US historical meltdown at WC

It's a zero-sum game. For every up-and-comer who placed above expectations, there's someone else who would have to have finished below par.

There's a wider distribution of countries winning medals in events that used to have greater concentration (of which the US was often included), therefore the US is ending up with fewer medals.

Nonsense. The US medal count is no zero-sum game. We are somehow just in worse shape than the others. I want to know what we are doing wrong, and if it can be fixed for the Olympics next year.

Maybe it starts by not creating a hostile environment (starting with the 'welcome' letter that was sent with the gear, ha ! ), so athletes are 'comfortable' and can perform at their best.

it starts here wrote:

Maybe it starts by not creating a hostile environment (starting with the 'welcome' letter that was sent with the gear, ha ! ), so athletes are 'comfortable' and can perform at their best.

Yea ahole this is about shoes and a washed up middle distanxe runners little tantrum

Tougher scrutiny regarding doping and drug use.

the partying started a week early

Poor leadership. Name any company that has horrible leadership and see that outcome.

They gettin' turnt up from the top to the bottom!

Yeah. What about peaking? A lot of athletes have looked flat out there..

US teams are getting very difficult to make in ANY event. You have to be in world-class fitness to make the teams....then hold it for 2 months...not going to happen.

Kenya had their trials what...3 weeks ago? They can get all of the paperwork done, I am sure the US could too.

good god wrote:

it starts here wrote:

Maybe it starts by not creating a hostile environment (starting with the 'welcome' letter that was sent with the gear, ha ! ), so athletes are 'comfortable' and can perform at their best.

Yea ahole this is about shoes and a washed up middle distanxe runners little tantrum

Gary Hill had a good editorial about this several months back - trials way too early for peaking. Injuries in between, other athletes surpass trials winners in performance, etc. He makes an argument for moving trials to much closer to WC in the future.

good god wrote:

it starts here wrote:

Maybe it starts by not creating a hostile environment (starting with the 'welcome' letter that was sent with the gear, ha ! ), so athletes are 'comfortable' and can perform at their best.

Yea ahole this is about shoes and a washed up middle distanxe runners little tantrum

Bud, the aholes are USATF/Nike, not me. It starts with the leadership, the message they are sending, and how the athletes are treated. If the environment is such that any added stress is created, that's going to impact performance. The priority should be performing, not nagging athletes that their hair is covering "the swoosh" while they're eating lunch (yes, this has happened).