"Dies a death".
Why do people say alarmist stuff like this? Do you think people are just going to stop running altogether? Stop competing completely and never run again?
Of course not. This stuff goes in cycles. You are in a deep trough. Perhaps it will end soon. Perhaps it will not end for decades. Nobody knows but it will end eventually. Deal with it.
errrrm lboro? wrote:
Thommo is neither a good runner or a good drinker .Pity because he showed some promise once.
Eeeeeerm nice one. Have you run 13.24 for 5km??? Whether he's fulfilled his promise or not Chris Thompson is a superb runner. End of story.
The AAA's were shit boring on TV but mainly because the BBC focused on the shit sprinters, Chris 'where do I jump from' Tomlinson and Philips 'does my hair go with my outfit' Idowu.
The actual standard in a few events was very positive and exciting. Rimmer, Baddeley, Saunders, Simpson and Okoro and Mo are exceptional athletes and (inclusing Benjamin and Lyne) with patience and a bit of luck CAN become prominent world class athletes.
Those slagging off the current crop of athletes forget the mid 70's where Brendan Foster was the only athlete people talked about. In 72' how many Olympic medals did we win?? 76'??? Out of the 1970's came the glory years of the 1980's!!!
So shut up and start supporting!
Media Man wrote:
what??? wrote:If you really are a media man, I bet you would be fawning all over any of them when they win a big race, and ignoring them if they don't run so well.
Yep!
:)
Why you doyty, no good, low down, lousy, two bit hack......
WHY I OUGHTA...........
coach ? wrote:
Crammy seems to think he is 'down with the kids' and knows what is going on as regards the domestic scene but he is hopelessly out of touch.
Well, that's parents for ya, they are such an embarassment. Just ask Crammie's son Marcus, he's a very good under 15 runner, won a 1500 the other day in 4.29 but it would be so much easier for him if his dad would keep a low profile.
Crammy is only going to watch the lad run, just as Mike Mcleod goes to watch Ryan run. I just suppose it is hard to keep a low profile when your one of Britain's athletics greats!
Chris Tomlinson is actually having an excelent season, how can you criticise him and Idowu yet defend Thompson? Thompson has had every opportunity, he is a full time athlete still isn't he at 25? He does not have the consistency nor can he say he is a 'young promising' athlete. He races once or twice per year, he is either physically flawed or his training is all wrong year after year, I don't sympathise as he spouts off in AW about 'only doing 50 mpw' and seems as famous for his debauchery as his performances.
I'd like to know what dirt Mark Lewis-Francis has on the selectors? To get picked ahead of Williamson (unless Williamson is out for a while?) takes some doing with the form (lack of) he's shown the last 3 or 4 years. Williamson is UK no 2 this yr. Must be well p1ssed.
Lyne v Meadows is more difficult - Lyne was world class last year (unlike MLF) and is obviously improving at a rapid rate (2.04 to 2.00 in under 3 weeks). Meadows is obviously running well but is she likely to do 1.58? - not sure. Lyne's late start to the season could well see her peaking at the end of August. Its the 1 event where there is real competition for places - and thats with Scott not on her form of last yr and Pritchard injured!
Williamson stated ages ago that he would rather run in the World Student Games than the World Champs so there was never really a selection dilemma.
Maybe the focused on the 'shit' sprinters because they're the only area where we have so many individuals who've actually reached the A and B standards and made championship finals.
Personally, each time I watch athletics on the TV I feel like I'm listening to a load of old men moaning about yester-year and it isn't exciting. They need to let go of the past and start focusing on the present and the talent we do have. You don't hear football commentators moaning incessently about how good things used to be, etc.
Lynne is only in the team because she lies in interveiws!
Becky Lyn has got very sexy eyebrows
Something I felt watching the AAAs and the grand prix.
That it was one event being combined into two.
These are our national championships and trials and yet it strongly felt like they were subsidiary to the grand prix meet and whilst some performances would be noted it was the grand prix that decided any real selection dilemmas and consequently some athletes weren't all that interested in running AAAs especially in their specialist event.
Having the AAAs as the main selection meet when it comes to sorting out any selection issues might get a lot more buzz going about the event rather than " well she beat her there in a different race to the one they're hoping to race in Osaka but it'll all be sorted out next Friday"- maybe move the AAAs a week later or have grand prix at a slightly different time but get the focus back on AAAs rather than the grandprix.
