subfive wrote:
That's a good analysis...setting the pace is just not that great an idea. Those runners all are very good and can kick. And if it's me I'm going to take my chances with saving all I can and then running a rocket finish...and just maybe the favorite is out of position or does not have it that day. If I go at it from the start trying to run a pr....it' s just to dangerous. Why would I think the other more accomplished guys are going to be broken by a fast pace when they are as good or better than me! Sit and kick!
You are overstating your case. What you say is true for certainly inferior runners (like a Levins). But they are going to lose out on the medals NO MATTER WHAT. But ETH's and KEN's ?
1_ This year they ran much faster than Mo has, and did so off a hard pace from the gun
2) Mo was potentially tired from 10k
3) they all knew he had a deadly kick
They were simply dumb, and weak, to let it go so slow, and let him then take control prior to the last lap. They handed him the race.
Either the ETH or KEN runners (or both together) could have swapped off laps and hit the pace hard right out of the gate (instead of waiting until 6 laps to go). No SINGLE person had to lead the whole way. Don't these guys know how to work together for their collective advantage?? Or do something like hit a sub 60 lap every other lap, to mess with Mo's rhythm and get him well into anaerobic land before he wants to.
Mo still might have won, but the odds would have gone down if they ran the type of race I am describing above compared to the one they allowed to be.