The USA Cross Country Dream Team for World Cross 2011 - Is it Possible???

I'm in for $20

This is it.

The Stache wrote:

Interesting that so many consider WXC such a minor event. Look at the results over the years. The best in the world run there year in, year out. It never seems to hurt Bekele or Tadesse or Gebremariam or Komon or Ebuya to run at WXC. These guys go there to f-ing RACE, not to see where they are in their training. Then they come back and destroy the rest of the world on the track. Meanwhile, Americans are running indoor track meets.

GREAT THREAD!

I have preached the virtues of WX on numerous occasions. The U.S. not sending its starters to WX is the biggest disconnect between distance running fans and our elite athletes. (The reasons for not doing world cross are profoundly perplexing!) I don't buy the assertion that it doesn't fit in with training, schedule, money, afraid of the competition, etc; I simply don't know why and no one ever gives a plausible explanation. Perhaps if some like Larson, AlSal, Wetmore or Cook or couple of the elites talked about it, we would all understand and just leave it alone.

No participating in WX is one of those weird things about track and field like when athlete doesn’t publicly announce their retirement or that they are out with an injury. I can tell you the status of every athlete in the PGA, NFL, NBA, NHL and, MLB, but where is Dan Lincoln, what's going on with Fernandez, is Gayle Devers planning a comeback, when did Tim Bore retire? I did not know Lassiter, Holman and Kenah for example were retired until I saw them years later looking 20 pounds heavier. -This is getting slightly off-subject I know, but these are examples like not participating in WX where track & field needs to up it game in being more like the major professional sports and being more fan friendly.

Back on subject: Include some MD guys with good endurance like Lagat and Webb and you have to include Hall and Med as well for oblivious reasons. I don't want to name all of the hopefuls, but I will add Teg and Gotcher as well. Perhaps even Derrick and Fernandez also, although I am not sure they had the range and training to run at an elite level in what is almost equal to a half marathon.

...where do I send my $20 bucks?

Yeah I did include Teg in that original 4, and it would be great if Meb, Abdi, Lagat & Webb were all at the trials (if healthy) as well to ensure the best team goes.

Most of the top 5K-10K E. Africans do take part in it with great pride, while we've avoided it (partly due to fear of getting mopped) with what I think often boils down to be excuses many years. Granted in a summer olympic year I certainly get not wanting to participate. Outdoor worlds coming up, not so sure, those things come around every two years and there is more than enough time for down time and a build up to the US championships. Indoor worlds? Ok, if you want to make that more of a priority so be it, but there are no indoor worlds next year. Don't get me wrong any pro runner has a right to prioritize their schedule, but what I'm saying is perhaps the perception of world cross leads to their decision making. Perhaps it's because they perceive that nobody cares about it, they perceive that not enough top runners will do it to be a factor, and because they perceive there is little money to be made.

What I think is the fans can change the perception of the significance, and perhaps we could help add a little $ incentive as well.

It's a shame that Ritz got injured this year because he was obviously fit and he did want to go stick his neck in it. I have a feeling he was ready for a top 5 finish and that might have helped get our top boys on board.

Additionally, I should have mentioned a ladies team of:

Goucher, Begley, Shalane, Koll, Barringer, Deena or Kipyego (is Kipyego a citizen yet?) That's 7 so if only 6 make it you have a monster team there as well. Would you throw in another $10 to get them at the trials and on to worlds?

Think if both teams can land on the podium.

I second all of this, get a movement started!!!!!!!!

Hell put me down for $40, ten for each guy. Make that $60 if Hall and Meb do it...

