Mottram: Another Message to the Americans

It's good to see that there is still a healthy supply of complete idiots out there.

Yeah: "Protect the Kenyan, but let Gatlin (THE BIGGEST TRACK STAR OF HIS DAY) test positive."

Not an econ or marketing major?

The US has ten times the depth of Australian distance running. Mottram is one excellent Aussie runner, but that does not alone make a team. The US has 10 active sub 13:20 5k runners, a half dozen 3:35 1500 meter runners, and close to 10 800 meter runners capable of 1:45 or under.

In fact in a duel distance meet against the US Mottram would be the only medal winner for Australia.

Mottram is the kind of runner that could come from any country. It is luck of the draw that the Australians got him.

Webb is erratic but not lacking in "balls". In fact Webb pushes himself to the limit. Who else would go out in 54 seconds for the first lap of a 1500! If anything Webb has to much balls.

If and when Teg breaks 13 for the 5k the US will have produced 3 sub 5k runners. The Australians may have to wait decades after Mottram for another sub 13 5k runner. After Mottram is there any Aussie runner capable of even running at least 13:15?

But that has nothing to do with international TRACK competition, which is the object of discussion here. Where is your boy Ritz-he's a track specialist, right? Do you honestly believe Ritz could compete with that field in Ostrava? Honestly? Perhaps in the future, perhaps. But it takes guts to actually show up at these races first, and then real big balls to compete. I give credit to Blincoe - at least he showed up. (granted, it would be difficult for an American to show up in Ostrava after Nationals, but when was the last time you saw a top American distance athlete compete in a Golden League event? I'm sure Ritz has had the opportunity. Why not take it? In the end, Americans have to go to Europe if they want respect, if they want to compete on an international level, and when they have the opportunity, they turn it down. Why?[/quote]

Speaking of Ostrava, if you would care to think a few years back I believe a young American won the 1500 in this same Ostrava meet in 3:32. Now I know that's a few years back and he hasn't done that since, but you can't say the Americans haven't show up and competed - as for this year you might check back in a few weeks before you rest your judgement.

Is it now possible for the US distance team to take on all of Europe and win? Only Spain would present problems for the US now. England, France, Germany, and Ireland have pretty much faded away in distance running.

The only drawback American distance runners have is that they don't take competing abroad seriously enough. For some reason Americans think their country is the center of the world and don't look beyond its borders. This may be the reason they assume the whole world is watching the Super Bowl when in fact nobody outside the US gives a damn.

NFL Europe is pretty much considered a joke in across the Atlantic. In fact most Europeans aren't even aware of its existence.

Another thing I noticed is that American distance runners get too excited when they win a US championship. It is a fine accomplishment, but isn't beating the best African the real goal. When Webb won the US championship 1500 (3:34.55) he went into a hysterical rant. It was not until Lagat put his hands on his shoulders to calm him down that Webb relaxed. Lagat knows the real race is in Japan.

800 Fan wrote:

Who else would go out in 54 seconds for the first lap of a 1500!

The field at Zurich, 2004 went through the quarter in 51 and change.

Don't get too excited until the Aussie runs well in Osaka. If he bombs at the end of the season, then we will just be talking about how he and his coach "mis-planned" his season and how Teg and Lagat owned him at the end of the season!!! Mottram is very impressive, but there are no guarantees that he is doing the right thing by running so fast so early!!!

If Webb can run the WC final in roughly the same time he won the US championships maybe he could medal.

True. I should have made it more clear that American distance running has progressed OVERALL (i.e. Hall's 2:08, Tegenkamp's AR in the 2 mile, the Stanford 10k results) but in terms of progression over a SEASON (when a season's focus is US nationals/World Champs)...your top distance runners failed to meet expectations, some not even making the team in Osaka (i.e. Lincoln, Fam) - and others, like Dathan Ritzenhein clearly was out-of-sink in the 10k. Abdi looked strong, but he doesn't stand a chance in Osaka (although I'll root for him).

But my better point was that Mottram shows himself as a top international runner who knows how to win a major race. I remember all the Letsrun people talking about how super Ritz was, how he "scalped" Mottram...when in reality Mottram was only warming up, and Ritz...well...he was peaking, and he was peaking at a road race in NYC with no one watching and no one caring. Mottram knows how to win, and there is NO american who compares...

