Robbie Andrews has got to be in Shock right now...

Oakie Sooner wrote:

"remind me how Jock did."

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The Charles Jock situation was completely different than Robbie's problems. Jock is hooked up with that Southern California mentality and coaching that ends up with fast time trial races, but past peak for the big races.

Jock made the World Championship team in 2011. What are you talking about?

The kid is still an awesome runner and he at least deserves to have his name spelled correctly. Go Robby!

Stop using Andrews's age as an excuse. Wheating was 21 when he made the Olympic team IN THE 800M in 2008.

HGow wrote:

Stop using Andrews's age as an excuse. Wheating was 21 when he made the Olympic team IN THE 800M in 2008.

Sure, no problem - just as soon as you learn how to use apostrophes.

These posts get ridiculous when people start pointing out grammatical errors. Anyways, I can't understand why some people keep talking about Andrews kick like they are disappointed he couldn't catch the front of the pack. He's not racing collegiate runners who are dying at the end, most of these guys are kicking it home with a 53.# final 400. Andrews also closed in 53.#, he just didn't put himself in the best position leading up to the bell. He would have had to close in 50.# from where he was at the bell.

The pace was slightly too fast for him to run his best race. He is young and will improve now that he has become a miler.

i think he was just in the wrong event; hindsights 20/20 and he should have stuck with the 800. way more experience and probably easier for him to make it through rounds. olympic trials is not the time to run 1500 number 3, 4 and 5 in his career. he definitely has a future at the distance but take the shot now to become a olympian in the 8.

going pro was the right move, staying in the ncaa wouldn\'t have changed anything he probably would have wound up worse off. i think his biggest problem now is who to train with. he is addidas with vig so i assume (could be wrong) the otc guys aren\'t going to be a option. with webb becoming a father and likely having to focus on that who is going to help him?

I think it as a combination of him only racing one 1500 so far this year (so he was by no means race sharp) and the rounds might have worn on him a little. Plus having to run on the outside for the entire last lap at 53 pace is just going to kill you. Wheating definitely screwed up Andrews race a little.

ryan foreman wrote:

I don't know if its tactics. It looks like he was in pretty good position to catch Wheating and had the kick to do it. Wheating didn't look spectacular down the stretch. Andrews looked like he was out of gas. Actually he looked like an 800M runner who had just recently left college.

nice, my favorite letsrun post i've read in a while

Quenton Cassidamius wrote:

The pace was slightly too fast for him to run his best race. He is young and will improve now that he has become a miler.

I think he was in a little over his head at this stage, but if luck went his way and went wrong for some of the others he certainly had a shot. It's easy to look at one person say all that they did wrong in a race, but you have to look at what is going on with the other guys in the race. Wheating certainly did not have a smooth route nor did Miller, McNamara or others. Manzano and Centro just seem to make their adjustments/jostles in a race seem effortless but they are not without effort.

There is something to be said for the difference in maturity that you can see in the body language between the top three and guys like Robby and McNamara. The latter two certainly have talent, and really want it, but they are missing that calm, cool, expectation in their running. That translates to overexcitedness and anxiety and energy expenditure.

When they overcome that they will come to the end of more races with more energy in the tank. Time and racing experience will hopefully solve that.

In the end you can be a great runner, run a good race, be off by 1% and end up like Robby in this race.

I think Perspectivation nailed it. I wonder what would have happened if Andrews had raced more miles/1500's. A lot of this is relaxation and being mentally tough while racing. It is really difficult to weave your way through a tough pressure laden race coming from last place.

By the way, the 1500 is his event. He is not fast enough for the 800 at the world level. Too little margin for error in the last 200 for him in the 800, and he finds going out in 50.5 seconds really difficult.

Andrews and training partner Webb can now watch the Olympics together in the comfort of their home.

Wheating constantly races like that, I actually think it's garbage how Wheating races. He might be coming off of an injury or whatever, but so was Centrowitz. And how did Centro race? Like he had a pair!

The negative head case energy of Webb took away from his abilities.

The Agony of Defeat wrote:

http://www.trackandfieldphoto.com/DisplayJpg.php?120701_2343_1110_RLM&next=1

That really is an awesome photo, regardless of what it symbolizes.

not sure why they are giving up on the 800 meters so quick? most 800 meter runners don't peak until they are 27. He jusy needs more time... the three that made the team are clearly the best with the most experience at the event! especially the first two guys...

"Then suddenly Wheating also moved out wide forcing a little contact, and Robbie went even wider for a couple of steps before he had to slow and tuck behind. It totally changed his race."

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You were watching a different race. Wheating pretty much held his ground (he always led Robbie and never let him get past his shoulder. Andrews left his wad on the straightaway between 300 and 200 meters, settled back going into the curve and then made a second effort at about the 130 meter point. When he came up on Wheating, there was very light contact, Wheating began to pull away...Andrews tried to respond, but he was already wasted and was getting passed by others in the field by time he hit the 50 meter point. All those LR posters who had him pegged as the top American misjudged his lack of experience and poor race strategy coaching.

Many of us predicted this would backfire. The reasons were obvious: inexperience at the distance, deeper field, racing style. This was not the year to experiment with a new distance. Terrible decisions likely cost this guy a trip to the Olympics.