In the TnF News top 10s of 2010, the US has an entrant in EVERY track event, male and female, except the mens steeple, where we need a special "US leader" addition.
Why are our elite mens steeplers...um...not elite?
Then again, we have nobody in the mens or womens marathon or half...pathetic.
Not fast enough or competitive enough on the world stage seems to be the obvious answer.
shamer of nations wrote:
Why are our elite mens steeplers...um...not elite?
aholian wrote:
Not fast enough or competitive enough on the world stage seems to be the obvious answer.
You seem really dumb. Let me repeat the obvious question: why?
We have milers in the mix. We have 5000/10000 runners in the mix. Are we too prissy to get after the steeple and XC? Other than Fam, who has the sack for it?
Go do it yourself and STFU!
I like the sound of it. STFU! STFU! STFU! Man, I think this is my favorite phrase!
Since you are so ashamed of the "Prissies", why dont you get off your fat ass and do it?
Dan Huling was the 13th-fastest steepler in the world in 2010. Eight of the 12 faster than him are Kenyan or Kenya-born; two of the remaining four are Ugandan and Ethiopian. The remaining two are Tahri and Mekhissi-Benabbad of France. That (insert apostrophe here)s not bad company.
I think a lot of it has to do with the US college system and the perception that the steeplechase causes more injuries. Most of the best US runners go to schools that compete for team titles. Even if someone is good enough that they could win the steeplechase, coaches do not want to risk injuring them and having them miss out on team championships, so they put them in the 1500, 5k, or 10k. They figure its better to have a guy who could be, say, 3rd, in one of those events than injured and not competing. They would rather have a lower risk with lower return.
By contrast, in Kenya, where most of the top steeplers are from, coaches are most concerned with fast individual times and finishes, and they feel that if a certain athlete would do best in the steeple, it is worth the risk of injury.
However, I am not a college coach, and I have never talked to a Kenyan coach, so I could be wrong.
Whatever happened to Fam?
Weakest event in the US: Triple jump - Women
The steeplechase is an event that attracts people that can not compete as well in open events, generally.
The top runners don't run it.
Kenya has a large number of high quality distance runners so they have quality overflow that run the steeplechase and take up all of the rankings.
The US has a few pretty good 5000m runners but the list goes no where near as deep as Kenya.
OK, so one guy has pointed out that the top ten come from six different countries, therefore we can't keep up.
The explanation re injuries makes SOME sense, although honestly it's not that injurious. Maybe the priss argument has some truth to it.
Ben Bruce did run the A-standard last year so that was respectable. I think some college guy(s) have a great shot at making National teams over the next 2 years!
Also, before everyone get so excited about depth in other events, keep in mind that we had 3 (Wheating, Manzano, Lagat, Lamong) achieve new A standard in 1500. Solinsky, Lagat, and Rupp in 5k. Solinsky, Rupp, Nelson, Curtis at 10k. So that is 8 total in 1500,5k, and 10k with the steeple adding 2 in Huling and Bruce.
I predict we will not have a full team for Worlds next year (especially if rumors are true about NO chasing of standards).
On that same note, only the following had the A standard BEFORE USATF CHAMPIONSHIPS
1. Lagat (1500)
2. Solinsky (10k/5k)
3. Nelson (10k)
4. Huling (steeple)
5. Curtis (10k)
6. Torrence (1500)
7. Manzano (1500)
8. Lamong (1500)
9. Rupp (10k)
There just arent many races with weather and competition domestically anymore.
sad really wrote:
we had 3 (Wheating, Manzano, Lagat, Lamong) achieve new A standard in 1500
That's 4.
Wasnt there talk of Solinsky running the steeple because its not as competitive on the world stage so he would have a better chance of medaling?
The Steeplechase is the weakest event for both genders. The men's marathon is a close second. Lots of Africans are consistently running sub 2:07. We have nobody close to that right now.
All that Solinsky steeple talk was before his big breakthroughs this season, so the talk was more about him being able to easily make the US national team than about him medaling at worlds/olympics.
Like, I would suppose, just about everyone else, I could guess the answer to the OP's question before I looked. These are not the days of Dan Lincoln or earlier, Mark Croghan.
The bigger surprise, frankly, is that the U.S. has people in the top ten in all the other long distance track events. It's been years since that happened.
Ah, I see. Strange that it wasn't too long ago that they were worried about him just being able to make a national team.
sad really wrote:
Also, before everyone get so excited about depth in other events, keep in mind that we had 3 (Wheating, Manzano, Lagat, Lamong) achieve new A standard in 1500. Solinsky, Lagat, and Rupp in 5k. Solinsky, Rupp, Nelson, Curtis at 10k. So that is 8 total in 1500,5k, and 10k with the steeple adding 2 in Huling and Bruce.
SO, half the number of guys make "A" in the steeple as in the 1500, and the same goes for a comparison to the 5 or 10?
And none can make top 10 in the world.
WHY? Because college coaches are too scared to injure their best steeplers by racing them in...gasp...THE STEEPLE?
Brutal.