Emma Coburn only learned her AR wouldn't be ratified from postings on the Letsrun Message board

I'm with Becca on this one. She's not stupid (do not insert blonde joke here), she's been running at this level for some time (as 3 or 4 posters back said very well), and she knew the record was a strong possibility.

As Becca mentioned, she didn't even have to read the handbook, the info is on usatf's (admittedly annoying to navigate) website, if she spent the time or even did a simple google search, she would have found all the info she needs to properly manage setting a record.

I did a generic google search and this link was #4 on the first page: took me about 6 seconds to be physically viewing the pertinent

info.http://www.usatf.org/About/Anti-Doping/American-Record.aspx

USATF called out wrote:

USATF has a records committee. What do they do? Sit around a table and deny AR records because a drug testing rule isn't followed? Why can't USATF have an athletes advocacy committee. They could sit around a table and discuss things like Diamond League events that have AR potential athletes competing at the meet. And then....perhaps they could contact the athlete with a heads up regarding the AR ratification process. Or they could advise all AR potential athletes prior to the big meets in Europe about the AR ratification process by ......... I don't know? ......maybe an email. Anyway it doesn't happen because the athletes aren't respected or cared for.

Yes, that is exactly what the records committee does. They sit around a table at the Annual Meeting and examine whether or not the records submitted met the criteria for that record. Their job is to determine, impartially, whether or not the criteria were met. And in this case, they were not. That's all their is to it. Would we really want them bending the rules for some athletes and not others? Would it be OK to let Emma skip the drug test but not Gatlin? Would it be OK if Nike athletes got to bend the rules but not Brooks athletes?

Agree or disagree with the existence of the rule, the records committee did their job by enforcing it fairly and consistently. The idea that they should have done otherwise is ridiculous.

USATF does have an Athletes Advisory Council and they have at least 20% representation on ALL USATF committees including the records committee. I don't know how many athletes were actually in the room when Emma's record was being discussed, but they are supposed to be.

Athletes get emails all the time from various groups within USATF... High Performance, AAC, their Event Leaders, their Development Chairs, etc. What I hear consistently from all of these groups is that many athletes do not read these emails, do not reply, don't reply to texts, etc.

A LOT of information is thrown at athletes throughout the year. But it is ultimately not USATF's responsibility to remind every athlete of every possible situation that might come up. That's why we have a rule book and a governance manual and an anti-doping website and a high performance website, etc.

I know that we'll never reach a consensus about how much money you need to make to be a professional track and field athlete. But being a professional athlete is not just about how much money you make. It is also about treating the sport like a job.

In the real world, when you get a job, you often get some kind of employee handbook on your first day, and they tell you to read it. HR might send out reminder emails on certain things from time to time, but ultimately you are responsible for the content of that handbook. If you fail to do something spelled out in that handbook, there could be consequences, like not getting a bonus you probably should have or getting reprimanded or even fired. You don't get to complain that HR should have told you or reminded you or called you in the middle of your business trip or whatever.

This isn't any different. Most track athletes pay someone else to deal with this stuff and Emma chose not to, which means it is her responsibility to read all of the documentation she is sent. If our athletes want to be treated like adults they need to act like adults. I am not accusing Emma of not acting like an adult, just saying that all of you who think USATF is awful and should have held her hand are not understanding what it means to be a professional athlete. It means treating the sport like your job, not a hobby, and taking care of business both on and off the track.

I don't understand why this is still news. She said New Balance still gave her her bonus, USATF I'm assuming still gave a bonus for having the top American time in 2014, and she more than likely will run faster this year as well.

It was a silly mistake, but everyone knows she has the fastest American time. Who gives a shit if it was ratified this time? She has been trending upwards for the last 2 years and it's totally reasonable to assume she will continue to improve especially as she's still only 24 and the steeple typically sees bigger PRs than other events. I bet she will get her next 4 prs ratified and noboy will remember this at all.

I understand why anybody would care whether Coburn has an agent or not (unless you are an agent who has approached her).

Has she been mismanaged in anyway since turning pro other than not getting drug tested this one time? What was the negative impact on her not having the record ratified? She had to answer a bunch of dumb questions about it. That's it.

I REALLY don't understand why anybody would take USATF to task for being tough about drug testing athletes. I'm sure Coburn would agree that holding athletes accountable is a good thing.

Emma is beautiful and I'm going to marry her

If she had an agent, her agent could suggest that she take the only picture of her naked ass down from the background of her Facebook page? Since neither her friends, boyfriend, or parents had the sense to tell her yet, the agent could tell her?

It has been up there a year at least, and I always think when I see it, "Don't you get enough attention with your looks and being one of the world's top steeplers already? You have a boyfriend? What more kind of attention are you seeking by putting up these pictures? You need more attention, why not just strip topless?"

So, anyway, there is that.

The solution is simple:

Stop creepily cyber stalking her and giving her said attention if it bothers you so much.