Andrew Wheating 1.44.62!!!!

hayward102 wrote:

Impressive first European run for Wheating. How did the guy in 3rd not get disqualified? He was full-on running on the infield to make an inside pass.

I see now that he has been dq'd.

joe9090 wrote:

At least the US is now producing competitive distance runners.

Where the hell have you been? Jose Parrilla ran 1:42 eighteen years ago. Earl Jones won bronze 26 years ago. Gray ran 1:42 and won a bronze in 92. Lagat was double gold medalist three years ago. meb won bronze in 04. Wheating's time will not even put him in the top ten American 800's of all time. What would make you say that America is now producing competitive distance runners?

Ohhh, you meant white distance runners.

Prefontain Meet wrote:

Prefontaine Meet - I doubt he'll have any problems with Lomong, Lagat is on downside of his career and especially at 1500m, I agree Manzano looks sharp but there isn't a huge difference.

Of course you think he'll have no problem with a guy whose PR is about 5 seconds faster and a proven badass when it comes to races that count. Aftrer all, your a Wheating fanboy.

The U.S. did not produce Lagat. Kenah won an 800 wc medal in the 90s. There was a drought in American distance running after the 1980s.

grand slam wrote:

Yeah but at 22 Coe was running both, and substantially faster at 1:42 and 3:48. That was over 30 years ago.

I'm not saying Wheating isn't good, he is, and I'm sure he'll improve, but if he's going to be the kind of athlete many on these boards say he is (and even more want him to be), there is a precedent which shows he should be able to run both events at this age and not have to mature into one then another.

That's 100% irrelevant. People hit their peaks at different points in their career. Coe ran his 800 and mile pr at 24. (he was also the best in the world, and ran times only a few have ever run) There's nothing to say Wheating will stop improving at 24 (and there's nothing to say he won't). His 22 year season also isn't over.

Also Coe went 3:48.95....not that that takes away from what you're saying, but it makes it a bit closer to wheating than just saying 3:48.

Wheating doesn't have to be better than Coe. He just needs to keep making himself better. If Wheating ran Coe's times he would go down as the best American mid distance runner ever. That would be one hell of an accomplishment, 30 years later or not.

jjjjjjjjj wrote:

The U.S. did not produce Lagat. Kenah won an 800 wc medal in the 90s. There was a drought in American distance running after the 1980s.

So let me understand this. Since the 1980's Spence, Kastor, Gray, Meb, Lynn Jennings, Spivey, Flanagan, Kara Goucher have won major championship medals but now the drought is over because Wheating got fourth in a diamond league meet?

Can we expect a 1:43.xx from Wheating next year?

Track Mann wrote:

Wheating looks like a young Steve Cram from the 80's!

You mean the Steve Cram who made an Olympic final @ the age of 19?

Indeed, not quite a Steve Cram. people need a perspective.

U.S. 800M running in general is just not very good, folks trumpet the 1:44.x as a 1:43 waiting to happen when guys ran that 25-42 years ago.

trialswatcher wrote:

Indeed, not quite a Steve Cram. people need a perspective.

U.S. 800M running in general is just not very good, folks trumpet the 1:44.x as a 1:43 waiting to happen when guys ran that 25-42 years ago.

There are reasons why guys ran crazy fast 800's 30 years ago, and it wasn't skill. It was lack of drug testing or acknowledgement of drugs, when drugs were insanely rampant in track and field. (not that they aren't now). Coe and Cram were both drugged up. It wasn't really a choice back then. Every country was doing it, everyone turned a blind eye, everyone.

H wasn't even the fastest white guy in the race.

"There are reasons why guys ran crazy fast 800's 30 years ago, and it wasn't skill. It was lack of drug testing or acknowledgement of drugs, when drugs were insanely rampant in track and field. "

What drugs would you recommend for the 800 m, Mr. Chemist? The truth is that the current doping arsenal knows no stuff that would be able to inflence performance in the regime of anaerobic glycolysis (400-800 m) in a significant way. That's the reason why these disciplines have been stagnating for 2 decades. Even during the happy days of EPO in the late 90's, Kipketer was the only doper, who broke Coe's world record - and probably at the expense of EPO overdose, as his later problems with "malaria" suggest. Yes, both Coe and Cram may have been doped, but the possibilities of blood doping in mid 80's were rather pathetic in comparison with EPO. Furthermore, the main reason, why we don't see these stellar performances lies rather in the fact that West Europeans - a human group with the best body type for the 400-1500 m range - stopped competing in mid 80's.

"At least the US is now producing competitive distance runners. I would go as far as to say the US is the best non-African running nation. Maybe, this is really not saying much since the Africans are so superior."

LOL They are not superior; in fact, before EPO came in 1995, in the 800/1500 m they ran always the same times like one decade before. It was the sudden disappearance of their (West) European competition around 1985 that made them look seemingly "superior". In other words, they were left on track alone and started to compete with each other. But what should they do, after all?

