Is Maggie Vessey Serious?

prewada wrote:

Ruth thanks for posting She did have a bad day but at least she is clean and can sleep at night.

I don't know how well I would sleep if I realized I missed a great chance to go to the world champs. I am glad that she has good hygiene though.

prewada wrote:

Ruth thanks for posting She did have a bad day but at least she is clean and can sleep at night.

...and she will have many more chances and better days.

It seems a bit presumptious to assume that you are that much better than everyone in the US that you can spot them 20 meters. In major world compitition, going out in 62 will not fly with the winners running well under 2.

In the end, she got beat by 2 collegians (one who graduated a few weeks ago) and chances are one of the 2 will get the A. Gall ran 2:00 wire to wire at NCAA's in hot conditions after all the rounds. Then she ran the B standard again at USA's after all the rounds in windy conditions. Wright has been setting multiple PR's in the rounds of a single meet.

One of these two ladies should be able to hit 2:00.00 in a fast race with no rounds and good weather.

her tactics are carried over from her race at pre...the difference, though, was a larger gap this time around. yeah, not the smartest run...i'm all for letting someone else lead, even maybe 7/8 runners in front to wind-break, but jesus, when you have a 30m gap, you have a lot of your own work to do, let alone your own wind to deal with. had she just sat back directly behind runner #7, going through at 60, she'd be on the team right now. even splits, baby!!

Ruth Wysocki wrote:

Let's see - the "A" standard is 2:00.0. You aren't going to do that going out in 62.4-62.5. Doesn't matter what everyone else is doing - you need to run 2:00.0 or better. You've already run close to that, but you sit back 3 seconds off the lead of the best in the US for the first 400. Not a smart tactic. Can't sugar coat that one.

Ruth,

She actually didn't need to run the "A" standard - the new qualification procedure allows countries to send one "B" qualifier along with one or two "A"s. If she had finished second to Hazel Clark, she would have been guaranteed a spot on the team.

reminds me of the guy who used to do that, who had the wild arm swing. Mark Everett?

...I was there,...saw her race and that was the only time I got really loud. It was total diconnect,..the nerves obviously got the better of her. Too bad...I agree with earlier posts that she could've won this.

Hopefully she will learn from that and come back a smarter racer, and get it done next year!

Anyone know if the race is on line? I was watching, but mt local broadcast cut away to a tornado warning 200m into the race.

Everett never gave away that much ground. Look, there's nothing wrong with Maggie V opening at the back of the field...but no one, not Everett or Yuriy B or anyone, ever came back from that far off in an 800

I'm turning into MV's biggest fan - is there anyone else you would rather watch in a pro race? Anyone else who, when she runs, you just have no idea what's going to happen? Who could leave 30 meters to the field in a national championship and close on every single runner like they are high school kids? I choose her over time trialing africans, rabbit-obsessed europeans, or numbskulled Americans going out way too fast. She's doing it her way, and that makes all the difference to me. (especially if she wins a few races in Europe)

Watch Dave Wottle's Olympic gold. I think he was close to that far back. Granted, he actually ran almost perfectly even splits, but it IS possible. Just not smart to try and NEGATIVE split the thing.

cheetah dude wrote:

She was so far back that I thought she was injured.

The only other option was that she was trying to stay out of trouble.

She is coached by Greg Brock. She still has a chance to make it if she gets the A standard. I hope she does.

I understand that running the "A" standard wasn't required, but it would have assured a spot on the team. I've been puzzled by the lack of progress of American women 800 meter runners. I know this strategy might not be for everyone, but why not go out and run sub-2:00 and dare everyone to go with you. How many times has there been a race where more than 3 American women have broken 2:00? My simple logic says that if you break 2:00, you'll be on the team. If you break 2:00 and don't make the team, you've still broken 2:00. In the Worlds, if you can't break 2:00, you're probably not going far anyway. It worked for me in 1984, and I'm only throwing it out as a possible strategy. I was the sacrificial lamb for Kim Gallagher, but it got me 2nd, a PR and a spot on the Olympic Team.

prewada wrote:

She did have a bad day but at least she is clean and can sleep at night.

Maggie has a good tactic and was off on the pacing.

Not every race goes perfect.

She is learning and is doing quite well.

If you think her "tactic" was good, please refrain from anymore posting because you are clueless.

dick hertz wrote:

If you think her "tactic" was good, please refrain from anymore posting because you are clueless.

Does this mean her tactis at PRE was bad? You remember, the race she won

She was not as far back at Pre. She simply was not. Look, as a general tactic, we're not arguing with hanging back. But she overdid it, by a lot.

Dave Wottle wrote:

Watch Dave Wottle's Olympic gold. I think he was close to that far back. Granted, he actually ran almost perfectly even splits, but it IS possible. Just not smart to try and NEGATIVE split the thing.

Here it is...