Mottram wins 2 mile over Birms...Bads...Thompson...and No Farah

Mottram, Webb, Willis...Year Of The COmeback

Oh and Thompson- maybe one of the biggest, relatively speaking...

leanie meanie wrote:

Mottram, Webb, Willis...Year Of The COmeback

I take it this was a 2 mile road race. Anyone have splits?

Interesting read.

http://www.universalsports.com/news/article/newsid=492774.html

[However, one winner who will be absent from the games is Australian Craig Mottram.

The former Commonwealth silver medallist was left out because of fitness concerns, but hit out at the selectors after beating England's European silver medallist Craig Thompson in the two-mile event.

"I was the only one in that race not going to the games," stated Mottram.

"The win gave me a bit of satisfaction as I wanted to do well today.

"A few selectors were here and maybe they were scratching their heads a bit.

"I would have loved to have gone a bit better than silver last time."]

Buster smashed it. Is there a link to video coverage...it said it was on BBC1. Hell of a comeback Craig!

wallet inspector wrote:

With Mo opting out of the games in Delhi, and Mottram snubbed by AA, both countries will be sitting out there best hopes to medal. Congrats to Mottram on his most awesome comeback to racing and winning.

Can someone tell me who is running the 5k for AA instead of Mottram? I just don't get how he wasn't selected.

Collis Birmingham

Ben St Lawrence

David McNeill

They have selected Dave McNeil, Collis Birmingham and Ben St Lawrence.

None of them have a hope of running sub 13:15 this year. Birmingham is in poor form, McNeil is mentally very soft at the top level and should stick to running against collegiate runners and St Lawrence is just a hack that will never be world class.

Bring back Buster!

mottram=tits

Collis has run 13.09...

Thompson is feeling the bridesmaid? How's she feeling?

AA has no idea wrote:

They have selected Dave McNeil, Collis Birmingham and Ben St Lawrence.

None of them have a hope of running sub 13:15 this year. Birmingham is in poor form, McNeil is mentally very soft at the top level and should stick to running against collegiate runners and St Lawrence is just a hack that will never be world class.

Bring back Buster!

clearly inflammatory comments here... Birmingham has run 13.10 THIS YEAR, St Lawrence has just run 7.42 3km which is better than anything he has put up at any distance ever... and McNeil has stuggled at international meets but being only ~24ish is the future... only bettered by Rupp in the NCAA in recent times, when he turns pro and hits it hard you will see the 13 and 27 lows come out.

My bad. I never paid attention to the American season, but my point is that he could not run 13:15 off his current form. The Saint is not world class. 7:42 does not cut the mustard at the elite level. Buster should be running.

trouble with that is, when the team was being finalised Buster was running 13.36... fair-play Buster is the better athlete all things being even but all those guys earned there spot on the team. Buster has not even run a qualifying time. He will have his time again.

how can you say someone without a qualifier should run? he needed to do this earlier and he didnt. i love buster and would love to see him race. but he didnt qualify so isnt.

in addition to the points made above - Collis is reloading as is The Saint. Don't count each out to quickly as Dehli heat is going to make the races more tactical than would be anyway. Both have will make the finals.

I am a big fan of all four of those Ausssie runners and have met them all, I also agree that at his best Mottram is a class above the others. However, in this instance, if a 7:42 is not world class, then Mottram's 7:45 in getting beaten by Collis a few weeks ago certainly shows that he may have a way to go before being able to make claim to a spot on the team. Had Mottram made a comeback sooner and actually run a qualifying time, he may have more of a claim to a spot, however he ran 13:36 in his last 5000m, and 7:45 in his last 3000m, slower than the other guys. A good run at a road race does not get you on a Commonwealth Games team, and Mottram surely knows this and is moving on. The three others are all quality athletes at different stages of development and I for one look forward to seeing what they can achieve in India and the years to come. With four Aussies running so well, maybe they will see a resurgance like the one we have had here with Sol, Rupp, Teg etc.

well, only friends with 3 of the 4, but that includes ratboy, and while he qualified fair and square, buster would most likely run better at commonwealths. as many have said, doesn't make any difference since they already had their selection, buster wasn't fit yet, game over, thanks for playing. next year will be a far diff story as, if he stays healthy, no way in hell buster stays home from WC. also, most likely no way mcneil goes in the 5, but a strong poss in the 10 (which he probably knows full well).