What about people who finished top 2 with out the qualifying standard?
bryn_r wrote:
Something I felt watching the AAAs and the grand prix.
That it was one event being combined into two.
These are our national championships and trials and yet it strongly felt like they were subsidiary to the grand prix meet and whilst some performances would be noted it was the grand prix that decided any real selection dilemmas and consequently some athletes weren't all that interested in running AAAs especially in their specialist event.
Having the AAAs as the main selection meet when it comes to sorting out any selection issues might get a lot more buzz going about the event rather than " well she beat her there in a different race to the one they're hoping to race in Osaka but it'll all be sorted out next Friday"- maybe move the AAAs a week later or have grand prix at a slightly different time but get the focus back on AAAs rather than the grandprix.
I have to say I feel sorry for Jenny Meadows, Becky Lynne is a very good athlete but is obviously lacking fitness, will she handle 3 rounds in 4 das? I doubt it. I honestly think what swayed it is Lynne's back up team holding so much sway and the fact she ALWAYS gets interviewed. She is more media savy.
no. lyne got picked because the selectors believe that in 3 weeks time she will be in better shape than meadows. i agree with them.
and for the ecord our 800m girls are nowhere near as good as we try to make them out to be. they are good and have good depth but certainly not great! 2 flat if 5 seconds (ok maybe 4) off of the worlds best, therefore similar to a 1.46/47 male run. so again good but not great
track chick wrote:
Maybe the focused on the 'shit' sprinters because they're the only area where we have so many individuals who've actually reached the A and B standards and made championship finals.
Personally, each time I watch athletics on the TV I feel like I'm listening to a load of old men moaning about yester-year and it isn't exciting. They need to let go of the past and start focusing on the present and the talent we do have. You don't hear football commentators moaning incessently about how good things used to be, etc.
Which sprinters have made World or Olympic finals in the last eights years???
Chambers. And we all know how!
Campbell.
Malcolm may have made the 100 world final once.
Devonish made the Euro final in 1998 I believe and has nt made a world final since; MLF might have made the world final 4 years ago but has been rubbish since and Gardner I think barely made the European 100m final.
The IAAF make the sprints standards easier as they allow more people to enter the sprints - 100meters there are 4 rounds and eight first round heats (Thus 64 entries). Whereas in the distance events there are Semi's (max 45 entries) then final.
How many 1500m boys made the B standard?? 3. How many have they taken. 1. How many 100m girls have run the A standard? 0. How many girls made the B standard in the 100m? 3. How many have they taken. 3. Plus three others to sit in the stands and watch the relays!
It is far easier to make the world champs team if you are a sprinter!!
And yes you do hear the football commentators complaining. All the time!!
Lynne actually got in basically because she jogged in in Sheffield in 2:03. She probably would have ran 2:01 high if she pushed all the way and basically improved one second, but she created the perception that she improved massively in 2 weeks. In reality the rounds will in all likelihood hurt her and while she may be able to pull out a 159 high one-off in early September she'll struggle with the rounds. I hope I'm wrong but I think Meadows earnt her spot and should have gone.
Feris, as a scholar/statto do you have any idea why the IAAF has decided that people love to watch stacks of 100m heats over 4 rounds, false starts and all, but have less enthusiasm for 10,000m heats which probably take up less time on the track prog? Currently on 3 per nation there are only about 16 women with the A QT for the 10k which hardly helps develop the event.
Indeed - I remember 10K heats back in 91 worlds / 92 Olympics - Skah & Antibo discussing how many laps to go etc.
There was heats in the 10k up until the 2000 Olympics (Keska ran 27.48 and 27.44 in heat then final).
Much more fun than watching the 'brave' runner from the back of beyond in basketball shorts (and shoes sometimes) running 12 seconds for 100m.
balls - If she'd run 2.01 in Sheffield it would have been even less of a slecetion problem because it would mean she had been out for months and still came back within 3 seconds of her best in her first race.
We're talking about a European medallist here who ran consistently under 2 min last yr and is a strength not speed based type (compared to Meadows). She is only likely to get quicker as she gets on the track more - the background is all there. Its a tough one on Meadows as she is a good little racer and battles hard, but she hasnt broken 2 this summer so it isnt too controversial to pick a 1.58 performer - and 2.00.8 in second 800 race this yr - ahead of her.
Its not like Coe not being picked for Seoul!