Why USATF is Corrupt

You are probably 13 years old, so I won't take long on this.

Really? You think that Jeremy Johnson (whoever that is) should be in the race over Adam Goucher? Really? Wrong!

It is not about the name. Adam Goucher should run a faster time if he wants in against a faster runner. The ONLY fair thing to do is to let all of the runners in that have run faster than Adam. We love the guy, but this is the Olympic Trials not a marketing campaign (hopefully) This is about the hard work and the ability for everyone who qualifies to have their shot. I say enter Goucher, sweet, if someone believes he will deepen the field then great! But then so will everyone in front of him. If Goucher goes, so do all in front of him!

YES, Jeremy Johnson should be in over Goucher. Do you really think Goucher is going to be top three and run the A standard on friday? I could imagine letting Adam in if this was in the relm of possibility, but it isn't. And Jermey Johnson is a young runner who could benefit from the experience of participating in the olympic trials. and he is obviously more deserving because he's run a faster time.

The difference is not in the name, the difference is that Goucher is qualified in 3 events for the Trials and is an Olympian & many times over a national champion. Yes, he deserves a special exemption. No, the other provisional athletes do not also deserve to be swept in with him. The field size is a minimum, not a maximum, and the USATF allows themselves leeway to do whatever they want to do with provisional qualifiers. The only thing they have locked themselves into is that they have to allow in all automatic qualifiers. After that, it's their game.It's not politics. We all know that of all the provisional qualifiers, Goucher and Ritzenhein are the only 2 with a legit shot at making the team, and they should be in the field. If I was #30 on the list, I would also think that this is not fair, but if you step outside and look at the big picture, which is trying to compose the best team that we can to send to the Olympics, then letting those 2 in is the right thing to do.

I agree. If Goucher with past achievements is given the chance, then the others that have proven themselves to run faster than him this year should also have the chance. This is America right?

Joe Driscoll 28:29.96

Rod Koborsi 28:30.03

Joshua Moen 28:31.08

James Strang 28:31.33

Jeremy Johnson 28:33.08

Forest Braden 28:35.36

Michael Eaton 28:41.96

Adam Goucher 28:43.80 Nike

Deserve has nothing to do with it. The guy either has the qualifying time or he deosn't. If there is room for one more participant, then the next in line via time moves in. Simple. Once exceptions are made for whatever reason, a cloud of suspicion hangs over every decision. Can Nike or other clubs or groups buy everything? Can they buy a clean drug test? Don't laugh. It was proven that USATF turned their back on many previously and only acted once the positive test was leaked. CJ Hunter was already at the Olympics or WC when his positive test from 6 months prior was leaked. Mary Slaney had a similar situation. USATF was trying to let it slide. Why? The issue is not letting Goucher in for whatever reason. The issue is not following uniform rules for everyone to keep the sport on the up and up. IMHO, if Goucher is as great as some are painting him, he would have one of the 24 fastest times in the U.S.

I love how you all think just because he is a NIKE athlete he can get into the meets. The USATF board doesn't give a crap what company he runs for. Nike is a sponsor, just lie anyone else.

Goucher got in because he is a former olympian, olympic trials winner, ncaa champion, and has run 13:10. Jeremy Johnson maybe won his conference meet this year??

How has he run this year, though? Great running resume, no doubt, but it seems like the USATF isn't looking at all the variables concerning Goucher.

Mensracing wrote:

I love how you all think just because he is a NIKE athlete he can get into the meets. The USATF board doesn't give a crap what company he runs for. Nike is a sponsor, just lie anyone else.

Goucher got in because he is a former olympian, olympic trials winner, ncaa champion, and has run 13:10. Jeremy Johnson maybe won his conference meet this year??

Oh naive one. USATF does give a crap about which company an athlete runs for. Masback's defection was only the latest of USATF surrogates to get paychecks with swooshes on them.

Additionally, the above arguments in support of Goucher being more qualified in spite of his time are forgetting who his wife is and she is a hot commodity now. Doesn't hurt to appease.

However, these arguments for Goucher vs. Johnson entry reminds me back when USATF justified nailing one athlete who would be #40 in the world for cough medicine and letting another go free with a 10:1 ratio of testosterone but happened to be a medal winner. USATF used the same argument that "well they would place higher back then, too."

That answers the OP's original question.

Why Jeremy over these guys?

Joe Driscoll 28:29.96

Rod Koborsi 28:30.03

Joshua Moen 28:31.08

James Strang 28:31.33

Goucher was on the world championship team last year in the 5000, so he gets in on that basis.What did these guys do in the last four years?Y'all can whine, bitch & moan, but they ain't getting in.End of discussion.Love,Johnny C And the

Am I missing something? wrote:

Why Jeremy over these guys?

Joe Driscoll 28:29.96

Rod Koborsi 28:30.03

Joshua Moen 28:31.08

James Strang 28:31.33

According to USATF:

In events where there are "A" and "B" standards, athletes who have met the "B" standard are listed as "provisional." If there are not enough "A" qualifiers to fill the field size, only then will "B" qualifiers who have declared be offered entry into the meet in performance rank order.

heywaitaminute... wrote:

Goucher was on the world championship team last year in the 5000, so he gets in on that basis.

According to the rules, that gives him a waiver into the 5000 ONLY. The one event up/ one event down rule was dropped 3 years ago.

Why isn't Billy Mills running? Yes, it matters that he runs for Nike and Alberto. It also helped that he's an Olympian. Politics enters everything, even this great sport with defined standards.

Definitely right, not Jeremy over the other qualifiers, that would defeat the purpose. Jeremy AND all the others guys need in. There are people here who actually know that not all those guys are trying to get in. Driscoll, koborsi, moen, strang, and then johnson.... should all be admitted before goucher.

Definitely right, not Jeremy over the other qualifiers, that would defeat the purpose. Jeremy AND all the others guys need in. There are people here who actually know that not all those guys are trying to get in. Driscoll, koborsi, moen, strang, and then johnson.... should all be admitted before goucher.

the real issue here should be the fact that Goucher obviously has no chance.

This is yet another reason for everyone to support the USOC in their attempt to force USATF to reduce their bloated organization structure. Get rid of the fat and the hangers-on, get the special interests off the board, and maybe USATF won't need Nike's money any more....and these things won't happen.

Personally, I think companies like Nike, Reebok, Adidas, and Asics, which sponsor athletes directly, also being a major sponsor of the national federation constitutes a MAJOR conflict of interest, and I think the Stevens Amateur Sports Act should be amended to prohibit this (although the money has to come from somewhere).

Rules are not supposed to be different for Nike athletes.

Is it possible that not all of the B qualifiers ahead of Goucher have declared for the 10k? I don't know why you wouldn't declare, but it's a completely possible scenario.

Now, where do we have confirmation that Goucher is definitely in the 10k and these guys are out? I think right now it's mostly speculation.