Bring Back The 1,500!!! Can someone tell me one good reason why Friday's mile at Pre shouldn't be a 1,500?I'm working on our Pre Classic Previwe and this is what I have so written so far. What am I missing? I'm assuming no one at Pre is up at this hour to answer my question so I thought crowd-sourcing it would be the next best thing.LRC Analysis: If you want to know what is wrong with modern day track and field, this race is the perfect example of what's wrong with the sport. We're all for the "Bring Back The Mile" campaign but in this case, this race should be a 1,500 and not a mile as many of the top American entrants - including US mile record holder Alan Webb - are desperate for the "A" standard of 3:35.50. And he's not the only one. Dorian Ulrey, who ran 3:35.23in 2009, also needs it as do others.
Now we have heard from Webb's coach himself, Jason Vigilante, that Webb's plan is to kick it in and go for the "A" at 1,500 as there will be a camera set up there, but that's ridiculous. Apparently he still has to finish the race for it to count.
How comical is that going to look? And what a farce for the fans.
And there already is the historic Bowerman Mile race at the actual Pre Classic meet the next day so there is ZERO reason for this race to be a mile and not a 1,500. Don't tell us it's for the fans as the fans are going to see the American record holder in the event kick it in 109 meters too early.
Seriously, we are at loss as to why this would possibly be a mile and not a 1,500. If you know of a good reason, please email us and we'll add a correction.
In our view, this race should be a 1,500 with everyone who needs the "A" in it. Nike, with it's billions, should just pay one of its young stars a few thousand to rabbitt this and then let them come back the next day. A perfect example is Ayanhleh Souleiman of Djibouti ,who for some reason is in this race and now the Bowerman mile. How a 19-year-old who just ran 3:30.31 last week for 1,500 and is in our estimationa future star isn't in the Bowerman mile is beyond us. Let us repeat, pay the guy a few thousand and let him take Webb all the way to 3:35.50 and then let him come back and run with the Big Boys on Saturday.
To us, the fact that the IAAF even insists on everyone from a country like the US having the "A" when clearly the country has more than tgree guys with the "A" is absurd, but we'll save that rant for another day.
Actual Race Analysis: There are seven Americans with the "A" in the 1,500. Two of them in Russell Brown and Matt Centrowitz are in this race and the other five in Andrew Wheating, Leo Manzano, David Torrence, Lopez Lomong and Bernard Lagat are in the Bowerman mile, so this will be a preview of the Olympic Trials for sure (and we're thinking Lopez Lomong and Bernard Lagat may just do the 5,000 and not do the 1,500 at the Trials).
But this race to us is about three things and three things only.
1. How does World Championships bronze medallist Matt Centrowitz look in his outdoor opener? After a good indoor season, his outdoor campaign has been delayed due to a knee injury and there are only a few weeks until the Trials.
2. Can Alan Webb (or another American) get the "A" time of 3:35.50?
3. How good is 19-year-old Ayanhleh Souleiman?