What the heck? wrote:
A top Canadian coach (A Gardiner) said 2 years ago that Canada was a nation of throwers and sprinters. This enraged the Canadian distance runners. So far this year they've got 3 marathoners under 2:11 who are all going to the Olympics. After Payton Jordan, it is obvious Canada's got some great distance runners with Bairu, Ahmed and Levins all running well..
How about the women?
Sheila Reid
Megan Wright
Hillary Stellingworth
Malindi Elmore
Siphentes
And
Taylor Milne
Matt Brennan
Matt Hughs
Genest
Why don't they fire this guy?
Gardiner was right - two years ago!! Dylan A. medalled at Worlds last year - no distance runner is even close to doing that. The female hurdlers make finals (Perdita did not last year, and she was a previous champion) or medal (Priscilla). Who is making finals from the distance group? Even Sullivan struggled with that after 2000! Gary Reed was a star (medal at Worlds), so he should have been mentioned (although you could also argue that he was a sprinter moving up as well).
As to the list presented:
Sheila Reid is a developing talent, but (while NCAA Champion) has no world-class times to her credit yet (no A standards). Megan Wright hasn't yet made A standard either, as neither have the 1500m runners (Elmore, Stellingwerf or Sifuentes).
Who is Matt Brennan? (if you mean Nate Brannen then maybe you need to learn who these people are!!) Neither Brannen or Milne have made A standard (although both ran in 2008 - certainly Milne did). Hughes and Genest are both comers in the Steeple (at Worlds last year), but don't have A standard either.
The marathon guys are 2h10-11 guys (currently), which while impressive for Canadians isn't exactly fantastic these days - look at RRW and see the multitude of sub-2h10 performances these days.
The point (from an "Own the Podium" perspective) is that none of these people are anyone that knowledgable people would predict to be "players" at the world level. Nice that they can make it to the show, but when you are struggling to even make the standard to participate, you can't be considered a threat to medal. Should that be important? It is is you want to be considered something more than throwers or sprinters (female Hurdlers to be specific). Just being there - look at the disappointment of Webb for not medalling at WC/OG - isn't really enough to change any outsider's perspective on top level performance. Is it fair to compare to Winter sport successes (medals)? Probably not, but who said life is fair? This attitude (Boyd)that distance is tougher than other events is a crock, nothing stopping people from taking up the RW (G. LeBlanc in 1992) in order to be a top player (medalist), but if you choose to be distance runners, then facing the same standard of excellence shouldn't be any different.
Great runs from Levins and Ahmed, hopefully they can take the distance troops to another level in future where they are more than just participants, they are there trying to win or least make to finals to be in a position to win. That is what is expected of the other events (see disappointment of Felicien not making the final last year), why should distances be any different? Just because there are African runners involved? The sprinters have to contend with Caribean nations, why is that any different? There is a french guy (white even) who medalled last year in the 200m - he is as big an exception as you can find, presumably he didn't buy into the mindset that it can't be done. Levins (from almost nowhere) is running pretty fast right now, (presumably basically solo in Utah - no great SR group)showing that training can get done at a high level and volume if sufficiently motivated. Hopefully HE doesn't think that he can't compete at the highest level in a few years, at least until proven otherwise.