Lorne wrote:
I am not an experienced runner or coach. But having observed the sport a little over the last few years I think Mr. Salazar might be trading his rep as a coach based on his own running results. The pressure that he puts on some of his young athletes by saying they are "in shape to set a world record" (Kara Goucher) or "Galen is going for the AR" sets them up for failure and is not, in my humble opinion, good coaching. Galen Rupp did exactly as his coach asked him to do and it was a poor strategy. Not only that, it was a highly publicized poor strategy.
The only reason anyone is saying it was a "poor strategy" is because Solinsky performed beyond everyone's expectations. This is how the race looks without Solinsky:
1. Race gets billed as AR attempt.
2. Rupp takes pace after (sub-par) rabbit drops
3. Rupp pushes pace alone
4. Rupp sets AR in 27:10
5. People think, wow, that AlSal really knows his athletes -- he knew his runners so well he could claim they would get an AR.
Of course all this is true, but now people are yapping about how he has poor strategy. Ya can't win. Solinsky and Rupp ran well.
As far as his other results: Ritz runs AR after being sharpened up by Salazar, Kara Goucher Olympic medal, and consistently solid performances by everyone else. Why the hate?