Goucher story update

They are worried about being blacklisted by ustaf and Nike.

I think Little was one of the ringleaders for the b qualifiers water debacle for marathon trials. After the mass protest they lowered the olympic qualifying standard for 2012!

Our sport needs more people like Jon Little who are passionate about what they do and work hard to ensure fairness. Christian Smith is a perfect example of why 'B' qualifiers shouldn't be treated like second class citizens. I hope Little gets this straightened out. These large companies shouldn't be allowed to steamroll athletes without agents.

Little makes a valid point in that Goucher is not the person to blame. He (or his agent) asked for an exception and it was granted. If other athletes asked for an exception to get into the field and were denied, that is USATF's call.

While I am not a fan of the original decision, the blame lies with USATF, not Goucher.

It NEVER hurts to ask for an exception or a privilege.

Goucher is doing what he needs to do.

Little runs in the Olympic Trials with a 2:21?

What a little sissy boy.

Running is just a hobby for me and I'm a better runner than Little has ever been or ever will be.

I don't run the Olympic Trials so my mommy and daddy will think I'm good.

2:20 marathoner wrote:

Little runs in the Olympic Trials with a 2:21?

What a little sissy boy.

Running is just a hobby for me and I'm a better runner than Little has ever been or ever will be.

I don't run the Olympic Trials so my mommy and daddy will think I'm good.

"WHAT IS YER NAME?!?!?"

I am curious if there is any creedence to your claim? (who is the sissy?)

Running may be a "hobby" for you and you may claim to be faster than Little. But I have a news flash for you - Little is looking out for runners LIKE YOU (well, like you claim to be) for whom running is a hobby and get bumped out of the trials by someone who is slower.

Little may be slower than you (than you claim) but he has done more for running than you ever have or ever will.

Why hate on Jon? While we're sitting behind computers, he's stepping up to see that the right thing gets done.

One thing I can tell you, he can be trusted to do the right thing. Not so for Nike and USATF.

The Bridge Keeper wrote:

get bumped out of the trials by someone who is slower.

To call Goucher slower than those betweek the final qualifier and Goucher on the list is kind of silly.

2:20 marathoner wrote:

Little runs in the Olympic Trials with a 2:21?

What a little sissy boy.

Running is just a hobby for me and I'm a better runner than Little has ever been or ever will be.

I don't run the Olympic Trials so my mommy and daddy will think I'm good.

The only sissy is you.

an honest question:

is it fair to say that the reason goucher doesn't have a faster 10k time is because it wasn't his main focus coming into the trials? if true, doesn't this indicate that his training coming into the event is not specific to the event, and that he has less of a shot of making the team in the 10 than he did in the 5, toward which he geared his training?

if he couldn't get it done in the 5, why should we believe he's ready to do it in the 10?

wow.

that's the best you got, 2:15?

i'm disappointed.

maybe too many peds?

See the way I look at this whole thing is that in the olympic trials marathon if you had a solid pr in the 5k or 10k they let you in. This seems like a similar situation. To be honest I can see goucher getting a top place. Maybe we will see what he is made of but it should be awesome to watch and I hope nobody screws it over for him.

T-man wrote:

Why hate on Jon? While we're sitting behind computers, he's stepping up to see that the right thing gets done.

One thing I can tell you, he can be trusted to do the right thing. Not so for Nike and USATF.

Another lawyer who is looking for his 15 minutes of fame.

Son one of the golden rules never ever trust a lawyer even if he is a fellow runner.

Pencil Neck wrote:

To call Goucher slower than those betweek the final qualifier and Goucher on the list is kind of silly.

Only if you haven't been paying any attention to how he's been running this year, particularly in the last week.

On the same token, Goucher has the power undo the wrong in his own way if USATF is unwilling. He doesn't have to just go along silently with a decision that negatively impacts others and sullies the sport.

luv2run wrote:

Little makes a valid point in that Goucher is not the person to blame. He (or his agent) asked for an exception and it was granted. If other athletes asked for an exception to get into the field and were denied, that is USATF's call.

While I am not a fan of the original decision, the blame lies with USATF, not Goucher.

It NEVER hurts to ask for an exception or a privilege.

Goucher is doing what he needs to do.

thats gheyish wrote:

See the way I look at this whole thing is that in the olympic trials marathon if you had a solid pr in the 5k or 10k they let you in. This seems like a similar situation.

Except for the fact that USATF set forth explicit rules before the OT marathon that made such an allowance, yet have not done so for this meet. The overall main point is applying the same, existing rules to everyone equally. If USATF had put into their rules a provision that would allow Goucher to leapfrog over other provisional qualifiers based on some set criteria that he met, then there would be hardly any outcry over this. In fact, such a provision used to exist in the rules and has since been eliminated, at least as far as it relates to the 10,000.

I can honestly say that Jon Little is not "another lawyer looking for his 15 minutes of fame". Jon Little is a man who genuinely cares about the sport of track and field and it's athletes. Jon Little stands for fairness and integrity. USATF and their "officials" could take a page from Jon's book. Even if Jon Little were not an attorney he would be standing up for these athletes and their rights. The fact that he is an attorney may be giving him a little more pull and has put him in the media, but even without the media attention Jon Little would be appealing on behalf of these athletes. He was appealing on behalf of the 5K guys last week, prior to media attention, he appealed for several athletes at the USATF Outdoor Championships last year in Indianapolis, and he spoke out for Canadian athletes in Ottawa this past May after the Canadian Olympic Trials for the Marathon. He is not getting paid for this, he is doing this for the athletes and for a sport for which he truly cares and wants to see advance. Jon has great respect for all runners and wants to see that everyone is given a fair shake. Without knowing Jon Little and what he stands for it is not fair to classify his as "another lawyer who is looking for his 15 minutes of fame.