Centro skipped nationals to get 7th place in Europe

If he made $25k at the DL then financially it was the right decision.

However, USAs is $7k for first AND whatever his bonus structure is set up as from Nike. It could be $5k-$10k for winning USAs. A potential $17k+ day if he wins.

So he's a "one-trick pony" and he "bombs" when he runs a 3:32. Funny stuff.

Where does it say a guy has to run the USATF meet? You guys all in the thrall of USATF all of the sudden?

No way USATF wants to be seen as an employer subject to payroll taxes, etc. and the possibility of unionization. Much better to have all these athletes work as independent contractors where they are responsible for the taxes and cannot organize. And, if Centro really did make 25k to run, it's a no brainer. Probably why Rupp left for Paris too. If USATF was smart, they would offer 50k for wins in non-championship years. But they wont. 7k for a US Championship is ridiculous for a sport that claims it wants to be taken seriously.

The LRC-related posts on this thread show a total lack of critical thought. It's sad that these guys have joined the rest of the trolls on this board...

Centro has a great kick, but has always been questionable in races where the pace is fast. It is an off year for WCs and the Olympics. Centro would normally have to skip meets like Lausanne in order to do US nationals to get on the WC/Olympic team. Why spend a year working on your strength (kicker championship racing) when there are no big championship races when you can go to Europe and work on your weakness (flat out speed)? Had Centro stayed in the US and blown past Manzano (not a given, but Centro is certainly in better shape right now), everyone would be posting that Centro is ducking Diamond League level competition for easy sit and kick wins against US only field.

wejo wrote:

$7000 for first.

I understand the point but I think the IAAF and USATF need to crack the whip a bit more. Their high performance division pays for guys to go to Oxy. If you don't show up at USAs and are healthy, they should ask for the money back. If you are on USOC insurance and don't show up at USAs (and are not injureD), drop them from insurance.

The money you get from USATFs should be a down payment for showing up at USAs.

Track and Field news not rank you as highly if you don't show up. Track should not just be about times but titles.

If you are good enough to get into a DL race, your sponsor will have insurance for your medical treatments.

Dropping athletes like Matt Centrowitz only hurts USA Olympic Development athletes like Amanda Eccleston

no way wrote:

Centro I think did quite well. .

I also thought he ran pretty well. It reminded me of Willis's 3:49 race except for the last 500. Centro ran WAY too much ground over the last 500 or he could have had a PB.

He was very close to a big one. Here he tried to compete and had to run a lot of extra ground versus sneaking through on the rail.

That being said, I think it's bad if athletes are skipping uSAs.

I also think it's bad if USATF is going to force people to run meets without paying them.

What I want is for people to want to do it and for it to be their financial interest. Shoe companies include it in the contract?

We dont' know the answer but know it's AWFUL for the fans.

rojo wrote:

no way wrote:

Centro I think did quite well. .

I also thought he ran pretty well. It reminded me of Willis's 3:49 race except for the last 500. Centro ran WAY too much ground over the last 500 or he could have had a PB.

He was very close to a big one. Here he tried to compete and had to run a lot of extra ground versus sneaking through on the rail.

That being said, I think it's bad if athletes are skipping uSAs.

I also think it's bad if USATF is going to force people to run meets without paying them.

What I want is for people to want to do it and for it to be their financial interest. Shoe companies include it in the contract?

We dont' know the answer but know it's AWFUL for the fans.

My opinion: USATF nationals in an a non-qualifying year isn't a big meet, and there's no good reason to coerce top runners to compete in a 2nd tier event.

Put a different way: Centro could have run nationals, which is an event that plays to his strengths. Instead, he ran a tough, rabbited DL 1500m, took his lumps, finished 7th, learned some things and presumably had a chance to work on his weaknesses. I'm all for the path he chose.

He should run nationals every year. Nevertheless, the headline on this one could be: Centro runs fastest US time since 2012. Or Centro knocks best 2014 U.S. performance down 3 seconds in one race, from 3:35 to 3:32. In a 3:31 race, this is quite a solid performance, and don't forget that Americans nearly always race poorly in their first European race after the trip. It's much wiser to run a low key race or two before a DL race in Europe, and I would assume that he will now get in an 800 or 3k before his next 1500/mile pr attempt. Tactically, as he knows, he has got to get into better position in the first 100m so that he can save ground on the rail and be in good position with 300 to go to get the win. If he wants to break 3:30, as I'm sure he does, and go after the American record, he'll have to get into that Monaco 1500m WR attempt with Kiprop in a few weeks. Right now, he's not ready to do that, but it may be that a fast 800 and three weeks more of training will get him there. He will have to be more aggressive, but 1:51 800 is not the way to do it, in my opinion--instead, he's going to need to get to 800 in a more reasonable 1:53 and run the 3rd lap more like 56 to set himself up for a great time. Too often the field goes out in 53-54/57-58 and then runs a 59 before trying to make up time on the kick when it's too late. The best way to break 3:30 is to run consistent 56-57s to 1200 (2:48-2:50) and have enough left from not getting the lactate burn from that 53-54 first lap.

steve red wrote:

25 grand appearance $ is way he was at the DL meet and not nationals.

