Riley McGown didn't start running until age 21 when he ran 2:16 for 800. Now he's the Aussie champ with a 1:46.08 pb

I understand the point you are trying to make but you are incorrect. The entire world tries to produce 400m & 800m athletes except for Japan.

I have been stating on here for years, potential 800m gold medalists are playing Pop Warner football. I have been saying for years, U.S. high school XC needs to be 3000m so we can entice a few Pop Warner athletes to XC instead of football.

By the time, receivers get on D1 & D2 weight training programs, the 6' 160 lbs. high school kids are 190 lbs. guys by the time they leave college.

That said, U.S. would produce a lot more sub-1:45 800m guys and some more sub-1:43 guys if more Pop Warner football players chose XC and 800m. Reminder: 800m w.r. before WW2 was 1:46.xx. We are near our human limits.

Talent is everywhere. Find it and send them off on their path. Simple.

This is utter rubbish. No one is trying to produce 400m and 800m runners let alone the entire world. You would have more success in trying to recruit footballers who are not quite at the top level but playing a few leagues below the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, and the Bundesliga.

While I think it's inarguable that there isn't a talent diversion to other sports, I think it's massively over stated how many potential world record holders are swayed elsewhere. Usually the level of talent that makes a world class runner get noticed in other sports. Marcello Fiasconaro even got noticed playing rugby in South Africa to become a solid 400 runner and eventually break the 800 world record. The problem also becomes the difference between a raw running talent vs someone who can respond to training and stay healthy through increased workloads. Other sports have plenty of raw talent but if you want these guys to really start training at a high level, most would breakdown and get worse.

I agree and I disagree.

I'd say that 90% of athletics kids have a good shake at sports in their youth, learning playing football/soccer/basketball/etc at some level in school or club team.

It is a small fraction of those kids that ever actually train for middle-distance running.

Your whole post just makes my point for me all over again. There are lots of great athletes out there are who simply never spend a season seriously pursuing track. No, the whole world is not trying to produce 400/800m athletes the way the world tries to produce soccer, basketball and football players.

Cool story. Now he is representing Australia.