rojo wrote:
urmomisagoat wrote:
Literally my first thought "Isn't she like 48 years old now? Not a very controversial opinion."
No. She's not too old. That type of thinking is way off. Let me defend her and expand on my thoughts.
As Jonathan later pointed out, she ran 3:58 at Worlds in 2019. She's still VERY good. But Simpson has never been about 'making' teams. And if she does the 1500, she will be doing it just to make a team as she's not going to medal.
If she goes back to the steeple, she's got a shot at a medal.
Now that’s a bold take if you ask me.
The people comparing Simpson with Alan Webb, even if joking a bit, are way off the mark. She was clearly the #2 American at the distance in 2019, the last time track was normal, running only 1 second off her lifetime best in the WC final. She also ran a 4:16 5th Avenue Mile record that fall to stave off Purrier.
Of course, everyone’s career comes to an end eventually, but acting like Simpson is years past being relevant just strikes me as ignorance. She deserves the benefit of the doubt here, at least for a couple-3 more months (hopefully she’ll race in that time). I wouldn’t necessarily predict she makes the team, but she’s definitely in the first 2-3 names that warrant mention.
Shannon Rowbury at 36 is 2 years older than Simpson, and if you take an honest look at what she did last year in her second year back from giving birth, you’ll see that she has a great chance of making the team in the 5k.
Respect where it’s due.