Oregon and Cheserek should be ashamed and embarrassed

They finished 2nd. Not too shabby.

They had it won! Idk what they were thinking.

That was one of the most intense races i've ever seen.

People booing that was intense.

It's not won until it's won. So no.

Does any coach advise racing, in a major event, like we just saw Ches?

You let everyone back in the race just jogging along, that's when someone steps on your heel, and then you are down on the track in last place.

I can't imagine the blow-back I would have gotten in HS or college if I had run a leg like Ches just did.

Agreed. That was the most absurd thing I have ever seen at an elite track meet. That kind of crap doesn't exactly help track and field's prospects in terms of being watchable sport. I'm not sure I've ever seen a crowd boo like that at a track meet.

When your premier college track program and premier collegiate athlete are so invested in limiting their effort and winning "efficiently" that they come to the point of a near-complete stop on the track, something is wrong. And this isn't the Pepsi invitational or holding back to hit a qualifying mark at Stanford. This was at one of the largest and most historical track meets in the world. They had a legitimate chance at challenging 16:00 or at least breaking the meet record. And obviously the objective is to win, but where is the sport headed when someone who is clearly a cut above the rest of the competition either decides or is instructed to not lead a race under any circumstances unless he has 250m to go?

video?

Not watchable? That was far more interesting than what everyone expected.

Bring it on wrote:

Not watchable? That was far more interesting than what everyone expected.

Like a train wreck. I could not look away. Waiting for something bad to happen.

Yea I'm in pretty large agreement. That was veledrome level cat and mouse stuff going on there, I could understand not wanting to lead at breakneck pace if the conditions were crappy, but no need to slow down to 6 min miles either. If you keep it in the mid 4's there is still going to be plenty in the tank.

I also think it was dumb tactically from Ches. Not only does it crowd it back up but more importantly that slow is going to have everybody coming in totally fresh. Ches is not a 400/800 and probably not even a 800/1500 guy. Turning the race into a true 400-600m sprint really allows guys to be competitive that would be hanging on at 60s lap pace.

Bring it on wrote:

Not watchable? That was far more interesting than what everyone expected.

The only other person who has technically outkicked Cheserek until today was Lalang in the Pac-12 1500 and the NCAA 5k. I wouldn't count Jenkins in the Indoor 3k.

Bring it on wrote:

Not watchable? That was far more interesting than what everyone expected.

Interesting because it was ridiculous. Obviously the finish was fantastic, there is no disputing that. That last 150m between Cheserek and Williamsz was probably the most exciting part of any weekend so far. But c'mon, this takes sit and kick to a complete extreme. They were 3:22 at 1200 and the two stops were more bizarre than interesting.

OTOH, slowing it down and letting everybody stay in it worked for Manzano several years ago. If you have little confidence as a frontrunner but think you've got the best kick, why would you ever want to lead a race?

Buddy Overstreet wrote:

OTOH, slowing it down and letting everybody stay in it worked for Manzano several years ago. If you have little confidence as a frontrunner but think you've got the best kick, why would you ever want to lead a race?

Leo still split like 4:00 or so in that DMR though. Not leading isn't a bad strategy, I think it's more that refusing to lead to the point where you come to a near stop is a completely different thing. Also, a guy like Cheserk should have confidence as a frontrunner. He's won at every distance he has tried.

5:20

Buddy Overstreet wrote:

OTOH, slowing it down and letting everybody stay in it worked for Manzano several years ago. If you have little confidence as a frontrunner but think you've got the best kick, why would you ever want to lead a race?

There is not leading, and then there is slowly the race down to a crawl. Too slow and the kick really does trend to whoever is the best actual sprinter, not the best combination of strength and speed.

Very entertaining.

Maybe next year they should start the faster runners 120 seconds ahead to prevent this from happening. We can't have runners who have no chance of winning ever be in the lead. They might trip the faster runners.

Lorenzo the Magnificent wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB8hEc3yIwE

5:20

38 second last 300. It's like he started from blocks.

Why should Oregon be ashamed and embarrassed ? Ches - absolutely - but not Oregon. The first three guys ran hard, and were in sight of the collegiate record after 3 miles. I don't get it. Why travel all the way across the country to play and cat mouse in the final leg with the record in sight ? Chez could have the blown the doors off the rest of the field instead of letting almost every team back in the race because he just wanted to sit and kick and wow the crowd in the last 300m like he usually does. Backfired big time on him as he got his ass handed to him by an 800 guy. Hopefully Chez just learned a valuable lesson - never take the competition lightly when you have a target on our back. That was an arrogant move by Chez and he just got served a big ol slice of humble pie. Hopefully his teammates give him major shit for that, because the other 3 Oregon guys ran hard and didn't deserve that. Relays are a team effort Chez.

In Oregon's interview Cheserek tried to claim everyone else in the race took it slow.... He is the one who took it slow?! This kid's ego is too huge.