I talked to Rocky Hansen out on the course during the relay race . He didn’t want to do a formal interview.
I told him it was great he wanted to try to do this race. He said he really wanted to do it as well but had to make the mature decision.
I also talked to Jay Holder of USATF. He said that USATF had entered the two alternate but neither was available to race on such short notice. They then went down to like #10 on the list and may have even booked a red-eye for someone to come but WA told them they couldn’t run someone who hadn’t been entered.
This is embarrassing for USATF. Imagine showing up to a championship event in a professional sport without an alternate. I can think of no other sport where this would happen. And the event doesn't even require international travel.
My high school XC team would never have been this unprepared for even a low-key invitational.
This is a routine screw up for USATF. Imagine showing up to a championship event in a professional sport without an alternate. I can think of no other sport where this would happen. And the event doesn't even require international travel.
My high school XC team would never have been this unprepared for even a low-key invitational.
What? How did you high school have an alternate? I hsve been coaching high school for 25 years. The only meet where we have an alternate is at state. We either run a JV at invitationals in addition to varsity or we tske JV to a separate meet.
This is a routine screw up for USATF. Imagine showing up to a championship event in a professional sport without an alternate. I can think of no other sport where this would happen. And the event doesn't even require international travel.
My high school XC team would never have been this unprepared for even a low-key invitational.
Fixed it for you.
Good point. Being embarrassed requires a degree of introspect that USATF likely isn't capable of.
I talked to Rocky Hansen out on the course during the relay race . He didn’t want to do a formal interview.
I told him it was great he wanted to try to do this race. He said he really wanted to do it as well but had to make the mature decision.
I also talked to Jay Holder of USATF. He said that USATF had entered the two alternate but neither was available to race on such short notice. They then went down to like #10 on the list and may have even booked a red-eye for someone to come but WA told them they couldn’t run someone who hadn’t been entered.
Telling USATF the day before is the mature decision?! LOL
so USATF had money in the budget to put a bunch of fake alligators all over the course but not enough for an extra plane ticket for an alternate runner in case someone got hurt.
This is embarrassing for USATF. Imagine showing up to a championship event in a professional sport without an alternate. I can think of no other sport where this would happen. And the event doesn't even require international travel.
My high school XC team would never have been this unprepared for even a low-key invitational.
This event doesn't matter as much as message board dorks think it does. As has been pointed out, any alternates they could have had wouldn't push them closer to the podium. It's okay, just relax.
Re: the title, it's not a rumor. I can confirm USATF was looking for a replacement runner today but that is basically impossible since it's hard to get to Tallahassee on short notice. TBD whether the US starts a full team.
IF a top runner or two had signed up for Club Cross the next day (they sometimes do, Emma Bates ran it last year and Cole Hocker won it in 2022), the US could've had an alternate. Really if you're going to combine Club Nats with worlds, you should have an elite runner or two run.
The more I think about this the dumber I think this is. The first alternate on the US Team should've got a free trip and entry into Club Nats, so that way they'd be on site for this situation.
Can these USATF jokers be more incompetent? Why the hell would you not fly the reserve over with the team? Do you know any sport that does not take backups with them when they travel?
Stress reaction means... he knew he couldn't run, but wanted to go and get his team swag and name on the World XC t-shirt, or whatever it is.
Can we as a country and an organization still recognize this guy MADE the team, still give him his team swag (because he earned the spot), let him travel and be a part of the mix, be announced on the World XC brochures, but not make him fear giving up his spot and forfeiting all that, so we can responsibly send a full team?? For goodness sake, man!
I don't blame him. He earned the spot. But let's make it work for both him and the team.
This falls on USATF not Rocky. Even high school teams with the worst budget send 8 to the state meet in case someone gets hurt on the warm up or the day prior, OR are unsure they will run with a lingering injury. I'm assuming someone at USATF had some kind of idea Rocky was injured and still didn't bring a 7th guy. Regardless hurt or not, there should always be an alternate. After a rough end to his track season in 2025 guessing Liam Murphy would've gladly have taken that spot if he had enough time to get there
This post was edited 2 minutes after it was posted.