Symmonds barred from London DL?

success! wrote:

IAN STEWART = LEGEND!

1. Because he got drunk with me and some other guys five years ago, and

2. Because he across the country to climb on a rock.

If you knew this about him, you would not question his integrity.

The fact that he's married to Stephanie hightower just raised her esteem in my esteem.

I'm glad that you found the "legend" found time to toss a lowly serf like you a bone. His eyes must have hurt after looking down his nose at you for hours.SH, seriously? He even OJ has his supporters.

success! wrote:

IAN STEWART = LEGEND!

I met Ian 5 years ago at the NY GP and the guy was awesome. He and I and a couple friends spent hours drinking and and shooting the shit and he was cool as hell.

He was on his from NY afterward to CA to go climb El capitan. he didn't really want to talk about outkicking pre for the bronze but he indulged us after a couple of glasses.

what ever is going on here, i imagine it's being overblown by same 8 or 10 hysterical know-nothing letsrun pencilnecks.

In fact, the fact that he's married to Stephanie hightower (i did not know that) just raised her esteem in my eyes.

Didn't read the thread, but nick symmonds is probably the biggest tool in distance running.

chode alert wrote:

Didn't read the thread, but nick symmonds is probably the biggest tool in distance running.

Actually he's a cool dude. Great sense of humor and lots of friends. Well spoken, kind guy.

Perhaps you are the hateful loser chode?

It seems as though you need to be corrected.

Yes Salazar originally brought the Schumacher group out to Portland and set them up after his heart attack to make sure Rupp had a good coach in case he had another heart attack.

The relationship worked for a little while until Schumacher would not conform to Salazar's extreme and questionable practices and the whole Solinsky v. Rupp thing was the final nail in the coffin.

This is when the groups split, Salazar tried to undo all the things he had set up for them, which included trying to end Schumacher's contract (firing him). Luckily Nike saw through this and set up Schumacher and his group on their own, much smaller than Salazar's group, but still standing behind the group. Salazar is crazy enough to try and keep the Schumacher group out of meets to prevent them from out shining the Golden Boy.

Salazar has a history of this, why else would there be such a carousel of coaches and athletes coming in and out of his group each year. The only constant is the Golden Boy.

Correct.

I would like to see an actual story on what the hell is going on with this. I mean how can you have two huge track and field athletes denied participating in a diamond meet a few weeks away from the Olympics. It is absolutely ridiculous. What the heck does it even mean he is a liability? What kind of excuse is that?

The fanboy wannabe media is fearful of Hightower. She can deny credentials to fanboys since they have no clout and no resources to respond with. Fanboys have to tow the line or be left at home to watch meets on youtube like the rest of us poor folks.

Pre died, he wasn't outkicked

doo doo wrote:

Guy who outkicked Pre for the Bronze. No recollection?

A few points.

1) This is linked to on the homepage.

2) I assume Lolo Jones doesn't run for free and expects an appearance fee. Nick Symmonds might want something as well. So did they expect to get paid and Ian wouldn't pay them? It sounds like Ian said they weren't running no matter what but if they expected to get paid to run that is a different matter. At the very least, the athletes would want their travel covered.

3) The fields at the meet were watered down in a lot of events to highlight British athletes. The model for the meet seems to be highlight British athletes first, Westerners if a Brit isn't available. It is the model used in the UK at a lot of events. The meet gets live BBC coverage and the announcers go nuts over every British runner. So Nick and Lolo weren't the only athletes not at the event who wanted to run. Think how many Kenyans would have run that 5k with the chance to win some cash.

4) Does the IAAF have any guidelines on who must be entered into a DL meet? It should for the events that are in DL and the 800 and 5000 were both in the Diamond League at this event. However, the meets are going to push back with having to accept certain athletes. The Pre Classic wants Nike athletes, etc.

And Nick doesn't have a lot of DL points so he might not qualify even under rules like that. You think if Nick wanted to run for free over Elijah Greer the meet would want Nick, but that pushes Andrew Osagie back a spot.

