Yomif Kejelcha CANNOT generally seem to Perform in Global Championships

So the heats are destroying Yomif? Really? Wow…just wow.

Add Aregawi to the list. So talented but not a good racer.

You are clueless.

Ask an athlete that is or has competed in DL distance.

The meet directors hand pick who they test and they pick the ones they know are clean.

El Keniano is not exactly a fountain of knowledge, do not take him too seriously.

Agreed. Some of do not understand. In the TDF, a blood bag (or EPO) was used to top off Hematocrit to the 50 point line. Are you suggesting in the DL, some of the participants can get away with going above it?

Blood packing will not leave drugs in the system. It may (or may not) leave traces of the plastic bag.

Post-race quotes:

“My aim today was to break the meeting record. So, at some time when I saw the red line too much in front I knew that I had to accelerate more and head in front like crazy. I was very confident, I believed that I could keep this pace. I came here to do show something well. I had wanted to show that in Budapest, too, but it did not work. During the race I felt the support of the crowd. It is always like that in Zurich and I like it a lot. I would like to thank the audience. I do not think that I will celebrate tonight. I am happy about this victory but because of my Budapest result I feel not like celebrating.“

Maybe he needs to visualize the lights in a Championship race

Hahahahahahaha! Visualize the lights! But of course if it is hot he will have to visualize them at a slight slower pace. I would love it if you could tell him he needs to start visualizing the lights in a championship race. A new meaning for “see the light.” According to you guys the Ethiopians tactics have not been working so they need to see the light by seeing the lights. I am not saying you’re wrong.

It is also true that many of their heroes, Yifter, Geb and even Kenenisa won many of their races with a blistering finish. I wonder if a few of them still think that is the way they must do it.

Have we considered... maybe the guy is just an idiot?

ALL the male track Ethiopians except Solomon Barega has underperformed in outdoor champs since their federation mandated them to be at the national pre-champ camp.

They're obviously nowadays running too hard and each other into the ground in the three-four weeks leading up to championships. And remember that selection among them is a last minute thing. All these fast studs bunched together by a dictatorship federation that can change its mind about who's on the team any time - noone really shouldn't be surprised about the outcome.

Barega is the only one left now with enough status to be sure he'll be selected, so he can hold back a little during the camp - see what a difference that makes.

Barega/Aregawi/Kejelcha may be at similar fitness but Barega has a better kick and better tactics as we saw in the last couple of finals.

Nah, they all got medal quality kicks, as proven on the circuit, junior championships and in some cases previous senior medals (Kejelcha has gone side by side over the line with Cheptegei for a silver once).

My point is that Berega was the only one who could be sure he'd be starter in the 10000 way out, the others had to live with insecurity about their federations fickleness when it comes to changing starters at the last minute - and there drained themselves peacocking in training in front of the selectors during the last weeks leading in to Budapest.

Imagine that the US had something like eight guys with qualifying standards and five of them with amazing kicks but final selection was postponed to within the last 48 hours.

Wow? You're really having an emotional reaction like that? What a liar.

Go watch the sunset or listen to a great musician, then report back if you really mean "wow."

I have no use for snarkers. The whole attitude is done. It's being purged.

You just aren’t very bright Wigins. You are a moron if you think the heats are the reason Yomif doesn’t take out the final at a hard pace. I am not even saying he should, but the first round of the 5000m is easier then some of his workouts.

I think it was the heat, not the heats. Tokyo was hot, Doha was hot, Eugene was hot. Is heat your nemesis if you can get two silver medals out of it?

On his WA page his top 10 performances are all in places like NY, Boston, Oslo and Great Britain. But maybe everyone's would be for top times?

Whoops, just one silver. Maybe it is the heat. Zurich was 62 today.

Yes, or maybe he’s just among the athletes who are not hot weather freaks, and suffer because of the idiots who place distance events in 30 + Celsius..?

Running fast is not the same as being a good racer. Some athletes manage high pressure race situations better than others. People like Kejelcha and Aregawi seem to collapse under the pressure. That's what I love about racing and why TTs are largely irrelevant. Champions bring it when it matters most, also-rans bring it a week later when the stakes are close to zero