"There are reasons why guys ran crazy fast 800's 30 years ago, and it wasn't skill. It was lack of drug testing or acknowledgement of drugs, when drugs were insanely rampant in track and field. "

What drugs would you recommend for the 800 m, Mr. Chemist? The truth is that the current doping arsenal knows no stuff that would be able to inflence performance in the regime of anaerobic glycolysis (400-800 m) in a significant way. That's the reason why these disciplines have been stagnating for 2 decades. Even during the happy days of EPO in the late 90's, Kipketer was the only doper, who broke Coe's world record - and probably at the expense of EPO overdose, as his later problems with "malaria" suggest. Yes, both Coe and Cram may have been doped, but the possibilities of blood doping in mid 80's were rather pathetic in comparison with EPO. Furthermore, the main reason, why we don't see these stellar performances lies rather in the fact that West Europeans - a human group with the best body type for the 400-1500 m range - stopped competing in mid 80's.

"At least the US is now producing competitive distance runners. I would go as far as to say the US is the best non-African running nation. Maybe, this is really not saying much since the Africans are so superior."

LOL They are not superior; in fact, before EPO came in 1995, in the 800/1500 m they ran always the same times like one decade before. It was the sudden disappearance of their (West) European competition around 1985 that made them look seemingly "superior". In other words, they were left on track alone and started to compete with each other. But what should they do, after all?

"At least the US is now producing competitive distance runners. I would go as far as to say the US is the best non-African running nation. Maybe, this is really not saying much since the Africans are so superior."

One more note: The current quality of white 800/1500 m runners is something like B/C class. Even with the help of EPO, they were only able to match the level of their predecessors. Not speaking about that the number of positive EPO cases in elite white runners is very small. There is simply too little money to earn in today's track and field and this sport isn't worthy of serious doping at all. And certainly not worthy of the monotonous gruelling effort. But of course, for Africans even those pitiful few thousands of USD mean much.

Everyone comparing Wheating to Coe is missing one very important fact. Coe (as well as Ovett and Cram) started competitive running in their early teens whereas Wheating was 18 before he began running much at all. Even his freshman year at Oreon he was able to do much less than his classmates. Ovett was a prodigy, Cram a bit less so, and Coe, a relatively late bloomer, coming into his own only at age 20-22. Wheating has been training systematically for less than six years, and is developmentally far behind where Coe was at the same age. However, when you compare Wheating to Coe after six years of training, Wheating is very nearly Coe\'s equal.

Does this mean Wheating wil run 1:41? No, but it means that suggesting he give up the 800 is ludicrous. When Wheating becomes comfortable running at this level 1:42/3:45 are realistic times. I mean really, 1:44/3:51 in his first two international (other than the Oly 800) races, and these coming after a long collegiate racing season...give the guy a break. Anyone who has been watching track long enough knows this kid is special.

Giving up the 800m is pretty stupid but that was one hellacious effort tactically by Wheating.

Czech guy wrote: Furthermore, the main reason, why we don't see these stellar performances lies rather in the fact that West Europeans - a human group with the best body type for the 400-1500 m range - stopped competing in mid 80's.

Are you serious? Or just plain stupid? There were tons of drugs to help the 400/800 back then, most of which you can't get away easily with anymore.

West europeans stopped competing? You mean their drugged programs were shut down? best body type? seriously are you F'd in the head? They were notorious for drug usuage. How many people believe the 800 WR was run by a clean woman? or the womans 400? I'm sure the drugs they took didn't have anything to do with it. That's why those records have held for so long, and even a man like Caster can't break them.

Retardalert. wrote:

Czech guy wrote: Furthermore, the main reason, why we don't see these stellar performances lies rather in the fact that West Europeans - a human group with the best body type for the 400-1500 m range - stopped competing in mid 80's.

Are you serious? Or just plain stupid? There were tons of drugs to help the 400/800 back then, most of which you can't get away easily with anymore.

West europeans stopped competing? You mean their drugged programs were shut down? best body type? seriously are you F'd in the head? They were notorious for drug usuage. How many people believe the 800 WR was run by a clean woman? or the womans 400? I'm sure the drugs they took didn't have anything to do with it. That's why those records have held for so long, and even a man like Caster can't break them.

My friend, don't be so overconfident. I could call you an idiot with ease. Your objections are so confused and silly that I shouldn't bother with response.

By the way, you didn't bother to look at my track analysis that I posted here several times, do you?

Retardalert. wrote:

Czech guy wrote: Furthermore, the main reason, why we don't see these stellar performances lies rather in the fact that West Europeans - a human group with the best body type for the 400-1500 m range - stopped competing in mid 80's.

Are you serious? Or just plain stupid? There were tons of drugs to help the 400/800 back then, most of which you can't get away easily with anymore.

West europeans stopped competing? You mean their drugged programs were shut down? best body type? seriously are you F'd in the head? They were notorious for drug usuage. How many people believe the 800 WR was run by a clean woman? or the womans 400? I'm sure the drugs they took didn't have anything to do with it. That's why those records have held for so long, and even a man like Caster can't break them.

My friend, don't be so overconfident. I could call you an idiot with ease. Your objections are so confused and silly that I shouldn't bother with response.

By the way, you didn't bother to look at my track analysis that I posted here several times, do you?