Klecker scratches from 5000

Well if Joe does not provide an explanation then let the drug allegations begin.

Expected.

Probably a good decision. He's got his ticket and he's focusing on the 10k. Good opportunity to dig in and get some good quality work done.

I would like to see him run and try to win another national championship. He could always scratch the 5k if he were to make the team.

Ritz said Klecker’s and Monson’s main focus would be on the 10k.

Focusing on 10k?

This was expected, after a hard 5k in Oslo, Ritz didn’t want to push him too hard. This was mentioned on the Coffee Club podcast prior to his last race.

So he skipped USAs in the 5k to run a diamond league 5k the week before? BTC would have been killed for doing that.

BTC would have run an intersquad time trial with no cameras or documentation of it occurring.

Yeah I agree. I have no love for BTC, particularly after their handling of Shelby, but feels pretty hypocritical for people to praise OAC for doing something they would have crushed BTC for.

This scenario is different.
Klecker and Monson already made the team in the 10000. Their coach said in advance that they thought a truly fast 5000 would be more useful than a tactical race at nationals in an event they weren’t going to run at Worlds. As someone else said, a diamond league is a little different than a BTC time trial.

Seriously, has that EVER happened. They at least skyways livestream their events that happened during Covid. I’m as much a critic as anyone, but don’t make things up to suit your stance. It’s lazy and cheapens an argument.

It's very important to "taste" international competition before the Worlds. I give Klecker and Monson credit for taking the leap. All the top contenders for the World Champs are running the circuit.

Who said they had to go along with making it tactical? A national gold medal is still a national gold medal if everyone else passes the finish line 30 seconds later than you. :-)

The mental gymnastics on this board are astounding. If anyone on BTC decided to skip USAs to run a 2nd rate diamond league in Norway they would be crucified.

We get it, this board has its favorites (OAC) and its punching bags (BTC). Just don't make the hypocrisy so obvious.

I think he's referring to Shelby claiming to run a 3:55 time trial instead of racing, ostensibly so that she could see her very busy doctor during his only available slot of the year.

This is exactly my point. This has never happened. BTC has never participated in a race that was not livestreamed, and every "time trial" they participate in has been open to everyone with fairly deep fields (no, the pandemic doesn't count). At least be correct.

The use of “intersquad” suggests otherwise. Like I said, I don’t agree with many of their decisions; but btc always showed the races live. As pointed out above this post, the races were always open to others as well (besides during the height of Covid).

Smart move by OAC and Ritz. They got some fast 5k's in against International competition. No need to run the two qualifiers at USA's with only a month to go.