I seriously think Price may have had her best performance of the year this weekend. I hope she can at least equal her USATF performance at World Youths, but I would be very surprised if she runs much faster. [Which is OK.] After a hard XC, Indoor and Outdoor season, I would assume she has peaked. Price has a good shot a Kim's record next year, but it is by no means guaranteed. Most of your top female middle/distance runners such as Debbie Heald, Joetta Clark, Mary Decker, Julia Stamps, Robin Campbell, Lynn Jennings, Suzie Tuffey and Erin Davis, all had their best performance in the their Sophomore or Junior year and only improved slightly or did not improve at all their senior year of of HS. Kim Gallagher ran 2:01x in Junior year and several 201s in her senior year before she ran 2:00.1. Once you get to a certain point, even slight improvements become difficult to achieve and I suspect Chanelle is at that point. And in terms of Chanelle running faster by changing her front running racing strategy, she runs the way she runs because she figured out that is what works best for her; Mary Decker and Kim Gallagher ran the exact way same way. The 800 is such a tactical race that the winner is quite often not the best athlete, but the one who executes the best race. You only get to make one move and running in the pack is risky, you are usually better off leading or running in the back of the pack. Btw - a big mistake a lot distance runners make in running the 800 is trying to run even splits, you first 400 should always be about 10% faster than your second 400.
I wish Chanelle all the luck in the world, but breaking the USR this year is unlikely and even doing it next year is not guaranteed. I say this because coaches and athletes can get so obsessed with achieving a certain performance that the essence of why you enjoy the sports gets lost. Mary Decker and Kim Gallagher spent so much of their teen aged years trying to live up to everyone's expectations that by the time they reached age 18 they were ready to walk away from the sport. - The point is, back off a little, appreciate what Chanelle is doing and don't keep asking for more.
CHANELLE PRICE: the future of USA women middle distance running?
Report Thread
-
-
TrackCoach wrote:
I seriously think Price may have had her best performance of the year this weekend. I hope she can at least equal her USATF performance at World Youths, but I would be very surprised if she runs much faster. [Which is OK.] After a hard XC, Indoor and Outdoor season, I would assume she has peaked. Price has a good shot a Kim's record next year, but it is by no means guaranteed. Most of your top female middle/distance runners such as Debbie Heald, Joetta Clark, Mary Decker, Julia Stamps, Robin Campbell, Lynn Jennings, Suzie Tuffey and Erin Davis, all had their best performance in the their Sophomore or Junior year and only improved slightly or did not improve at all their senior year of of HS. Kim Gallagher ran 2:01x in Junior year and several 201s in her senior year before she ran 2:00.1. Once you get to a certain point, even slight improvements become difficult to achieve and I suspect Chanelle is at that point. And in terms of Chanelle running faster by changing her front running racing strategy, she runs the way she runs because she figured out that is what works best for her; Mary Decker and Kim Gallagher ran the exact way same way. The 800 is such a tactical race that the winner is quite often not the best athlete, but the one who executes the best race. You only get to make one move and running in the pack is risky, you are usually better off leading or running in the back of the pack. Btw - a big mistake a lot distance runners make in running the 800 is trying to run even splits, you first 400 should always be about 10% faster than your second 400.
I wish Chanelle all the luck in the world, but breaking the USR this year is unlikely and even doing it next year is not guaranteed. I say this because coaches and athletes can get so obsessed with achieving a certain performance that the essence of why you enjoy the sports gets lost. Mary Decker and Kim Gallagher spent so much of their teen aged years trying to live up to everyone's expectations that by the time they reached age 18 they were ready to walk away from the sport. - The point is, back off a little, appreciate what Chanelle is doing and don't keep asking for more.
Excellent post.
While Price's race was phenomenal at USATF, there is no guarantee that she will break Kim's record for all of the reasons mentioned above. Besides, there isn't going to be anyone in the high school ranks to push her while still in high school. This, could be a frustrating "factor" and one of many given her talent level.
She certainly has the kind of 400m speed that is a hallmark of all of the event leaders mentioned above. No question about that. That, coupled with "the uncanny ability to EXECUTE the best race" should do her well in the future. That is the key.
Alysia Johnson has been able to EXECUTE all season long.
At the NCAA's and the USATF finals, she obviously had another gear left to shift into. Very smart on her part.
Pan-Am Games and Osaka should be fun to watch.
http://video.nbcsports.com/player/?id=122793#videoid=122834
USATF Women's 800m video -
Price is good.
Just needs more and more race experience.
Gonna be tough to find that in high school.
Should be interesting to see how her career unfolds.
Hopefully it remains fun for her.
Best of luck to her. -
Some athletes with great 400m speed still need to be frontrunners because they haven't/don't have the blazing kicks of fast closers. I've come across several 800m runners (myself included) who needed to go out fast and hold on. Even with the strength of x-country doesn't change the need for front running tactics of some 800m runners.
I agree with TrackCoach in that most phenoms in high school who post elite times in soph and jr year, seldomly improve greatly in their senior year. In regards to Chanelle Price I FEEL SHE WILL BE THE EXCEPTION and that she will improve barring injury/illness. Its wierd because right the USA four or five high school runners who are very special and gifted young athletes, the kind that normally only come around every 10 or more years! -
Runningart2004
You can't be a true fan of athletics! How can you insult two of America's brightest distance stars with immature and uncalled for remarks. I'm sure both of those young ladies will develop fine and continue setting numerous personal bests in the years to come. -
Bump.
LOL. What ever happened to Runningfarts2004? -
Her boobs are too big, and she isn't tough enough. End of story.
