Feeling really bad for Sinclaire Johnson

Eh...she gets better every year, but she needs to stay healthy an entire year to hit the new level required. It's pretty remarkable how well she puts it together on these interrupted buildups. Her (big PB), Donaghu (7th in 5K, sub-15) and Keegan (went under sub-2, close in 800m semi) all trained well and performed pretty well this spring. But New Balance Boston, Mike Smith Elite, and Brooks Beasts are really on fire in the middle distances.

This is the problem with the sport when the entire focus is on the Olympics. A number of other people in equally strong events in the USA - Sprint hurdles, etc. - are running great times but not going either. There is great depth in the US in many events - if you don't like it, compete for another country. I feel for the 4th best runners in Ethiopia where making their teams is equally difficult, if not more difficult., on the women's side -for example their 1500m.

Two pennies? What country are you from?

She'll survive. People have had worse luck at the Trials.

Lisa Rainsberger
1980 Olympic Trials in Swimming - did not make team
1984 Olympic Trials Marathon - 4th
1988 Olympic Trials Marathon - 4th
1992 Olympic Trials Marathon - 4th

Dump Pete, become a MOM, Kessler/Valby training model and 3:52 FTW in 2028. She’ll only be 30. Very possible.

I hope they eventually make the change for non-Olympics (I get that the Olympics is more about global representation), that they get as many athletes who are top 20 types as possible into the event. No offense, but the idea that Ben Flanagan, Patrick Dever or Brian Fay goes to a Worlds while Addisu Yihune or Biniam Mehary has to stay home is ludicrous. And I like all those guys, but come on. Ditto Sinclaire and someone like Sophie O'Sullivan. Shamier Little and all these women who can barely break 55s in the 400H or 51.5 in the 400m. Christian Coleman and...yeah you get the point.

You have to time the mom thing so you are at the Trials 16 months after you've given birth.

The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat.

She’s a former US champ, so she at least knows what it’s like to win and make a team. It wasn’t an Olympic year when she won, but being able to compete in the world championships is still special. How many more runners never make a team of any kind?

She should trade one running day a week for Valby style arc training. That might help her stay injury free.

All of these bone injuries have me questioning an eating disorder or malnutrition. Way too many lately to think that she’s not getting all the nutrients she needs to stay healthy. I feel for her though - to suffer through all that and run 3:56 is a testament to how insanely talented Sinclaire is.

Will union athletic be around in 2025?

I feel bad for her, but I also don’t know that she could have done everything differently.
That race was INSANE. She did an incredible job. It is just such a stacked event right now and there are only 3 spots.

Top 6-8 in that race could have qualified.

She should form a support group with the 4th through 6th place finishers of the sprint events.

yeah hopefully she can take some time off to investigate the underlying cause of her bone injuries and have a slower build into the next olympics

She's inefficient.

She looks down when she runs consistently in races, especially when she is trying to draft and 'zone out'. Can't do that and have the rest of your body land directly over your center of mass during your stride cycle. You end up slightly heel striking even in spikes, causing a poor stride cycle that leads to the potential for legs issues when running at faster paces/racing more often.

Get your head up and hips under you Johnson! Glute/Hip strength needed perhaps.

Watch her racing videos....where are her eyes every race. Can't do that.

I feel bad for her as well. She’s a great competitor and runner, and she once again stuck her nose in it and executed a superb race. 3 others just went faster. Plus, she’s very attractive and seems very intelligent and likeable. She makes it easy to be a Sinclaire fan.

Just watched the trials race again. Sinclaire does tend to look down and fixate on a spot.

Don’t know how many extremely high level pros get away with it, but I do remember some Kenyans with the same issue!

I agree. Once Mackay took the lead during the final lap of world indoors it was obvious that was not a fluke and would likely carry over to outdoors. From that point forth I fully expected it to be Hiltz, Mackay and St. Pierre making the team in Paris, if all were healthy. Mackay is much bigger and stronger than Sinclaire.

The only aspect from the interview that surprised me were the 3:57 references. Last year a worlds semifinal was run in 3:55. Kipyegon has taken the event to another level and the world is responding. Thought process adjustment is required. Trials turned into a jog last year only due to Mu's presence in every round.

These sports are tough when you don't have a second event. Every time I wonder why all the second tier sprinters hang around in track and swimming, I stop wondering once they sneak onto an Olympic relay.