WTF is wrong with the USA steeplechasers????

Disappointed with Bor but Keter ran a PB and Ferlic close and the heat was extreme so I think it’s about as good as could be expected.

bor shouldve gotten thru. thought ferlic wouldve been more in the mix, but when you look at the times from each heat they were decently fast and he was just off his pb. seems like a lot of countries without a chance at medaling in the 1500/5000 send their best runners to the steeple where its an afterthought for the stronger ones, but kenya and ethiopia have so much depth they still dominate.

I agree with Wejo just outclassed. 8:19/ 8:20 doesn’t cut it on the world stage

wejo wrote:

[quote]bad news bear wrote:

Yet he was in heat 3 and knew what time he needed to run yet let it go slow. It sucks but I don't have a lot of sympathy. He had the easiest way to get into the final.

Update: Wait Keter not only PRd but he made the final. Great run for him. A bit disappointing for Bor, Ferlic did fine for him.

Wejo not knowing what he's talking about (surprise.)

The athletes DID NOT know the times they needed to run as coaches are forbidden from being in the stadium, with the exception of field coaches.

They were running blind. 8:19 usually always gets in.

3rd heat had no idea that Heat 1 blasted it.

rogers rabbitt wrote:

3rd heat had no idea that Heat 1 blasted it.

Why would 3rd heat not know what happened in Heat 1? Not saying you are wrong but that doesn't make sense to me.

wejo wrote:

bad news bear wrote:

Both Ferlic and Keter crawled off the starting line and found themselves immediately in dead last. They spotted everyone big leads. Keter is fighting back a little now but they both dug themselves huge holes. Ferlic couldn't get out and ran like crap.

Is this really the best USA has in the steeplechase? Nobody with guts.

They were just outlcassed. Bor was the only one I'd have expected to make the finals with the times run today. Yet he was in heat 3 and knew what time he needed to run yet let it go slow. It sucks but I don't have a lot of sympathy. He had the easiest way to get into the final.

Update: Wait Keter not only PRd but he made the final. Great run for him. A bit disappointing for Bor, Ferlic did fine for him.

This is a really lazy and uninformed viewpoint. Did you even watch the races? They ran like IDIOTS. Ferlic immediately went to last place. Keter did the same thing. This is the freaking OLYMPICS and you put yourself in last place right after the gun? Keter slowed down significantly at the end and was EXTREMELY LUCKY the 3rd section went slow. Bor screwed up big time by not pushing the pace.

Early in the season Ferlic was winning everything and running massive PBs in flat races. He's like 6'6, he should be under 8:15 by now.

I was actually in the stadium and can maybe give you some perspective. To start with it was 32 C (about 90 F) not counting the humidity.

The qualifying was top 3 in each heat and the next 6 best times.

Firstly, you have no idea what you are talking about with Ferlic. He ran smart and actually gave himself a shot knowing the early pace was too fast. He was even at the back through the first lap in 63 in and four laps in 4:22. Do the math, well ahead of PR pace and knew they were moving. The early pace was dictated up front way faster than heat 2 or heat 3 and most paid for it. At 2k the enter first heat was slowing because so many of those guys were over their heads from the early. He actually had a shot at the bell, but had used a lot of gas in the middle of the race.

Heat 2 ran the most efficient race overall which AMAZINGLY SHOCKINGLY produced the most time qualifiers. Go figure. They were controlled early, but not slow and kept a good tempo which obviously is produces the best times. And that's where Keeter ran. If either Bor oe Ferlic was in this heat then their race would be different.

Heat 3 was slow through the 1l (2:52 - 8:36 pace) and 2k at (5:41 - 8:32 pace) and had a huge last lap with a bunch of guys under 60 thus producing a blanket finish, but of course no time qualifiers.

Those guys all gave it their best. Man, this isn't little league, they competed against the situation they were given in each heat.

bad news bear wrote:

Both Ferlic and Keter crawled off the starting line and found themselves immediately in dead last. They spotted everyone big leads. Keter is fighting back a little now but they both dug themselves huge holes. Ferlic couldn't get out and ran like crap.

