I know running is different but I can’t imagine any other sport where an athlete lets their competitor win. Kinda why running isnt a good sport for the fans I guess.
It happens in cycling all the time... at the Tour De France no less, with up to 2 million people lining a single stage and over 25 million viewers per day
I know running is different but I can’t imagine any other sport where an athlete lets their competitor win. Kinda why running isnt a good sport for the fans I guess.
It happens in cycling all the time... at the Tour De France no less, with up to 2 million people lining a single stage and over 25 million viewers per day
What an anticlimax. These two sit on Panning nearly the whole race and don’t offer to help when they are three away from the rest. Then, they don’t have an honest effort at the finish! If they are looking to maximize their combined bonuses then that’s race fixing and manipulation.
You are getting downvoted but I agree with you. You made two good points:
1) This is more than just a qualifier, it is also a race. As such, sports fans expected to see a race. If I had bet money on Young, I would be really mad right now. People will say, "but nobody bets on running..." Fair enough. But that is because US runners do not "compete" the way other (mainstream) athletes do. Half the time when I watch the race, everyone is just "trying to qualify" or hit some kind of time barrier. They should have raced.
2) It is kind of lame of them to be on pace to unlock the third spot (sub-2:08:10) thanks to Zach Panning, but never to share the lead. They should have helped him and pull him through to unlock a 3rd spot for team USA. That is weak for two guys who used the word "American" twenty times in their post-race interview. If you love team USA so much, they should have unlocked that third spot!
p.s. Leonard Korir is not even sure to go to Paris, so people who say he is a better pick than Panning are just crossing their fingers that someone will earn us a third spot.
Whatever happened, it cost Young $15K and possibly less negotiating power when he renews his contract.. But, why would it be different than using team tactics and sacrificing to help another runner? It appeared that the Bowerman babes did it.
USA Track and Field and the Local Organizing Committee of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon (Greater Orlando Sports Commission, City of Orlando, Orange County, Visit Orlando & Track Shack) announced the prize purse for next week’s event. Totaling $600,000, the prize money will be distributed among the top 10 male and female finishers as shown below.
I’m sure they had discussed this ahead of time. Mantz probably has the bigger contract bonus for a win so him winning would result in a bigger pot for them to split.
this sounds plausible, but Mantz's face didn't look like it was planned
I have to say I'm very proud of the team we are sending. Seems like three great guys who with class and character. I will be rooting for them all the way.
In response to your second reason, Mantz and Clayton are the only reason the USA had two guaranteed places in the first place. Do you expect them to do everything? They need to take the lead and help push the pace or else they're lame? Do they need to slow down to help out whoever you were cheering for? If anybody today deserved an easier race then it was those two guys. If this was track, their trip to Paris would be guaranteed without even having to run hard. They didn't complain about the unfair rules. They showed up, ran smart, and won.
What an anticlimax. These two sit on Panning nearly the whole race and don’t offer to help when they are three away from the rest. Then, they don’t have an honest effort at the finish! If they are looking to maximize their combined bonuses then that’s race fixing and manipulation.
You are getting downvoted but I agree with you. You made two good points:
1) This is more than just a qualifier, it is also a race. As such, sports fans expected to see a race. If I had bet money on Young, I would be really mad right now. People will say, "but nobody bets on running..." Fair enough. But that is because US runners do not "compete" the way other (mainstream) athletes do. Half the time when I watch the race, everyone is just "trying to qualify" or hit some kind of time barrier. They should have raced.
2) It is kind of lame of them to be on pace to unlock the third spot (sub-2:08:10) thanks to Zach Panning, but never to share the lead. They should have helped him and pull him through to unlock a 3rd spot for team USA. That is weak for two guys who used the word "American" twenty times in their post-race interview. If you love team USA so much, they should have unlocked that third spot!
p.s. Leonard Korir is not even sure to go to Paris, so people who say he is a better pick than Panning are just crossing their fingers that someone will earn us a third spot.
I strongly disagree with your second point. Today’s conditions were not the day to unlock a third spot. They already did their job and unlocked two spots. Zach Panning knew what he was doing, trying to push it early and create a big enough gap to TAKE one of the spots they had earned. They earned their spots, paying anything they “owe” to America. Those TWO guys aren’t responsible for unlocking a THIRD spot. They literally can’t unlock another spot, someone else had to run fast enough to do it, and they didn’t.
It’s so easy looking back at the race to say they looked strong enough to help pace someone else to the standard, but most people didn’t even think Young would finish top 3. Why would he be responsible for pacing someone who is literally competing against him for an Olympic spot, when he has to claim his own spot? They ran a race in a way that would qualify them for the Olympics, nobody else did.
I’m sure they had discussed this ahead of time. Mantz probably has the bigger contract bonus for a win so him winning would result in a bigger pot for them to split.
Young was being a real d1ck about it - making sure everyone could see he gave the win to Mantz.
Given that Conner and Clayton had already unlocked spots 1 and 2 for team USA, someone else had to unlock the 3rd spot. It had to be Zach. They were pushing him to go for it. If Zach could have held on, Clayton would have ditched Conner to help Zach unlock it. But given that Zach faded, they pulled away to secure their own tickets to Paris. They did it perfect and it's a shame no one else could hang with them and come close to securing the 3rd spot.
Everybody praises his generosity and humility giving it to Mantz while at the same time he showboats so everyone knows who really could -should have won.
Does he always pump his arms going into the finish lines?
