Tarmoh: "I'm always going to remember my first Olympics as the year when my 100-meter spot was taken away from me.''

kanny wrote:

You may or may not have seen this SI quote:

"Jennings said, "In the end, my read was subjective. The involvement of the torso is always subjective to some degree. They (USATF) went with what they could actually see. I was overruled, and I certainly signed off on their decision. But I did my job. I called what I saw. I try to stay consistent. If I went back and read that photo 100 times, I would call it the same way every time." (That is, he would call Tarmoh the winner, based on an interpolation of where her torso was at the finish)."

[/quote]

Why bold that part instead of the part where he admits that his initial read (the one he would make 100 times) is subjective. They can't rely on subjectivity when making the Olympic team, so they drew the line the best that they could see and it was declared a tie. To be honest, I don't even see how his interpolation would have put her in front either, and I've really tried to see it that way.

"I will always remember my first Olympics, the one where I got to go and run on the 4x100m relay team, the same Olympics where I have earned my place in the relay by beating out so many thousands of Americans, as the Olympics where I quit on myself and my country by not racing in the run off because I acted like a 5 year old."

"In any race, when Jennings can't, literally, see the athlete's torso, he uses two known data points to interpolate where the most forward point in the torso probably is. (Given Jennings' level of expertise, and after watching him work, this is a very strong use of the word "probably."). On his laptop, he adroitly located a point on Tarmoh's paper ID bib on the right side of her chest and another spot on her thrown-forward right bicep. Those were data points A and B. He determined that data point C would represent the forward-most spot on Tarmoh's torso (in the photo, it's obscured by Tarmoh's head), lined up his cursor and clicked. The scoreboard spit out 11.067 seconds. Then he clicked on the readily visible spot on Felix's torso, and the scoreboard illuminated 11.068 seconds."

Felix Tarmoh wrote:

Why bold that part instead of the part where he admits that his initial read (the one he would make 100 times) is subjective. They can't rely on subjectivity when making the Olympic team, so they drew the line the best that they could see and it was declared a tie. To be honest, I don't even see how his interpolation would have put her in front either, and I've really tried to see it that way.

I guess I am in the minority. I do have 'some' sympathy for Tarmoh. Her emotions went from the greatest day in her life to it being taken away.

When she was in the meeting with USATF and eveyone, she really didn't have anyone to counsel her and felt pressured. She is only 22 and her first year as a pro.

Bottom line, although I feel the dead heat is legit and it was the right call, if it was Felix that was third, I do not think this situation would have occurred.

I hope she uses this as motivation to be the best 100m sprinter over the next decade.

Captain Awesome wrote:

Jeneba The Hutt wrote:

"I will always remember my first Olympics, the one where I got to go and run on the 4x100m relay team, the same Olympics where I have earned my place in the relay by beating out so many thousands of Americans, as the Olympics where I quit on myself and my country by not racing in the run off because I acted like a 5 year old."

+1

+1 again

If I were the Olympic 4x100m coach, I'd seriously reconsider having this woman on my team. I'd talk to her about this. She'd have to convince me that she can put this behind her and that she's not a head case. If I had any doubts, I'd never let her touch the baton.

Not sure why all the hate on this thread. These comments say much more about the people typing them than they do about Tarmoh.

Personally, I don't blame her for being upset. But for her own sake and the sake of our relay, she needs to let it go now and concentrate on her job. Because she looked awful in Monaco.

I hope she pulls it together.

OK, bolding everything doesn't really drive the point home either. I understand how interpolation works. I just don't see it on that particular image.

Here's the photo again for anyone who doesn't have it burned into their memory:

You would have a hard time convincing anyone that part of Tarmoh's torso that is obscured by her head, is farther forward than her chest.

Take Felix, for example, since her head does not obscure her shoulders. If I were to twist her at the same angle Tarmoh is twisted, Felix's shoulder would not be beyond her chest. Her biceps would be, much like Tarmoh's, and that, combined with the high angle of the camera, gives the illusion that her shoulder is farther forward and farther away from the camera than it really is.

None of that matters, and it's all subjective, which a few on here and Tarmoh don't seem to understand. The USATF had to go with hard evidence and that made it a dead heat.

The BIGGEST mistakes made were rushing the results and not having "Unofficial" written on the scoreboard.

I would love to see them release the opposite angle that was supposedly useless because their arms were blocking so much.

they were too close to call and the margin of error in making the lines straight on the track itself was greater than the 1/5000 s or so separating them, so the only right thing to do was to call it a draw and have a race-off for the Olympic spot. I fail to see why she couldn't have done that.

She should probably stop talking to the media, but in all fairness, she's now had time to think about things and is now truly expressing herself. She was just giving the party line during and immediately following the Trials (probably due to being in shock/emotionally drained, etc.)Even if she raced the run-off, she'd still probably have bitter feelings about the entire situation. If she lost (which it seems like she wasn't in the right head space to win), she'd still believe she had legitimately earned her spot on the team in the initial race. If she'd won the run-off, it'd be a great story, but she'd probably still feel that Felix was given two bites at the apple.It seems like many people on here think that if she had just raced the run-off, she'd have walked away from the Trials feeling great.

