a straightway.

In a semi, if you're confident you're in, you shut down. In the 800m, people tie up in the last few meters all the time.

But I guess it's possible that they looked up at the jumbo torn and thought (simultaneously), "Oh, no! That UCLA kid is coming and he might qualify for the final! Let's slow so that he can't get through and Ryan Martin can sneak by us on the outside instead"

Dwight MF Stones wrote:

...

Crawl back into your troll hole. There is nothing to see here. The two runners in front slowed down a few strides before the end. Did you even watch the race?

ad vanced wrote:

No DQ. The runners in front created the problem.

There wasn't a problem, except for him grabbing their shoulders. He put himself in a position where he was boxed in. That's a tactical error that doesn't give him the right to grab your competitors.

Obviously a DQ. He reached out, grabbed both their shoulders and pulled backward.

The two front runners slowed down and caused the pile up.