I think most of the top guys would all be happy to compete when healthy, because they have outside chances at medalling--just look at Ritz's prioritization of a world cross medal this year before he got hurt. And more importantly, if we sent a true team to world cross that team would have a great shot at bronze. BUT none of the top guys can trust that each other will be there. I think if you told Teg that Ritz, Rupp, Abdi, Meb, Fam and Solinsky were going to be on the team, Teg would do it (and switch out Teg's name in that sentence for each of the other names in the list). These guys are competitive, and winning a world cross team medal is one of the bigger things you can do in the sport, and Rupp, say, wouldn't have any problem with that being his focus for an entire year IF he could be sure that the other guys would make it possible. You would need someone to take a very active role in putting all of our top runners under contract to be there, at which point I think they would all be happy to do it because they would have a team around them.

Another year, another stupid thread on this topic.

Agreed, that's why I think that Nike and Salazar & Jerry could and would be the ones to get the outlines and verbals drawn up since they'd likely have the core of both a mens and womens team coming from the OTC portland branch.

In all actuality you could field a bronze medal contention mens team just out of that portland group if you had Webb, Ritz, Rupp, Goucher, Nelson, Teg & Solinsky all on board. One guy (most likely Webb or 27:2X man Nelson) doesn't make the team.

when you have 27:2X guys who can't make the world cross team you know something is going right...

27:31 man Nelson

The US would show up with one guy that can run 27:00. The African nations will show up with five guys that can run sub 27:00.

All the guys mentioned have already run senior cross and have been eaten alive. You are expecting every guy on the US team to replicate the race of their lives on the same day and the Africans teams to have more realistic performances. Does that sound realistic to you?

I missed where Rupp ran senior world cross, can you send me a link?

I love how the claim that the africans will all have the race of their lives and I guys will have dismal runs.

The old standard "all them africans can run 27:00 at 19 and there are 23 more waiting in line to do it."

You ever seen Ritz at the level he's been at over the last year? Solinsky? Rupp? Teg? Nope, they are all at their best ever.

You really need to do a little research before making such claims.

FYI, this guy was 2nd place at world cross this year:

Medhin Teklemariam ERISex Weight Height Date of Birth Place of birth

M 24/06/1989 Hazega

Personal Best - Outdoor

Performance Wind Place Date

5000 Metres 13:11.01 Huelva 10/06/2009

10,000 Metres 27:46.50 Saint-Maur-des-Fossés 06/06/2008

Progression - Outdoor

Season Performance Wind Place Date

5000 Metres 2009 13:11.01 Huelva 10/06/2009

2008 13:48.18 Ostrava 12/06/2008

2006 14:13.9 Khartoum 08/05/2006

10,000 Metres 2009 27:58.89 Berlin 17/08/2009

2008 27:46.50 Saint-Maur-des-Fossés 06/06/2008

I can't wait to hear the excuses of why he hasn't run faster on the track and why our guys can't run well at cross. The ignorance on here continues to persist.

Did you happen to know that Rupp, Teg, Ritz & Solinsky beat him at the olympics and world champs the past 2 summers?

Rank Performance Wind Place Date

5000 Metres

12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics 15 f 13:44.65 Berlin 23/08/2009

11th IAAF World Junior Championships 12 f 14:18.57 Beijing (Chaoyang Sport Center) 20/08/2006

10,000 Metres

12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics 12 f 27:58.89 Berlin 17/08/2009

The XXIX Olympic Games 32 f 28:54.33 Beijing (National Stadium) 17/08/2008

This cat was 4th at this years world cross and 4th and 2nd at the previous two senior world cross champs:

Personal Best - Outdoor

Performance Wind Place Date

3000 Metres 7:33.27 Rieti 06/09/2009

Two Miles 8:22.56 Hengelo 26/05/2007

5000 Metres 12:58.24 Roma 10/07/2009

10,000 Metres 26:57.08 Hengelo 24/05/2008

10 Kilometres 27:10 Utrecht 27/09/2009

Seem a lot better than Ritz, Teg or Solinsky?

How about all time for him?

