Opportunity is best had when you step up and take it. This for the US athletes was a one chance in a lifetime to really do something on a world class stage. They pulled off and did it. Congrats to them.
This is a great opportunity to help promote X-country in the US , world visibility will create a flurry of PR and articles post race , can USATF or another body catapult this into something positive to help the sport.
Make no mistake, kenya ran a team as strong as almost any they've ever run.
I think it's funny that whenever anyone but a kenyan does something good - people say 'oh well that is a weak team of kenyans.' When asked for evidence they'll say 'oh well they lost to americans!'
circular logic.
There has been worse weather in the past, and MUCH worse footing. Big city marathons have paid out big and deep for ~20years. Kenya has been awesome through all of this (only losing to team Hermens/CERA in the early-mid 2000s).
They are no longer doping as much.
On a per capita basis?
The Africans hate the cold weather. Keep holding World Cross in the snow and having the Olympics in London and this shitty weather is the white man's equalizer. Hold it in basic 60+ degree running conditions and the Africans will put the mzungus back in their place.
mountain dooods wrote:
The Africans hate the cold weather. Keep holding World Cross in the snow and having the Olympics in London and this shitty weather is the white man's equalizer. Hold it in basic 60+ degree running conditions and the Africans will put the mzungus back in their place.
Ethiopia seemed to do fine.
SLOINNORCAL wrote:
you are spot on wrote:exactly what I was thinking, the kenyan flop is not a fluke, just ask kiptanui
It is a lot tougher to be the hunted rather than the hunter. When everyone knows you are the best and is gunning for you is a much tougher position to be in than having someone just ahead of you to beat.
So, did Kenya come back to Earth cuz they can't dope as much, or does it take a lot of energy to consistently be the hunted? It is a tough question. This I do know, everyone is working hard to be the best with or without PEDs.
Read above. Their top guys weren't there because it doesn't pay.
Analyze what happened. No name Kenyans all the way. You'll see the top 25 Kenyans all running London, Rotterdam and many other races for big money.
The fastest 5000 of all their Senior runners was I think 13:17
Track times don't directly translate to a course like this, but Derrick and True were finishing with guys who have run sub 27, 12:50, and 59 low. These are the times that those guys will be targeting in the next two years.
High Wire wrote:
Track times don't directly translate to a course like this, but Derrick and True were finishing with guys who have run sub 27, 12:50, and 59 low. These are the times that those guys will be targeting in the next two years.
Who were the 12:50 guys?
The only 12:50 guy was in the Junior race.