Aussie Milers at Games: PATHETIC!

Not as pathetic as the Sprinters.

There are none.

You can not expect too much as Athletics in Australia gets a Miserable $3M per year to run the whole Organisation.

Your comments are the reason why they suck. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY. Those 1500m runners ARE A DISGRACE. 3:46 and 3:53 wearing an Aussie uniform in the Olympic Games. HANG YOUR HEADS IN SHAME!

Where is Mark fountain?

Given our Population (21Mill)we are one of the top sporting Nations in the world.

What I have given you are facts about Running in Australia.

Take it or Leave it.

Shooting the messenger will not change anything.

Aren't there some sheep that you need to be tending to somewhere?

Hahahaha hilarious!!!

I get it... you make FUN of the Aussie poster by asking if he has sheep to tend!! meaning you are implying that all Aussies just tend sheep and have nothing better to do!!

LOL!!!! Good one!

The Sheep are giving the Turkeys a quick Geography lesson.

You should join them.

I know we are a great sporting nation. That's why OUR 1500m runners NEED TO HANG THEIR HEADS IN SHAME. A 3:46 and a 3:53 in the Olympic Games wearing green and gold. PATHETIC!

How about finding out what really happened before blasting our runners?

http://www.foxsports.com.au/beijing_olympics/story/0,27313,24189481-5016798,00.html

SHATTERED Australian runner Jeff Riseley described as "horrendous" and his "worst nightmare" an Olympic debut that saw him limp from the track last in his 1500m heat and more than 100m behind the winner. Laid low by a virus until two days before the race, the controversial late addition to the Australian squad finished almost 20 seconds outside his personal best and admitted: "This is the Olympics and for it to end like that really hurts.

"That was horrendous, my worst nightmare - 17 seconds off my personal best. I saw the clock stop when the guy won and I still had 100m to go so that really hurts."

Riseley initially wasn't selected in the Olympic team but he appealed that after registering the required A-standard qualifying time a week after the Athletics Australia selection deadline but still inside the IAAF deadline.

With some powerful hit ters in his corner, including Craig Mottram's coach Nic Bideau and Sydney radio personality Alan Jones, a successful plea to AOC boss John Coates was made. He flexed his muscle with AA to find a way to get Riseley a late entry into the Olympic team.

But yesterday it was all in vain as he fought the effects of the virus and lost heavily.

"I arrived in Beijing and I was really sick, got quarantined for two days and just lay in bed," he said.

"At the Olympics you need everything to go right and when it doesn't it's really hard. If you're off your best you'll get hammered.

"I was seeing doctors all the time, the medication was incredible - two nose sprays, two asthma pumps, Codril, zinc, magnesium, vitamin C, B12 shots - I was drugged up to my eyeballs.

"I had a wheeze from the start of the race , couldn't breathe and my legs wouldn't go. It doesn't do anything for your confidence when you're at the Olympics competing against the best in the world, and you've still got 700m to run but you're trailing off the back. This is the Olympics, there's 800m people watching."

Riseley was victim of a virus that has affected other athletes, including Mitchell Kealey who also failed to qualify in the 1500m, but promised that it would make him more determined to shine at London in 2012.

"It was still really good being out there, there were a surprising number of Aussies who knew my name and sang, that made me feel really good walking to the start lane," he said. "I've got to keep on and keep working hard - I'll go back and talk to my coach and manager, and try to take some good points out of this.

"It'll make hungry for London - it's familiar territory, the same climate and I'm very young. I was a late developer, so I've still got to fill out and get a lot stronger. I'm still learning."

What's the other guy's excuse?

Did you even read the article?

Riseley was victim of a virus that has affected other athletes, including Mitchell Kealey who also failed to qualify in the 1500m, but promised that it would make him more determined to shine at London in 2012.

on the plus side, tamsyn lewis got through in the 800m, abdi is into the final of the steeple with a new pb even after clipping the last steeple and we got a bronze medal in the race walk by jarrod talent, overall its not suuuuch a bad start to the real olympics for the aussies.

the typical Letsrun poster wrote:

meaning you are implying that all Aussies just tend sheep and have nothing better to do!!

LOL!!!! Good one!

Population: 20,600,856

Sheep Population: ~120,000,000 (~11% of the world sheep population)

That's about 6 sheep for every person.

I don't need to imply that every Aussie tends sheep. It's pretty true.

with his strength he could have run 3 racess of 3:34 back to back and finished top five in the 1500 if he had chosen to do so instead of focusing on the 5K.

Jeff Riseley, the aussie kid who had a huge virus during the 1500m heat, ran a 3:36.0 the other day. He is a superfreak who will dominate Mottram over 1500m with time. You guys should learn what the hell you are talking about before you go bag people out.

BTW most aussies have never touched a sheep in their lives, u r an idiot

I only read the RESULTS, not the EXCUSES. Bronze in the race walk, are you fooking kidding me!

I thought Kealey would advance but was never confident about Riseley's chances. I think in 2012 the Aussies will be a force. Where is Mark Fountain?

Why does everyone have an excuse? Apparently like 1/3 of the people who went to China have gotten sick. Are you f***ing kidding me?!

For you posters ragging on the Aussie 1500 runners....Were you guys left off the team in favor of them? If not, shut the f*** up. It is obvious they were sick. The Aussie public is that mentally sick that they will crucify these guys when they get home. How about cutting them some slack now?