I remember talking about Ryan Hall with a British guy one time. The topic of Ryan Hall came up and someone said, "If Ryan were a Brit, they would have guaranteed he won the London Marathon by now (by watering down the field)." I disagreed with him, but these meets all have different models.

Speaking of a different type of model, the hurdle field had I think the 5 fastest in the world so Lolo Jones wouldn't qualify on that criteria. Because of her looks and publicity, if she wanted to run for free, I think it's a bad decision for the meet not to take her. She's only 19th on the world list. But it's their decision. If Ian Stewart told her she's a liability I don't see how that helps him and I applaud the athletes for speaking out.

Ian however answers to his own sponsors and he wants to protect their interests. Just shows the IAAF marketing rules need to be further loosened. Look at the logos in golf. NASCAR does not have to be the model. Golf can be and most players have a shirt logo, a hat logo, a sleeve logo and now a logo on the back.

"Nick Symmonds might want something as well. So did they expect to get paid and Ian wouldn't pay them?"

Symmonds stated that he runs for free at DL meets.

UPDATE: Symmonds will be on CNBC Worldwide Exchange early tomorrow morning (5-6 AM Eastern) talking about track and field as a business. Should be worth watching.

Some good points Wejo but there were many athletes ranked lower than Lo Lo and Nick that got to compete. Some athletes who did not even make the finals in the US trials were competing.

With regards to watered down races for the Brits you have a point in some events but not the 800m or Women’s 100m Hurdles. I can't see how putting Symmonds in the 800m would have been a problem seeing that Kaki was running and expected to win (although he had a shocker) and no Brit was expected to win or place in the top 2 anyway (Osagie ran well to come 3rd and beat Kaki in the end). The same is true in the Hurdles as Sally Pearson was expected to win and Kelly Wells was running. It was unlikely a Brit was going to win so why not let Lo Lo run when there were many slower athletes running

Plus athletes that have served doping bans were competing but people who have been finalists in global events and made the US team were not allowed to run because Stewart or his wife have taken a dislike to them.

I am British and embarrassed that Stewart is associated with the GB track and field set up as head of Endurance. Many UK distance runners are sick of Stewart and his selection policies for GB teams and training trips as well as many other grievances. This is just another reason to think the guy is a total tool!

It's completely unprofessional not to let people race because of a personal issue.

Weldon, it seems like you are saying that if there might be an innocent explanation, then it doesn't deserve a story. That's not a standard you typically use. Why not report the story without taking a strong stand and see if it elicits a response from the silent parties?

lol so you are comparing him to oj...

this is exactly the point, you freaking drama queen!

does the phrase "tempest in a teapot" mean anything to you?

tnguy wrote:

gotta believe wrote:

Nothing has changed since Pre.....

My thoughts EXACTLY.

Seriously ... there arent even that many more million dollar shoe contracts!!!

Seems to me like Wejo is in Stewart's pocket.

Wejo, I appreciate the level-headed response, but you neglected the fact that Stewart called Symmonds a "liability". He gave his reason for not letting him in the meet, and it had nothing to do with performance standards or watering down the meet. It seems clear-cut that it's nothing but a personal vendetta.

Also, there is a difference between being "linked to on the homepage" and providing real coverage. To me, this is a bigger story than the Nike box because we have a case where the husband of the USATF president is actively blocking US athletes from competing in a Diamond League meet. Especially since Stewart and Hightower have a history of attempts to bully the athletes.

get ugly wrote:

Wejo, I appreciate the level-headed response, but you neglected the fact that Stewart called Symmonds a "liability". He gave his reason for not letting him in the meet, and it had nothing to do with performance standards or watering down the meet. It seems clear-cut that it's nothing but a personal vendetta.

Also, there is a difference between being "linked to on the homepage" and providing real coverage. To me, this is a bigger story than the Nike box because we have a case where the husband of the USATF president is actively blocking US athletes from competing in a Diamond League meet. Especially since Stewart and Hightower have a history of attempts to bully the athletes.

I agree. Taking on this matter could prove to be a real turning point for the sport. Or we can just accept the status quo and many of our top athletes will remain on food stamps.