Webb: "I learned nothing. I accomplished nothing. It was a waste of my time. I should have stayed home"

I totally agree. Best comment so far, plain and simple.

Again. I like Webb, and will continue to support him. Most of what you write about Webb is spot on. He is good. He trained to run fast at meets that don't matter. The best in the World focused on the World Championships, it showed. Webb was in the best form of his life, his times this season are proof of that. Everyone has been lured into believing that running fast times in Europe = Championship success. If anything all of us should have learned that this is not the reality. The best in world will show up at every Championship Mr. Webb will ever compete in and the reality is that they are just better. Why is that such a hard pill to swallow?

"no matter how many WC/OGs he's underperformed at, he's still only 24. he's had good strength for a while (now 3:46 strength- i.e. VERY GOOD), he's developed the kick (even down to the last 100m- see USATF or Paris), and he's got the speed endurance (1:43 800). basically he's got all the tools. those tools will get more potent over the next 2-3 years. he's got at least 4 years after that before he starts slowing down. so we're looking at 6-7 years in which, so long as he peaks at the right time and runs a smart race, he's EXTREMELY LIKELY to medal, maybe even win. that's 2 olympics and 3 world championships, and you don't think that he can do better than 8th or so?

you're being irrationally negative about Webb's chances.

besides, he's only really underperformed at ONE world-level event where he came in as a serious contender: the 2007 world championships. he was a 1:46/3:50 guy with no kick (and peaked at USATFs) guy in Athens, and a 1:46/3:48 guy with no kick in Helsinki. only this year, as a 1:43/3:46 guy with a BLAZING kick, could he be seriously considered as a medal threat. for whatever reason, be it illness or injury or being past his peak, he wasn't in the form he showed all season, and he kinda tanked.

so... sorry he ran over your dog, or didn't give you an autograph, or whatever earned him this grudge you've got, but your assessment of his chances at the world level is stupid. oh, and your analogy about becoming a billionaire sucks. your inability to make a billion dollars, as someone who presumably lacks many of the prerequisites (not the least of which is common sense) to do so, has nothing to do with webb's chances in a WC/OG race, seeing as he is (in peak form) faster than just about everyone in the field over 800/mile AND, this year, (again, in peak form) has a ridiculous kick. to win a WC/OG race, all he needs now is a good peak, good health, and good positioning."

Again. I like Webb, and will continue to support him. Most of what you write about Webb is spot on. He is good. He trained to run fast at meets that don't matter. The best in the World focused on the World Championships, it showed. Webb was in the best form of his life, his times this season are proof of that. Everyone has been lured into believing that running fast times in Europe = Championship success. If anything all of us should have learned that this is not the reality. The best in world will show up at every Championship Mr. Webb will ever compete in and the reality is that they are just better. Why is that such a hard pill to swallow?

Chicano wrote:

Again. I like Webb, and will continue to support him. Most of what you write about Webb is spot on. He is good. He trained to run fast at meets that don't matter. The best in the World focused on the World Championships, it showed. Webb was in the best form of his life, his times this season are proof of that. Everyone has been lured into believing that running fast times in Europe = Championship success. If anything all of us should have learned that this is not the reality. The best in world will show up at every Championship Mr. Webb will ever compete in and the reality is that they are just better. Why is that such a hard pill to swallow?

so you admit that he peaked early- he ran his best in europe and the medalists ran their best in osaka... well humor me this:

if Webb had showed up in osaka in the shape he was in when he ran 3:30 (outkicking baala) and 1:43 (beating reed), do you REALLY believe that he wouldn't have been a serious medal threat?

if so, i respectfully disagree with you. i believe he would have gotten a medal and maybe even won. i also believe that he and/or raczko realize this and will work towards fixing this for next year in Beijing.

p.s. saying that webb will never have what it takes to compete with the best in the world is the opposite of supporting webb, whether or not you like him.

I have closely followed Webb's career. He is talented, but he has not been peaking properly in his pro career. I thought this year was going to be the pro equivalent of his senior year in HS where he hit his peak at exactly the right moment. It would have been if he could have only peaked to his 3:46 form in August instead of July.

blahblahblah wrote:

'only 24'

I keep hearing this over and over about Webb. 24yrs old is not young in athletics.

For example...

- Tirunesh Dibaba and Sanya Richards are 22.

- Christine Ohuruogo and Jeremy Wariner are 23.

- Carolina Kluft and Asafa Powell are 24.

- Kenenisa Bekele, Tyson Gay and Nicola Sanders are 25.

- Christian Olsson and Craig Mottram are 27.

