Kate Grace celebrates the 4th with a new PR!

Another victim of our Trials system. Overall I love the Trials but every year we leave some of our best people at home. Dan O'brien, Keni Harrison, Sara Hall, Donavan Brazier, etc.

trollin' along wrote:

Another victim of our Trials system. Overall I love the Trials but every year we leave some of our best people at home. Dan O'brien, Keni Harrison, Sara Hall, Donavan Brazier, etc.

We should only take the top 2 finishers from the Olympic Trials. And then pick the 3rd runner by committee. In some cases it would be the 3rd place finisher at Trials, and in a few cases they would pick someone else.

For example, this year I think that Shamier Little would have been picked in the 400 hurdles.

But regarding Kate Grace, she wouldn't have gotten picked. No way a committee wouldn't have picked the 3rd place finisher at the Trials, Ajee Wilson. Nothing Kate Grace had done up to the Trials indicated that she was going to run 1:57 a week later.

Tough Cookie wrote:

trollin' along wrote:

Another victim of our Trials system. Overall I love the Trials but every year we leave some of our best people at home. Dan O'brien, Keni Harrison, Sara Hall, Donavan Brazier, etc.

We should only take the top 2 finishers from the Olympic Trials. And then pick the 3rd runner by committee. In some cases it would be the 3rd place finisher at Trials, and in a few cases they would pick someone else.

For example, this year I think that Shamier Little would have been picked in the 400 hurdles.

But regarding Kate Grace, she wouldn't have gotten picked. No way a committee wouldn't have picked the 3rd place finisher at the Trials, Ajee Wilson. Nothing Kate Grace had done up to the Trials indicated that she was going to run 1:57 a week later.

No, GFY. Committee selections are stupid.

How is she a victim? I would argue that she is benefiting from the fact the she didn't make the team, having a career best season with the Olympic monkey off her back, nothing to worry about, free to set PR's, which she seems to be doing in each successive race. The Olympics are overated anyways.

I thought when O.P. started this thread we were going to have a discussion on how rare it is to set personal bests at 800m at 32 years, 8 months old. I thought we were going to discuss possible new cross-training Kate Grace may be doing. No. Posters are attempting to create justification for Kate Grace being one of three on Olympic team based on recent 800m races in Oslo, Norway & Stockholm, Sweden. Temperature for both races, (upper 60's to lower 70's)F. At Olympic Trials, temperature was in 90's at race time. At Olympics in Tokyo, temp. will be in 80's with high humidity. When I was in my teens and early twenties, hot & humid weather conditions only slightly inhibited my athletic performances. As I have gotten older, hot & humid conditions significantly reduce my athletic abilities. I am not surprised a 32 year plus woman is racing better in cooler conditions. There is nothing Kate Grace is doing over the past few days to justify her being an Olympian for U.S. at 800m.

And Little celebrated with a PB of 52.39. Hmmmm.

trollin' along wrote:

Another victim of our Trials system. Overall I love the Trials but every year we leave some of our best people at home. Dan O'brien, Keni Harrison, Sara Hall, Donavan Brazier, etc.

You mean the trials system that mirrors the Olympic rounds?

sheltered wrote:

And Little celebrated with a PB of 52.39. Hmmmm.

Little was on her way to a 52.5 at the OTs and has had other performances this season which indicates this level of ability. A 52.39 isn't surprising at all for her.

If you're hmmming over her race today your clueless as the Brojos or you are a Brojo.

trollin' along wrote:

Another victim of our Trials system. Overall I love the Trials but every year we leave some of our best people at home. Dan O'brien, Keni Harrison, Sara Hall, Donavan Brazier, etc.

Kate Grace is the type of athlete who should have taken advantage of the OTs but did not. She was barely a possible 3rd placer going into that race.

trollin' along wrote:

Another victim of our Trials system. Overall I love the Trials but every year we leave some of our best people at home. Dan O'brien, Keni Harrison, Sara Hall, Donavan Brazier, etc.

What about "Brazier's foot was broken" do you not understand? Are you obtuse?

The US 800m team was a gauntlet. Grace didn’t run her best in the finals, but she’s really taking advantage of her racing opportunities now. This was a perfectly executed race beacause if she’d went after the top two she probably would’ve finished 4th and with no PB

roller coaster wrote:

Tough Cookie wrote:

We should only take the top 2 finishers from the Olympic Trials. And then pick the 3rd runner by committee. In some cases it would be the 3rd place finisher at Trials, and in a few cases they would pick someone else.

For example, this year I think that Shamier Little would have been picked in the 400 hurdles.

But regarding Kate Grace, she wouldn't have gotten picked. No way a committee wouldn't have picked the 3rd place finisher at the Trials, Ajee Wilson. Nothing Kate Grace had done up to the Trials indicated that she was going to run 1:57 a week later.

No, GFY. Committee selections are stupid.

^ Ah, the charm school graduate has appeared.

It’s hard to argue that Grace is more deserving than the reigning WC silver medalist, bronze medalist (and national record-holder) and then Athing Mu who has run 1:56.0 and 49.5.

THOUGHTSLEADER wrote:

The US 800m team was a gauntlet. Grace didn’t run her best in the finals, but she’s really taking advantage of her racing opportunities now. This was a perfectly executed race because if she’d went after the top two she probably would’ve finished 4th and with no PB

yeah. there's no anxiety or pressure after the trials are over. it's just an, "ok, let's just go for and see what happens" mentality that allows people to run uninhibited. They know they have to race a different way because they just failed. You just run like you did when you're a kid and race people, not dwelling on expectations or strategies or whatever. Your body is loose

I ran my fastest race in high school that way and usually ran my best 4x400's splits in college because my "real" races had already been run and i had teammates to handle some of the pressure with me as well.

the psychological aspect of athletics is almost as important as the physical at the elite level. Durability is another. (see German Fernandez, Derrick Rose, etc)

trollin' along wrote:

Another victim of our Trials system. Overall I love the Trials but every year we leave some of our best people at home. Dan O'brien, Keni Harrison, Sara Hall, Donavan Brazier, etc.

Sara Hall is at best a 2:22 marathoner. She is not elite.

U.S. women's 800 is very strong now, and with a possibly even stronger cohort of high schoolers coming up for the reload!

Baby doc d wrote:

trollin' along wrote:

Another victim of our Trials system. Overall I love the Trials but every year we leave some of our best people at home. Dan O'brien, Keni Harrison, Sara Hall, Donavan Brazier, etc.

Sara Hall is at best a 2:22 marathoner. She is not elite.

the 2nd fastest american women over the marathon is not elite??

Sara Hall is at best a 2:20:32 marathoner

Baby doc d wrote:

trollin' along wrote:

Another victim of our Trials system. Overall I love the Trials but every year we leave some of our best people at home. Dan O'brien, Keni Harrison, Sara Hall, Donavan Brazier, etc.

Sara Hall is at best a 2:22 marathoner. She is not elite.

If she is not elite then none of the other women's marathon team members are either. And 2nd in London is elite by almost anyone's standards.

I think what makes the marathon situation a little different is that the trials were 15 months ago and Sara's performances over the past year indicate she is in better shape right now.

However, because she was a dnf at the trials there are no scenarios where she could end up on the team, even if someone dropped out.