Let Me Get This Right Re: NOP Drug Scandal

The Ghost of Caesar wrote:

It's certainly true that U.S. distance running was not as good as it is now--but I'm also not sure that really refutes my point.

My point is that Schumacher has enjoyed a truly extraordinary level of talent in the athletes he coaches--a level of talent so incredible, in fact, that it should have translated into medals by now.

A sub-13 and sub-27:00 10k runner; a 3:32 1500 runner with a monster kick and sub-13 5k potential; a sub-13 5k runner with 8:07 2 mile chops to boot; an 8:00+ steeple-chaser; a women with a 30:22 10k PR. These are world-class PRs, and there is no reason that such a training group should not be the most decorated in the country. But for a combination of reasons--injury, over-aggressive training, poor race tactics, shoddy peaking--it hasn't happened.

Cook, with Rowbury and Shalane; Rowland, with Symmonds; Wetmore, with Simpson; Vig, with Martinez--these coaches have all been blessed with some driven and truly talented athletes, but none of them has been blessed with as many, at the same time, as Schumacher. And yet they all have more medals to their name than Jerry does.

It's a wonderful thing to be in a position now to hold medalling as the standard of success for American running, and I know I will be rooting hard for Jager at this year's WCs, along with plenty of others; if he wins a medal, it will be a testament to Jerry's coaching, no less than to Jager's talent, drive, and savvy. But it's nevertheless the case that medalling *is* the standard, and for all the likeability of Jerry's crew, it's a standard he falls short of--despite the medal-caliber talent he's overseen now for a pretty long period of time.

preach it! wrote:

The Ghost of Caesar wrote:

It's certainly true that U.S. distance running was not as good as it is now--but I'm also not sure that really refutes my point.

My point is that Schumacher has enjoyed a truly extraordinary level of talent in the athletes he coaches--a level of talent so incredible, in fact, that it should have translated into medals by now.

A sub-13 and sub-27:00 10k runner; a 3:32 1500 runner with a monster kick and sub-13 5k potential; a sub-13 5k runner with 8:07 2 mile chops to boot; an 8:00+ steeple-chaser; a women with a 30:22 10k PR. These are world-class PRs, and there is no reason that such a training group should not be the most decorated in the country. But for a combination of reasons--injury, over-aggressive training, poor race tactics, shoddy peaking--it hasn't happened.

Cook, with Rowbury and Shalane; Rowland, with Symmonds; Wetmore, with Simpson; Vig, with Martinez--these coaches have all been blessed with some driven and truly talented athletes, but none of them has been blessed with as many, at the same time, as Schumacher. And yet they all have more medals to their name than Jerry does.

It's a wonderful thing to be in a position now to hold medalling as the standard of success for American running, and I know I will be rooting hard for Jager at this year's WCs, along with plenty of others; if he wins a medal, it will be a testament to Jerry's coaching, no less than to Jager's talent, drive, and savvy. But it's nevertheless the case that medalling *is* the standard, and for all the likeability of Jerry's crew, it's a standard he falls short of--despite the medal-caliber talent he's overseen now for a pretty long period of time.

BEST POST IN A LONG TIME. 100% AGREE. BEEN SAYING FOR YEARS, SHOULD FACE MUCH MORE CRITICISM.