Chris Lukezic Retires

The Ghose of Jesse Fayant wrote:

His sponser got cut after US Nationals.

Wrong.

samecoach wrote:

i suspect that a former training partner of his will make a similar tweet in the months to follow.

Far too much money in his deal to just walk away.

3:33 and 10th all-time US are both decent accomplishments.

misnomer wrote:

Dude, it is only retirement when you've achieved something. Otherwise it is called quitting.

Lukezic Donezo wrote:

via Twitter:

Today I'm officially retiring from the sport of track and field!

http://twitter.com/Lukezic/status/5626462055

He's begun working for startup company Air BnB.

Next time you run 3:33 let us know. And I don't get all the haters, Chris is one of the nicest guys around. Those who know you well are wishing you the best Chris!

He is not good at crossfire.

reached 3:33 and top ten American so young and struggled the past few years. He used to train w/Webb. He really ought to go to Salazar like his old training partner. At 25, he has a world of potential still and I'm betting that with that training group, or w/Schumacher, he would realize that potential.

northern boy wrote:

3:33 and 10th all-time US are both decent accomplishments.

That's more than decent - only in t&f is this not recognised.

Imagine he was in the top 10 all time Amercian footballers or baseball or football (soccer). He's be on £50k plus per week and deemed a massive success.

3:33 is an amazing time. Just because others have gone a better can't take that away. Back to the soccer player, if he was a striker you are talking of a player scoring 20 plus goals per season easy - raising his finger to show I am No 1 to all the fans. Only in athletics were you can't hide behind a team and its down to a couple of seconds between Gold and 10th place could he be seen as anything other than a great success

ukathleticscoach wrote:

That's more than decent - only in t&f is this not recognised.

Imagine he was in the top 10 all time Amercian footballers or baseball or football (soccer). He's be on £50k plus per week and deemed a massive success.

3:33 is an amazing time. Just because others have gone a better can't take that away. Back to the soccer player, if he was a striker you are talking of a player scoring 20 plus goals per season easy - raising his finger to show I am No 1 to all the fans. Only in athletics were you can't hide behind a team and its down to a couple of seconds between Gold and 10th place could he be seen as anything other than a great success

It would be more like top 10 all-time for particular positions in those sports. But your point stands.

ukathleticscoach wrote:

It would be more like top 10 all-time for particular positions in those sports. But your point stands.

Actually it is more like him being the 10th best of his position on one team. You have to realize every event is like a position and every country in track and field is like a team.

Anyone know why Lukezic did not change coaches--given the Gap between his potential and performances over the last two years a change of coach seemed like an obvious thing to try

jjjjjjjjjjjjjjj wrote:

reached 3:33 and top ten American so young and struggled the past few years. He used to train w/Webb. He really ought to go to Salazar like his old training partner. At 25, he has a world of potential still and I'm betting that with that training group, or w/Schumacher, he would realize that potential.

When did Salazar (or Schumacher for that matter) become the best coach in the world (or even America)? The idea that everyone should just move to Oregon in order to improve, is just plain silly. Other than Ritz, who has Salazar really developed? Just Rupp really, and K.Goucher (although only after College). None of whom can run a middle-distance race to save their lives - 1.50 for Rupp isn't even a good HS time. Ritz is as much a product of Wetmore and Hudson (which AlSal readily admits) in terms of development, as are the Gouchers for that matter (Wetmore anyway).

Perhaps we should wait until Webb actually does something under Salazar, before he is annointed saviour to all and sundry - since Webb is going in (stale I'll admit) a 1.43/3.46M runner, development must either mean World/Olympic medal or World record (3.43M/3.25 1500). Otherwise he really isn't any different than Razcko.

I'm not against AlSal, or Schumacher either, in fact I have the utmost respect for both, but the idea that there are only a handful of competent coaches, or the "right" training groups, is the main reason why there are so few world-class American runners these days. The NCAA system (and its focus on team for everything) doesn't help the situation - in fact it actually inhibits the development of many individuals - but individuals can develop outside of this "bubble" - people used to be able to do so (Ryun, Liquori, etc.). It's not like ALL the Africans are all coached by one or two coaches (lots of countries involved) in one group - and many of them manage to run fast. Of course most people on this site assume that Canova coaches the whole world, outside of America.