Age-wise, there is no excuse for his performance.

at age 24, bernard lagat had not yet run in an olympic games or world championship.

just because a POLL of letsrunners says he peaked too early, doesn't mean he actually did. only him and his coach know if he peaked too early. running a time trial 1000m in 2:15 a week before is actually pretty good evidence that he DID NOT peak too early.

Not exactly. The SAME Webb was at the World Championship as the one who ran 1:43/3:46. The only difference is that the conditions and the competition changed. The other runners are capable of the same feat they just choose to focus on the Championships. In reality they are JUST BETTER. Why does this admission mean I can't support Webb?

Chicano: In my younger years my mentors told me "that running breeds cowardice."

What did he mean? just curious.

His agent (Ray Flynn) has said that he had been on antibiotics before Osaka.

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/display_article.php?id=17492

I could have possibly weakened him...wonder what he had. We'll see how he responds the rest of the season.

Tommy2Nuts wrote:

Chicano: In my younger years my mentors told me "that running breeds cowardice."

What did he mean? just curious.

It means most of them were pretty much big meat heads whom could not run well because they were built like brick shit houses and thought runners were like chick's. For the record I do not share that sentiment.

Or it could mean that running may inspire "running away" in a fight. When ones only tool is to runaway in a fight that "might" be viewed as "cowardice."

i don't know if you watched any of his other races this season, but they're available online, so go back and watch. you'll see that, in Osaka, coming through 1200m in 2:55 (normally a pace he could keep up for another 1200m), he's clearly fatigued. when the kicking starts, he's got nothing. if Webb was in the same shape he was in when he beat Baala in Paris, he would be TOTALLY relaxed at that point, and would be able to kick with anyone in that field.

it's pretty clear, with even the most cursory viewing, that Webb was in worse shape in Osaka than he was in Paris or Belgium. now, whether that's because of antibiotics, missed training because of a hamstring injury, or just being past his peak, we may never know; but what is pretty clear to everyone (except, perhaps, you) is that he was not in peak form in the finals in Osaka.

in reality, they WERE better on that day. championship results are the most important thing, but they're not the only thing. who would you say was the best 800m runner of the early 1980s? i'd say it was Coe, despite his lack of any major 800m titles. well, Webb's career isn't over yet. far from it! he probably has another 9 years or so of racing, so it's kind of ridiculous to stick a fork in him at this point.

Who is sticking a fork in him? He has a great career ahead of him. He will continue to win more U.S. titles and run fast times and he will get a nice paycheck in the process.

He won't be an Olympic or World Champion. Again I will bet the the farm on it.

web faan wrote:

5k is Alan's destiny!

that well may be interesting

Put motive/desire in one hand and crap in the other and see which fills up first. Seriously...

You either got it or you don't. Again, 2 x WC's, 1 x Oly's and Webb has PROVEN that he "doesn't have it."

Why is this so hard to comprehend.

On a side note: I am motivated to be a billionaire and most certainly have the DESIRE. Does that mean it is going to happen? "Not so much."

You missed the point of my post, and are writing like Webb and I personally insulted you or something. As I said, criticize all you want if you feel you have the right. The guy wants to win, and as a fan that is all I would ever ask or expect.

Chicano wrote:

Who is sticking a fork in him? He has a great career ahead of him. He will continue to win more U.S. titles and run fast times and he will get a nice paycheck in the process.

He won't be an Olympic or World Champion. Again I will bet the the farm on it.

i wouldn't take that bet, actually. there's only one gold medal each time, and the world scene is crowded. i WOULD, however, bet that he'll win a world or olympic medal before his career is over. probably more than one. he has probably 3 more olympics and 4 more worlds by the time he's Lagat's age, so that's 21 medals for the 1500m. you're saying that, for the next 9 years, there will always be at least 3 guys better than him at 1500m. i disagree.

then again, on another thread, you said there are "many" guys that are just too good for him to ever beat, and that's absurd. it's really hard to tell if you're serious or just someone who wants to see him fail.

You are stating Webb is GUARANTEED to make every U.S. Team over the next 9 years? And I am being "silly?" WOW.

I guess the rest of the U.S. and the

World for that matter is just going to stand still and no one else in the U.S. will ever give him a run for his money, he will be healthy and injury free at every Trials race.

Look at the pot calling the kettle black.

i don't recall saying that he will make all those teams (although i believe he will).

all i said was that there will be 3 more olympics and 4 more world championships before he is likely to retire. then i said that i think he will medal sometime in there.

your reading comprehension - like your ability to distinguish between your opinion and fact - sucks.

from another thread wrote:

i don't recall saying that he will make all those teams (although i believe he will).

all i said was that there will be 3 more olympics and 4 more world championships before he is likely to retire. then i said that i think he will medal sometime in there.

your reading comprehension - like your ability to distinguish between your opinion and fact - sucks.

You are grasping at straw's bro.