Rupp, True, Hill scored 4-3-2 = 9 points today for IAAF scoring tables.
Not sure, historians help out here, but 5-6-7 could be US best ever for an Olympics and World Champs.
Next year's Rio team will be even stronger for reasons here:
- True was great in his first international track champs, proves to himself the 5k is his best track event and he's one of the world's best, will not run the Trials 10k next year so will come out of the Trials much fresher than this year.
- Hill for now is a pure kicker but should be much closer to a 13-flat guy by this time next year so should be closer to the front when the pace picks up
- Jenkins could be best US talent of all, no more doubling thru winter and spring, will be much fresher for the Trials, already at 13:07 with an excellent kick
- Heath just missed this year's team in his first year of focusing his training on the 5k, not the best last 100m kick but w/3:34 1500pr can kick from a long way out
- Torrance like Heath, moving up from the 1500 w/3:33 pr, again huge threat in a slower-paced race
- Lomong like Heath & Torrance just now focusing on moving up to the 5k, could be scariest of all based given pas 1500 successes as well as that 13:11 5k where he miscounted laps, needs to stay healthy to get back into that kind of shape
-Bumbalough's been out for the year, just had sports hernia surgery, has always been in the mix in the past, a big question mark but still only 28 or so with a 13:12 pr
- Lagat, can he stay healthy and train at the level needed at age 40-41?, never count him out
And . . .
-Rupp, the big pink elephant in the room is what action, if any, does USADA take against him, if he comes out unscathed then likely still the best talent in the field, will have to recover from what should be a hard 10k Trials race against Derrick, Mead, Estrada & others, still has a very good kick but many of the above are almost as good.
That's 9 guys mentioned above for 3 spots next year.