NY Times says Lauren Fleshman is the "best American distance runner never to make an Olympic team"

Former American Record Holder in the 10K, Marc Nenow.

800 dude wrote:

I don't think there are any marathoners other than Khannouchi. We have so few truly world class marathoners, that they all usually make the team. Maybe Beardsley or Greg Meyer?

IF (and this is a big IF) you consider Khannouchi to be American - and many of you think of Al Sal as undisputedly Yankee, so I guess KK counts too - then their is no debate.

Although I'm in the apparent minority that finds her attractive, she has never held any record I'm aware of. I will concede that their may be a school record in her past somewhere, but no PR suggesting relevance on the world stage. Huddle is faster at every event and doesn't win significant international races at any distance.

Khannouchi: former WR holder whose times could win big races now.

Fleshman: laughably insignificant against competition stiffer than Jordan Hasay.

KK is BY FAR the fastest and best US citizen to not make the team. Why anyone discusses NCAA non- record holders is beyond me.

I think given how easy it is to come up with men with superior resumes, we can assume that the claim was supposed to be best distance woman non-Olympian. I think she has a pretty decent claim on that.

Maggie Vessey has better times and performances in international meets than Fleshman, but lacks the US titles. Of course she isn't retired, so could conceivably make an Oly team in 2020, but the US depth at 800 is so good that that isn't likely.

Whatever you say about Fleshman, she is one of the very few Americans to win a Diamond League meet in her event.

David Krummenacker is a great call. He was a world champ(PRs) include 1:43.92 (2002) for 800 m and 3:31.91 (2002) for 1500 mthat dude was solid but him and khadevis robinson flopped at the 2000 USA Oly trials I believe. on a side note, did you know that Gabe Jennings ran a 1:46 800m?!

800 dude wrote:

Mark Nenow

David Krummenacker

I don't think there are any marathoners other than Khannouchi. We have so few truly world class marathoners, that they all usually make the team. Maybe Beardsley or Greg Meyer?

Provisionally on the list: Ben True (the only faster non-Olympian is Solinski.)

Well the NY Times is wrong. LF not in my top 5 or even 10. My pix all mentioned above.

Les wrote:

Whatever you say about Fleshman, she is one of the very few Americans to win a Diamond League meet in her event.

We've been over that on the boards. It was a decent win, but not nearly a DL quality field.

ck3237 wrote:

Former American Record Holder in the 10K, Marc Nenow.

Another runner with very similar PRs to Nenow is Bobby Curtis. Clearly competing in a different era, so I would certainly put Nenow ahead, but Curtis may be in the top 10 to not make an Olympic team.

3:57/13:18/27:24/2:11:20 is some solid range, and I am pretty sure only Nenow and Solinsky have faster 10000 times among USA athletes not making an Olympic team.

Beyond SFH being a better collegiate runner than Fleshman, what about Amy Skieresz? Beyond having more NCAA titles including 3 runner-ups in cross country, back to back 5-10 doubles at nationals, she was named Pac-12 Cross Country Runner of the Century. All this while forgoing her senior track eligibility.

Amy didn't have much of a pro career but without question she was a much better collegiate runner than Fleshman.

Bring Back the 880 wrote:

Les wrote:

Whatever you say about Fleshman, she is one of the very few Americans to win a Diamond League meet in her event.

We've been over that on the boards. It was a decent win, but not nearly a DL quality field.

Fact still stands. The quality of the field was not her fault. They've been other Diamond League fields that were not the toughest, yet no recent American has come close to winning one.

You Do Realize wrote:

Mark Nenow did mae the 1980 team, the one that didn't get to go

No he didn't. He wasn't anywhere near fast enough to make the 1980 team.

Les wrote:

Bring Back the 880 wrote:

We've been over that on the boards. It was a decent win, but not nearly a DL quality field.

Fact still stands. The quality of the field was not her fault. They've been other Diamond League fields that were not the toughest, yet no recent American has come close to winning one.

Emma Coburn won a Diamond League Race in 2014, Jenny Simpson has won a few and also won a Diamond League overall title in 2014. Those sound pretty "close" to winning one.

Les wrote:

Fact still stands. The quality of the field was not her fault. They've been other Diamond League fields that were not the toughest, yet no recent American has come close to winning one.

On the women's side how about Jenny Simpson (Overall DL champ!), Morgan Uceny (also won overall the DL title), Emma Coburn (DL winner), etc.

You are confusing a DL win with the non-olympian thing, unless you just mean at the w5000.

Rupp and Lagat? They ever make any Olympic teams?

dandy wrote:

You Do Realize wrote:

Mark Nenow did mae the 1980 team, the one that didn't get to go

No he didn't. He wasn't anywhere near fast enough to make the 1980 team.

He didn't break out until a couple of years later. Virgin, Fredricks, Salazar made the team? Who was 4th?

I think it would be useful to come up wth a list of "Best Americans never to make an Olympic team" for both men and women. Let's try to come up with 5-10 each.

I'll start with the obvous.

Men

1. Solinksy (He's #1 now as he's the only one on the list)

Women

1. Fleshman (She's #1 as she's the only one on the list)

Read more:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=7512767#ixzz4FAQFdr84

----

Herb Lindsay - #1 road racer in US in 79 and 80. Former world record holder in half marathon and 10 mile. Retired very early by today's standards. Ran/trained with Frank Shorter and had a better than 70% head to head win percentage against Greg Meyer. Won the 15k Midland Run which is widely regarded as the deepest field in a road race history.

http://www.si.com/vault/1980/05/12/824649/road-show-with-an-all-star-cast-the-15-kilometer-midland-run-in-lush-new-jersey-horse-country-attracted-the-finest-road-racing-field-in-history-henry-ronos-arrival-was-a-classic-of-suspense-but-it-was-herb-lindsays-finish-that-r

I don't think anybody who has never made an Olympic team should be considered a G.O.A.T. it is an underperformed career

rojo wrote:

Some of my favorite kids were the ones with the worse grades. They were interesting.

I bet the had the "worse" grades because of your teaching skills.

you're benevolent mini-brains wrote:

rojo wrote:

Some of my favorite kids were the ones with the worse grades. They were interesting.

I bet the had the "worse" grades because of your teaching skills.

Must have had second period with Mr. Johnson.