Ellis has not run well since the trials. WS she one of the four best options, NO.
Exactly. She seems to think she is entitled while not performing. Get that crap out of here. They should have told her after the prelim, that she is in danger of not running the 4x4 relay.
Then they should have told her after not getting to the final of her individual event that she was definitely not running on the 4x4.
She already had an extra 400 from the repechage round in her legs.
I wouldn’t necessarily say it was for Gabby. The order could be determined after they decide on the four. I didn’t understand why Little got so much run in both relays. It’s a given that Thomas and SML go in. If Steiner was around she should also be considered. Cockrell also could contribute. But Ellis, winning trials and being a part of the senior team deserves more than Little or Holmes. They were going to win regardless. Why coward out and waffle and tell her she’s running and then send somebody else to give the bad news? USATF is full of incompetent clowns. I’m glad she’s going public but it will not make a difference.
Did you watch the Olympics? The Trials is a stepping stone to the main event - The global championships
Holmes stepped up her game after the trials and improved with every race she ran since the Trials. Can the same be said of Ellis?
Holmes made it to the 400M final and ran a PB. Can the same be said of Ellis?
No one knows what Cockrell could contribute. Just because someone can run a 400H doesn't mean they are that good at the flat 400. Just look at Warholm.
Gabby won gold at 200M and has proven she has the range. What has Ellis proved?
The goal of the relay managers was to compose a team that could win gold. They did just that. Ellis being on the team would have made the USA lose instead of setting an AR that stood from the 80s. They made the right decision.
She did not and that’s probably why she’s really upset. She does not get a medal and she’s the US Champion while three other 400m runners who did not even make the 400m individual go home with Gold medals. They should have put her in the relay heats at least.
What is your basis for Cockrell being good at the 400M flat?
Clearly the right decision in terms of personnel, but calls into question whether the team practiced. Sure, the 4x4 doesn’t require as much detailed practice, but there are still some things you need to go over. Gabby clearly didn’t understand where she was supposed to be in the lane. These are things that a competent coach will catch in practice.
For everybody saying Kendall Ellis didn't deliver or wasn't consistent. Uhhh...Gabby Thomas ran the 400 once this season, 50.3 in April.
Kaylyn Brown ran 49.1 in June, so how does the GT pick add up with the consistency reasoning? If you say consistent 200s, look at the LA Grand Prix. I don't know if anyone has a bigger spread in their 200 times between lowest and highest each year.
Okay fine, Kendall Ellis isn't consistent in the 400, but... Gabby Thomas is?!?!? She doesn't even run that event. If once per season counts as running the event, Alexis Holmes ran an 800 once this season, too. Would you put her on the top US 4x8?!
For everybody saying Kendall Ellis didn't deliver or wasn't consistent. Uhhh...Gabby Thomas ran the 400 once this season, 50.3 in April.
Kaylyn Brown ran 49.1 in June, so how does the GT pick add up with the consistency reasoning? If you say consistent 200s, look at the LA Grand Prix. I don't know if anyone has a bigger spread in their 200 times between lowest and highest each year.
Okay fine, Kendall Ellis isn't consistent in the 400, but... Gabby Thomas is?!?!? She doesn't even run that event. If once per season counts as running the event, Alexis Holmes ran an 800 once this season, too. Would you put her on the top US 4x8?!
To me it sounds like the relay coach got her decision after talking to Ellis overruled. Maybe to get Gabby a 3rd gold, who knows? But someone should have formally told Ellis as soon as that happened.
They could have run Chase Madison if they wanted to. I mean afterall, she deserves another chance at a medal and she was a sprinter in high school too! Right?
Ok, let's get real.
They decided to run the 4 fastest women they had at the moment and not only won but nearly broke the WR on their own. I think each runner could have found another .03 somehere on their journey so its all of their faults for not getting that done.
Everybody knows that relay personnel at the Olympics for USA are not carved in stone until after warmups including and especially the athletes themselves. Getting a vote of no confidence really sucks but probably justified. It's hard news to take no matter when it comes but anything can happen, even during the warmup, so all 6 have to be ready to go when the bell rings.
