soksi wrote:
the xmas poo wrote:Was he born this spring or was he sick at the last 7 US championships???
He was nowhere close to 26:59 and 12:55 before this spring. Not even US#1 in either event. So, yeah what the hell is taking this guy so long to become a US title holder??? It may be too late already. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER CHRIS!!!
So you have to be ranked first in the event to be the US champ? Nobody told Rupp or Teg that last year.
Chris was ranked 2nd in the 3000 last year, same as Teg in the 5000, hell Rupp was ranked 3rd in the 10000, but yet Teg and Rupp became U.S. champs.
In 2008 Chris was ranked 2nd for 3000 and 2-miles and basically tied for 2nd at 5000 (both he and Vaughn at 13:18 ) and do you remember who beat him out of an olympic spot? 6th ranked Teg, 9th ranked Dobson and 17th ranked Asmerom! Chris finished 5th with essentially a 2nd ranking.
Thats a 2nd ranked guy getting beat by 6th, 9th and 17th ranked runners.
Are we starting to understand what it means to win championships? Or for that matter get it done on US Championship day relative to your ability?
Heck you can go back to 2007 he was ranked 4th for 3000 and 3rd for 5000 (it's not like he was born this spring folks) and yet he only managed 7th. He was 3rd ranked and beaten by 17th ranked Lagat, 18th ranked Goucher, 8th ranked Riley, 9th ranked Moran and 4th ranked Asmerom.
This is worse, as a 3rd ranked guy he was beaten by 17th, 18th, 8th and 9th ranked runners as well as a 4th ranked.
We can go all day from 1500-10000 listing guys who won the US championship that weren't ranked 1st in that event that year, but point is certainly clear that rankings don't win championships or determine placing there, only getting the job done there does.