Morgan Uceny Retires

Sara Palin wrote:

good riddance uceny wrote:

Instead, she disgraced herself, her competitors, her country, and the sport of track and field by lying on the ground like a crybaby.

rojo wrote:

Anyone who understands the sport knows the moment you fall in an international 1500, it is over - end of story.

Abbey D’Agostino, when injured, didn't say it was over. It is a 1500. Get up and finish the darn race. She looked so typically American when she pouted like that.

Yeah, Abbey Dags was totally going for the W when she kept on running in the 5k! She almost got it!

I will miss seeing her mix it up with the best.

I think her letter explains it well: She did much better than she imagined.

I understand not getting up in 2012 after the second fall in a major championship. She was running to win, or at least medal. When you fall in a 1500 at that level of competition you realistically do not have a chance at achieving either one.

She was not competing in 2012 Olympics just to participate or finish. She had previously won, been to and finished major national and international events (US champion, diamond league races, diamond league champ, #1 in world ). Little to be gained from a DFL finish.

Plus she already knew what it was like to get up and finish after falling in 2011 WC final.

In 2012 Uceny was a seasoned competitor. She was not like Abbey D, in Rio ( young and has not won any major national/ international events)

No one really wants to win something in a race because other people were disqualified. You would rather beat them on the track.

Yes some could say that the falls were partially her fault. Everything is partially your fault. There is also an element of luck and chance in everything.

It was her fault that she trained hard, ran fast, was in those finals too,

Hopefully the producers of the movie 'Falling Down" give permission to use the title for her biopic.

Fine career, great runner obviously.

Cant help but wonder if she had not done so little b/w London and Rio trials that things could have been different.

I could not buy into the sympathy for her not making the Rio team after she was invisible for so long.

so young wrote:

Nice article, but her press release is so vague. Why is she walking away? She is only 31. Get us a quote!

Because she can't beat the juicers. Duh.

Seriously, I really like Uceny. I wish her the best.

Rojo- Thanks for posting the video links and pointing out when she fell in those races.2011 falls with ~770 to go. Others fall with her. Gets up and finishes as the race is not yet half over and there is a chance to possibly place high and may beat people who fell also. She finishes ahead of 2 runners2012 falls in last lap. Too little time left to place high. No one else falls, so can not beat anyone. Very disappointed and drops out. Injured in fall also.2014 falls with ~650 to go. Falls alone, but there is still time to try to catch people so gets up and finishes. Plus its the US final so not as deep a field as an international final, so higher chance of catching people. Finishes last, ~ 5 sec behind Kate Grace.Another reason to get up in 2014 and finish? Remember this was just after Grunewald was DQ'ed after winning US 3k indoor. The day before the 2014 race, the 9th place finisher in the 2012 Oly final was DQ'ed. In 2013 the 2012 Oly 1500M gold medalist reportedly tested positive. So perhaps Uceny was realizing that anything can happen, so might as well try to finish after a fall.

rojo wrote:

I got so mad, I wrote a column on Uceny here:

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2016/12/morgan-uceny-no-quitter-former-world-1-calls-career/

It's worth mentioning also that she had the speed to be a world class 800 meter runner (1:58.37), although she rarely contested that event internationally.

The race that was the negative turning point of her career (2012 Olympics) was a slow tactical race that she was in position to win, given her speed (in spite of the dopers from Turkey). The downside of her sit-and-kick tactic was her vulnerability in a crowd - something that was a problem in races other than the 2011 WC and the 2012 Olympics.

Too soon!

I'm sorry, I consider her one of the biggest chokers in recent memory.

When the going got tough, she fell.

A whole lot more going on than bad luck.

not fast in high school wrote:

In 2012 Uceny was a seasoned competitor. She was not like Abbey D, in Rio ( young and has not won any major national/ international events)

Great point. The level of expectations for Abbey and Morgan isn't even comparable. Abbey was lucky to be in Rio - having finished 5th at the Trials. She then got injured before the Trials and basically was just happy to be there.

Morgan was there for two reasons - to be an Olympian (already accomplished) - so make that one reason - to win a medal.

Ummmm, am I the only one who is curious what Miss Uceny will do NEXT?

Jeez, nothing but yap about 2012 Olympics.

Thought Rojo would be a bit more respectful of an athlete he coached at one point.

messi wrote:

Ummmm, am I the only one who is curious what Miss Uceny will do NEXT?

Jeez, nothing but yap about 2012 Olympics.

Thought Rojo would be a bit more respectful of an athlete he coached at one point.

I'm curious too. I wish she shared what it may be...

Rojo didn't coach her - he only coached the men's distance crew. Artie Smith was in charge of the women's middle distance

Eamonn Coghlan fell in the semi for the world indoor 1500 in '87.

He told himself to not do a 'Mary Decker" and got up and chased the field. He worked himself back into contention and then weakened just enough to be pushed out of the final.

A petition was made to allow him into the final The entire field with the exception of Dave Reid of Canada wanted him kept out.

Did Rojo date her at some point or what is the reason for blowing her less than average career so out of proportion. She quit. Who cares what her expectations were. You're at the Olympics representing the USA - unless you can't walk get up and finish the race no matter what place you end up. Derek Redmond getting up and hobbling to finish a 400 semi-final with his dad is often considered one of the best Olympic moments ever. No one cares that he didn't place much less make the final much like no one probably remembers who even medaled. So no matter how much Rojo protests the thing she'll be remembered for most is quitting an Olympic final just like if Huddle doesn't medal in a major she'll mainly be remembered for celebrating too early. Right or wrong it's just the way it is.

I heart Sara Bowman Brown!!

Had a similar thought that rojo must have known her well at Cornell. (wink)

2010 falls in Zurich.

Said the Virgin wrote:

I'm sorry, I consider her one of the biggest chokers in recent memory.

When the going got tough, she fell.

A whole lot more going on than bad luck.

I know this makes me a miserable, shitty person, but I totally agree with this. Her inexplicable inability to stay on her feet annoyed the hell out of me

voice of rayson wrote:

Incredible Career wrote:

If you define her career by one fall

What about 3 falls?

Exactly. She's a loser. Fall 3 times in big races and you're a loser who can't run in a pack, which is essential to a 1500. Loser. I don't understand all these fanboys for a loser.