Yep. Because many of them have behind the scenes said that they are quote “training through” this. Which is an absolute catastrophe if you are Johnson promoting this as the pinnacle of the sport, racing, rivalries.
And yet surely someone in the ranks there (Kyle Merber?) could have pointed this out as a potential issue they could have problem solved around to avoid this. And also, it’s only going to get worse as we go along in this “series”. Yikes.
I guess they also don’t wanna be spent for the next race
Right - but tell me how that aligns with this “unique value proposition” of the “best” racing in the world of athletics? Whether people want to accept this or not, racing is not just a 1v1 or “man v the field” thing - the clock matters - it’s a huge component of the value. Why was Hockers win in Paris SO good? Because he won and won it in a sensational time. I said a month ago these “races” could end up optically looking prelims at a nationals and so far that’s what they look like.
The last lap was exciting, but 14:40? The announcers defending the pacing are like Trump's spokespeople defending the tariffs. I mean, this is what we wanted, right? Right?
So how did Centro respond to this?
Was he like "OMG this is just so embarrassingly slow and I....oh.....wait.....nevermind."? 😂
teare was still boxed with 200m to go. made up about .7-.8 seconds on grant last 200m.
if he were not boxed, may have won.
Men's 5000 @ USAs just got exponentially more intriguing . . .
It did. Is this a better Teare, or a Teare that hasn't tired himself out with 1500m rounds? I'm betting a bit of both, which would mean that his chances are dependent on whether he's actually wise enough to give up on the 1500m this year.
Am I the only one who doesn’t care at all it was slow? Everybody in this thread saying “we need pacers”… Dawg, we get pacers and we see the classic Gebriwhet, Fisher, Bekele finish we see every month on the Diamond League.
this was actually exciting. I’m here for it
I was actually thinking this as I watched. Like, yeah it was slow, but I had it propped on my laptop scrambling some dinner and stayed semi-tuned waiting for either a hard mid-race move or fast last 400-800m. Exactly what I'd have done in a Diamond League, except I had to keep a little closer eye on it because I know for a fact nobody's going to do anything in a DL other than tuck in until the pacers drop and (maybe) go. And unlike DL races, where failing to hit a standard or record leaves not much to care about, I'm genuinely curious now to see (1) what happens in the 3000 and (2) what happens as the season goes on. I like watching fast times and DLs, but I do like seeing something different too--something that could actually transfer better to later-season champs racing. For an NFL analogy, it's kind of like the difference between an offensive shootout and a defensive struggle (the latter of which people also seem to have lost the ability to watch, I suppose).
By FAR the worst part was the announcers repeatedly saying "I know we're not supposed to talk about time, but omg this is so slowwwwwwww." That'll turn off casuals. (Anderson just said "this is what we signed up for" during the post-game as I type, which, come on man. Maybe just solve this problem with more Centro and less Anderson! Centro's sitting here talking about how he loves this and found it entertaining. I actually believe him, but also, it's his job to hype up the event--so it's nice of him to do it.) Instead, have your actual experts talk about tactics, which moves to expect, bios and medals, coaches and teams, training, etc. etc. They did some of this, but they clearly weren't prepared to fill 13 minutes of warmup. More of an early-season 5000m problem than a format problem in my opinion.
The commentating does tie into my biggest critique so far, which is the program pacing. Could easily have shaved half an hour or, if they're not going to shorten the time between races, there's gotta be something. I really thought they'd have more packaged stuff or live entertainment, since relying entirely on these commentators to awkwardly fill space is tough. Again with the NFL analogy, there's a TON of complaints when commentators have to just sit and fill space there, too, and they've got the option to cut in highlights from other games. Maybe drop some $$ to show Olympics and world/national championships highlights between events? Or some track history graphics/stories/highlights. Showing some grainy black and white clips of whichever event back in the 60s, some 90s greats, and then this. Bonus points: some events wouldn't look so slow, relative to the past.
Okay I have this rolling in the background still and the answer really is just sub in Centro. People are really sleeping on Welteji, though.
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l'll be honest—I didn’t expect to enjoy this meet, but for reasons different than how it turned out. I thought it would be an over-the-top, reality-TV-style spectacle with feel-good stories and dramatic commentary—like Gordon Ramsay meets track and field. And honestly? I kind of wish it had been that way.
The problem? It was hyped as a game-changer for the sport, but the execution fell flat. A nearly empty stadium drained all the energy. These world-class athletes looked like they were walking onto a high school track. Even high school nationals have more atmosphere. It felt like toast with no butter.
The races were decent, but even as a hardcore fan, I was bored. Diamond League meets are tighter, faster, and more exciting. Two hours is perfect. But three hours a day for three days? Way too much.
If the goal was to attract new fans, this missed the mark. You need drama, fireworks, and showmanship. Without that, only the existing fanbase will tune in.
Unless the presentation improves fast, this Grand Slam format won’t stick - nor should it, really. I mean, it's nice to have extra track and field to watch, don't get me wrong, but this was very amateurish compared to the diamond League that's for sure.
How about they should implemented, you must run sub or THE prize money is reduced:
MEN'S EVENTS short/long distance
800m......no sub 1:46.00 reduced by 20%, no sub 1:47.00 reduced by 40%
1500m....no sub 3:35.00 reduced by 20% no sub 3:38 reduced by 40%
3000m and 5000m no sub 7:54 and 13:30 reduced by 20% no sub 8:05 and 13:59 reduced by 40%
This is a great way to totally remove the excitement from this event…
Half the fun of the Mile will be if it goes out slow and Wanyonyi is blasting Kerr and Nuguse off their feet, which based on how this 5k went is a huge possibility. You catch 800m runner Garcia in the heats at indoors? Fun to watch
....
You obviously didn't TAKE A REAL LOOK at the TIMES I SUGGESTED before prize money is reduced. Every event time was respectable but would be possible for all the competitors. People want to see A LITTLE MORE HONEST effort not guys running almost 1 and 1/2 minutes to 2 slower than there pb.
Note: Cranny, Infeld & Bekele -- who ran The TEN just 6 days ago -- were never factors, finishing 6th, 8th and 7th, respectively.
As one would expect.
Hope they are achieving something out of this meet besides the paycheck.
Mailing it in and focussing on scoring points in the next race? For many this is actually a smart thing to do - especially if you don’t really care about the 100k (for many even 50k, 30k is incredible cash like they have never got before) - this is especially true for the “racers” who have guaranteed cash in the bag already. I pointed this out to Weldon on another thread and he told me I didn’t know what I was talking about. Really? Yeah okay.
Jumping on without reading earlier posts so apologies if this point has already been made….
I’m watching the session delayed, and I’m SO glad that I did. The filler bits between races were so boring and the meet dragged between races. It honestly made me appreciate Diamond League a lot more. The field events are better entertainment than Jess Hull eating Jamaican snacks. I honestly haven’t compared side by side the number of races we’re getting per TV window, but DL always feels more packed with action than this.
You obviously didn't TAKE A REAL LOOK at the TIMES I SUGGESTED before prize money is reduced. Every event time was respectable but would be possible for all the competitors. People want to see A LITTLE MORE HONEST effort not guys running almost 1 and 1/2 minutes to 2 slower than there pb.
Well the jury is still out and it's far too early to deliver a verdict.
The production values were excellent and I enjoyed the races but the fact that the stadium was virtually empty was not a good look for TV. Can we finally stop saying that Jamaican fans are wild about track? They could not care less about witnessing the biggest names in the sport. Tickets in the bleachers cost only $10 and that side of the stadium was a ghost town.
So far, a great advertisement for Diamond League.
This post was edited 5 minutes after it was posted.