ANDREW WHEATING RETIRES

I thought he retired about 5 years ago.

wow!!!!! wrote:

Some of you guys are just brutal. He is just a dude that was an amazing athlete for a short period of time. He didn't kill someone or screw your girlfriend. Lighten up on him.

Glad we had some great moments from one of the fastest American 1500m runners in history. You will be missed even though the final years were not your strongest. Nothing to be ashamed of.

I don't wish him harm, but I think his professional career was objectively bad for running. He was given a contract and resources that he wasn't able to take advantage of, and that other athletes weren't able to take advantage of. And his subsequent drop in performance will make it harder for future athletes to obtain the kind of job security in their contracts that he had as well.

good riddance!!! wrote:

Down the drain wrote:

Huge waste of talent- poor work ethic, booze, and having a coach that made mediocrity ok. Judging from what is written, it appears 7 years later he is not one single bit more mature. WASTE. OF. TALENT. Funny how some people that have it all throw it away.

Exactly what I just wrote! And when he can't compete in the mile anymore does he even try moving up to the 5K (he was good in HS) or using his tall frame for the steeple or even going to the roads? No, too lazy. Have a nice retirement, won't miss you!

Geez. What a bunch of losers on this board. A guy makes a very reasonable decision to change careers, and the crybabies on here decide to interpret this as a personal insult. It’s been obvious for years that life as a pro runner didn’t really suit Wheating. This is probably a good change.

Respect to Andy Wheating.

Guy who didn't start running until his junior or senior year of high school. Popped a 3:38 as a sophomore in college seemingly out of no where, and made an Olympic team that same year. Hung around to become a 2-time Olympian, making the team at two different distances. Ran 3:30 (a PR with half a second of both Centro and Webb). Never involved in much scandal and seemed to be a happy guy.

That is a solid career. What else could you possibly want from someone? If you told a 17 year old, Vermont soccer playing Wheating that this would be his career...I'm sure he would take that in a second.

I think his 3:30.9 at Monaco may have screwed him mentally. I used to joke about the "trampoline track," but Monaco IS the best place to get a fast 1500 time for a variety of factors and people regularly run 3-4 seconds faster than other places. He must have been disappointed in following years when he only ran 3:34.

He ran his last PR in a common distance in... 2010.

Must have cost Nike lots of money.

Off into the sunset wrote:

The 2008 men's 800m trials is still one of the greatest races I've ever watched. That race and his 3:30.9 give Wheating a place in US running history. If you graphed out his career, he had a high peak early and dropped off rapidly, and maybe injuries kept him from reaching his potential. He still had a great career.

He was also an entertaining personality. His videos were funny.

https://youtu.be/WTt4uPO13lYhttps://youtu.be/VJMSVGQHKXI

Anyhow, good luck to him as he moves on.

He didn't have a great career for anyone outside the US college system. He ran a great time but did not make the best of it. Probably 2012 Olympics was his best international performance. He should really have made a global final but still everyone wants to win

Can't believe he is 30 though.

That retirement sign off message is kind of sad. Dude has not grown up at all.

Never had the head to be in the game. Could have been one of the best in the world.

good riddance!!! wrote:

Down the drain wrote:

Huge waste of talent- poor work ethic, booze, and having a coach that made mediocrity ok. Judging from what is written, it appears 7 years later he is not one single bit more mature. WASTE. OF. TALENT. Funny how some people that have it all throw it away.

Exactly what I just wrote! And when he can't compete in the mile anymore does he even try moving up to the 5K (he was good in HS) or using his tall frame for the steeple or even going to the roads? No, too lazy. Have a nice retirement, won't miss you!

Is this a serious post? Wheating is an 800-miler, in what world would he want to waste time stepping up to 5k.

Kids, remember this... the booze and train regime made popular by Pre and Symmonds is not for everyone.

A lot of these comments are way too harsh. He's a big gangly guy who is injury prone. You can just look at Wheating and tell he's the kind of tall guy who has more of a tendency to get orthopedic problems. And he got injured. Blaming him for being injured is just unreasonable. Some people's bodies can take the training it takes to compete at a top level year after year and some people's can't.

Always remember WheatingsBeatings.

That 3:30.9 was so unexpected...I think it caused him to chase that time to the detriment of his career. Yea, two Olympics. But no international results and no other race (based on time) that is in the same zip code as the 330.

Hope this doesn't come across as "hating", it's really how I remember Wheating. I don't wish ill on any athlete.

Met Wheaton a year ago on the Nike campus. Really really good dude. Sad his career kinda faded away, but I wish him all the best in his future endeavors and adventures.

The expectations were too high Johnny Gray thought Wheating would get his 800 American record and break El G's 1500 World Record. Still only Lagat, Maree, Centro and Webb ran a faster 1500 than Wheating (though Steve Scotts 3:47.69 mile also is slightly faster in equivalency tables).

wow!!!!! wrote:

Some of you guys are just brutal. He is just a dude that was an amazing athlete for a short period of time. He didn't kill someone or screw your girlfriend. Lighten up on him.

Glad we had some great moments from one of the fastest American 1500m runners in history. You will be missed even though the final years were not your strongest. Nothing to be ashamed of.

+1

Spot on!

Andrew came to my "Nike Spike Night" a few years back. Really great guy. The H.S. athletes really responded to his openness and he answered everybody's questions.

Congratulations to Andrew on all his great running.

fanofthefamily wrote:

He ran his last PR in a common distance in... 2010.

Must have cost Nike lots of money.

I remember reading that he had a huge contract with Nike when he graduated. Surely, with all his injuries and poor performances, he was reduced quite a bit. Why would Nike keep him on their roster as long as they did? Especially if he’s getting paid a lot but not performing or even racing much.

He shouldn't get a blanked out page for retiring.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Wheating and rooted for him. But him getting a white out page for retiring is nonsense. I guarantee you that won't happen for Flanagan or Kara.

Anyways, I hope he does a triathlon.

I celebrate his career and the hope that he brought us.

He kept the momentum and excitement of American miling going.

Alan Webb got it going with his 3:53 high school mile in 2001 and dominant 2004 Trials victory and 2007 American Record.

Lagat kept it going with that 2007 Gold and 2009 Bronze.

Wheating made the 2008 800 team and 2012 1500 team.

But it was his 2010 season of 1:44 and 3:30 that really kept the party going.

Manzano Olymoic Silver in 2012

Centro Gold in 2016

Back to Wheating

Yes, his 3:30 was in Monaco but he was 4th in that race.

Manzano and Centro both ran back of the field 3:30s there.

Good luck Andrew!