From A+++ to F, we hand out grades to all 32 US distance runners who ran in Tokyo

Rojo,

Lay off my boy Chelimo!! He is a killer who at times pushes the envelope. This is what we need, a brawler. Also, you were a bit harsh on Grant Fisher. Other than that, pretty solid grading. You did forget about Yared Nguse, which is an F. Unless you are actually dead, either run or give up your spot to the alternate.

A few more:

NBC = F on the coverage. What a goddamn sh!tshow with Peacock. F U x 10000000

Tokyo = F for not allowing vaccinated fans and for robbing Jewitt of his spot in the finals.

Iron Bars wrote:

Rojo,

Lay off my boy Chelimo!! He is a killer who at times pushes the envelope. This is what we need, a brawler. Also, you were a bit harsh on Grant Fisher. Other than that, pretty solid grading. You did forget about Yared Nguse, which is an F. Unless you are actually dead, either run or give up your spot to the alternate.

A few more:

NBC = F on the coverage. What a goddamn sh!tshow with Peacock. F U x 10000000

Tokyo = F for not allowing vaccinated fans and for robbing Jewitt of his spot in the finals.

+1

3 Bs for the marathon when none were even in the race?

Over the Hills and Far Away wrote:

Iron Bars wrote:

Rojo,

Lay off my boy Chelimo!! He is a killer who at times pushes the envelope. This is what we need, a brawler. Also, you were a bit harsh on Grant Fisher. Other than that, pretty solid grading. You did forget about Yared Nguse, which is an F. Unless you are actually dead, either run or give up your spot to the alternate.

A few more:

NBC = F on the coverage. What a goddamn sh!tshow with Peacock. F U x 10000000

Tokyo = F for not allowing vaccinated fans and for robbing Jewitt of his spot in the finals.

+1

+2

And grades were fair enough mostly. Nguse is expelled from school though.

rojo wrote:I don’t want to sound like an old guy who complains about grade inflation and participation trophies but you are forcing me to play that role. This is how grades are supposed to work. A is for excellence, B is for good, C is for fair, D is for disappointment and an F is for failure.

The real grade scale:

A= Excellent

B= Above average

C= Average

D= Below average

F= Fail

Grading appears inconsistent...

Is this on a curve?

Graded specifically for each athlete based on expectations?

Graded by result?

Graded by race place?

Double secret probation for Prof Rojo.

You give Rupp a B?

He was a legitimate medal contender and he bombed out. Being the top American doesn't count for much. He came in 8th. That's a disappointing result. You don't get a B+ for disappointing results. That's C- territory.

I agree with most of the grades except for Tuliamuk and Rupp. Tuliamuk should get a F. There would have been a lot of screeching from the woke crowd if you gave her a F, so I can understand not wanting to do that. Rupp should probably get a C if you're going with a C being fair.

Slightly irrelevant , but I think this needs correcting from Rojo:

she shouldn’t be losing to the likes of Linden Hall and Nozomi Tanaka.

This year Linden has ran 3:59 completely solo and 4:00 effectively solo in Australia. She ran a 1:59.2 800 this year as well (0.7 faster than Purrier has this year).

Linden has been closer to the best in the world for longer than Purrier has. Sure, Hall's PB is a second slower, and most would pick Purrier to probably win, but to think that Purrier should never lose to someone like Hall is showing some American-centric thinking. They are athletes at a comparable level.

Looks like participation trophies but there's no quarter in professional sports. A = gold medal, B = silver, C= bronze, F = anything else.

The professional teams and coaches should also be graded for their Olympic performances along with factoring in deductions for athletes not making the Tokyo team.

BTC = ( D) - no Evan Jager, Shelby Houlihan, Derrick

Julian = ( D) no Brazier

Brooks = (C) Even though Kerr is not an American and had to deal with the Athlete Special distraction

ON = (B) Ritz had a high percentage of his athletes in Tokyo.