Having coached for decades and been in this situation several times, its always dissapointing for the one who gets left behind. Fortunately, it was always the right decision but my athletes were also involved and had input. If communicated clearly from the beginning that it will come down to the 6 chosen to warmup and then the decision to follow. As coach I took full responsibility in that decision, everyone knew it was fair even if they were left off and dissapointed.
Order of decision starts with the athlete proving with their feet in most recent races that they are ready. Ellis was not ready. The mistake might have been coach not keeping silent until time to decide which is unfortunate but it didnt change the choice or the result. Communication and control of the process is critical. Ellis knows she was outrun for that spot based on her recent results and its a hard pill to swallow but thats part of being on a team. She had full control of her 400 individual efforts, not the team relay.
Anyone remember how the mens team did without the Olympic champion? Thankfully people like Rai Benjamin, Gabby Thomas, Sydney M-L etc are even willing to step up and support the team. Yeah, they wanted another crack at history but they earned it and deserved what they got.
This post was edited 3 minutes after it was posted.
For everybody saying Kendall Ellis didn't deliver or wasn't consistent. Uhhh...Gabby Thomas ran the 400 once this season, 50.3 in April.
Kaylyn Brown ran 49.1 in June, so how does the GT pick add up with the consistency reasoning? If you say consistent 200s, look at the LA Grand Prix. I don't know if anyone has a bigger spread in their 200 times between lowest and highest each year.
Okay fine, Kendall Ellis isn't consistent in the 400, but... Gabby Thomas is?!?!? She doesn't even run that event. If once per season counts as running the event, Alexis Holmes ran an 800 once this season, too. Would you put her on the top US 4x8?!
Gold in the 200M! Being part of the World Relays 4x4 qualifying team that came first. And doing this minutes after being on the World Relays 4x1 qualifying team that came first.
What has Ellis done this year? She showed up once - at Trials and that was it.
She perhaps could have been placed on the prelim but definitely not in the finals.
They could have run Chase Madison if they wanted to. I mean afterall, she deserves another chance at a medal and she was a sprinter in high school too! Right?
Ok, let's get real.
They decided to run the 4 fastest women they had at the moment and not only won but nearly broke the WR on their own. I think each runner could have found another .03 somehere on their journey so its all of their faults for not getting that done.
Everybody knows that relay personnel at the Olympics for USA are not carved in stone until after warmups including and especially the athletes themselves. Getting a vote of no confidence really sucks but probably justified. It's hard news to take no matter when it comes but anything can happen, even during the warmup, so all 6 have to be ready to go when the bell rings.
Having coached for decades and been in this situation several times, its always dissapointing for the one who gets left behind. Fortunately, it was always the right decision but my athletes were also involved and had input. If communicated clearly from the beginning that it will come down to the 6 chosen to warmup and then the decision to follow. As coach I took full responsibility in that decision, everyone knew it was fair even if they were left off and dissapointed.
Order of decision starts with the athlete proving with their feet in most recent races that they are ready. Ellis was not ready. The mistake might have been coach not keeping silent until time to decide which is unfortunate but it didnt change the choice or the result. Communication and control of the process is critical. Ellis knows she was outrun for that spot based on her recent results and its a hard pill to swallow but thats part of being on a team. She had full control of her 400 individual efforts, not the team relay.
Anyone remember how the mens team did without the Olympic champion? Thankfully people like Rai Benjamin, Gabby Thomas, Sydney M-L etc are even willing to step up and support the team. Yeah, they wanted another crack at history but they earned it and deserved what they got.
Everyone here is missing the point, if you saw her tweet, and replies to comments, Kendall was not upset about being left off the relay. She is pissed about the lack of communication from USATF. Being told she'd run in the morning, then getting pulled minutes before the race, and apparently this type of stuff happens all the time with USATF (I don't think that should surprise anyone).
