This is so disrespectful to Ryan. Gather round and listen up, kiddos. Even though he’s become a clown with the chemical-assisted buff body and the cringey bro persona, Ryan is the best we’ve ever had.
I’ve coached HS and college in CA for 35 years. I’ve seen em all come through the pipeline, and Ryan is the best. I can’t stress enough how rare it is for a westerner to move like that kid. Pure silk. It was a shock to see him struggle for the bulk of college and kind of a “finally” thing to see him start to win at the very end and for the rest of the country to realize what we in CA knew since 1999–this kid is VERY special. I’ve said this previously and I’ll say it again: if Ryan ran 2:05 non-legal and 2:06 legal, that’s the best we can hope for. The only person who has ever come close is Rupp in super shoes (so add 2? minutes).
A USA born-n-raised male running 2:06 in old school flats like asics hyperspeeds has come along exactly ONCE in this nation’s history. Appreciate it and respect it.