Whats with the drought??
this is a damn shame when in the past 10 years, only 3 American runners have gone sub 13:20.
5000 Meters
12:58.21 Bob Kennedy (Nike) '96
13:01.15 Sydney Maree (Puma) '85
13:11.68 Adam Goucher (Fila) '99
13:11.77 Meb Keflezighi (Nike) '00
13:11.93 Alberto Salazar (AthW) '82
13:12.91 Matt Centrowitz (NYAC) '82
13:13.49 Bruce Bickford (NBal) '85
13:14.80 Bill McChesney (Ore) '82
13:15.06 Marty Liquori (FlAA) '77
13:15.44 Doug Padilla (AthW) '85
The same as for European runners.
1 Computer games and TV
2 Kenyans and Ethiopians. There is little kudos in running behind 50 Africans. The Kenyans will run for less money and the Ethiopians are more driven to win Olympic medals at long distace running. Professionals will beat amateurs most of the time.
3 Other Sports.
4 Fun running. What ever people think it is certainly more healthy to run at a moderate pace than to train to be an Olympic medallist. It is also probably more fun although less of an achievement.
You forgot drugs and testing. An African can get away from spot testing by doping during his 'visits' home, or altitude training in Eldoret, etc. Americans can get up in the morning, and there's some goof at the door with a specimen bottle waiting for a sample. Oh wait, no one from a poor third world country would ever resort to drugs. Only those nasty Americans do that.
Rosa wrote:
You forgot drugs and testing. An African can get away from spot testing by doping during his 'visits' home, or altitude training in Eldoret, etc. Americans can get up in the morning, and there's some goof at the door with a specimen bottle waiting for a sample. Oh wait, no one from a poor third world country would ever resort to drugs. Only those nasty Americans do that.
I have no doubt that a number of Africans take drugs, and in some african countries the drug taking may be deliberately ignored by the local athletics authorities. Rather like the USA, China, Russia, Greece and several other European countries who collude with and cover up drug taking.
I realise that some athletes are not exactly genius level intellects, but you would have to be stupid or very unlucky to get caught taking drugs even today in any country.
They caught Boulami only because he was shooting up at the track meets practically in front of the other competitors.
What happens to those who scratch from events when the testers turn up, or who are in a different country than they said they were. Answer: just as Linford Christie got away with excuses for being in different countries years ago, the Greeks still use the same excuses.
Actually there are a few more americans under 13:20 in the past 10 years. Ryan Wilson in 1999 ran 13:19.60, and Nick Rogers in 2000 ran 13:18.50.
First off, that list is the top 10 performers of all time... not every American who has broken 13:20. You would have to throw in Ryan Wilson, Nick Rogers, and Abdi JUST AS GUYS WHO HAVE DONE IT SINCE 1999! In addition, those 3 you mention have all gone sub 13:12 and all 3 are still running today. Not only that, but those 3 make up numbers 1, 3, and 4 all time. Not only that, but we have at least two more who will be at that level within the next 3 years or faster (Ritz and Torres), and possibly more with Riley, Lane, Sanchez (if he can ever get injury free), Solinsky, and so many more within the next 5 years.
M
How can you say Solinsky?!!! He's just a high school kid. You cann't say exactly how much potential he has yet!! How many top high schoolers do shit all at college!!
lets look at the past few years. you have sage, ritz, webb, jefferson (both), luchini, sandfort, hatch, need more?