3000 Metres 2009 7:33.27 Rieti 06/09/2009

2008 7:34.06 Doha 09/05/2008

2007 7:39.07 Monaco 25/07/2007

2006 7:37.69 Monaco 20/08/2006

Two Miles 2007 8:22.56 Hengelo 26/05/2007

5000 Metres 2009 12:58.24 Roma 10/07/2009

2008 13:17.48 Zhukovskiy 15/06/2008

2007 13:04.79 Roma 13/07/2007

2006 13:04.12 Bruxelles 25/08/2006

10,000 Metres 2009 28:02.24 Nairobi 27/06/2009

2008 26:57.08 Hengelo 24/05/2008

This from a man who was 4th, 4th and 2nd in the past 3 world cross champs and 4th and 2nd at the two jr. world cross champs previous. You getting this? In case you don't know, not all of our guys have to be 2nd place for us to get a bronze or better.

Eceud wrote:

The US would show up with one guy that can run 27:00. The African nations will show up with five guys that can run sub 27:00.

All the guys mentioned have already run senior cross and have been eaten alive. You are expecting every guy on the US team to replicate the race of their lives on the same day and the Africans teams to have more realistic performances. Does that sound realistic to you?

Hey I'm not expecting a win, I just want to see these guys go out there and mix it up.

Perspectivation wrote:

Seem a lot better than Ritz, Teg or Solinsky?

How about all time for him?

3000 Metres 2009 7:33.27 Rieti 06/09/2009

2008 7:34.06 Doha 09/05/2008

2007 7:39.07 Monaco 25/07/2007

2006 7:37.69 Monaco 20/08/2006

Two Miles 2007 8:22.56 Hengelo 26/05/2007

5000 Metres 2009 12:58.24 Roma 10/07/2009

2008 13:17.48 Zhukovskiy 15/06/2008

2007 13:04.79 Roma 13/07/2007

2006 13:04.12 Bruxelles 25/08/2006

10,000 Metres 2009 28:02.24 Nairobi 27/06/2009

2008 26:57.08 Hengelo 24/05/2008

This from a man who was 4th, 4th and 2nd in the past 3 world cross champs and 4th and 2nd at the two jr. world cross champs previous. You getting this? In case you don't know, not all of our guys have to be 2nd place for us to get a bronze or better.

FYI this is Komon.

Glad to see another thread. I've brought this up the past couple years, and don't understand how any running fan wouldn't want this. Such a disappointment that Ritz couldn't make it and watch another B team struggle to run with the world's best.

$$$$$ $$$$$$ wrote:

I went to WXC many times the last was Mombasa. I stopped going when they got rid of the short course. I'd like to see the top US guys compete too but I don't see it happening realistically for all the known reasons.

What are the "known reasons"?

This group of runners are all young enough that they should have their best performances in the next few years.

Matt Tegenkamp 1/19/1982

Ryan Hall 10/14/1982

Dathan Ritzenhein 12/30/1982

Alan Webb 1/13/1983

Tim Nelson 2/27/1984

Chris Solinsky 12/5/1984

Galen Rupp 5/8/1986

The next group, born between 1989 and 1990, should hopefully start making big waves in 1-3 years too, provided they get/stay healthy.

Evan Jager

Chris Derrick

German Fernandez

Luke Puskedra

Colby Lowe

Diego Estrada

Ryan Hill (Distance runner who just ran 3:40 1500). Eric Fernandez also shows promise.

Consider how many of the above hold various records, and it's obvious we're making progress. If only we could have some sort of breakthrough in early injury detection/prevention.

finance professor wrote:

Hey I'm not expecting a win, I just want to see these guys go out there and mix it up.

Me too but I think it would be melodramatic. Maybe even next to impossible.

Try this: Write down your dreamteam on paper based on the best talent in US running over the last year or so. I bet half the names you wrote down are currently injured. The situation will probably be the same in 2012 when the world cross roles around, and 2014 and 2016. Top athletes are always injured. Realistically the best scenario is the US sends two or three of the top studs that are available and the rest will be the guys who usually finish in the forties and fifties.

That's what's incredible about the Kenyan, Iritrean and Ethiopean teams. Every year some 26:50 runners are no-shows and every year they still kick ass.