Diamond League Paris update thread

So she had the choice of being one of the many ahead of her that went out at a pace they weren't ready for and then take the hard fade, OR she could work with where she's at right now with her training and do her best to see herself through 12.5 tough laps. I'd guess that later in the season when she's a bit more sharp she'll be able to handle a faster early pace like that, and close off it. For now, i thought she ran a Very commendable race. Just my .02

Agreed. The pace the rabbits set was no secret. Shalane and her coach know what kind of condition she is in right now. If she's not ready for 14:30, then she shouldn't go out w/ the 14:30 group. That's just smart pacing.

hipster king wrote:

"All of Matt's detractors will note that he finished only three tenths of a second behind Wheating in a world class time."

He finished 11th in a random track meet in Paris. If he makes the finals in Daegu, that's "world class".

I guess there wasn't a world class track meet last year, then. If the Diamond League isn't world class, then I don't know what is. Why am I even taking the time to explain this?

It is what it is. wrote:

Matt ran in lane 2 and sometimes in lane 3. He would have run 3:33 if he had stuck to the rail in a smaller race.

This kid is going sub 3:30 before its all set and done. Read it here first.

Actually, I posted the sub 3:30 prediction for Centro some time back.

I also predicted his winning both the NCAA and USA 1500's and breaking the Oregon school record. This year. Done, done and done!

It looks like he is not going to stay in Europe for any more races now, but rather come home and prepare for WC's.

It's tough to peak twice in one year...

So, I don't have confidence he'll get the sub 3:30 this year. But, he's fearless, tons of upside still with this kid. He could surprise.

Really wonder Lananna's precedent for peaking any of his 1500 guys for NCAA's and Worlds/Oly's in same year...

You guys discussing sub 3:30 times are pretty clueless. Do you have no perspective on how quick a 3:34 1500m is? 3:32 beats that by several meters, it's a significant leap in fitness and form. You're looking past that by another multiple. Just try to appreciate top racing when you see it and be thankful for the depth we currently have in American distance racing.

Anyone else noticed how well Willis closed?

He was in no man's land with a lap to go. If there is any way to check splits, I'd wager that he had the fastest last lap.

I think he could medal at WC.

Was he in last place going into the last lap, or had he moved up one or two places before the bell?

Then all of a sudden he's almost alongside Kiprop and Lagat.

go back and watch the video and see how deftly he moves in and out of holes in the pack. just beautiful to watch, loved how (at least looked like it) he seemed to give manzano a gentle push, but did it in a way that actually helped manzano rather than just shoving him around. class guy all the way, absolutely chuffed at his run!

dude-

Willis is an amazing tactician, but also amazing at planning a season. I have no doubt he can medal at world champs; looks like Laalou will be out on his own but dont be surprised to see Nick next across the line. He isn't close to peaking and to close like that suggests something big on the horizon, maybe a 3:30.xx before worlds.

Wow it was hard to keep track of everyone in the herd during that race. At least Willis stood out in his babyblue shorts. That was an amazing last lap he ran - I'm sure it was the fastest in the field, and Willis even had a stronger final 100m than Laalou. If the goal was simply to get standard his race is understandable. But don't you think he could have put himself in a better position to win the race, instead of coming from the back over the last lap? I mean, when the field began to envelop Lagat and Kiprop just before the bell, boxing them in on the rail, Willis was still a bit too far back - if he had moved up marginally then he would have challenged for the win for sure. He kind of ran the same way he did today for his Olympic medal - I really hope he can make that extra push a little bit earlier and set up a real challenge for the win at WCs

How do you compare Lagat's tactics to Willis'? Lagat looked so strong throughout the race - perfect position, but then got boxed in at the bell and around the first bend. I can't remember if he had to make a giant sidestep as he came into the final stratch this time, like he did in Berlin, but it looked like he had to leave his finish late. I'm sure he would have wanted better position for the last 200, if not throughout the last lap. But he did put himself in a position to win the race.

This was a rabbitted race, so obviously a different sort of tactics for most of the field, including those who were chasing times. Even someone like Deresse Mehkonnen (sp?), one of Ethiopia's best two milers, was not really a factor at the front during the race (I think he was one of the small group who passed/boxed in Lagat and Kirprop at the bell, but for the most part he spend the race following the pace.) Someone on here (and the commentator, Steve Cram) mentioned Manzano's finish, and the other Americans did well to maneuver in traffic and get their good times. Good result for a French runner I hadn't seen before, sub 334, behind Manzano too. But in a fast tactical race, a typical major champ. race that will take a similar time to win, do you think any of the other Americans (Manzano/Wheating) will be able to put themselves in a position to win it, rather than just trying to chase the leaders down? When Manzano made the final in Berlin, he closed strongly for his spot. Sure, coming from behind works sometimes (re. Willis) but a strong close doesn't always equal a legit chance to win, right? I don't know if someone like Wheating or Manzano will be able to run down the best for a medal in a fast tactical race. Willis I think is a small but significant step above them.

Looking again at Mehkonnen today, he made his bid for the win at the bell, he did run pretty fast, but he didn't have the close he needed (it was different when he beat Ramzi for the World Indoors title a few years ago.) I wonder if someone like a Wheating or a Manzano, if they tried the same tactics (make a move to bring themselves closer to the front earlier, instead of leaving it late,) would have the same thing happen. I just think that for Willis to give himself the chance to win a major final, he needs to do the same thing.

I really liked how Steve Cram took a little time at the start of the race, and at the end, to talk about Centrowitz - he even mentioned that he raced against his father, and that his father had qualified for the 1980 Olympics. It's a nice touch, to give a sense of history like that. But as good a job as the British announcers do with the commentary, even they couldn't possibly keep up with all the action that was going on during the race. They didn't even mention Willis during the race, except maybe at the end. Commentary is a really tough job! God Bless the CBC! Going to watch that 5000m in Birmingham Sunday! Tell my brother that he's going to have to wait to watch T3 in IMAX!

get it wrote:

I find your comments idiotic.

It's obvious neither one of you know the sport.

For an American to out run 7 of 10 Africans is an amazing feat.

Primitive Africans. Hardly!

Many of them live and train in the US.

You´re not very intelligent, are you? Ever heard of irony?