True, it was a weak women's team, but there is much to be optimistic about. Parker Valby, for one, looks to have a bright future. The range she has, tells me she could be a real threat in the marathon in 4 to 8 years.
I wonder if the paucity of Olympic contenders has anything to do with the vacuum that opened up after AlSal got banned. He wrecked several of the finest runners of a generation, and with others like Flanagan and Rowbury retiring, we may be seeing a gap before new, younger runners like Valby and Logue and Born and Venters move on up.
The reason the US women did not perform will comes down to doping and which athletes have a freer hand to cheat. This games made that overwhelmingly clear. The rest is tedious.
The reason the US women did not perform will comes down to doping and which athletes have a freer hand to cheat. This games made that overwhelmingly clear. The rest is tedious.
Men handled it. Its was one of the worst distance teams the US has ever sent to the Olympics
Why would timid XC gals want to pin trenbolone and nandrolone anyway? That's the last sheesh I'd expect the xc gals to stumble into. Houlihan is/was simply a fool. A freak.
did I take six bites of nandrolone burrito or only five? I admit I lost track in all the excitement
Depends on how we look at it. PEDs effect men to a lesser degree than women, especially if we are talking about smaller doses. I think antidoping has progressed to the point where men have a leveler playing field. But on the women's where microdosing can still be decisive, antidoping has not progressed to the point where the advantage has been negated. And the US women have a more restrictive doping environment and the top US star was only recently busted. Sorry but I don't buy the theory that Hull and Bell always had some hidden, latent, untapped talent. Doping was the difference.
Why would timid XC gals want to pin trenbolone and nandrolone anyway? That's the last sheesh I'd expect the xc gals to stumble into. Houlihan is/was simply a fool. A freak.
Strength to power ratio. Anabolic steroids facilitate stimaltanous muscle gain and fat loss. Huge performance benefit, even for an endurance athlete.
It seems the men are better able to keep in touch with the new heights being reached by the East African runners in the 10k/ marathon. the woman’s world record is now 2:11 but baring Paula Radcliffe(probably suss) who outside of those of African descent have even come within 5 minutes of that?
12 minutes above the WR would be a really good run for an elite female, same wouldn’t be said of the men’s.
Although American women can at least put down a sub 2:20 on a flat course, there’s no one in England/ireland/Australia in that class presently.
Believe it or not, her best collegiate time is, in fact, faster than Athing Mu's. 1:57.64 vs. 1:57.73. There is the obvious caveat that Mu left collegiate running after only 2 seasons and was heavily involved in relays as well as the 400 while running that 800 time. Wiley ran her time while pretty much just focused on the 800.
Wiley's 1:57.64 was at a post season meet in Switzerland. Yes, she was still enrolled at Huntington at the time but it was not a collegiate meet.
Mu ran 1:55.04 while still enrolled at Texas A&M but it was also at a post season meet - the Pre at Hayward.
Believe it or not, her best collegiate time is, in fact, faster than Athing Mu's. 1:57.64 vs. 1:57.73. There is the obvious caveat that Mu left collegiate running after only 2 seasons and was heavily involved in relays as well as the 400 while running that 800 time. Wiley ran her time while pretty much just focused on the 800.
Wiley's 1:57.64 was at a post season meet in Switzerland. Yes, she was still enrolled at Huntington at the time but it was not a collegiate meet.
Mu ran 1:55.04 while still enrolled at Texas A&M but it was also at a post season meet - the Pre at Hayward.
Mu was a professional at that point. Wiley does have the collegiate record because she was still at Huntington then.
Agreed. But reading the Valby Mania threads, you'd never know it. One would think she is the present and the future of Women's running in the USA.
Valby ran an ok race. She certainly didn't catch the Olympic Spirit and outperform expectations.
Racing consistency has to play a part in it for the women. Somehow, maybe it's strength or genetics, the men tend to struggle less.
Valby raced her butt off this track season. Unsurprised that she couldn't summon up a better finish (but, again, went after it more impressively than Karissa- Valby had a stellar race imo.)
Mu? Cranny? Every 800 girl not named Juliette Whitaker? ESP was largely absent in DL races, as was our pathetic steeple contingent (excluding Markezich who raced hard collegiately).
There needs to be an emphasis on racing. Build it into your training cycle. If ESP wants to get out like a bat out of hell, practice that in a meet before trying it at the gd Olympics. Mu screwed herself by not racing and it showed in every trials round and ultimately killed her in the final.
If you are going to lack the racing brains, you have to train to improve it. Simple as that.
If Mu races, there's another medal. If ESP and Hiltz practiced going after a hard pace, maybe one of them ekes out a bronze. Muir murdered those two in the last lap- she's older, doesn't have the same kick she used to, but still put them to shame because she races.
A lot of people are pinning their hopes for the future on Valby. She runs too heavy and tall. With an obvious hitch in her step. She'll most likely keep getting injured over time unless she sticks to almost pure cross training and actually runs sparingly during training. I am impressed with her endurance but she has to have that endurance because her form is atrocious.
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