Grant Fisher deserved to get beat

Rupp's 2012 olympic 10k was about a minute faster and he still closed faster over the last 400. That was without superspikes... So Rupp closed faster in a race that was faster through 9600.

This was the USATF 10k CHAMPIONSHIP, which also determines the world championship team. Fisher has never won a National Championship, Klecker now has more titles than him. Kincaid has more than Fisher.

Well Gault doesn't agree with the premise of this thread: "We don’t want to hear anyone complaining about Schweizer sitting on Monson for the final 4k before blowing past her over the final 150m."

Worked out for Schweizer but not for Fisher. Very different races tho. I disagree with what Gault wrote. I think it's worse in a 1v1 setting to let someone else do all the work. In the men's race, there was a huge crew there at the bell. It's not like anybody did the work to really whittle the field down. Fisher & the rest of the BTC crew were told to rely on their kicks. It just becomes a more dangerous game to play when so many people are still there.

Am sure there are plenty of runners thinking how they would have or should have ran differently.

Yes, a ton of head-scratchers. What was Mantz doing? Shouldn’t he have taken it from 1200 out and ran his butt off instead of surging in the pack to keep not very good position? He seemed along with Fisher to have the most egregiously bad tactics. Bor obviously misjudged it. Though Fisher’s main issue was some passivity until 400 to go. That being said all would’ve forgotten if he’d had the finish that we’d expect out of a 26:33 guy in that sort of race —> sub-53.5 at minimum and probably close to 52 seconds (or 25-high if saving for the last 200). So to me no this isn’t the end of the world for Fisher but I think my skepticism has grown a bit because how can you feel confident about that kick vs the Ethiopians, Cheptegei and Kiplimo? It’s a great run for Klecker and he was really composed tactically, but in that slow a race it is surprising another gear change wasn’t required to win. I feel like Schweitzer’s last 100m vis a vis Monson was what Fisher’s should have looked like.

I did read your points. I agree, Klecker is “no slouch,” but no, I don’t think he’s on the same wavelength as Fisher. Fisher disappointed last night for whatever combination of reasons, tactics, sharpening, burnout (is he overdone like Cranny right now?) and he ran down to Klecker’s level, not the other way around. Didn’t say Fisher was a medal favorite, but he’s a serious global medal contender, Klecker is not, or at least he hasn’t shown that he should be viewed this way. Last night didn’t change that, just raised concerns about Fisher. Ok, maybe I shouldn’t be worried about Fisher for later in the summer, but I’m still confident he’s a notch above Klecker and will remain this way. Again, I’m not hating on Klecker. If he proves this assessment wrong, more power to him, but I don’t think past data suggest he has equal upside to Fisher going forward on the track, and I don’t think it’s particularly close.

Wise Old Man you are a bit lost in the moment but yes your assessment of Klecker is right. Good runner and definitely a US contender for years to come. But if Fisher doesn’t make major advances to where he’s either gapping Klecker earlier or pulling away convincingly in this sort of race by July, he is not sniffing the medals.

These were my points from the outset, just a bit more emotional. It was clear he was waiting and not going to push from 1-2000 meters out, but then I expected an effortless 25 sec 200 and easy win, much like Schweizer, only better. I just thought Fisher would show more even now, but ok, let’s see about July.

The most concerning part of this race for Fisher was not the lack of finishing speed. Its that with a PR 40+ seconds faster than everyone in the field, he wasnt willing to take it from a mile out and just crush these guys. What was he thinking with Kincaid in that field? Woody would have been clear of them by 1+ second easily in the final 400m.

I believe that would be the least concerning part, lol

Learning that Klecker could outkick him by .1 seconds over the last 800m off of 29:00 pace is a learning learning experience for Fisher? It’s actually irrelevant to what he might do at the WC off of something closer to 27:00 pace.

Speaking of Woodie, does anyone know what happened to him? Stomach? Stitch?

It's called championship racing, and yes, Grant has to be disappointed with how he ran. If you're a 26:33 guy and let the pace slog to 28:30 your going to have a lot of dudes hanging around with a lap to go. JK made a great move with 2 to go by dropping a 60 second lap and then backing it up with a 55 closer. GF should've made that move with 3 to go and that would've won it for him. I'm sure he thought he could outkick JK, and actually was in front on the final straight but got run down.

Oh well, Grant will figure it out, so goes the life of being the American Record holder. The target is big and bright on his back and he will need to validate that AR each and every time he toes the line.

Well the last 400 is very relevant. We were lauding Fisher for hanging around in a moderately slow Tokyo final. He couldn’t kick with the guys who didn’t bonk and finished top 3, but staying as long as he did was nice. With the jump to 26:33, the hope is he not only has the strength to hang again but he’s sprinting all out at the end. It’s concerning if that max sprint isn’t fast enough even in a slower race. Yes he can beat Woody (who can drop a 53-flat) cuz he can hang in the race, but the best in the world can do both.

Grant undoubtedly knew that if pushed from further out he would have won so there was nothing to figure out. LRers know that and so does he. If he goes balls to the wall, other American runners will need binoculars to see that big and bright target on his back.

It’s not set in stone that the WC will come down to a last lap sprint. Maybe it will be a sub-5:00 last 2000m.

LOL!

This is SUCH a perfect rant as a response to my post. Thank you.