Is this really the best USA has in the steeplechase? Nobody with guts.

It's not just the US.

Kenya is messed too. Bett is one useless guy. I know that that is harsh but that is the only description I could come up with regarding the guy.

It is like an American not getting out of the heats in the sprints.

I knew this guy wouldn't qualfiy after I watched the first heat where Girma and Kigen took it out hard.

I am particularly angry at his stupidity.

As a Canadian I'm happy to see Gay and Hughes make it through! Big PB for Gay by the sounds of it, he got a last chance qualifier running solo and just got under the standard.

And Hughes looked strong in the last 150.

The LRC article said John Gay trains mostly alone, but I thought he was with the BC Endurance Project. (Lucas Bruchet on the team in the 5000m is for sure) I'd assume they'd train together since they're in the same city.

I hear so much about the USA guys like Frelic and Bor, it's nice to see how well the Canadians stack up.

Looking forward to the final! Hope Gay and Hughes can hack it in the lead pack for a good portion of the race so I can watch them run. Once they aren't, it's likely the camera won't catch them much.

Most people forget that the time lag affects athletes in different ways. The countries closer to Japan have an advantage...thus we'll see quite a few upsets-doping non withstanding.

Not sure if athletes were able to get to Japan earlier for time adjustments, most went a week of the race.

Without Jager being there, were we honestly expecting much from the steeple this year ?

Why you coming in here with all this perspective stuff? People here just want to bash and you're making that harder to do!

Boots on the ground!!

@bad news bear wanted Mason Ferlic to go out and front run a 7:59.

What an idiot.

Mark wrote:

Firstly, you have no idea what you are talking about ...

This should autofill at the beginning of every reply on LRC.

Thanks for your report. I'm not very familiar with steeple but knew that 8:00 was an important barrier. So, I wasn't aware of what sort of splits to look for. Therefore, was just watching our guys and where they were positioned. When I came to LR and read the criticism, I was agreeing with it. But I'm glad to hear your report, having experienced it in person rather than through the TV and the TV announcers. Now it makes much more sense why these guys ran as they did. Still, it's very disappointing. Don't know if we would have had more than one qualifier if the conditions weren't as brutal but that's how it goes.

Think this is a short-sighted thread. All three Americans put out pretty decent efforts. The SC is tough because there are only two rounds. 3 heats narrows things down to 1 final.

I think the initial critique applies mostly to Bor. He was in the last heat. He should have known what time he needed to run. He's not a kicker and would have beaten more guys in a more honest race. He's the only 1 of the 3 who didn't execute. Ferlic ran pretty close to his PB. Not gonna fault him for not being the sacrificial lamb in the 1st heat. Keter ran a pb in heat 2. Bor ran 8:19 & was one of the 1st guys out.

Bor should have ran a slightly different race & the Americans push through 2 of 3. That was always the most likely outcome, with Ferlic or Keter grabbing a time qualifier. All 3 guys were in the top half of the Olympic steeplechase. That seems fine.

Mark wrote:

Ferlic actually had a shot at the bell, but had used a lot of gas in the middle of the race.

Heat 2 ran the most efficient race overall which AMAZINGLY SHOCKINGLY produced the most time qualifiers. Go figure. They were controlled early, but not slow and kept a good tempo which obviously is produces the best times. And that's where Keeter ran. If either Bor oe Ferlic was in this heat then their race would be different.

Heat 3 was slow through the 1l (2:52 - 8:36 pace) and 2k at (5:41 - 8:32 pace) and had a huge last lap with a bunch of guys under 60 thus producing a blanket finish, but of course no time qualifiers.

Those guys all gave it their best. Man, this isn't little league, they competed against the situation they were given in each heat.

The weather doesn't excuse their garbage strategies.

You at least have to give yourself a chance. Being in last place in a strung out field through 400m is suicide. Period. Ferlic ran out of gas because he was digging himself out of the hole that he dug for themselves. Keter made 2 massive errors. He was in last and had to waste energy getting back into position. Then he coasted in after the last barrier instead of sprinting for time. He was lucky the 3rd section ran like morons.

Truth here is that you apparently never heard of Dave Wottle.