How should they handle it? Well, they could have told her "we plan to run "X" but warm-up and be ready to go" or "this is the pool of 5 we want and coaches will make a game time decision prior to call time." It's a pretty simple ask and respectful to the athlete. If anyone here has coached a team, you understand how pissed any athlete would be getting blindsided and pulled from a race minutes before. All she wanted was proper communication of the situation.
Everyone here is missing the point, if you saw her tweet, and replies to comments, Kendall was not upset about being left off the relay. She is pissed about the lack of communication from USATF. Being told she'd run in the morning, then getting pulled minutes before the race, and apparently this type of stuff happens all the time with USATF (I don't think that should surprise anyone).
How should they handle it? Well, they could have told her "we plan to run "X" but warm-up and be ready to go" or "this is the pool of 5 we want and coaches will make a game time decision prior to call time." It's a pretty simple ask and respectful to the athlete. If anyone here has coached a team, you understand how pissed any athlete would be getting blindsided and pulled from a race minutes before. All she wanted was proper communication of the situation.
It is my understanding that it has always been 5-6 from the relay pool are told to warm up and then the coaches make the decision then, on the final selection and provide the team's names to the officials of who will be on the team and who will be running what legs.
I don't see how Kendall's account can be correct. How would they have enough time to pull her out, file a new athlete name and get that athlete warmed up just minutes before the race? For that to happen, that athlete was either warming up elsewhere unbeknownst to anyone or did not warm-up at all and was being hidden somewhere for the immediate substitution?
Clearly the right decision in terms of personnel, but calls into question whether the team practiced. Sure, the 4x4 doesn’t require as much detailed practice, but there are still some things you need to go over.
Gabby clearly didn’t understand where she was supposed to be in the lane. These are things that a competent coach will catch in practice.
Not necessarily. The relay coaches certainly didn't teach Shamier Little where to stand for the 2nd leg of the heats of the mixed 4x400. They almost got DQ'd.
They didn't teach Lynna Irby the same exact thing back in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics mixed 4x400 either.
And they made a mess of the men's 4x100 this year by not just substituting the anchor. They thought it was a good idea to change the order around at the last minute.
The Olympic relay coaches have proven that they aren't very competant.
Everyone here is missing the point, if you saw her tweet, and replies to comments, Kendall was not upset about being left off the relay. She is pissed about the lack of communication from USATF. Being told she'd run in the morning, then getting pulled minutes before the race, and apparently this type of stuff happens all the time with USATF (I don't think that should surprise anyone).
How should they handle it? Well, they could have told her "we plan to run "X" but warm-up and be ready to go" or "this is the pool of 5 we want and coaches will make a game time decision prior to call time." It's a pretty simple ask and respectful to the athlete. If anyone here has coached a team, you understand how pissed any athlete would be getting blindsided and pulled from a race minutes before. All she wanted was proper communication of the situation.
It is my understanding that it has always been 5-6 from the relay pool are told to warm up and then the coaches make the decision then, on the final selection and provide the team's names to the officials of who will be on the team and who will be running what legs.
I don't see how Kendall's account can be correct. How would they have enough time to pull her out, file a new athlete name and get that athlete warmed up just minutes before the race? For that to happen, that athlete was either warming up elsewhere unbeknownst to anyone or did not warm-up at all and was being hidden somewhere for the immediate substitution?
Or Kendall's account is not quite what happened.
I don't believe that what Kendall is saying is 100% accurate.
It is my understanding that it has always been 5-6 from the relay pool are told to warm up and then the coaches make the decision then, on the final selection and provide the team's names to the officials of who will be on the team and who will be running what legs.
I don't see how Kendall's account can be correct. How would they have enough time to pull her out, file a new athlete name and get that athlete warmed up just minutes before the race? For that to happen, that athlete was either warming up elsewhere unbeknownst to anyone or did not warm-up at all and was being hidden somewhere for the immediate substitution?
Or Kendall's account is not quite what happened.
I don't believe that what Kendall is saying is 100% accurate.
Ellis was competing against Shamier Little for the last spot. Little did not do well in the individual 400 at the trials, but ran well in the relay semis at the Olympics, while Ellis was less impressive in the individual 400 (slower than at trials, and not making the final).
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