A big letdown the women's 4x1500 team isn't the "A" team. Besides that Symmonds is out of 4x800 and no Centro in 4x1500, but women's 4x800 is looking great.
Thoughts?
Clearly, there's no Salazar in T-E-A-M.
What a great idea for a world meet. Just put this one in at the end of the season.
My guess is that the Nike athletes are preparing for Prefontaine which is just 6 days after the world relays
I suspect they want to be sharp and ready for Nike's big meet.
When is the World Championship of Nike meet scheduled?
World Relays wrote:
My guess is that the Nike athletes are preparing for Prefontaine which is just 6 days after the world relays
I suspect they want to be sharp and ready for Nike's big meet.
Gatlin also not running, and of course no Felix, which makes the competition with Jamaica a joke. In addition to no Symmonds, no Sowinski, but Solomon is going.
psssstttttt....coolaid is the secret word for the not-to-be-mentioned elixir, Nikeaid.
There are a host of Nike athletes running. Jenny Simpson isn't a Nike athlete and she's not running. Nick Symmonds is a Brooks athlete and he's not running. None of Alberto's athletes - Nike are running.
USATF needs to exert more influence to get athletes to run. For the stars it may not matter. At the very least USATF should not be paying athletes to run the Oxy High Performance meet (in year's past, USATF paid for travel for top athletes to that meet that is why so many run it) at the expense of the World Relays.
Everything that is wrong with our sport's appeal I believe is illustrated by athletes running Oxy instead of World Relays. USATF should realize this and not financially encourage it.
Tennis players can't go do exhibitions at the expense of major events. They lose ranking points. Golfers have to play so many events. In track and field, everyone is a free agent and can do what they want. I'm all for athletes rights but their needs to be more central control for the sport to flourish.
At the end of their careers, do you think most athletes would say "yeah running that 'b' level time trial at Oxy" was a better decision than running World Relays? I don't think they will. I think it's a very short sighted decision.
Fans need to express their displeasure with athletes for skipping it.
USATF could also implement policies like you turn down a relay spot for a world event like this without an injury, you get no funding from USATF for anything else for the rest of the year. You can get prize money but any other travel or whatnot, you don't get. At least have that policy in place for major World events which this is trying to be.
Not surprised Alberto is holding his runners out + not convinced any of them would make that much difference, but does anyone know why Symmonds and Jenny BS are skipping iit?
wejo wrote:
USATF could also implement policies like you turn down a relay spot for a world event like this without an injury, you get no funding from USATF for anything else for the rest of the year.
A number of the athletes not running World Relays are running Shanghai, including Simpson, Moser, Sowinski, Gatlin. Uceny and Kimberlyn Duncan are doing both.
It looks to me that the bigger US stars are doing Shanghai only, and they probably get more money there.
coach d wrote:
A number of the athletes not running World Relays are running Shanghai, including Simpson, Moser, Sowinski, Gatlin. Uceny and Kimberlyn Duncan are doing both.
It looks to me that the bigger US stars are doing Shanghai only, and they probably get more money there.
As far as I know Solomon is doing world relays, Sowinski is doing Shanghai only, Brandon Johnson is doing Shanghai and World Relays, Robby Andrews is doing Oxy and World Relays.
Symmonds...nada. With al the love for Nike, maybe he's saving himself for Pre (full sarcasm mode).
coach d wrote:
As far as I know Solomon is doing world relays, Sowinski is doing Shanghai only, Brandon Johnson is doing Shanghai and World Relays, Robby Andrews is doing Oxy and World Relays.
Symmonds...nada. With al the love for Nike, maybe he's saving himself for Pre (full sarcasm mode).
USA , Piss poor teams across the board!
Looks like Christian Taylor has jumped onto the 4x400 team.
Dkny64 wrote:
Which is why I ask [no sarcasm] "What's up with Symmonds?"
Also, separate question: what would the USA men's A team 4 x 1500m actually be?
Dkny64 wrote:
Not surprised Alberto is holding his runners out + not convinced any of them would make that much difference, but does anyone know why Symmonds and Jenny BS are skipping iit?
Dkny64 wrote:
Not surprised Alberto is holding his runners out + not convinced any of them would make that much difference, but does anyone know why Symmonds and Jenny BS are skipping iit?
I bet the Beijing meet is tied into the Asian tour compensation package for some of the athletes.
Johnson went 1;47 mid off the 13+ terminal time hour flight and a flipped day/night going to Asia.
Now after a second race back in the silver tube for another 13+tt hours and another wake/sleep switch. How much faster will he be able to go after navigating halfway around the globe again?
I doubt there is a Shanghai>Bahamas non-stop. Minimum 3 changes of equipment.
That goes for the others mentioned above
Yes , if any athlete is receiving funding from USATF they should be required to run in a meet like this.
Agents won't say it but there is not appearance money so reduced income for them , naturally they don't want their people running.
How well did USATF promote this to the athletes ?