1500, 5000 & steeple play by plays - women and men

Emma Coburn is awesome!

Very impressive women's steeplechase race.

glad hall didn't it in the steeple. she's obviously a fast runner, BUT is an absolutely awful steeplechaser.

she slows for every barrier. that is an insult to the race.

she's not a steeplechaser.

rethink the career, girl.

try the long races, or have babies. but no more steeple, please.

More details to come from Rojo and Wejo, including interviews.

Women’s 3000 Steeple Final

Emma Coburn had the lead by 200 and the pace was very honest, as she brought the pack through the first lap in a fast 71.2.

Coburn was clean over the first water barrier although the pack seemed to stumble and lose ground.

Coburn still had the lead through the second lap.

With Delilah DiCrescenzo right on her heals, Coburn went through 1000 in roughly 3:11.

By the third lap, Bridget Franek had moved up from the middle of the pack to sit in third, looking extremely comfortable. Close behind was Ashley Higginson, Sara Hall and NCAA Champion Shalaya Kipp. Stephanie Garcia, Mason Cathey and Lisa Aguilera followed close behind them.

Coburn went through four laps in a very fast 4:59 and she had a 15 meter gap on Franek and DiCrescenzo. The drama for first place seemed over but the fight for the top three seemed to be just beginning as Kipp stayed in close contact.

Coburn hit 2K in roughly 6:16.

With two to go, Coburn looked in complete control. Franek had distanced herself by five meters from Kipp and Hall, with Ivy Leaguers DiCrescenzo and Higginson another five meters back. They, in turn, were followed by Garcia and Aguilera. With 700 to go, this entire group still had a shot at second and third.

Coburn was on close to meet record pace with a lap to go. And just as the bell was rung, Hall was dropped by Franek and Hipp as she stuttered badly on the barrier just after the finish line. Hall has displayed great improvement in this event, but her uneven hurdling came back to haunt her in the latter stages of the race.

Storming hard with 300 to go was Higginson and she was gaining ground on Franek (2nd) and Kipp (3rd). At 200 to go, Kipp went into second and Franek seemed to be in trouble, especially with Higginson closing fast...but instead she woke up and was able to hang on for her first Olympic team berth and second place.

Coburn’s Colorado teammate Kipp had an eight second PR to get third and bettered the Olympic A standard for the first time. Also running a terrific race was Higginson, who after her 9:45 PR in the prelims, ran a seven second PR to get fourth. In the end, the first five women were all under the Olympic A standard as Aguilera ran 9:41.95.

First five laps:

71.2 (Coburn)

76.6 (Coburn)

75.9 (Coburn)

75.9 (Coburn - 4:59.6)

76.8 (Coburn)

1 Emma Coburn Colorado 9:32.78

2 Bridget Franek Nike / Oregon TC Elite 9:35.62

3 Shalaya Kipp Colorado 9:35.73

4 Ashley Higginson Saucony 9:38.06

5 Lisa Aguilera Nike 9:41.95

6 Carrie Dimoff Bowerman Athletic Club 9:45.01

7 Delilah DiCrescenzo Puma / New Jersey New York T C 9:46.30

8 Sara Hall Asics 9:47.63

9 Stephanie Garcia New Balance 9:50.74

10 Sarah Pease Unattached 9:53.62

11 Mason Cathey Saucony 9:54.07

12 Jamie Cheever Oiselle / Team USA Minnesota 9:56.51

13 Rebeka Stowe Kansas 10:02.82

14 Rebecca Wade Rice University 10:10.50

Say what you want about Sarah Hall, but she is a VERY GOOD steeplechaser. A damn good steepler. A national champion and Olympian if she ran the event 8 years ago. Its insulting to call her an awful steepler. She gave it her best shot- and anyone who does the steeple is to be commended. Ryan, you done good.

Where to watch wrote:

You can watch the NBC broadcast here:

http://worldtvsite.net/pelicula/40/nbc-sports.html

Is it not working today?

Centro, Torrence, Manzano are my picks. Torrence doesn't have the '800M status' of Andrews, Wheating. He's 'only' sped it like an 800M guy, to go with 5K A-standard strength. The latter helps him recover from the rounds.