Nuguse DNS / Engels Doesn't Replace Him

Line up. Run the first three steps… you’re an Olympian. Not doing that is going to cost him quite a bit in appearance and sponsorship money

According to some articles posted on other threads, Nuguse got the strain a few days ago. Pulled out of the race about 10-15 minutes before. Guess him and his coach were trying to nurse it and see how much better it can get. He should have at least tried to toe the line if it was just a strain.

rs65ydhxcf wrote:. And if at ANY POINT Engels was WILLING to go after the wd of Nuguse, HE is the Olympian, imo.

Dumbest take ever.

According to some articles posted on other threads, Nuguse got the strain a few days ago. Pulled out of the race about 10-15 minutes before. Guess him and his coach were trying to nurse it and see how much better it can get. He should have at least tried to toe the line if it was just a strain.

A lot of fanboys mad that engels choked at trials and didn't make the team

Trucker Hat wrote:

Listen someone would have to knock me out with a baseball bat to not at least attempt an Olympic race. What the heck is going on? The so called GOAT of gymnastics decides not to compete for her country mid comp. High jumpers are hugging and kissing as they choose to “tie” when they could of competed for victories. Now a guy doesn’t even start the 1500 cause he has a little injury. This woke generation is destroying sports.

Race him then. Just like Craig did and lost.

You're probably overweight and skip runs to post about olympians on lets run. Don't even talk about what you'd do in their place

Wow to this double whammy.

Engels must be in his van drunk and devastated. There went a lot of money up in flames. Twice.

1st: At the Trials when he finished fourth after shooting his mouth off with the dumb mullet

2nd: When Nuguse laid a snake egg DN-S-S-S-S

Laces out Nuguse! Laces Out! Oh the humanity!!!!

This is a tough situation for all involved. If he goes out there and jogs, people would rip him for not giving up a spot. If he gives up his spot, is he not considered an Olympian?

And as someone who hurt my hamstring 20+ years ago, you really don't want to injure it seriously as it can stick with you.

I think I would have had him go out there and basically jog it (or give up the spot). There is zero chance I'd personally go DNS but in some ways you've got to respect him for going DNS. He's not going to demean this level of competition and turn it into a participation award.

He warmed up and tried to give it a go.

But if you are unwilling to jog, wouldn't the best case scenario be to have Engels here? If you don't want to risk injury and don't want to race unless 100%, then you call him and get him here. It's like the HJ - best of both worlds. You tell people you qualified for the Olympics but gave up your spot so Engels gets to run.

Anybody defending Nuguse is missing the point. People saying, "he screwed Craig" are idiots and not worth arguing with. If it was 2 days out and there was a good chance he could have managed then they had no obligation to notify USATF / USA NOC. The dumb thing was doing that and then still not getting on the line.

Most of the issue is that he should have simply just lined up and jogged the first 100m. He lost his chance to be an Olympian. All he had to do was show up. His coach should have shoved him out there.

The OP wrote:

UltraDude wrote:

So, is Nuguse an Olympian or not since he never toed the start line of an Olympic race and hasn't actually competed in the Olympics?

He made the Olympic team, he's an Olympian.

There is no standard from the IOC about it. At one time the IOC would only recognize athletes who stepped onto the field of play. But countries have a different standard and some count anyone who makes a team. So the 1980 US team is recognized (although a lot of sports did not hold Trials or make selections) by the USOPC.

A bummer for both of them.

This is a woke take....

Didn’t Aragon pull this in LA?

Nuguste loses points with me for this,

And I do spend money as a sponsor of US Track & Field.

This doesn’t sit well with me.

you eh eh wrote:

what a disgusting, lazy, entitled quitter

just like simone biles, right, everyone?

No, not at all like Simone Biles. Simone withdrew in a timely manner so her teammates could compete in her stead. Jade Carey and Sunisa Lee have the gold medals to prove it.

Nuguse earned the right do whatever he wanted to do by placing top 3 at the trials and becoming an Olympian by making the team fair and square. Engels lost when it mattered. Yared chose not to race. We don't know how bad the strain was. It might have endangered his future running career if he lined for that race. We don't even know if he could walk right or when it happened. Plus unless he knew 2 or 3 weeks ago how bad it was and informed everyone (which is under no obligation to do anyway regardless), I doubt Craig would have had time to clear all the COVID protocols if I understand how strict things are in Tokyo. Like I don't think he could have just hopped on a plane with a few days notice.

Damn, leave Nuguse alone. Any interview I have seen of him shows a pretty reasonable and down to earth kid. I'm seriously doubting any malevolence or shady decision making here. Time will tell the story. Bummer overall.

Need more info now wrote:

Line up. Run the first three steps… you’re an Olympian. Not doing that is going to cost him quite a bit in appearance and sponsorship money

Right. It would be an unnecessary distraction from the race and disrespectful to the other runners. I'm sure he did all the ice treatments, massage and inflammatory drugs but he just wasn't ready to run. I can't think of anything more moronic than showing up at the starting line, being introduced and running 3 steps. It would be nothing but a bizarre stunt.

He became an Olympian when he finished 3rd at the OT and will always be one.

Moby wrote:

Yeah Okay wrote:

I think people just wanted to see him line up. Give it an effort. If he knew he was done for then he should've gave 4th a shot to represent the USA and give them a shot.

That’s not how it works. If you have a stress fracture — yeah, you give up your spot a month out. A quad strain he picked up in the week leading up to the games means you get treatment like crazy and pray it’s good enough to go on raceday. He obviously tested it out in warmups and couldn’t go.

How would you get such a strain the week leading up? No one should be training at an intensity that could cause that so soon that you wouldn't just finish the competition. This is a poor look just like when Des Linden did it. Let someone else get the chance if you can't compete.

Ritz did the same thing when he jogged the Olympic race on a broken foot.

ShilohDoesntCare wrote:

Moby wrote:

That’s not how it works. If you have a stress fracture — yeah, you give up your spot a month out. A quad strain he picked up in the week leading up to the games means you get treatment like crazy and pray it’s good enough to go on raceday. He obviously tested it out in warmups and couldn’t go.

How would you get such a strain the week leading up? No one should be training at an intensity that could cause that so soon that you wouldn't just finish the competition. This is a poor look just like when Des Linden did it. Let someone else get the chance if you can't compete.

But Des ran a few steps so that she could call herself an Olympian. He can not and that is a shame.