Wow! Diamond League calls Evan Jager's fall and near-8 minute clocking in Paris its Moment of the Year - Great Video

The more I think about it that fall is the best thing that could have happened to Jager. 1) He's going to get a lot of coverage during the Olympics next year. If he hits it big, he could have some crossover appeal with sponsors. 2) It took some pressure of him by not actually running so fast.

Moving on, I've watched the race replay several times. Are we sure he even hit the last barrier? I never saw his foot hit it. Which foot nicked the barrier?

rojo wrote:

The more I think about it that fall is the best thing that could have happened to Jager. 1) He's going to get a lot of coverage during the Olympics next year. If he hits it big, he could have some crossover appeal with sponsors. 2) It took some pressure of him by not actually running so fast.

Moving on, I've watched the race replay several times. Are we sure he even hit the last barrier? I never saw his foot hit it. Which foot nicked the barrier?

He was at his limit and his leg just buckled from exhaustion. That's what appeared to happen to me.

I fear this could be his biggest regret. "Once in a lifetime" races don't happen so often. Wheating running 3:30, Solinsky running 26:59 (though he did run several great 5k right after).

Odds are that he never betters it. At least if I was to bet, that's how I'd bet.

rojo wrote:

The more I think about it that fall is the best thing that could have happened to Jager. 1) He's going to get a lot of coverage during the Olympics next year. If he hits it big, he could have some crossover appeal with sponsors. 2) It took some pressure of him by not actually running so fast.

Moving on, I've watched the race replay several times. Are we sure he even hit the last barrier? I never saw his foot hit it. Which foot nicked the barrier?

His trail leg barely grazed it. You can graze the barrier by literally 1mm and it will throw off your balance. If it happens on the first 6 laps you push through it no problem. Every steepler will tell you in a race you hear almost every barrier getting grazed by a foot. It's quite the intimidating sound for rookies. But rarely do you go down unless you really nail it. When it happens on the final barrier of a sub 8 clocking, that's a different story...

An example to use is the final barrier of the 400h. Every one of those guys is 100% gassed. If they barely graze the hurdle you see them stumbling and bumbling to the line. In a steeple the barriers don't budge for you for it's that much more difficult to maintain momentum and balance.

It looked like the toes of his trail leg grazed the barrier...being as exhausted as he was and the speed at which he was moving, I can imagine that would be enough to take you down.

I partially agree that it could be the best that that ever happened to him...IF he runs well at the Olympics. If he doesn't have a good day in Rio then it probably still haunts him.

If he trained for it, do you think Jager would be the best 5,000m guy the US has to offer? He's got 3:32 1,500m speed...I think it would be close.

It's no small coincidence that Mens & Women's Hair Care Products are being advertised in the margins to the right of this thread.

Not hard to imagine a 12:52 in the right race, even without a lot of focus on the event.

Never steepled wrote:

If he trained for it, do you think Jager would be the best 5,000m guy the US has to offer? He's got 3:32 1,500m speed...I think it would be close.

He took his eyes off the prize and lost his focus. He said he was looking at the clock with 100 to go.

Stop promoting Illinois runners you pathetic putz.

Mullett Toe wrote:

Not hard to imagine a 12:52 in the right race, even without a lot of focus on the event.

Never steepled wrote:

If he trained for it, do you think Jager would be the best 5,000m guy the US has to offer? He's got 3:32 1,500m speed...I think it would be close.

I think he would definitely be the top 5000m guy in the US. After all, he did make it to the world junior finals over 1500m, made the US 5000m squad as a 20 year-old and has run 13:02 while focusing on a different (albeit similar) event.

Honestly, he would probably stack just about the same globally if he were to switch events (top 5 in the world give or take). He is so close to the very top in Steeple. Not sure he would be as close to Farah/Kejelcha.

Also - it does appear as though the fall was due to exhaustion, not hitting the barrier. If he says he nicked it, I believe him though.

rojo wrote:

Moving on, I've watched the race replay several times. Are we sure he even hit the last barrier? I never saw his foot hit it. Which foot nicked the barrier?

His left foot. He mentioned it at the time and you can just see it. He said it was the big toe on his left foot.

sbeefyk1 wrote:

Every steepler will tell you in a race you hear almost every barrier getting grazed by a foot. It's quite the intimidating sound for rookies. But rarely do you go down unless you really nail it.

True. When I ran the steeplechase I had that happen to me twice but I just managed to stand on my feet. But it is quite disconcerting when you're moving at (relatively) high speed.

I agree with this choice for moment of the year in athletics. At least from what I have watched.

Pretty harsh that a fall is the moment of the year. For American distance fans, this was definitely the moment of the year, tantalizingly close to greatness for a male American-born distance runner.

performance of the year, however, had to be Dibaba's 3:50.

HAIR MAN! wrote:

It's no small coincidence that Mens & Women's Hair Care Products are being advertised in the margins to the right of this thread.

Considering the ads are based off of what you've looked at in the past... My ads were for kayak.com since I just booked a trip on their website... Google analytics, yo...

it really doesn't look like he hit the barrier. seems more like his legs just buckled when he landed...

"Considering the ads are based off of what you've looked at in the past... My ads were for kayak.com since I just booked a trip on their website... Google analytics, yo..."

_____________________________________________________________________

I have purchased nothing on Amazon lately or looked at any site whatsoever related to hair care products. Perhaps I am secretly jealous female?

Awesome !!!!

you never know.

you may have had the greatest day, then then next is an absolute nightmare.

or you have a lousy day, which turns out to be a blessing disguise.

Yager for PRESIDENT I say.

he planted incorectly due to exhaustion and the spikes caught breaking his action and then he fell.

duh.

jjjjjjj wrote:

Pretty harsh that a fall is the moment of the year. For American distance fans, this was definitely the moment of the year, tantalizingly close to greatness for a male American-born distance runner.

Not for me. I don't understand the Rupp hate / Jager love on LRC.

American distance highlights that were comparable to Jager's 8:00 to me were, in no particular order:

- 'Cuse winning NCAAs XC

- Two ND runners--Molly Huddle and Molly Seidel--winning everything in sight

- Fisher and Maton both breaking 4

- Shannon Rowbury breaking the american record in the 1500

- Chez dominating in XC and track

- Penn Relays 4xMile

- Infeld getting a medal at Worlds

- Hunter beating Fisher in 2 mile and 1500

- Not distance, but I loved watching Prandini dominate at NCAAs (even though I'm not an Oregon fan)

Lowlights were:

- Huddle losing a medal

- Jager's fall

- Georgetown's coach being fired

- Rowbury and Simpson being dominated by Dibaba

- Shalane's slide from being competitive

- Ajee Wilson not competing at Worlds

- Anything to do with Nick Symmonds and/or Kara Goucher (I'll add Fleshman to this list). STFU already!

How can that be the best thing to happen to Jager? He may never get close to sub 8 again. He might get injured or just fade away like Conseslus Kipruto.

I guess the Diamond League didn't notice a woman running 3:50. Dope/rigged track suspicions notwithstanding, that's a much bigger event to a knowledgeable viewer. Stunning and surreal. It will be watched and argued about for decades.

A steepler falling is more for the casual-viewer highlight reel on ESPN.