How much does El Guerrouj and other runners who run on the European circuit actually run in races that are not rabbited?
It seems little to none other than major championships. In the world champs 5000 meters El G actually did a nice job tactically despite not practicing tactics in many prior 5000 meter races. It brings up the case for rabbits. Why have so many rabitted races when records are few and far between. Glorified time trials are what most races and some marathons are now.
Rabbits mean there is a shot at a record every time out. At least that's the impression the crowd is supposed to get. With track dropping in popularity in Europe in the late 80's, the use of rabbits came to be the norm for every race, every time out, instead of on specific occasions when a top guy said he'd gun for a record, etc. The reason the drug use by the E. Africans was allowed to turn into the situation it has is because officials like the fact that the drugs allow for all manner of fast races, all the time. Sure, they'd like to get the Europeans in on it, but then all pretenses of drug testing would have to be dropped, as they can't avoid the spot testing etc. like the E. Africans can via location, the race card, 'cultural differences', you name it.
Every race El G runs that is a non championship race has a rabbit I think
Catch a grip (the east Africans on Epo),east Africans are the lest offenders of drug abuse)it's called natural talent.
United States has always and will always remain the biggest drug offenders and officials doing cover up on their athletes even the cleanest of so called clean Mr Carl Lewis was cover up in Seoul '88
East Africa always has an non tolerence to drug abuse,although north african countries ie Morocco is another Story
EIG ran in Sheffield last year in a race that had no pacemakers. There were quite a few decent European runners in the field (Estevez, Mayock etc) and he still led from gun to tape, albeit in a slow time (3:40). Coming up to the bell, everyone was on shoulder and you could see them all thinking "I'm going to have him this time" and then he just started winding it up, and suddenly, without seeming to put any real effort in, he was 10m up. The guy is pure class.
Personally, I'd like see fewer pacemakers. Most of them are useless anyway.
Ok. Yea I was only talking about this year actually hehe. I remember Sheffield, that was his slowest race of the year I think. Why are the pacemakers usually useless?