***OFFICIAL LUKAS IS LEAVING***

I like the maybe Jordan turned him down theory.

Guy is a runner stud in HS with no competition. He is long rumored to have had a fling with Hasay.

He gets to Oregon, is crushed in first two races, Jordan\\\\\\\'s new beau Stinson beats him handily each time, and he folds.

Leaving in the middle of the season makes no sense. Could there be some truth to this analysis?

Easy wrote:

The ITU races are draft legal wich means that if you can hang with the leaders in the swim then sit in and draft on the bike it comes down to a 10k race,. With LV's running talent he should do well in these events including the olympics

Actually I read an in-depth article following LV's win in Beijing which (after a thorough analysis) argued that though he many be competitive in the JR circuit, he does not have the ability to win big on the SR level. The jist of the article was that LV lags greatly behind his peers in the swim and when it comes to the bike, he plays tireless catch-up to the field, not even catching the lead pack until the early stages of the run. This is because the bike stage relies heavily on drafting technique which LV can not make use of (or at least as good of use as his competitors) since he is riding by himself at the tail end of the field after he does so poorly in the swim. Basically, while his immense running talent allows him to nip the JR competitors towards the end of JR triathlons, against the big boys who are far superior than him in swim and not SOOO much worse in the run, he will never be able to win.

Just .02

Good luck. It's rare that such a young man can move on to the big show. Lukas has made it. What a rare treat. I remeber decades ago Toshihiko Seko was in the same boat as Lukas and left USC after a semester. Tosh is a brain and USC is a top 10 world academic university so everyone was surprised. But Tosh went on to be the world's greatest marathoner who ever raced winning 10 major marathons in a row. I hope Lukas can someday meet Tosh and take leadership from the #1 marathoner who has ever lived on the face of the earth.

I don't blame him for his decision, but I think he should have waited until xc was over. It's kind of shitty to quit mid-season... gut it out, finish the season, then quit and transfer at semester.

Somebody get Seko talk w Lukas wrote:

USC is a top 10 world academic university

Hehe... But no.

Agreed...the kid obviously could not handle being top-dog. It is a pretty crappy move to ditch his team just before regionals and XC, especially if he is a points contributor.

How embarrassing, I will be rooting against him from now on.

Sorry, meant to write that Lukas couldn't handle NOT being top-dog. There are a lot of talented guys that just don't have the character to handle losing and then learn how to win on a bigger stage.

We should congrtulate Lukas for doing what we've all dreamed for oursleves . Lukas realizes that it's a big world out there and that world wants him to run in their town. You only live once as we say goodbye to Joe Frazier this week. Allyson Felix of USC was able to turn pro at 18 year of age. Kobe Bryant was signed by the Lakers after high school and is now the undisputed greatest basketball players who has ever lived on earth. So let's encourage young Lukas. Go Lukas !

Something has always lurked in the back of my mind with LV- drugs. He is unbeatable among his peers when allowed to compete on his own schedule. Then he goes to Oregon and looks like a typical rookie when under the close observation of the school program. Turning pro is the preferable recourse for someone dependent on PED's.

I wonder if he was bombing academically...

But really bad form to quit mid season, unreal.

It says a lot, even if you arent happy you got what 6 weeks left?

I've been teaching my daughter when you start something you finish it, you're not a quitter. Maybe since his parents didnt pay tuition thats what it's worth to him.

I pretty much always felt this way. With his mothers background as an athlete and the step father being a former trainer I have always been suspicious. He never had a bad race even when he hadn't race for long periods of time.

or is on the quarter system and is not crowded atall. the demands and responsibilties that pro athletes have are tremendous. lukas has to setup training camp in ridgecrest or tecopa. he's only 18 and hasn't done this sorta thing before.

Agree with you and the article you quote. The majority of the current ITU triathletes swim at a much higher level than LV and that isn't something you can change quickly, if at all. If he doesn't make the first group onto the bike, he'd never crack the top 5-10 assuming he can handle the pressure - and if his College career is any indication.... Also, the current ITU champ, Brownlee, can run 29 ish off the bike. He won't be racing American College boys but a hungry, quick, deep group of experienced Pros.

Got a hunch he failed his mid-terms...

I don't think it was a mature action on his part to abandon the team before the XC season ended.

If he waited until after Nationals it would have been better for all parties involved.

I think his decision may have to do with his long term assessment on both sports.

He may have a much better chance to excel at the World Class level in the triathlon, in the Olympics and Professional racing venues.

In Track and/or Road racing he may have realized that even if he got to the 13:00/27:00/2:06 level there would still be way too many Kenyans and Ethiopians ahead of him and no chance to achieve their level.

So do we chalk LV's name on the list of "amazing HS runners who faded out"? what? too soon?

So do we chalk LV's name on the list of "amazing HS runners who faded out"? what? too soon?

another one bites the dust wrote:

So do we chalk LV's name on the list of "amazing HS runners who faded out"? what? too soon?

The rule doesn't apply to him in the same way that it applied to everyone in the past. Namely, running wasn't his primary sport to begin with, so it would be much more appropriate to judge him based on his accomplishments in the triathlon from now

The only reason to quit before regional's is that your not eligible. Sorry I'm at a loss here? It would be nice to finish the season and Thank Oregon

Ugali American wrote:

Something has always lurked in the back of my mind with LV- drugs. He is unbeatable among his peers when allowed to compete on his own schedule. Then he goes to Oregon and looks like a typical rookie when under the close observation of the school program. Turning pro is the preferable recourse for someone dependent on PED's.

hope not..but it does sort of fit.