Jessica Hull to NOP!

I am forgetting but what do they say about mullets? All business in front but party in back?

They have had great results for Americans but corporate demands require an international group, plus that increases the medal count a lot.

FRFRDHO wrote:

Ariana Washington, multiple time NCAA Champion/2016 Olympian, Clayton's girlfriend

I heard Salazar has taken over her coaching

This is not true at all! She actually is one of his coaches!

Is she gonna be Koko’s training partner?

Also does Bowerman only take Americans? Thought she was destined to the babes

Someone get Galen off the basketball court before he gets hurt.

drocha86 wrote:

Is she gonna be Koko’s training partner?

This seems to be implied by the quotes in the article linked in the first post. Supposedly Koko had hoped to train with Hassan when she joined at the end of last year but Hassan was focussing on road running and apparently most of the time not present in Portland, so there was hardly any training together. According to instagram Klosterhalfen apparently usually ran alone or with Engels and Brazier (not sure how they do this, she is fast, but not that fast).

KindaConfused wrote:

Correct me if I am wrong, I could be misremembering. Wasn't when NOP started the sole mission of the group was to get Americans Olympic medals. I vaguely remember some story of a Nike exec watching the olympics disgusted with the Americans performance and then approached Saladbar about starting a group focused on winning medals.

And now the group seems like mostly foreigners. Or was it just winning medals in general?

I think the presence of foreign talent makes the group better. It forces the Americans to step up. Galen never would have been great if he didn't have Mo to train with.

KindaConfused wrote:

Correct me if I am wrong, I could be misremembering. Wasn't when NOP started the sole mission of the group was to get Americans Olympic medals. I vaguely remember some story of a Nike exec watching the olympics disgusted with the Americans performance and then approached Saladbar about starting a group focused on winning medals.

And now the group seems like mostly foreigners. Or was it just winning medals in general?

Nike is partially run by Colin Kapernick now. Colin hates America, hates our flag, hates what we stand for. Therefore their track squad must focus more and more on training foreigners to beat Americans. Hence the uptick in foreign runners in the group and the lessened focus on developing Americans.

KindaConfused wrote:

Correct me if I am wrong, I could be misremembering. Wasn't when NOP started the sole mission of the group was to get Americans Olympic medals. I vaguely remember some story of a Nike exec watching the olympics disgusted with the Americans performance and then approached Saladbar about starting a group focused on winning medals.

And now the group seems like mostly foreigners. Or was it just winning medals in general?

Yes, but that was quite a while ago. So long ago that one of the original NOPers Dan Browne now coaches WCAP. Bowerman has taken over that role -- all American group. Nike sells shoes all over the world so makes sense to have an international group, particularly after Farah's success -- he was the trailblazer. The few Americans in NOP are A+ talents -- the type of talents that can win medals while still in college like Centro and Murphy or are huge huge potential like Brazier. Bowerman has B and C level American talent, the type that needs a few years of developing to reach medal contender status. Houlihan is a perfect example. Not a seeming worldbeater out of college but now a medal contender.

prob not wrote:

Curious ... wrote:

What's like a year?

I was wrong: Hull was born Oct 1996 while Cain was born in May 1996. Interesting how things turned out.

World junior champ

youngest world 1500m finalist

world junior record

2 USA titles

4:04

1:59

less upside. She needs a solid year of training with no injuries to get close to her former self.

vs

4:06

2 ncaa individual titles

2 relay titles

more upside currently

sidenote: Whatever happened to the NOP investigation.

other sidenote I am not a NOP hater. big fans of jenkins, brazier, and Rowbury our 1500 queen

prob not wrote:

Curious ... wrote:

What's like a year?

I was wrong: Hull was born Oct 1996 while Cain was born in May 1996. Interesting how things turned out.

Sure they are 5 months apart but most of those months have 31 days in them.

westsouthrunner wrote:

prob not wrote:

I was wrong: Hull was born Oct 1996 while Cain was born in May 1996. Interesting how things turned out.

World junior champ

youngest world 1500m finalist

world junior record

2 USA titles

4:04

1:59

less upside. She needs a solid year of training with no injuries to get close to her former self.

vs

4:06

2 ncaa individual titles

2 relay titles

more upside currently

sidenote: Whatever happened to the NOP investigation.

other sidenote I am not a NOP hater. big fans of jenkins, brazier, and Rowbury our 1500 queen

4:02 for Hull, and possibly faster this summer.

Joe Dirt wil find his family.

KindaConfused wrote:

I vaguely remember some story of a Nike exec watching the olympics disgusted with the Americans performance and then approached Saladbar about starting a group focused on winning medals.

Why did he go to a salad bar?

all fun and game until wrote:

Someone get Galen off the basketball court before he gets hurt.

This is an Arby's, sir.

At this point, Bowerman has taken over the original NOP/OTC ideal, but even they have a few foreigners. I think Mo was proof that you could make an international thrive training in the pacific US and have them be just as popular as a domestic athlete. At this point, Nike is just proving that no matter who the athlete is, US, E African, Australian whatever.... with high quality coaching, a detailed/methodical approach to training, and money (a lot)/resources, you can make just about anyone of NCAA elite caliber transition into world class. Or make the world class (Hassan/Kijecha) even better.

Best news I heard all day.

Since most NOP people really don't do interviews I won't have to listen to her voice

Like a nail through my skull

Sweet little Jessica with the squeaky voice joining the evil empire and wearing the skull logo. #FML

Sally Vix wrote:

Drawing a Blank Here wrote:

Who is the woman standing next to Hull?

PS Rupp's the old guy? When did that happen?

Someone already said. Do you not read? Is that Joe Dirt on the far left? Has he found his family yet? KOKO - dang her legs are as skinny as they come. Really worrisome.

Koko legs as skinny as they come? She's one of the most attractive looking runners out there. Dont be jelly.