Heck for that matter, why don't people go to James Li or Ron Warhurst or Cook as they actually develop Olympic/World middle-distance medalists - Lagat/Willis/Rowbury. I know some do, and wisely, but it seems against the flow of this new "mecca" in Oregon. I hope this isn't the beginning of another "Athletics West" travesty.

This transmigration attitude seems to me more about desperation and self-defeat rather than trying to actually devlelop one's potential in the sport. It's one thing to go to altitude for a training purpose, another to assume that there is one (or even two) genius in America (the new Arthur Lydiard) who has all the answers to everyone's training/racing problems.

Look More Closelerly wrote:

1)It would be more like top 10 all-time for particular positions in those sports. But your point stands.

------------------------------------------------------

2)Actually it is more like him being the 10th best of his position on one team. You have to realize every event is like a position and every country in track and field is like a team.[/quote]

Poster 1) is right about different positions

But 2)I think you misundertood my point and your own logic is not there. He is the 10th fastest all time 1500m runners in the US - they are not all competing now!!!

Now to my point.There arer 20 Premiership Football clubs in the UK. So say he's a striker. That's 20 x 2 = 40. All those 20 teams have at least 2 other stikers who are regularly playing for the first team, that's 80 stikers ok

so 85% are foreigners. But, that still puts him up there with the guys on £50k a week and no way would he be retiring

Still don't agree how good that 3:33 is? Well he even makes the leader board (it's close but he's there) for all-time best 1500m runners from any country

Not saying I'm totally in disagreement with you, but you sound like an absolute idiot when you say 1:50 isn't even a good high school time. Especially indoors. Especially for a 10k runner.

And by saying that the only two ways for Webb to improve is to win a medal or set a WR, you show ignorance as well. Improvement would just be consistency at this point. If Webb could be consistently under 3:50, I'd see that as being an improved runner. And come on. To say Goucher hasn't developed under Salazar is just stupid. Of course she has improved under him, and while Wetmore helped with her initial development, Salazar has taken her to a new level.

I do agree with you that Salazar isn't the only way to go, and probably isn't the best option for some. And agree he hasn't shown anything as of yet really with middle distances. But come on. You seem to be trashing Salazar here (even if that isn't your purpose) and its completely unwarranted.

Wow....I didn't realize how good Lagat really is.

How does Ngeny get 2nd place in a race, when the 1st place guy is not listed as being faster?

lul @ dissing a 10k runner who can crank a 1:50

I'm glad he retired to pursue a career he is interested in. Follow your heart...do what you want to do. Amazing athlete great career.

You will never see half of the runners hang them up when they should. The Portland group will run until they can't, they won't retire anywhere near top form because that is all they know. Luckezic is going to make something of himself in another aspect, no shame in that.

Mad Props wrote:

I'm glad he retired to pursue a career he is interested in. Follow your heart...do what you want to do. Amazing athlete great career.

You will never see half of the runners hang them up when they should. The Portland group will run until they can't, they won't retire anywhere near top form because that is all they know. Luckezic is going to make something of himself in another aspect, no shame in that.

while i agree that there is no shame in lukezic walking away and his career should be celebrated, the bashing of the oregon crew is completely without merit and unnecessary

do you really think lukezic would be retiring if he was experiencing the level of success that the oregon crew was seeing right now?...

kind of an asshole comment dude...

free willy wrote:

When did Salazar (or Schumacher for that matter) become the best coach in the world (or even America)?

Schumacher became the best coach in America in 2003. Salazar in 2008.

I got to meet and run with Chris this past year and I have to say that its really sad to see him retire. Such a talented and great guy. I wish him well in his new career and I'd fully welcome a comeback if he happened to pull one. The rough patch would end if things changed enough. It'd be great to see him mixing it up with the best at the championship meets at either 5k or 1500 in 2012.

Good luck Chris!