16-year-old Sydney McLaughlin qualifies to go to Rio Women's 400MH US Olympic Trials 2016
16-year-old Sydney McLaughlin qualifies to go to Rio Women's 400MH US Olympic Trials 2016
post race interview: "I'm just glad it is over."
If I were her coach, I'd be calling you the agents of American track athletes who made the team at 16, 17, 18 years old in past Olympics. I would ask them to please set up a meeting so they can help her cope with the pressure.
She obviously isn't handling it well. She told her coach she didn't want to go to trials and had no interest competing at trials or the olympics.
She is a 16 year old girl (who happens to be an athletic phenom), she needs people to help her learn the skills to deal with her talent and success or she will burn out. It would be a shame for her if she lost the sport that had the potential to bring her lots of joy and success, but she clearly currently is hating.
I just hope she is not dumb enough to go pro...
here in australia in the year 2000 we had a phenom 1500 metre runner named georgie clarke,who ran it in 4.06,at age 16.she didnt feel ready for the olympics either,but she was pushed,and ended up getting injury after injury,because her body wasnt ready for it.she was overtrained.i hope that doesnt happen to sydney.
jeff tallon wrote:
here in australia in the year 2000 we had a phenom 1500 metre runner named georgie clarke,who ran it in 4.06,at age 16.she didnt feel ready for the olympics either,but she was pushed,and ended up getting injury after injury,because her body wasnt ready for it.she was overtrained.i hope that doesnt happen to sydney.
Isn't she Ron Clarke's niece?
runnerdnerd wrote:
post race interview: "I'm just glad it is over."
If I were her coach, I'd be calling you the agents of American track athletes who made the team at 16, 17, 18 years old in past Olympics. I would ask them to please set up a meeting so they can help her cope with the pressure.
She obviously isn't handling it well. She told her coach she didn't want to go to trials and had no interest competing at trials or the olympics.
She is a 16 year old girl (who happens to be an athletic phenom), she needs people to help her learn the skills to deal with her talent and success or she will burn out. It would be a shame for her if she lost the sport that had the potential to bring her lots of joy and success, but she clearly currently is hating.
Based on what I've read, it sounds like it was a bit of a panic attack caused by the escalation in the size of the "stage," plus the fact that for the first time in a very long time she knew she wasn't the fastest runner in a race.
Now that she's gotten through this part, she might be all right in the future. Or maybe not yet; after all, the stage ain't getting any smaller at Rio.
jeff tallon wrote:
here in australia in the year 2000 we had a phenom 1500 metre runner named georgie clarke,who ran it in 4.06,at age 16.she didnt feel ready for the olympics either,but she was pushed,and ended up getting injury after injury,because her body wasnt ready for it.she was overtrained.i hope that doesnt happen to sydney.
And she never bettered those times.
Who was her coach?
McLaughlin isn't necessarily overtrained. Someone with the right stride, good hurdling and very strong 400 ability can get good at 400H if they pick it up quickly.
What 17yo runner wouldn't be ecstatic at going to the Olympics?
And cue the Lolita complex!
I have seen her for years.Saying she is glad it is over doesn't mean she didn't enjoy the competition. it means she managed the rigors and has completed sa milestone. She isn't "hating" track.She is a beast always shows up and has had a stellar,consistent career since the age of 7 years old in her first 2007 National Championship.
She is serious and balanced. She loves doing lots of things, track is just one of them. She is way more mature that her age reveals. She is managed extremely well , her coaches and parents have done an amazing job to keep her a regular teen and extraordinary athlete . She knows what she wants and she will be a super star and and asset to the sport we all love in the coming years. Not crying or being emotional..that is her way. She is happy she made the team.
All Things Track wrote:
I have seen her for years.Saying she is glad it is over doesn't mean she didn't enjoy the competition. it means she managed the rigors and has completed sa milestone. She isn't "hating" track.She is a beast always shows up and has had a stellar,consistent career since the age of 7 years old in her first 2007 National Championship.
