Anyone else happy Solomon took down Symmonds?

crazy raisin wrote:

I was trying to think of the least arrogant runners in track and field the other day and Nick Symmonds came to mind. He genuinely sounds like he's trying to help others out, share tips, and bring some excitement to the running community. He has questionable tastes in women but I still like the guy.

The guy is definitely full of himself, but he's one of the biggest promoters of the sport that we have today. Track is dying in this country, and the people out there trying to bring attention to it like Symmonds and Lolo Jones get torn apart on this board. Shit, people were criticizing Centro for celebrating too much after he won the 15 yesterday. People need to realize that the sport needs personalities to survive, and Nick Symmonds is one of the biggest personalities we have. Like him or not, he's great for the sport in this country.

only happy that someone ran even faster than 1:43.7, which is a great time, at US champs. had someone else run a half second faster than Solomon, i would be yet. in fact, my happiness would have been maximized had someone run the WR to win the US champs.

C.P. wrote:

ksksk wrote:

There's no award for the hardest trainer.

Ummmm Duane just won USATF Nationals... Am I rite?

That's an award for winning the race, not for training the hardest.

I am extremely happy for Mr. Soloman.

ksksk wrote:

C.P. wrote:

Ummmm Duane just won USATF Nationals... Am I rite?

That's an award for winning the race, not for training the hardest.

Exactly. He trained the hardest and won a title

crazy raisin wrote:

I was trying to think of the least arrogant runners in track and field the other day and Nick Symmonds came to mind. He genuinely sounds like he's trying to help others out, share tips, and bring some excitement to the running community. He has questionable tastes in women but I still like the guy.

If you don't think Symmonds has his arrogant moments, you're not seeing all there is to see.

"Brad Pitt of Track and Field," that didn't come from no place.

Emil C wrote:

So Solomon stagnated at 1:45-1:46 for years and now he's running 1:42-1:43? Doesn't pass the sniff test.

Thank You! I will be happy to see him get caught!

Ylwl wrote:

When is the last time Symmonds beat Solomon?

Pre this year.

ksksk wrote:

C.P. wrote:

You have no idea how hard Duane trains.

There's no award for the hardest trainer.

That's what crossfit is for.

I like Symmonds, and I like what he's doing in the fight for athletes rights to be sponsored by anyone they choose, but I was glad for Solomon.

Symmonds had won plenty of times, and it's never a bad thing for someone else to win a title; otherwise, after a while it just can take the excitement out of it.

I think he has a great attitude

Who said Symmonds couldn't run faster than 1:44.5 when he had run sub 1:44 for about 5 years in a row prior to 2012?

I'm glad to see how high a bar Solomon has set and Symmonds' time would have won the US champs for many years prior to this one, I think. Solomon is in shape to break his coach Johnny Gray's record in a Rudisha-led race in good conditions in Europe. And Symmonds is in very good shape for this point in the season and looks to possibly get close to the mid 1:42s this year as well. He rightly analyzed what he needs to do, improve his speed enough into the low 46s to be comfortable going out closer to 50, where Solomon was today. But Symmonds could also afford to lose a bit of weight. At ten-fifteen lbs lighter he might run run 1:42.5 and 3:30.

I'm gonna hate wrote:

Symmonds is so full of himself. I\'m so glad he was taken down. Maybe he\'ll realize he has terrible tactics and needs an attitude change.

Re-watch the race. This was the perfect storm against Symmonds in terms of getting boxed/what could go wrong tactically for an 800. Generally, Symmonds is free to move up at about 300m into the race, but Sowinsky practically kept him boxed in and in dead last till 300m to go. Symmonds was only able to get out by hip-checking Sowinsky to keep him from going out to lane 3 when he was moving up on Greer. In retrospect, I am surprised Symmonds made the team, much less finish 2nd. Overall, a great race for Solomon, Symmonds, and Johnson, but this does demonstrate the weaknesses in Symmonds strategey. However, it will be even worse for Duane if he attempts to take it out against Rudisha and Aman in Moscow, but I severely doubt he will do that.

In regards to Symmonds character, you will not find a more sincere individual in the sport of Track and Field. He is forth-coming and intelligent in all his interviews, unlike many US Track athletes who seem to develop speech impediments whenever a camera is put in front of their face (Rupp, you giggly school girl you), and showed total class in his post race NBC interview with Duane and Johnson, despite having lost a 5-year win streak.

Here is a link to the 800m final:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9QYGejTQVM

I like them both.

It's an Act wrote:

If you don't think Symmonds has his arrogant moments, you're not seeing all there is to see.

"Brad Pitt of Track and Field," that didn't come from no place.

Right, couldn't have anything to do with Symmonds being a good-looking blond guy.

Beavus wrote:

Overall, a great race for Solomon, Symmonds, and Johnson, but this does demonstrate the weaknesses in Symmonds strategey. However, it will be even worse for Duane if he attempts to take it out against Rudisha and Aman in Moscow, but I severely doubt he will do that.

Problem for Symmonds is that high-level 800s have effectively become long 400s (Mr. Wariner, are you listening?). You really need 45-point 400 speed these days, and Symmonds doesn't have that. I'm actually surprised Symmonds didn't move up THIS year after training for a month with Leo in Mexico.

Solomon doesn't have to take it out against Rudisha, because Rudy is quite willing to be the rabbit. Keep in mind here that Solomon recently ran against Amman in Rabat and finished a step or two behind. He now has the fastest time in the world, with Amman and Rudisha behind HIM.

Duane is now WAAY (1.28 seconds to be exact) ahead of where he was this time last year. At the pace he's on, he seems likely to take down his coach's AR on the way to perhaps a 1:41...and if he gets into that territory, he doesn't need to be so afraid of hanging with Rudisha.

Solomon ran this weekend like someone who knows there is nobody in the US who can challenge him...i.e., he ran a Rudisha race. He was right out there in front, and neither Symmonds nor anyone else could catch him.

The only question is, what color is Solomon's medal in Moscow?

Emil C wrote:

So Solomon stagnated at 1:45-1:46 for years and now he's running 1:42-1:43? Doesn't pass the sniff test.

Symmonds is a guy who heading into the Trials last year had only run 1:43 3 times in his life and now he's run it 3 times in his last 10 races???

Guys get better.

Neither is on drugs. Get a life.

I am, but because i'm a fan of Solomon. I have no problem with symmonds--runners here only seem to cheer against people, its really sad.

Should every runner be a silent squirrel in the corner to ensure that he isn't cocky or full of himself? Do we really want to listen guys like ritz just ramble on about training and stats and things like this during their interviews?