Intergalatic wrote -
"It was a lame move, to be sure."
Solinsky has been too hard on himself! I believe he did the right thing at that moment in time. Sure, in hindsight he probably feels that he should have continued running, but what were his options? Continue running and get shoved again? Retaliate and shove Merga or Alamirew back harder? How would that have come across? He had just watched a fight after the 1500 - there was poison in the air there already!
Now, the problem is - that because Diamond League officials are doing absolutely nothing (that the public at least is aware of) to punish or even warn those aggressively pushing in that race, they are most certainly going to try it again! Chris is clearly in sub 13 shape now and he will be right there in the thick of things again soon. What will be his response when he gets pushed again? If he warns them not to do it or publically complains in a Flotrack or Lets Run interview, they'll surly try it again. If he does nothing, he runs the risk of coming across as a milk-toast and weak competitor to them, which he surely is not!
Next time, If he pushes back harder and ruins the race of one of the Africans, there will instantly be a very negative "anti-american" atmosphere that will develop! In fact, there is an element of this that is about America and Americans racing in Europe. African and European runners secretly believe that "all" Americans think they have some kind of an attitude of entitlement. That push was in a way, racially / nationalistically motivated. You better believe that that tension is there just under the surface! The way Solinsky, Rupp and others live and train, makes them very bitter! Even if it's at a subconscious level!
There was also a lot of other BS going on at that meet, especially in the 800m finished. Symmonds had to swing wildly out to avoid Robinson & Mutua clashing. Actually, you could see Robinson at one point accelerate at an angle to the outside lanes in an attempt to cut Nick off! Completely childish!