Robbie Andrews has got to be in Shock right now...

The fact that anyone expect him to make the Olympics is completely retarded, beating a weak NCAA field is nothing in comparison to even the American 1500m field, this kid should have spent the entire season hitting every international meet on the circuit if he even had a shimmer of a hope at making the team.

Think about the 3 guys that made the team...how accomplished are they...he is not making such a leap without experience in the 1500...it was a roll of the dice...

I don't know if Andrews is in shock. He had to know his chances of making the Olympic team were 50/50 at best. In fact I would venture Leo's chances were 50/50 too.

It was basically a crap shoot and the dice was rolled and Robby Andrews lost. He should of stayed at Virginia and had the experience of collegiate racing and the full experience of college. He will never get that back.

The chances of him ever making an Olympic Team is probably slim to none. Big gamble. Big loss.

Race Tactics Are Key wrote:

Terrible race tactics by Robbie. He was close to last with 500 meters to go. He had to use so much energy between 400 and 200 to go to get himself in position that he coudn't kick well enough the last 200 to finish like he needed to.

This sums it up for me as well. As the pack approached the bell lap and Andrews was still sitting in back (while more experienced runners were getting into position), I was yelling at the TV "You can't do that! (and expect to be in position to place high)".

You watch Centro and Manzano and you see two guys who know how to work themselves into prime position. And if Andrews had even a modicum of positioning instinct, he would have easily won this race.

manzano was 50/50 and so was andrews??? did you just start following track last week? manzano has been money in these races for years. talk about an almost sure thing. his problem has been at the next level but you are out to lunch if you think a seasoned professional miler who has delivered at the national level over and over and over again had the same odds of making the team as someone who had never run rounds of the 1500 even once in his life.

why 1500

he hasn't even run many

got the Webb stank on him

YEAH... college kids

I think he'll eventually be a strong 1500 man more so than the 800, but maybe the next olympics. He needed to stay a bit closer to the front of the pack. He's got some good wheels but so does all the other guys. This isn't high school or the ncaa where he could easily outkick the field. It was a faster pace because of the A standard issue which he shoulda anticipated and stayed closer to the front. It was a mistake from a young runner. Live and learn, that's life. His last 400 split was one of the better closings 4's he just didn't keep himself in the optimal position. Brazil 2016

Whatever the case may be, man...I love watching him race. So exciting to watch him make that move on the final stretch and for a few seconds I thought he would get Wheating the same way he did during the NCAA Indoors a few years back. I was yelling at my TV the entire final lap....

The results should not be a shock, most of the smart people only had Andrews ranked 5th; he was not expected to make the team. Being that Wheating, Centro and Manzano had not been looking good leading up to the trials meant that Andrews had a shot, but if things played out according to form, the results are about what was expected. With that said, if he had not spent so much energy working his way from the back, perhaps he could have gotten that 3rd spot. - Andrews can't out kick guys with as good a kick as his, which means he needs start getting into position going into the last lap and not with 300m to go. This is not the NCAA!

Did anyone actually watch the race? I don't think his tactics were as much of a problem as him just looking like crap nearly the entire race. He made a move to get into a great position but then didn't have it. He just looked dead physically.

ryan foreman wrote:

I don't know if its tactics. It looks like he was in pretty good position to catch Wheating and had the kick to do it. Wheating didn't look spectacular down the stretch. Andrews looked like he was out of gas. Actually he looked like an 800M runner who had just recently left college.

This was my thought watching the last 300m of the race.

You really believe he's coached by one of the best mid distance coaches in the US??? really?

Real Words wrote:

I think he'll eventually be a strong 1500 man more so than the 800, but maybe the next olympics. He needed to stay a bit closer to the front of the pack. He's got some good wheels but so does all the other guys. This isn't high school or the ncaa where he could easily outkick the field. It was a faster pace because of the A standard issue which he shoulda anticipated and stayed closer to the front. It was a mistake from a young runner. Live and learn, that's life. His last 400 split was one of the better closings 4's he just didn't keep himself in the optimal position. Brazil 2016

I think he'll be good too. He was in pretty good position to outkick wheating over the last 100 meters. I'm not sure why he didn't have his kick, but I suspect its just a lack of base to make it through the rounds. That crazy insane robby andrews kick just wasn't there today. I hope he runs a bunch of races this summer.

Anyone know anything about the training program he might have with Vig?

how could you possibly have thought he looked like crap when he made that huge move on the back straightaway with 300 to go? he looked great and i was sure he was going to take out wheating. then he hit the last 100 and ran out of gas.

the fact that he was hanging out in the back was no big deal because that's exactly what he did at oxy and the earlier rounds. this difference today was that he was up against very good milers with a lot more experience regarding how to run championship 1500 races. he still nearly pulled off 3rd. he should have run the 800.

It seemed pretty clear to me that Robbie did everything he could to outkick Wheating, but already had made too many mistakes leading up to the final 100 meters. Wheating ran much better today than he has all this year, that may be due to him finally rounding into shape after the missed training from the nearly disastrous hamstring injury. What Wheating had going for him was:

1. An excellent coach in Lananna;

2. The best medical facilities in the country provided through the OTC;

3. The knowledge (confidence) that he has had Robbie's number for awhile now.

IMO, Robbie needs to look into trying to move into the OTC training groups, either in Portand, or preferable in Eugene. Unless he trains with the best, he may never learn the lessons that he needs to learn. He blew this chance and may have only one more chance in 4 years. Let's wish that he looks at what's going on, checks out his options and then makes some good decisions.

Track Sweeper wrote:

The chances of him ever making an Olympic Team is probably slim to none. Big gamble. Big loss.

He's 21.

I don't know that he "blew his chance"...the guys who beat him all have faster PRs, and two of them (Centro and Manzano) are known for being great kickers. It was always going to be a tough road to the Olympic team. He definitely wasn't guaranteed a spot in the 800 either; remind me how Jock did.

andrews ran a decent race. the obvious answer is his aerobic development isn't there yet to run with the big dogs.

he'll be the next fermin cacho in a few years.