Rupp Running Brussels!!!!

posl wrote:

It's dead in championship races also. There are only a few reasonably fast runners and they don't race with any brains or 10k ability. It's all about sitting and kicking off of very slow paces.

I kinda fear that you are right, even the 10000 championships are sorta becoming filler races between payday races for shorter and longer distances. If it wasn't for Shoe Sponsors, NOP and/or Kenyan-Ethiopian competetive pride no-one would care any longer.

Next year when there's no global championship, if the Diamond League doesn't manage to get at least two highly competetive 10000 and/or a WR attemp coming close enough for suspense, I fear it's time to say R.I.P on the men's side.

his ballerness wrote:

Rupp can't even beat Lagat, so I doubt he can beat Lagat's record.

Yeah. With all due respect to Lagat, nonetheless, Rupp's pitiful record against Lagat (the only win I can recall was a 2-mile/3k indoor the year of the Olympics, right?) always seemed to put a dent in my fanboy hopes for Rupp at 5k.

While some of those earlier losses were when Rupp wasn't fully matured yet, recent losses are still a bit discouraging, seeing as Rupp has been or is near his prime, while Lagat is in his late 30s!

But I never give up hope. I like Bernard Lagat a lot, and I like Galen Rupp, too. He's recorded some phenomenal time performances, as well as that 10k Olympic Silver Medal. I remember watching a casual Flotrack interview of Galen Rupp around the time of the 2008 Olympics (maybe it was shortly after), where he talked about the long-term approach he and Coach Salazar had. It was inspiring then, and it's pleasant to see that the plan has paid off. I would be quite inspired further if Rupp could take the 5k American record in the near future.

Ah, nevermind! That was Rupp's thrilling Oly Trials victory over Lagat, breaking Prefontaine's record (I think), and besting Lagat with a thrilling show of speed. How could I forget that.

just another boring jogfest

rupp beat lagat at the 2012 olympic trials and this year at monaco rupp ran 13:05 and lagat did not finish that race.

those are the only 2 times rupp beat lagat, according to tilastopaja.

lagat is leading 17-2 in head to head vs rupp.

lagat will be 39 in december, rupp wont be 28 until may, so eventually rupp should start beating lagat unless lagat retires. lagat is still running good though, so we will see.

One of the interesting things is that Rupp ran his 10K AR at Brussels two years back after the WC.

He had a better WC this year. He even ran a second faster this year over 5K than he did in 2011 (when he ran 13:06, outkicking Merga for 2nd in Birmingham.)

Rupp and Salazar know all this, and no doubt are looking for a big race here.

As a fan, I'd love to see Rupp at least get under 13:00 again, perhaps with a PR. We'll see, yes?

As for Lagat and doping, perhaps he did in the distant past, as perhaps El G did. But lately, I don't think so. But who the heck knows.

Lagat had an A sample come back positive. The B came back negative. Epo test was at the time 95% accurate. Meaning if you got tested 20 times it should be wrong once. If the B came back clean then at least one of the two tests of the same urine/blood- don't remember which popped on him, was wrong. It's a tough thing but given his longevity through multiple generations of doping tests/era's and scandals it would appear he is clean.

Galen Rupp Number on Fan wrote:

So what? LAgat is a dirty doper who tested positive. He's also a cheating Kenyan. I CANT understand how everyone forgets that! DIRTY DIRTY DIRTY. People with all these suspicions about RUPP and NOP should be ten times as angry at cheater LAGAT.

Everyone on this board takes for granted that el G was a walking pharmaceutical project- why do they give the benefit of the doubt to the next fastest guy just because he turned traitor on his Kenyan heritage and became an "American"?

Galen Rupp Number on Fan wrote:

Everyone on this board takes for granted that el G was a walking pharmaceutical project- why do they give the benefit of the doubt to the next fastest guy just because he turned traitor on his Kenyan heritage and became an "American"?

That's a very good point, one that I've thought myself at times. A good point, that is, more lightly made. People on this board have claimed that anti-doping had not caught up to what was then the new and very powerful endurance sport improving technologies, like EPO and, whatever else. Add to that El Guerrouj's mindboggling performances year after year (around half of the top 40 1500m times ever recorded, according to

, belong to him), and at least some cautionary suspicion seems to be the responsible thing to have. I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that he "was a walking pharmaceutical project," at least for me, since I know very little about his lifestyle and larger environs back in the day. I've seen some short videos on his altitude training, his coach, his training mates, on the influence of Said Aouita, his discovery and early training, etc., but still it's too little.

I also don't think Bernard Lagat being a "traitor on his Kenyan heritage" has anything to do with doping allegations against him. From all I can tell, Bernard Lagat is very happy to be an American and had desired it for a long time. I don't know of many elite Kenyan runners who became American citizens and are so well integrated and happy and publicly proud to be American and have performed with the USA singlet on like Bernard has. Maybe Kenyans have some lingering dismay for him; maybe very begrudging American track fans of old have some reservation about him not becoming an American citizen "sooner," but he's done a fine job all in all. The criticism just seems invalid, since no critics seem to be holding him to any standard (e.g. comparable figure?)

A lot of criticism of Lagat comes down to xenophobism and racism.

Of course it's true he had the positive A sample those several years back, and was cleared by the B.

Albertoooo wrote:

American Record Attempt???

The more relevant question is: "Who will be the 1st American across the finish line?"

start list now up 6 americans in the race. more than either kenya or ethiopia.

runners by country

USA 6

ethiopia 4

kenya 4

australia 2

belgium 1

bahrain 1

france 1

Here's how it will go...

Rupp will run a lousy time

He will not face the media being the classless coward he is

The fan boys will make excuses for him...

Repeat.

Thanks

his season so far doesn't augur well for an American record, but he did really turn it on after world's when he got the 10k record. And then there has not been a single fast race since world's so far. Lagat's A test was a different and far less accurate test than the B test. The A test was also an indirect test, whereas the B test was a direct test for the presence of synthetic EPO, I believe. So, this was not a Ryan Braun style acquittal.

Horst Girth wrote:

Of course it's true he had the positive A sample those several years back, and was cleared by the B.

Kinda like when Marion Jones tested positive for EPO and then was exonerated by her B sample testing negative.

Horst Girth wrote:

Of course it's true he had the positive A sample those several years back, and was cleared by the B.

someone had to do it wrote:

Kinda like when Marion Jones tested positive for EPO and then was exonerated by her B sample testing negative.

Not like that at all, actually, but don't let that interfere with your ignorant hatred.

Ah, now we're talking! I still can't tell or have any idea who the pacemakers are, will be, or what the pace will be, but the field certainly suggests something serious:

http://www.diamondleague-brussels.com/Live-StartlistsResults/Overview/5000m-Men1/

Isiah Koech, the bronze medallist at 5k at worlds Moscow this year (and probable silver medallist if he had leaned), very fast, too;

Thomas Longosiwa, bronze medallist at 5k at the 2012 Olympic Games--improved his 5k pb from 12:51 high to sub 12:50 territory at that fast Paris 5k before the Olympics.

Hagos G--few words necessary for him.

Yenew Alamirew--likewise.

Edwin Soi and Albert Rop--fast 5k guys who are capable of very fast times, but it's not for sure

Excited to see what the other Americans will run, if they can get near low 13:00, but the real show will be whether the pacemakers are instructed and follow through with setting a very fast pace, low 12:50s or 12:50 flat, and if Bernard Lagat and Rupp can be in the picture.

Mark your calendars! This Friday, September 6th! last meet of the Diamond League.