Centro is... not DONE.

My opinion on this - if I was Centro and/or in his camp I would be concerned.

So there is a big difference between running 1.50.97 off a 55-56 first lap and being out-lasted/out-kicked by a bunch of guys much closer to peak race shape (some who may even be in peak race shape), than there is in running 1.50.97 off 54.xx and getting smoked by over 3 seconds.

At worst, an athlete of his caliber and aspiration (I'm guessing they are quite high as the defending Olympic Champ), should be running 1.49.0 +/- 0.5 seconds at this point in the season. I mean the trials are only 10 weeks away - that is not a lot of time, and I don't think these guys are in 100mpw, aerobic only training right now. No chance.

It's easy to defend this performance as "season opener", "heavy training phase" - but there was a reason he bothered to fly to the east coast to run. I doubt it was to run this poorly.

I am not going to say it's over for the Olympic Champion and he's done, but that last night is a performance that gives cause for a lot of concern, it wasn't good.

I updated this after some extensive instagram research

Matthew Centrowitz - done

Kyle Merber - done

Benjamin Blankenship - works hard, maybe not done

Robby Andrews - still trying, but done

Leonel Manzano - done

Colby Alexander - done

Frezer Legesse- done

Ford Palmer - definitely done

Isaac Presson - done

Edward Crawford - still trying

Jordan McNamara - done

John Gregorek - could do it, might not

Daniel Winn - done

Izaic Yorks - maybe a dark horse

Thomas Awad - too smart, done

Brandon Hudgins -who? done

William Leer - really done

Duncan Phillips - done

Eric Avila - Nikki Hiltz training partner

Dorian Ulrey - done

Chad Noell - was he ever not done

Benjamin Saarel - done

Samuel Prakel - I like this for a dark horse

Jack Bolas - done

Andrew Wheating - sad, d[ON]e

Matthew Maton - never was

Lex Williams - pretty nice, done

Craig Engels - Won't cut his mullet, not done, will probably win

Robby Creese - he made it? done

Dusty Solis - done

This was hilarious. I went ahead and added some notes.

"A lot of concern"? Hmmm...not so much. The good thing is that he's not injured, and is racing. 8 weeks is plenty of time to be ready. Bottom line is that if he's healthy and able to train he's going to make the team. The young talent running well now will have a full plate to digest at the trials with multiple rounds and the stress of trying to make their 1st team. Championship racing and making national teams is a whole other beast as opposed to just running fast.

He's the defending Olympic Champion until someone dethrones him.

"Go Run One"

kore wrote:

Hope he recovers. Would be sad if his legacy is having run his best years under Salazar.

tbf almost everyone that has run under Salazar has their best years under him.

ritzenhein, k. goucher, centro, rupp, etc.

birdlebeardle wrote:

kore wrote:

Hope he recovers. Would be sad if his legacy is having run his best years under Salazar.

tbf almost everyone that has run under Salazar has their best years under him.

ritzenhein, k. goucher, centro, rupp, etc.

Also Salazar was canned only a short time ago. Rupp, Centro, etc have only had a few years without him, mostly during the primes of their careers. Not really a fair comparison. We'll see how it all shakes out though.

Okay, lets see how this season plays out then. 10 weeks out from the trials if I am the Olympic 1500m champ and I can't break 1.50 off my strength/aerobic work I am concerned.

But then again what might I possibly know about professional middle distance running.

Let's check back in 10 weeks.

Nothing matters except the trials race. He could run 205 for 800 right now and it is totally irrelevant. Thing is, you keyboard haters seem real brave in disrespecting him from a distance, but you also can't even take any accountability when you're proven wrong and he qualifies for the Olympics. You will just shut up amd stay silent, acting like you never dissed him when he qualifies. Take some accountability in your life for a change. There's a reason why he is a champion and you are nothing.