Jeneba The Hutt wrote:

"I will always remember my first Olympics, the one where I got to go and run on the 4x100m relay team, the same Olympics where I have earned my place in the relay by beating out so many thousands of Americans, as the Olympics where I quit on myself and my country by not racing in the run off because I acted like a 5 year old."

I will say that none of us has been in this particular situation, so it is hard to speculate on what Tarmoh "should" be doing, as she is obviously very emotional & distraught. I always give athlete's the benefit of the doubt, just knowing how many times I have had difficult situations come up & how hard it is to move past those. This is where you absolutely have to surround yourself with good friends who will tell you to shut up when you need to & will allow you to vent your frustrations to them without going public. This is really the worst thing you can do in this situation - go public with your frustrations & disappointments, as inevitably the media will mis-quote you or you will start going on a rant & let something slip that you should keep in. She is 22 & obviously does not have the support group or wisdom to really understand how to deal with these things. Hopefully - this is a good learning experience for her & she can have a successful career. She will hopefully look back on this at some point & realize how foolish she acted, while leaving no doubt in the next Olympic Trials that she belongs on the team.

The situation is inapposite.

You were talking out your a$$--you expressed an opinion without any reasonable factual foundation:

"If the rain takes the 'joie de vivre' out of watching the sport, then you are clearly too sensitive to have any say on the matter, because no conditions will make you happy."

It does not logically follow that because I don't like competitions held in the rain, there are no conditions that would make me happy.

It was an empty opinion, worthy of an empty response.

My opinion was based on Tard-mo's actions and statements, and was a reasoned opinion:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4665384

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4662834&page=4

I hope that you understand the difference.

Felix is the darling of Nike and Track and Field.

Of course Tarmoh "gave up" her spot.

It really comes down to Nike and USATF investing so much in Felix so of course Tarmoh "gave up" or as I believe was Forced to "give up" her spot. It's business. I think it's pretty F***ED up they did that but Money beats Bull Sh*t any day. Sad to see our sport helping to kill peoples dreams.

My opinion and I know everyone else has a right to their opinion.

No--I've been coming to these boards for years, and have generally kept my mouth shut whenever I stumbled upon SprintGeezer's idiocy.

But enough is enough. I see no reason why athletes should not be given the benefit of the doubt in situations, nor do I see any reason why a corruption of an athlete's name can be honestly construed as 'reasoned.' This is the behavior that earns this message board, its posters, Rojo, and Wejo the reputation they have.

It's only been a month. The fact that the Olympics have been looming probably makes it pretty hard to just forget about it and move on.Plus, there are people who would still be somewhat bitter after a race was called in a way that cost them a conference championship. This is the OLYMPICS we're talking about.

dud3 wrote:

I hope tarmoh never wins anything ever again after all of the b*tching that she does over this.

Jeneba The Hutt wrote:

"I will always remember my first Olympics, the one where I got to go and run on the 4x100m relay team, the same Olympics where I have earned my place in the relay by beating out so many thousands of Americans, as the Olympics where I quit on myself and my country by not racing in the run off because I acted like a 5 year old."

I sympathize with her. I really do. I mean, she has to feel like she was robbed, but the reality of the situation is that feelings are irrelevant. In sports there are always going to be judgement calls. People get their hopes dashed. Why should she be any different?

She lost the right to whine about what happened when she backed out of the run-off.

You really wouldn't have a problem with her complaining if she'd raced the run-off?If she'd raced and lost, her detractors would claim she must have thought the process was fair, or she wouldn't have raced. Or that she lost (clearly not a tie the second time around), so she shouldn't complain.Getting people excited over the (lack of a)second race just distracts people from the real issue: No matter what the result of the run-off would have been,she believes she won the one race that should count. And if she won the run-off, the media might still want to talk to her to get her opinion on whether or not there would have even been a run-off if Felix wasn't the other athlete in question.

Double_Dog wrote:

She lost the right to whine about what happened when she backed out of the run-off.

A few things:

1. "Tard-mo" is in reference to the word "retard," when it is used in a disparaging fashion. When I was a kid, we called each other names like that to insult each other. As an adult, I don't care for it.

2. I generally like the input from Sprintgeezer. He's passionate and knowledgeable about the sport.

3. I don't know who was advising Jeneba Tarmoh, but she made the wrong decision. Everyone gets bad calls- in athletics and in life. You have to deal with it, or face the realization that others will deal with it for you.

4. The US Olympic basketball team was wrong to refuse to accept the silver medals in 1972. Bad call? Without a doubt, but stand up and receive that medal anyway.

5. Tarmoh's going to have to get her head together and convince the coaches that she deserves to be on the relay. All this talk isn't helping her cause.

Jeneba Tarmoh does not go searching out sport reporters to whine and complain; reporters contact her through her agent and their aim is to keep this drama building. Obviously, this situation injured her, possibly even scarred her deeply, how could it not? Maybe 10-20 year T&F veterans with a tougher hide and heart can create a steel barrier against the press, but Jeneba is at a stage where she is still processing what happened on many varying levels. If it comes off as whining to a bunch of people who will never have to stand in her shoes then so be it.

PS:

Tim Leydon's SI article is attempting to present and capture the scope of not only the 100 meter "finish" but how the fallout affected Jeneba a month later.