Talented athlete but needs a new coach. Forget the Huntington stuff, she won’t get to the next level in her current setup.
The "next level"? She is leading the Diamond League right now. She's beaten Hull, Reekie, Mu, Moraa, Nakaayi, Goule-Toppin, Werro, Bourgoin, Sekgodiso, Maloney, Lamont, and others. Thats 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th in the Olympic final. She will rise to #5 in the World on Wednesday. She broken the 1000m Area Record twice. World Indoor, World Road Mile teams. If it wasn't for the trip, she would have easily made the team and almost certainly would have won; nobody in that field can kick like her, see the London and Monaco DLs.
I would not be at all surprised if she beats Hunter Bell in the DL Final to make it to Tokyo and then is our top American there.
She at at the top level now and there is no coach who could possibly have gotten her this far. Lauren Johnson has done an amazing job with her for 5+ years and there is no way she is ever changing coaches. That's a stupid suggestion and is not worth even saying since it will never happen.
And she will be sitting at home for another global championship thanks to her coach.
I quite agree. After setting a new American record in the 1,000 meter Diamond League race and coming in second, several posters here commended her on at last showing some patience in her race tactics. She was showing the same patience and exercising the same tactics in this race, and they brought her to a position where she had an excellent chance to place in the top three or even win the race. She only had to swing out on the last straight to have a clear approach to the finish line. Other runners in the pack were blocked, such as Hunter and Willis. Hunter swung out abruptly and fouled Wiley, probably inadvertently but a foul nonetheless. Willis hung tough inside and, fortunately for her, the field opened up. She is an intelligent and determined runner and I'm glad she made the team. I think that it's a shame, however, that Wiley did not--at least, not at this point--for the team's sake as well as hers.
I don’t think you can tell what she was going to do one way or another. She didn’t look to me like she was fading. But if she was about to make a move, she hadn’t started it yet and my guess would be she would have pretty much stayed where she was down the straight. She wasn’t in good position and if she was about to move she left it way too late.
Her results this year show she could actually win the DL. Yesterday’s results show she could come last, although let’s hope she avoids the combination of bad luck and less than ideal tactics. It would be good to see her in Tokyo.
Really, her semi and her final were classic examples of the dangers of the 2 possible strategies: go out very hard but risk getting gassed and passed at the end (her semi, though she avoided the worst there) and hold back till the end but risk getting tangled in the pack (final).
Since she's a 1:56 or at least 1:57 runner, her semi strategy definitely made more sense on paper, but it seems she overdid it there and so in the final was trying the opposite. It's a fine art. Some will say the NCAA could have helped her tactically, but of course there are lots of counter-examples, so who can say.
But I really think the paced nature of the DL final, along with her very particular motivation to win (she'll probably be the only one in that position on that start line), bodes very well for her there.
I don’t think you can tell what she was going to do one way or another. She didn’t look to me like she was fading. But if she was about to make a move, she hadn’t started it yet and my guess would be she would have pretty much stayed where she was down the straight. She wasn’t in good position and if she was about to move she left it way too late.
Her results this year show she could actually win the DL. Yesterday’s results show she could come last, although let’s hope she avoids the combination of bad luck and less than ideal tactics. It would be good to see her in Tokyo.
How you say this first paragraph with a straight face when she is ahead of both the first and second place finishers of the race is pretty much wild. She was in a contested position but it was more than close enough to win the race. We’ll never know if she had the 14-lows kick, but if she did she was gonna be top 3. It’s unfortunate but as others are saying there’s another avenue in.
The 800 is a cruel race. It is the most tactical race on the track IMHO. You can employ the same tactics in two races and have completely different results. Falls happen. I got knocked down twice in 800s over the years. She ran herself into a box and tripped on the trailing leg of a tall runner with a long stride moving out. It happens. You can front run and hope for the best, but at this level that typically means you are just a rabbit for others (look at Hoey). Probably every person in that race has experienced a fall at some point (ie. Hurta).
Meghan Hunter moved out coming off the last turn and cut Wiley off
She gradually moved out. Wiley was already losing ground and stepped on Hunter from behind. She no longer had a chance at top 3 and wasn't paying attention to the real race in front of her.
If she were losing ground then the questionable move out would have been less likely to interfere and Addy doesn't trip without that movement, I don't think. So she essentially interfered with almost everyone further back and that is the case whether they had a chance to qualify or not.
How you say this first paragraph with a straight face when she is ahead of both the first and second place finishers of the race is pretty much wild. She was in a contested position but it was more than close enough to win the race. We’ll never know if she had the 14-lows kick, but if she did she was gonna be top 3. It’s unfortunate but as others are saying there’s another avenue in.
It’s an opinion. And in my opinion were she to have had an unobstructed path to the finish she still would not have beaten Willis. I think she ran very well in the London DL and quite well yesterday. But I believe that to have the best shot she needs to go with about ~120m left, before everyone swings wide with ~90m to go. It didn’t look to me like she was winding up for a finish as strong as he had in London and I don’t think she would have won. I think there’s an excellent chance she would have been top three. I do agree with the comment above that were she to have been fading and losing ground it’s less likely she would have tripped. But I’m just an anonymous guy on the internet. My opinion’s worth what you paid for it. (Although, I’m also right.)
This post was edited 55 seconds after it was posted.
I agree that she needs a new coach. I love her as an athlete and am really bummed she didn't win this race. But as far as advancing to the Worlds ... you can't trip and nearly fall and finish last and expect to still be put on the team. Nobody else tripped and nearly fell, did they? I wish her the best going forward but I don't see why she should be placed on the US team. If that were the case, Hoey and Nuguse should be placed on the team too...then what?
But I really think the paced nature of the DL final, along with her very particular motivation to win (she'll probably be the only one in that position on that start line), bodes very well for her there.
Mary Moraa has the Diamond League bye to Worlds. There is no bye for the 2025 DL winner.