Centro posted on IG this afternoon something along the lines of When the Music Changes So Does the Dance. Is that a reference to moving up to the 5,000?

wow21 wrote:

Centro posted on IG this afternoon something along the lines of When the Music Changes So Does the Dance. Is that a reference to moving up to the 5,000?

He means that he won't be doing the throat slash dance anymore now that the music is slow and sad.

better start writing your excuse for when he doesn't make the olympics now

The Dirty Duck wrote:

wow21 wrote:

Centro posted on IG this afternoon something along the lines of When the Music Changes So Does the Dance. Is that a reference to moving up to the 5,000?

He means that he won't be doing the throat slash dance anymore now that the music is slow and sad.

The music is changing:

jabouko wrote:

1:50.97...

he'll be aight for June. DO NOT DOUBT the guy.

A freshman at my university who I've never heard of before runs faster than that.

I'll be pretty surprised if Hocker makes the team, and he's running 1:46.9 800 meters right now. Anyone who's a contender can run at least 1:48 for 800. Centro is not even close to ready to get back to the olympics.

STEVE, THE ADDICT^^ wrote:

Nothing matters except the trials race. He could run 205 for 800 right now and it is totally irrelevant. Thing is, you keyboard haters seem real brave in disrespecting him from a distance, but you also can't even take any accountability when you're proven wrong and he qualifies for the Olympics. You will just shut up amd stay silent, acting like you never dissed him when he qualifies. Take some accountability in your life for a change. There's a reason why he is a champion and you are nothing.

It's all relative. If a high school kid is running 9:45 for 3200 when they need to probably run 9:25 next month to qualify for state, it's not looking great for them. Just like if a pro runner is running 3:40 and 1:50 right now it's not as likely they're going to be running 3:35 in two months. Could it happen? yes it could happen, but that's a pretty big gap at this point. In 2016 he had to run 3:34 to make the team, and ran 1:47 800. And right now it's even tougher competition. Craig can run 1:45/3:36 or better. Hocker is running 1:46/3:34 equivalent. Johnny G can run in the 3:35 range. Josh Thompson is ready to roll 3:35, Tons of others in the 3:36-3:39 range, a few of them will probably go off and be in the mix. Centro has to pass all but two of these potential people to barely make the team.

if centro makes the olympics (he wont)

i will recreate this form for centro and have everyone fill it out

https://twitter.com/44TheLegend/status/1200792505769512960?s=19

While I do love to speculate and be able to say I told you so, I was just sent this twitter thread started by non other than LR legend of the keys Jonathan Gault. While we all worship at his feet, it's important to note that the Grandfather of the Mile Nick Willis added a few points to this argument.

Most interesting that before the World Champs in 2007 Willis only ran 1:50 for 800, or if that wasn't enough he only managed a 1:49.5 before his 3:29 in Monaco, Judging from this, Willis might be the greatest ever at running near his max 800m speed to close tactical 1500m races. I'd have sworn before reading this that Willis would at least be a consistent 1:44-5 guy when you look at his ability to close out championship races against the best dopers the world has ever seen.

This gives me confidence he will win the mens 800m in 1:51 with splits of 1:03 and 48, blowing away everyone with superior foot speed and brilliant racing tactics.

Why the hell does he open up his season with an 800m after spending his season build up training with an endurance based program?

His Olympic win season included a deadly display of speed at world indoors and his Olympic trails win was awesome.

He’s not the same guy anymore. Father Time remains undefeated.

I love the guy and what he achieved was incredible but he won’t repeat and might not even get to defend.

Exactly.

@SalStitchmo raises good points, but ultimately all we see is a number that is meaningless without context. Even in context, a miler working heavy strength with fried legs can look dead - exactly what JON and Willis are referring to.

Centro needs a few rust busters to get the legs moving. Worst comes to worst, he will still have the opening round of USAs to get focused and lock in. No standards to worry about, just show up and race. I just cannot count someone out when they have shown up and delivered at the domestic level for a decade now.