Will Grant Fisher be the best American distance runner ever??

The fields are just much deeper now than 10-20 years ago when it was very top-heavy with Bekele then Farah. Most years then would be an African sweep of all the events, this year it was Europeans top 5 in the 1500 and winning 5k, Africans are still strong and Aussies are there too. Back then Mottram winning a bronze was some big accomplishment for a non-African to get a medal, can you imagine Ingebrigtsen being anything other than pissed as hell with a bronze in the 5k? There’s a lot of strong juniors across the world now, I don’t think any event will become less competitive, except maybe the steeple as I feel the top talent isn’t really gravitating there.

Grants no limits and aggressive racing style is certainly most admired by me.

Chelimo won a medal last year

I still suspect all BTC athletes are cheating.

At this point some could/would argue Paul chelimo has had a better career than fisher lol

Grant Fisher is a guy I currently follow. I'd like to interview him for a story of his career. I'm Anthony Cantwell and I live in Portland Oregon. Read something yesterday about Rudy Chapa asking how he trained in high school. He ran in Indiana was 3000 American record holder in 1981, denied his chance to race in the 1980 Olympics and was my volunteer assistant coach at Marshall High School. The story of his career at U of O, who he is as aan and was as a distance runner is firmly established in history. Today is Grant Fisher day. How and why he volunteered at Marshall High is an unknown story I'd like to publish. Anyone know how to get in touch with both Grant and Rudy

To be the greatest U.S. distance runner, he needs what Billy Mills and Frank Shorter have: an Olympic gold medal.

For this discussion, we'll consider Centro a middle distance guy, yes?

Galen 10x National Champion, Lagat 15x National Champion. Those are absurd stats. I don't see Fisher approaching this kind of extended dominance.

Also, Galen has 12 (at least) national championships - and counting - if we include road running (marathon, etc.).

He already has the times to put him that elite crowd. Now he just needs to win some OG and WC medals.

I hope one day we are having the conversation, but until he has some medals or big Ws.. nope.

The point of the endeavor is to race, and win or at least place. Times are nice, time are impressive, times will hopefully get you where you want to be, but give me W's and medals any day.

If including milers, Fisher has to at least accomplish what Matt Centrowitz has:

1x Olympic Gold Medal; Worlds outdoor: 1x silver, 1x bronze; Worlds indoor: 1x gold; 7x national champ (Outdoor + Indoor)

Centro is mid-distance.

He's got a good start to his career but needs to medal more than once on a global stage to be in the argument. Has a chance.

Message boarders are naturally tuned in to recent memory. Frank Shorter with his resume on the roads, track, and cross country, is certainly in the argument. He beat the greats of his era. And don't give me the "no east africans" argument. Ethiopia had one the marathon gold medal for the 3 prior Olympics before Shorter won in 72 - and he beat the 68 Ethiopian gold medalist (who won a bronze) to do it.

Not saying that it must be Shorter - simply saying that Shorter is in the discussion right at the top with the names mentioned above

Grant Fisher is the fastest American distance runner at 3k-10k we have ever had. Enjoy it while it lasts, because he is already 25 and he is in his prime now. We thought Solinsky, Webb, and Wheating would continue to improve as well. We don't know how long he'll stay healthy. But to be the greatest American distance runner, he'll need medals, and he has to put himself in position to win or medal like Lagat, Rupp, Centro, Jager, Chelimo, and others have done to be the best. At present, it has got to be Bernard Lagat, factoring in solely his American career from 2004 on, counting times and hardware. Fisher may never get all that hardware, but he's already got two of the outdoor records, and the third very likely next time.

Frank Shorter is the greatest US distance runner ever.

Galen Rupp is second.

Grant Fisher will never get to a World podium.

If Grant is the best American distance runner ever, how do we feel that he’s basically Canadian?

Didn't you go to Jesuit HS around 1977?

everyone talking about Fisher needing World/Oly medals to consolidate US GOAT:

I find it weird how everyone criticises Farah for medalling during the least competitive period of distance running, but as Rupp medalled during the same period, Fisher is now expected to better that [during a now more competitive period]?

Not to mention 3:30.40, 3:49.26, and 13:00.39. A shame he never really took a shot at the 3k in his prime, he might’ve had a 7:30 in him (tho he was never really a time trialer).