Link wrote:
That's what I meant.
You know, this is not really all that unexpected. It's been, what, seven eight years since Hall became a threat at the world level? That's about all you get, it seems. Think about guys from the classic era, guys like Viren Shorter or Rodgers. Rodgers became world class in 75. By 82, 83 he was good but he was never really again considered a threat at a top level race. Shorter's time at the top was even shorter (no pun intended). Same thing with Hall, same thing with Webb. You keep stretching that band, and, sooner or later, it breaks, or, it loses its elasticity. It might happen - it sometimes does, but usually only in cases where a guy has been injured off and on. Viren's an example although, really he won in 72 and was competitive but not victorious eight years later in Moscow. Ritz is another example. He might get another year or two because he missed time along the way over the last 8 years.
I'm a pretty big fan of Ritz, Hall and Webb. I'd love to see them winning big races again, but, realistically, their time up near the top has come to an end. In spite of what I wrote above, I'm going to stop posting critical reviews of their performances here. They've earned some appreciation in their sunset years. That class really brought US running back to respectability.