USA Women: Who ya got for Rio

Joan Samuelson

luv2run wrote:

IMHO: pretty stupid to try to predict this one year or more out from the Trials themselves.

Tell me who you have winning the Super Bowl in 2016.

It's not remotely the same thing. The NFL is a team game with changing rosters. It's also a sport where team dynamics are key.

Running is a sport where talent is key.

FLangan and Linden are so far ahead of everyone else they are locks barring injury.

That leaves 1 spot.

Deba would be a lock if she got citizenship before the trials. Is there any indication that this is in the works?

Just Another Hobby Jogger wrote:

Flanagan.

Linden.

Buzunesh Deba.

It'll be Goucher. Hastings will make stupid moves early in the race and try to win.

Last Olympic trials she was dropped and caught back up to the top 3 to immediately surge to the lead. Then she got dropped again. If she'd stayed patient she could've possibly placed 3rd.

Shalane and Desi are easily the best right now. I certainly don't know who has the best shot for spot 3, but I'd love to see Deena Kastor make it again. I'm 40 and Meb and Deena keep proving that the old folks can still bring the show. :)

Test Icicles wrote:

Ritz Raff wrote:

Haha thank you for understanding me. In all seriousness do you think she'll hit the track for some 10 or svsn 5k's this year or do you think she'll stick to the roads?

In the past her dad said that she'll be sticking to the roads. Most of the top marathoners like Shalane, Kara, Amy Hastings and others continue to run 5k-10k on the track.

Alana's only strength, in my opinion, is that she has outworked her peers and her advantage is at the longer distances. Dropping to the track distances would be a blow to her confidence.

It would be incredible if she did some work on the track in some college meet. Her strength is on the roads but she could mop up some girls on the track. That's really a self-made (or family-made at least) athlete. Great story. Sure as hell more props than Mary Cain.

Here is the language from page 2 of the RIO 2016 handbook

http://comiteolimpicoportugal.pt/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Atletismo.pdf



Age Requirements Junior Athletes:

Any athlete aged 18 or 19 years on 31 December in the year of the competition (born in 1997 or 1998) may compete in any event except the Marathon and 50km Race Walk.

Test Icicles wrote:

Here is the language from page 2 of the RIO 2016 handbook

http://comiteolimpicoportugal.pt/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Atletismo.pdf



Age Requirements Junior Athletes:

Any athlete aged 18 or 19 years on 31 December in the year of the competition (born in 1997 or 1998) may compete in any event except the Marathon and 50km Race Walk.

Gotcha. Didn't realize it was different. That must have changed since 2008 when Sammy won it.