Alan Webb Tells LetsRun.Com His 2012 Olympic Dreams Are Over - He Won't Run 1,500

just stop wrote:

he is, in fact, human.

Yep, very much so. He had his string of good years, and a couple of truly great ones, but in the end everybody fades and it certainly doesn't always happen when you want it to. I'm sure 10 years ago he thought he'd be doing a lot better now than he is, but life happens and the majority of us don't have everything unfold in a perfect fashion.

So has he done 100% of what he maybe sorta could've done had everything gone his way? I don't think so. But that doesn't mean he hasn't had a great career anyway.

After all it could have just as well swung the other way for him, like it did for Noah Ngeny. Olympic champ and one of the fastest of all time at 21, and boom....car crash, career over just as it was starting to get good. Yeah he didn't die, but I'm sure it felt like a pretty big part of him did.

ttc wrote:

Bob Kennedy, Todd Williams, Paul McMullen are all multiple national champs and world top 10 finishers- like Webb. All, had bad performances at the end of their careers. Rupp, Symmonds, Ritz & Hall will too. It's the way it works- unless they retire young.

So be ready to call them a joke too.

The difference is did those guys petition to get into an event they didn't qualify in? Your right all the greats end up running terrible if they keep at it too long. One of the best, Haile Geb, is the perfect example. I think Webb still has something in the tank, but today was a disgrace. If your going to petition to make a race at least run your brains out. Giving up is nothing to be proud of. I'm sure he got some money just for competing at the trials as well from his sponsor. Ridiculous. If he stays healthy and focuses on the 5k he can be a force next year. He clearly has natural speed and strength. It's just a matter of can he stay healthy and focused for a full year??

The Webb haters on here are in the same class as the douchebags who criticized Jim Ryun for not beating Kip Keino at the 68 Olympics. Webb is a class act and was a great miler and showed a versatility few American distance runners have shown. It's sad that he went off the rails but he accomplished more than 99.9% of the posters on here ever dreamed of accomplishing.

I wish him and his expanded family well.

Got to talk to him after the Stanford meet after his race and pacing, seemed like a really nice guy. Glad he is so excited about becoming a dad.

"I wonder if not making the 5k final might actually come as something of relief to him. That way he wouldn't have to deal with the continued attention/pressure/debate." That's what I wrote this afternoon in predicting he wouldn't make the final.

And from watching that interview, yeah, I think he's relieved. He looked truly happy - happy to be done with all this, at least for now.

Again, I've never met the man, so I'm just guessing, but I suspect it has been a long time since he enjoyed being a professional runner. I've seen it happen to people in other professions - they're really good at something, and they loved it at one point, but it just turned sour for them and they end up kind of hating what they do. Maybe that's Webb's deal.

sbeefyk1 wrote:

The difference is did those guys petition to get into an event they didn't qualify in?

If the USATF allows him in, he'd be a fool not to petition and get entered. That goes for Fam or my next door neighbor. If you don't think BK, Williams, McMullen would've gone for that in the same situation, then you're fooling yourself. If he didn't get in though, I doubt he'd whine like Fam did.

everyone was there for that you jag.

True dat. For years, I have cursed and cheered Alan Webb along with the rest of you. His struggles have been at times inspiring and at times very hard to watch. After listening to this short interview, I felt relief and happiness for the guy. Perhaps -- finally -- he can let go. Be a dad. And a husband. And whatever the hell else he might want. Anything but the most scrutinized, criticized and fly-specked middle distance runner in the US. Whatever else you might say about him, he is one of the most talented athletes the running community has ever seen and I'm grateful for having been able to watch his best AND worst moments. I wish him and his family all the best of health and happiness and I hope that whatever the future holds, he can find peace and maintain balance.

In all honesty, looks like he had a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. Less stress, more laid back. It's okay to give up the game Alan, you had a great career by any standard. Go home, be a great father to your child. He seems so excited. We should all just hope for his happiness.

webb fan right here.

i just have this feeling that maybe he's one of the precious few not on drugs and he's a human and he broke down.

i hope he gets back out there, but if he never does, he's still the man.

Expressing disappointment in Webb's performance isn't "bashing" him. Like many people, I was hoping he'd get it together, too. But I still think we have the right to criticize him for his poor performance--especially given the petition to get in the 5k, and because he could still run the 1500, but chose not to. (We "bash" athletes in all the other sports--T&F guys actually have it easy, as Jim Rome doesn't give a sh-t about running.) To see an athlete of his caliber not have the fire necessary to compete with the best, is sad. And if he doesn't have it anymore, I guess it's better that he hangs them up.

The reason we're all so disappointed (justified or not) is because he was America's best distance hope. He was the guy that was going to turn the tables and bring American distance running back to the top. He was the guy we all believed in. And to see him climb so high in 2007 (where he ran the most idiotic 1500m I've ever seen!), to where he is now hurts us all. Our hopes were riding on him, and he didn't come through. Doesn't make us bad for wanting him to do well, and doesn't make him bad for not performing the way we thought he should. It's just the way it is.

That all being said, it's great to see him so happy about fatherhood. Good to know that his happiness isn't totally dependent on running.

How quickly a post about Webb degenerated into name calling. He had a bad year and that is all. If he was so emotional about his soon to be born child then he should have not petitioned for a place.

That does not mean most here Webb haters, not at all. He is really a nice guy, but, athletics is about the clock. He will come back and beat the clock in a better year.

I love how all the joggers are so adamant they'd be successful if they had Webb's talent.

Truth is that having talent is MUCH harder than having none.

He's like a vaulter with the yips. When you can't do it anymore its very tough to explain why.

The difference between the very top and just making the Olympic trials is not really that much. I have never been at that level but I believe a lot comes down to what is in your head. His head certainly has doubts, and when you have a few light injuries like he had this year, it made the head problems worse. You can see it in the interview.

I really feel for Webb and anyone who bashes him at this point just doesn't have a heart. He has trained hard for many years. It takes a lot to get out there and train for hours every day, especially when the results are not coming and injuries are mounting. Especially in an Olympic year where the pressure is so high.

I wish the best for him and hope he doesn't hang it up. If you read any of these posts Alan, please stick with it another year. I think a non-Olympic year where the pressure is not on is the right recipe for Webb.

I agree!

I hope Alan the best.

It's hilarious that all the dudes on here are excusing Webb because "he just couldn't run a qualifying time with a baby on the way" and "he's becoming s father so he can't run well at Trials" and "bring a Dad is more important than running" - but when Kara Goucher actually gave birth and was running a couple of months later everyone on here sh*t all over her for not snapping right back into top shape.

Respect.

I have never understood the Alan Webb hysteria.

He made 1 olympic team and didn't get out of the 1st round.

He made the final of 2 worlds and ran poorly in both.

He has done virtually nothing since 2007.

He ran an American mile record in a very minor European meet.

So, explain to me why he gets so much hype. There are posters on this board who swear he has more talent than Lagat!! Based on what? He has never run well in big races and his best running was 5 years ago.

I don't root for or against him but the news that he is not running the 1500 is the most irrelevant fact about the trials thus far.

If Webb would've stuck with one coach in one place for the past 4 years he would be world class again. Hes spoiled and inconsistent.