Boss = ( F) Emma's performance was poor.

Jon Green = ( A) Molly's coach deserves some Bronze credit.

Rupp needs to be lower. The dude is a multi-medalist, and bronze last time in the marathon.

TMADDDHASFNE wrote:

The professional teams and coaches should also be graded for their Olympic performances along with factoring in deductions for athletes not making the Tokyo team.

BTC = ( D) - no Evan Jager, Shelby Houlihan, Derrick

Julian = ( D) no Brazier

Brooks = (C) Even though Kerr is not an American and had to deal with the Athlete Special distraction

ON = (B) Ritz had a high percentage of his athletes in Tokyo.

Boss = ( F) Emma's performance was poor.

Jon Green = ( A) Molly's coach deserves some Bronze credit.

WCAP?

2/3 of our Steeplechase team is WCAP.

Chelimo I think still trains with them.

Alan

Meh this is like a week late.

Over it already.

Jerry Maguire wrote:

Meh this is like a week late.

Over it already.

Hot take^^

Gault: A for effort, deducted 1/2 grade for lateness... B+

Rojo: Inconsistent grading. Resubmit for passing grade, Incomplete.

Double Secret Probation.

John Gault's grades are fine.

Rojo, your comments are why none of the professional runners consider this site legitimate media. Rojo is a caricature of the typical message board poster hoisting unrealistic expectations on athletes that performed within reason of what should be expected.

Purrier was not a medal favorite. She was maybe an outside contender at a medal but had never shown the ability to mix it up at the level of the women who medaled. The comment about Mu was unnecessary. Murphy getting tactically beat in a wide open field does not constitute the failure you attribute to him. The criticism of Chelimo has nothing to do with his actual performance. The comments on Schweizer in the 5k is extremely unrealistic. She hasn't shown 14:26 form in 12 months and the idea she or Cranny should be with the 14:10 crowd is unrealistic. Doubling back from the a good 10k to run with the leaders in the 5k is a strong showing for Fisher and your need to be critical is unnecessary considering it isn't your article even. Lastly your failure to even consider Seidel as a outside medal possibility shows how little you know what you are talking about.

rojo wrote:

What do you think of our grades?

https://www.letsrun.com/news/2021/08/grading-the-american-mid-distance-distance-runners-at-tokyo-2020/

Disagree on Schweitzer B+ to for a runner who’s last lap was in 79 in the 10k.

Why the hate on Grijalva. “I’d give him a B for the prelim and D for the final. Losing by 7+ seconds to Luis Grijalva? C or C – is the grade.”

That is really rude to Grijalva. I don’t believe Kincaid is that much better. Grijalva will soon be better than Kincaid and hopefully represent the USA at the Paris Olympics.

oldoldrunner wrote:

rojo wrote:

What do you think of our grades?

https://www.letsrun.com/news/2021/08/grading-the-american-mid-distance-distance-runners-at-tokyo-2020/

Disagree on Schweitzer B+ to for a runner who’s last lap was in 79 in the 10k.

Why the hate on Grijalva. “I’d give him a B for the prelim and D for the final. Losing by 7+ seconds to Luis Grijalva? C or C – is the grade.”

That is really rude to Grijalva. I don’t believe Kincaid is that much better. Grijalva will soon be better than Kincaid and hopefully represent the USA at the Paris Olympics.

I forgot about your statement in the your summary of the men’s 5k. In the article you, Letsrun, state Grijalva ran the best race in the final. You asked how can someone PB in that heat.

In one article you praise Grijalva and in this one you do the opposite.

I didn't even click that link. I mean it's pretty obvious Athing Mu ran well and Emma Coburn didn't. I'd leave the journalism and "hot takes" to Jonathan Gault.

Robert Johnson’s response: There is as higher grade. It’s called A++++++++.

There is as lower grade. It is called "don't know English grammar after $1,000,000 of private schooling and 50 years of trying."