honrbodg wrote:
he doesn't have the speed to run well in championship races. I'm sure he'll run some fast times, but I don't see him ever medaling. Sorry.
You're ignoring his 5k from last weekend. Didn't he close in 4:03 off a slow 5k pace? That's more speed than most people would've expected him to have. He outkicked a guy like Bethke (among others) who's gotta have 3:58 speed, if not better. I wouldn't be surprised to see Derrick mimic Rupp by taking an indoor season during college to really focus on building his speed. Will that be enough to get him a medal in a major championship? Probably not. But maybe. And let's be honest: you have to be the elite of the elite to medal. I do think he'll be a guy for whom we'll be rooting to get a medal, maybe a darkhorse but someone who will certainly have an outside chance.