I didn't know about Saarel's condition, but my post wasn't meant as a shot at Saarel in the first place. There are all sorts of reasons people don't improve as much as we might have expected early in their careers.
I guess I just feel bad for him, and it's so weird that the person who shined that spotlight on him as a kid did so WHILE SAYING it's unfair and a bad idea to put pressure on kids. It's just weird. Total lack of self-awareness to pump up a kid, put pressure on him, and then talk about how it's unfair for other people to do the same thing.
Saarel's a mega-talent. Whether it's his UC, his focus on school, or just a matter of his having developed rather early as a runner--he's still quite the athlete. Perhaps he'll figure these things out some day and be a solid national level runner after college. Perhaps he'll move on.