Biggest advantage- Centro has an instinct of RACING and shifting gears on any pace. He's a world Medalist already, and a favorite now in London. The AR is likely a matter of time if he stays healthy. If you saw the race yesterday, you really cannot exagerate the impact.
gonchar wrote:
Biggest advantage- Centro has an instinct of RACING and shifting gears on any pace. He's a world Medalist already, and a favorite now in London. The AR is likely a matter of time if he stays healthy. If you saw the race yesterday, you really cannot exagerate the impact.
A favorite for what?
Certainly not the Gold, because Asbel Kiprop and Silas Kiplagat will likely leave him in the dust in the final lap
Why didn't Centro get the collegiate record? He is still in college.
conficious wrote:
Why didn't Centro get the collegiate record? He is still in college.
He's no longer an amateur or competing for Oregon.
Maybe you're right but I wouldn't concede that. He clearly only 'lifted' the last 50 meters or so of that race. I would say 'kicked' but that would probably be too strong a word. Hard to estimate but watching that race you could say he's easily got 3:51 mid in him currently, and probably without a ton of sharpening.
He's a medal contender and seems to have positioned himself to give it a go this summer. If it's tactical in the final I think he can give anyone trouble.
not saying gold for a certainty but kiprop kiplagat certainly did not "leave him in the dust" on the last lap, last year. I believe centro had the fastest final 400m of the whole race. On top of that kiprop is a very up and down runner historically, so you never know. I would say centro is looking exactly the way you would home a world medalist from the previous year would look.
I am jacked to see what he does the rest of the year.
If Nick Willis could pull a silver in '08, Centro certainly has the chops to be visualizing hardware.
mr xxx wrote:
If Nick Willis could pull a silver in '08, Centro certainly has the chops to be visualizing hardware.
True dat.
Indeed, the parallels are quite convincing: similar times, both are very savvy individuals, and both have racing confidence and maturity that will win (and has won) them many races. Very excited to see what happens this summer... go Matt!!
Centrowitz should be feeling good about his medal chances. That being said, Kenya's 3 will be extremely talented. It's unlikely that DKK will waste a spot for them again. Likely it will be Nixon Chepseba or Caleb Ndiku (2 super-talented guys) representing them in the 3rd spot. So there could be 3 guys who are 3:28-3:31 capable in that final. Centrowitz is very smart in the first 1200 and can close as well as anyone right now. Could that be enough when it's likely he will not enter that portion of the race in front of any of those 3? Perhaps, if they waste energy jockeying from 800-1300 or get their tactics wrong (Kiprop). I think he has a fair shot if only because all of the Kenyans aside from Kiprop can get caught being reckless, and lose some steam in the last 200. That is exactly where Cetro can and must excel.
I assure you he was not jogging; Centro looked the way he always looks; however, being that he is a racer and never leads, I suspect he could have run a least a seond faster with better competition.
He looked effortless running 3:53, however the defending Olympic champion has looked effortless running 3:48. He's certainly not the favorite.
Centro has something that El G had -- the ability to look smooth and relaxed while actually hauling ass! Centro looked relaxed last night over the last 300, and I remember El G running a 53 3rd lap in his gold medal run, flowing like milk pouring out of a pitcher.
mr xxx wrote:
If Nick Willis could pull a silver in '08, Centro certainly has the chops to be visualizing hardware.
If Matt Centrowitz could pull a bronze in '11, Centro certainly has the chops to be visualizing hardware.
He's not only extremely talented, but an extremely smart runner....two reasons why he can medal in London.
ALSO...was he wearing all-white Victories? They looked so sick.
Can anyone verify?
Can't take anything away from an Olympic medalists, but until Centro runs a credible 800m, I will always feel that his suscess depends on a lots uncontrollable things going his way. And Btw, 3:54 is a good time, but it is not a big deal or worth all of talk considering Centro is an Olympic medalists. For the top tier milers this would be considered a good early season fitness test.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vts8_XEpMT0TrackCoach wrote:
being that he is a racer and never leads,
Well, there was the WC semifinal where he led the first 600m, slid back and made that badass move to take over and lead the final 400.
Also led the first lap at NC's.
Maybe you meant to say he never pushes it early.
Haven't seen him go hard from the gun.
Centro actually cruised a 3:53 (1:55 close). Silas Kiplagat, one of the favorites for gold, ran 3:52 at Tyson and was straining to the wire for the fastest indoor mile in three years. Centro is a "big deal".
TrackCoach wrote:
Can't take anything away from an Olympic medalists, but until Centro runs a credible 800m, I will always feel that his suscess depends on a lots uncontrollable things going his way. And Btw, 3:54 is a good time, but it is not a big deal or worth all of talk considering Centro is an Olympic medalists. For the top tier milers this would be considered a good early season fitness test.
TrackCoach wrote:
For the top tier milers this would be considered a good early season fitness test.
Really? I'm pretty sure Centro just moved up to top-25 all time indoor:
http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=i/age=n/season=0/sex=M/all=y/legal=A/disc=MILE/detail.htmlHow do people see Mad Len going in London. Top 6 maybe?