Ritz was peaking at the Healthy Kidney? Brilliant. That explains his 8:11 2-mile (third fastest in American history) later on. It meshes perfectly with his training plan, too--there's no doubt in my mind that he wanted the fittest part of his season to be his first race.

The best from Dathan this season is yet to come, barring some freakish injury.

european# wrote:

In yet another brilliant performance, Craig "Buster" Mottram exhibits why he's the man to beat, and why timing is everything. He's moving forward while the Americans are seemingly moving backwards; he's showing what it takes to win at the highest international level, and is seemingly fearless in the final stretch, outkicking every African in the process. The Americans, though certainly talented, don't seem to have Mottram-esque guts or power to pull off performances like these.

It seems that despite the progression in American running - there is no one particular guy who has the heart of Mottram, the unblinking, unwavering belief that he can win any race.

Who is America's great hope? I just don't know...

Why do Europeans and Oceanic's always sound like such pansy's when they talk trash?

A Guy wrote: The best from Dathan this season is yet to come, barring some freakish injury.

When we're talking about Ritz, could you really consider an injury to be freakish?

As said before who after Mottram among Australian runners can even break 13:15 for the 5k. Is anyone there even capable, besides Mottram, of breaking a 3:55 mile?

To make the Aussies more competitive maybe Mottram should run ever distance event. Why hasn't Mottram inspired his country men to run faster.

Noddles wrote:For some reason Americans think their country is the center of the world and don't look beyond its borders. This may be the reason they assume the whole world is watching the Super Bowl when in fact nobody outside the US gives a damn.

I think the reason we assume the world is watching the SuperBowl is because international viewership is about a billion people.

I'm an Aussie and I can tell you we have nothing much else in male distance running besides Buster.

Fountain has plenty of talent but hasn't strung many good races together. Bermingham seems to be the next big thing. Only problem is he hasn't run anything fast yet.

Guys like Cartwright, Dent, Shelley, Nowill, Abdi, Forrest, Troop, Letherby haven't made any real headway.

At the moment 1.48, 3.42, 8.35, 13.45, 28.50, 1.04, and 2.16 is around the top level among our runners. Yeah, once in a while somebody will pop a faster one but it is infrequent.

The girls are going a bit better. Besides Benita we have Sarah Jamieson, Melissa Rollinson, Eloise Wellings, Donna McFarlane, Victoria Mitchell and a few others thereabouts.

webby wrote:

Noddles wrote:For some reason Americans think their country is the center of the world and don't look beyond its borders. This may be the reason they assume the whole world is watching the Super Bowl when in fact nobody outside the US gives a damn.

I think the reason we assume the world is watching the SuperBowl is because international viewership is about a billion people.

BS. A billion people has the possibility to watch it on TV, but they don´t. Outside North America, soccer is everything. Nobody gives a damn about SuperBowl, or T&F. If a T&F star from a european, african, asian or latin american country makes a lousy competition, you will see a few lines in the newspapers. If the national soccer team loses an important match, the players have to have bodyguards for months, or else they will be lynched.

I dont think the superbowel is shown over here, if it is hardly anyone watches it. Infact i dont think many people could name a single NFL team.

In yet another brilliant performance, Craig "Buster" Mottram exhibits why he's the man to beat, and why timing is everything. He's moving forward while the other Australians are seemingly moving backwards; he's showing what it takes to win at the highest international level, and is seemingly fearless in the final stretch, outkicking every African in the process. The other Australians, though certainly talented, don't seem to have Mottram-esque guts or power to pull off performances like these.

It seems that despite the progression in Australian running - there is no one particular guy who has the heart of Mottram, the unblinking, unwavering belief that he can win any race.

Who is Australia's great hope after Mottram? I just don't know...

I agree - there was a time in the 80's where US football was developing a following in Europe. However, a great opportunity was missed in transforming it into a 'world' game. Look at what Rugby Union has done since the 1980's. There has been excellent progress with Italy now competing admirably in international competition and the increasing popularity of sevens rugby. Football is easily the world game and US football a poor 55th.

Mo farah...