She is serious and balanced. She loves doing lots of things, track is just one of them. She is way more mature that her age reveals. She is managed extremely well , her coaches and parents have done an amazing job to keep her a regular teen and extraordinary athlete . She knows what she wants and she will be a super star and and asset to the sport we all love in the coming years. Not crying or being emotional..that is her way. She is happy she made the team.
You know this..... how exactly?
Yes, to say that she needs an agent to learn how to cope with pressure is absurd. The fact of the matter is that she's only 16. I'm pretty sure any 16 year old would have similar emotions. She said she felt like she "didn't belong", not that she didn't want to be there. Just a few months ago, she probably didn't belong there, so she's only had weeks/months to mentally prepare for this, compared to the older more mature athletes that have been preparing for years. I've been following her for years as well and she's had some nerves to deal with, but that doesn't mean she's not equipped to deal with those emotions. It's a good thing she has a very supportive family and network to help her. This is why Felix said that Sydney reminds her of herself, with a similar family support system.
I agree that she is serious and balanced.
She has all the right attributes, maturity and support network to make her the best ever.
novapride610 wrote:
Yes, to say that she needs an agent to learn how to cope with pressure is absurd. The fact of the matter is that she's only 16. I'm pretty sure any 16 year old would have similar emotions. She said she felt like she "didn't belong", not that she didn't want to be there. Just a few months ago, she probably didn't belong there, so she's only had weeks/months to mentally prepare for this, compared to the older more mature athletes that have been preparing for years. I've been following her for years as well and she's had some nerves to deal with, but that doesn't mean she's not equipped to deal with those emotions. It's a good thing she has a very supportive family and network to help her. This is why Felix said that Sydney reminds her of herself, with a similar family support system.
I agree that she is serious and balanced.
She has all the right attributes, maturity and support network to make her the best ever.
I wasn't suggesting she get an agent. I was saying that if I were her coach, I would call up the agent of other former teen phenoms and ask them to set up a meeting with their athlete. I think those athletes would have some great lessons to share of how they coped with (or failed to cope with) the pressure and how they dealt with both success and failure.
And to the person who said that her post race interview doesn't indicate her "hating track," talk to her coach in person, he said she fought to not go to the trials and had zero interest in going. I suspect that she really actually did want to go, deep down, but the negative emotions from the nerves outweighed that. In the end she went because her parents and coach still have enough influence over her.
Going through an experience like this can either make the young athlete that they can rise to the challenge and compete and make them stronger in future years, or they can become so fixated on the negative emotions that they felt that it tears them down and they burn out over the next year or two.
My suggestion was to hopefully make the former scenario more likely than the latter.
Let's see how things go in Poland and Rio before passing judgment on her season and mindset.
If she truly expressed to her parents and coaches that she didn't want to go then shame on them for letting her/pushing her to go.
Indoor? wrote:
If she truly expressed to her parents and coaches that she didn't want to go then shame on them for letting her/pushing her to go.
She truly did.
But I wouldn't judge her parents and coaches. They are in a very unique situation that is hard to relate to. And sometimes kids need a nudge. It just happens that in this case, she needs a nudge that puts her on national TV.
I think that she does love the sport, but is terrified the position she is in. I think most 16 year old kids would be, it is normal. That is why I'm advocating for her parents/coaches to get her help with that side of the sport. She has the physical talent in spades, I hope they help her with the emotional side (maybe they are, I'm not criticizing).
How the hell do you guys talk about a 16 year girl that way?
You really are asking that question on this board??
!!!!!!!***!!!!!!!! wrote:
Let's see how things go in Poland and Rio before passing judgment on her season and mindset.
I've already made a judgement on her season. High school and World Junior records, made the Olympic Team....GOOD SEASON. End of discussion on that subject. As for her mindset, she is a 16 year old that made the team. Her maturity and demeanor are different than anything that you have probably seen. RELAX.
Nmlllmkkkn wrote:
You really are asking that question on this board??
Yes, I am.
Just because people act like morons on this board everyday doesn't mean that they shouldn't be called out for what they are.