Burst appendix for Webb

BURST APPENDIX ENDS WEBB'S SEASON

By David Monti

(c) 2003 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

Alan Webb's outdoor track season came to an abrupt end yesterday when his

appendix burst requiring immediate surgery.

"He's O.K.," said his manager, Ray Flynn of Flynn Sports Management in a

telephone interview today from his Gray, Tenn. office. Webb underwent the

surgery in Fairfax, Va.

The 20 year-old middle distance runner, who in 2001 became the fastest ever

American high school miler (3:53.43), had a disappointing season so far this

year, finishing tenth at last month's U.S. Outdoor Championships in Palo

Alto, Calif., in the 1500m. Nonetheless, the Nike sponsored athlete was

ready to do some more races overseas this summer to regain his form and

confidence.

"He was planning on racing some in Europe," Flynn said, emphasizing that the

competitions would wouldn't be at the IAAF Golden League or Grand Prix level

which might be too pressure-filled.

After breaking Jim Ryun's 1965 U.S. high school mile record at the

Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore. on 27-May-2001, Webb became one of the

most celebrated American athletes in any sport that year. He enrolled at

the University of Michigan in the fall of 2001 under coach Ron Warhurst, but

an Achilles injury early in 2002 and an apparant dissatisfaction with the

Michigan program prompted Webb to give up his scholarship and collegiate

athletics in June, 2002. Flynn became Webb's manager, and brokered a

lucrative professional contract for his new client with Nike. Webb returned

to his native Virginia to train under his high school coach, Scott Raczko.

Since then, Webb has not fulfilled widely held expectations that he would

become the Next Great American Miler. He broke four minutes once during the

indoor season (3:59.89), but finished seventh at the U.S. Indoor

Championships last March in Boston. He mostly ran low-key meets during his

outdoor season prior to the U.S. national meet, showing his best performance

at the Prefontaine meet last May when he ran 3:58.84 in the mile, finishing

10th.

"I've taken a beating this year. I guess [this race] is a small step in the

right direction," Webb told RRW Assistant Editor Bob Ramsak after the

Prefontaine race.

Flynn is optimistic that Webb will be back to training as soon as he can;

most 20 year-old's heal pretty quickly. "He's looking forward to healing up

and doing some cross country in the fall," concluded Flynn.

A burst appendix and an appendectomy are 2 completely different things.

Did they preserve the appendix? Can I get it on EBay?

Okay, how about if he comes back and runs in all the meets available 10 weeks from now?

Good grief, what a wonderful bit of absurdity--Webb faked an appendix removal to avoid the rest of the track season.

Surgery for a ruptured appendix versus appendectomy can be quite different protocols.

Do post this list of "Many an athlete..." so we can know as much as you.

Willowy Wanda wrote:

Okay, how about if he comes back and runs in all the meets available 10 weeks from now?

Good grief, what a wonderful bit of absurdity--Webb faked an appendix removal to avoid the rest of the track season.

Surgery for a ruptured appendix versus appendectomy can be quite different protocols.

Do post this list of "Many an athlete..." so we can know as much as you.

Exactly right. YOu can die from a burst appendix. The upside to these kind of posts is that it just proves how bizarre and ridiculous the Webb bashers are. Their credibilty gets reduced to an even lower level than it currently is at.

You guys are idiots. An appendectomy is the actual procedure you do for an appendicitis or a burst appendix. Why do you try to act like you know something when you don't have a freaking clue? I guarantee he fells like crap today. He will tomorrow and the day after that. You guys are boneheads.

This goes a long way in explaining his relatively poor performance this year. His appendix has probably been inflamed for months which would induce a general overall weakness. The inflamation could have been caused by a digestive viral infection or blockage. Incidently one symptom is weight loss which could explain what others have observed about Webb this year, his gaunt look compared to High School. No doubt some psychological stress didn't help either. Obviously what he needs now is a summer of rest and recovery, not hard work as he declared a couple of weeks ago. That would be impossible and counter productive now.

Don't forget in 1983 Coe had glandular fever and infection and spent the most of the fall of '83 in hospital and resting. He didn't start training until early Dec. yet was able to win Olympic gold 8 months later. Coe had several sub-par performances before the fever was diagnosed.

Me thinks your doctorate is in the wrong field.

Well, I hope for his sake he blames his poor performances on the appendix. Maybe it'll be the mental excuse he needs to get tough again since in his mind he will have been absolved from the poor performances.

It probably was the appendix anyway.

Dr. zhivago wrote:

An appendectomy is the actual procedure you do for an appendicitis or a burst appendix.

True enough but the point is that there is a big difference between appendicitis and a burst appendix.

"Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. If untreated, an inflamed appendix can burst, causing infection and even death."

this story would make a good appendix to Lear's book

Post a link to the above story, otherwise it's BS.

wha? wrote:

Post a link to the above story, otherwise it's BS.

Since the original poster used Race Results Weekly and Dave Monti's name on the item I would think it would be true lest that particular poster running a risk of some legal action.

Yep they are two different things. The former is the cause and the latter is the cure. Whether one has apendicitis or a burst appendix the cure is an appendectomy. Duh. And athletes go on to full seasons after either appendicitis or a burst appendix. Jennings, Julia Stamps, Joan Samuelson all continued with seasons after the procedure.

The second poster used the Monti press release not the original poster.

It had already been decided that Webb would not go overseas and run a couple races here before calling it quits of the season. So i dont know what all that bull in the article was about....Also.....running CC??

newsboy wrote:

Yep they are two different things. The former is the cause and the latter is the cure. Whether one has apendicitis or a burst appendix the cure is an appendectomy. Duh. And athletes go on to full seasons after either appendicitis or a burst appendix. Jennings, Julia Stamps, Joan Samuelson all continued with seasons after the procedure.

Read my next post. Did their appendix actually burst in all those cases? If so, kudos to them. Joanie is already tough in my books given what she did in the trials in 84 so soon after knee surgery.

Since the original poster used Race Results Weekly and Dave Monti's name on the item I would think it would be true lest that particular poster running a risk of some legal action.

The poster shouldn't have posted that story at all. Must have some difficulty with this whole concept:

"(c) 2003 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved"

Just another dude,

That was hilarious! I got give the man some props for that since no one else did.