Official Monday Morning Olympic Discussion Thread: Men's Steeple & Women's 5000 Finals

i don't get the hate for cranny and schweizer

cranny ran 7 seconds off her PR in 85 degree heat with 90% humidity. she can run in the 14:30s later this year if she wants. schweizer hasn't been at her best all year, i assume she had an injury or something, but also could run near her PR later this season. they did fine. it was an accomplishment just to make the final.

Interesting watching the Schweizer/Cranny race down the homestretch. On the live feed you could see Schweizer move over with about 30-40 meters to go to not give Cranny anywhere to pass

Apparently Schweizer and Cranny left it all on the track in the semis. Every Worlds and every Olympics we are reminded how outclassed American women are in the 5k. I'm not real optimistic about the 1500 either after Hassan spotted Purrier about 40 meters on the last lap and still ran her down. 1500 will be Hassan, Kipyegon, and Muir with Purrier an also ran.

alanson wrote:

Apparently Schweizer and Cranny left it all on the track in the semis. Every Worlds and every Olympics we are reminded how outclassed American women are in the 5k. I'm not real optimistic about the 1500 either after Hassan spotted Purrier about 40 meters on the last lap and still ran her down. 1500 will be Hassan, Kipyegon, and Muir with Purrier an also ran.

I'd love to see Muir get a medal - she's had trouble at the big meets but maybe this is her year.

I wouldn't count out purrier for a medal - she's braver than the other americans and that's what it's going to take - making the move at the right time instead of waiting and responding, during which time you lost two meters and it's over.

but probably purrier won't medal. tough field.

high school xc coach wrote:

FatScottishJogger wrote:

Weird how the US runner Schweizer runs 14:26 in a glorified time trial but soon as her main training partner gets busted for being a drugs cheat,she’s falling out the back at 15 minute pace…

Many girls were 20-30 seconds off their capable pace. tough conditions. I am sure Schweizer has at least a 14:3x in her at the moment.

At the moment or a few moments ago she had a 14:55 in her. Why didn’t she pull out that 14:3x. She could have used it and maybe medaled.

Flow From Regressive wrote:

Matt MF Hughes. Great result after struggling for the last year or so.

+1!! Excellent result!

Kind of hard to see anyone beating Elaine Thompson in the 200m, but Gabby Thomas now has +1900 odds. If you think she was saving a bit in the rounds, those aren't horrible odds for the 2nd fastest woman in history (although I wouldn't be shocked to see Thompson go sub 21.60 in the final after she cruised that heat).

Mboma is at +2000 if you don't think she was pressing fully either.

oldoldrunner wrote:

high school xc coach wrote:

Many girls were 20-30 seconds off their capable pace. tough conditions. I am sure Schweizer has at least a 14:3x in her at the moment.

At the moment or a few moments ago she had a 14:55 in her. Why didn’t she pull out that 14:3x. She could have used it and maybe medaled.

do you not understand weather?

agip wrote:

alanson wrote:

Apparently Schweizer and Cranny left it all on the track in the semis. Every Worlds and every Olympics we are reminded how outclassed American women are in the 5k. I'm not real optimistic about the 1500 either after Hassan spotted Purrier about 40 meters on the last lap and still ran her down. 1500 will be Hassan, Kipyegon, and Muir with Purrier an also ran.

I'd love to see Muir get a medal - she's had trouble at the big meets but maybe this is her year.

I wouldn't count out purrier for a medal - she's braver than the other americans and that's what it's going to take - making the move at the right time instead of waiting and responding, during which time you lost two meters and it's over.

but probably purrier won't medal. tough field.

I thought of Muir as nearly a lock for a medal with Purrier having a great shot before Hassan decided to triple. Now Muir is favored for bronze but you never know, and Purrier is definitely on the outside looking in.

birdbeard wrote:

oldoldrunner wrote:

At the moment or a few moments ago she had a 14:55 in her. Why didn’t she pull out that 14:3x. She could have used it and maybe medaled.

do you not understand weather?

Of course I do. But you don’t understand someone be fatuous.

What I can't stand from Shalane is her going behind Jerry's back and telling the ladies "how hot and humid it is.. you'll catch them when they all falter and wilt in the heat" and that never happened. Jerry told Grant to stay up there and be aggressive in that death storm heat/humidity, but Shalane thinks she knows more. Ugh. You can tell the girls ran scared of the conditions.

whether or not they ran scared, they clearly just didn't have it. it was clearly a fight to stay on 15 min pace for them today, and you would think Jerry would have them prepared for better than that, regardless of the conditions. they've been preparing for the conditions. they still didn't have it.

oldoldrunner wrote:

high school xc coach wrote:

Many girls were 20-30 seconds off their capable pace. tough conditions. I am sure Schweizer has at least a 14:3x in her at the moment.

At the moment or a few moments ago she had a 14:55 in her. Why didn’t she pull out that 14:3x. She could have used it and maybe medaled.

sorry old runner, she is not going to run a 14:30s in a race where 14:1x runners (almost 14 flat capable) are in the high 14:30s.

CinqueMinute wrote:

What I can't stand from Shalane is her going behind Jerry's back and telling the ladies "how hot and humid it is.. you'll catch them when they all falter and wilt in the heat" and that never happened. Jerry told Grant to stay up there and be aggressive in that death storm heat/humidity, but Shalane thinks she knows more. Ugh. You can tell the girls ran scared of the conditions.

is this fact? where is this info coming from?

alanson wrote:

Apparently Schweizer and Cranny left it all on the track in the semis.

Was it hotter/more humid today after the rain than in the heats?

Cranny ran basically the same time in both races, Schweizer was a few seconds slower in the finale, the Israeli about 1 sec. The Japanese improved 3 sec. in the finale, Batocletti 10 secs. I seriously doubt that any of these three who were ahead of the US women (7,9,10 vs. 11 and 13) are 14:30 runners. There is also hardly any indication that Schweizer and Cranny were in 14:30 shape at the trials or earlier races this year but it is of course difficult to tell because they hardly ever race. The Bowerman TTs and Hengelo wavelight are totally out of proportion and not a good indicator for championship races.

Work Commute Track Club wrote:

Amazing how Hassan trained as a pro for years and became the GOAT immediately when being coached by salad bar. When has this happened before?

Mo and now Hassan. Combine East African genetics with the leading edge of training and you get a world beater. I mean think about - in the podunk high school Salazar happened to be coaching at he found a good soccer player and eventually turned that kid into a silver medalist. Now give him someone whose an actual genetic outlier and what do you expect? The diet, the weight training, the sleep, the supplements, Salazar obsessed over everything and was backed by Nike's deep pockets. He showed Mo and Hassan what it took to take it to the next level.

dewpoint during the 5000 today was 77...that is very very high, among the worst place in the world.

probably similar to the prelim but I'm not sure.

The Stache wrote:

the letter why wrote:

The pack did slow down, pretty obviously.

No they didn't. K splits were 3:00, 3:00, 2:59, 2:58, and 2:38.

Yes they did slow down. The pack ran a 69 to drop them and then ran a 73 to let them back in.

Now the question is will Hassan sit and kick in the 1500 or will she screw it down like she did at Doha.