He could have run both.

The races were 5 days apart.

It's not like they were on the same day.

Rupp was at USATF and is racing in two days.

steve red wrote:

25 grand appearance $ is way he was at the DL meet and not nationals.

You are kidding, if he's on $25k then that makes that 1500 a $200,000 to $250,000 race in appearance money alone, add in all the other events appearance and prize money and it comes to millions.

Precious Roy wrote:

Centro has a great kick, but has always been questionable in races where the pace is fast. It is an off year for WCs and the Olympics. Centro would normally have to skip meets like Lausanne in order to do US nationals to get on the WC/Olympic team. Why spend a year working on your strength (kicker championship racing) when there are no big championship races when you can go to Europe and work on your weakness (flat out speed)? Had Centro stayed in the US and blown past Manzano (not a given, but Centro is certainly in better shape right now), everyone would be posting that Centro is ducking Diamond League level competition for easy sit and kick wins against US only field.

Well said.

spokanexc wrote:

The LRC-related posts on this thread show a total lack of critical thought. It's sad that these guys have joined the rest of the trolls on this board...

I'm pretty sure they started the board.

Star wrote:

steve red wrote:

25 grand appearance $ is way he was at the DL meet and not nationals.

He could have run both.

The races were 5 days apart.

It's not like they were on the same day.

Rupp was at USATF and is racing in two days.

Keep in mind that Rupp has an extra (I believe) four days of rest compared to what Centro would've had. It might be three. Not the point.

It was pretty obvious that Centro had this meet circled on the calendar, being the venue where he had set his current PR and the place he felt he had the best chance to set a new one. So running that 1500 on Saturday, then having a pretty quick turnaround to fly out to Switzerland and chase a new PR on Thursday would be pretty counter-productive.

If he really wanted to go after that PR in Lausanne, then skipping USA's made sense. Had to be one or the other.

As a runner, I'd much better get 7th in 3:32 in a field of top runners, than win against a slower field in 3:38.

As a fan, I'd much rather get internet coverage of a high level track meet in Europe with fast times, than be blocked out from seeing a USATF / NBC meet in Sacramento, CA.

In fact it would be nice to participate in and/or see both of these, however USATF and NBC have conspired to prevent the latter, THAT being the major thing that's bad for the sport. How about some headlines on that?

With there being a choice, and there must be a choice, I choose to run and/or watch the high level track meet in Europe.

Criticizing Centro for wanting to become a better 1500 meter runner is absurd. Running USAs would have done nothing for him. He's competing against higher level athletes on the DL circuit. Out-kicking national caliber runners in 3:38 is not something he needs to learn how to do.

rojo wrote:

What I want is for people to want to do it and for it to be their financial interest. Shoe companies include it in the contract?

Increase the prize money substantially. Perhaps by a factor of 10 or 20. Then no one will skip it. No golfer in good condition skips the US Open because first place pays $1.6 million. And because it's such a high profile event, those very well sponsored golfers are motivated by those sponsors to play for the win.

I will add that this need for more prize money only applies to those few, very well-off athletes. It's not as if the #3 American discus thrower is passing on the US Championships for a more ideal competition elsewhere.

+1 He has no problem wasting the current crop of US mid D runners.

The brojos seem to claim something is bad for the sport when its inconvenient for the small amount of US fans. Truth is, nothing about being a fan of athletics is convenient. Like previously mentioned, much of the coverage here at home is behind pay walls or across the country anyways. Just paying one some other site to allow our athletes to make money and fans internationally is something I can live with.

Why are people suggesting USATF start acting like AK or the AAU? Athletes are free to run where and when they want because the athletes before them fought for that right. Banning athletes from meets or soiling an otherwise good season isn't what they had in mind.

Much happier seeing Centro mix it up with the best than watching Rupps sit and kick

J.R. wrote:

As a runner, I'd much better get 7th in 3:32 in a field of top runners, than win against a slower field in 3:38.

And you'd be nowhere close to either of those.

J.R. wrote:

As a fan, I'd much rather get internet coverage of a high level track meet in Europe with fast times, than be blocked out from seeing a USATF / NBC meet in Sacramento, CA.

NBC broadcast the whole thing, for free, no cable subscription required, on their website.

You even watched it and posted your lameass opinions every 5 seconds in the "official thread."

Moron.