Alan Webb 3.5 hours from first world cup (abu dhabi) start, listen free online

Magic Juice wrote:

well,. wrote:

Farah didn´t set his PS´s ages ago...

Ever heard of Bernard Lagat, or Haile G.?

Ever heard of Webb running a good race in recent years? I haven´t.

He beat Brendan Sexton who is an accomplished triathalete so I think it's safe to say:

WEBB IS BACK BABY!!!!!!

Jonathan Brownlee who finished 5th in Abu Dhabi, and I'd wager to say had an overall bad race, run a 14.00 5k road race in Armagh a couple of weeks beforehand.

And his elder brother is without doubt definitely faster than him. And that's in the middle of swimming 5+ and cycling 5+ times a week.

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2015/02/news/jonathan-brownlee-finishes-third-5k-road-race_112521

I get it. Like it or not he lined up with 58 men and came in behind 56 Needs drastic improvement

If you believe is try swims are not indicative of his swim ability then there is really nothing one can say

Hopefully he will prove you are correct

Telling it like it is wrote:

I think Alan should be commended for not quitting athletics altogether like so many other competitors. He's obviously doing something that really gets him pumped up and while he's not the fastest, he's isn't horrible.

A perfectly valid position if he were doing this on his own. But he's not. He's sucking up a USA Triathlon stipend and travel expenditures that could be supporting a more deserving younger athlete. Because USA Triathlon wants to trade on the publicity his name will bring.

You say he should be able to trade on his name? I agree, but the point is that he has many other opportunities to do so that would not preempt scarce training support from going to athletes both more in need and more deserving.

He's never going to do anything competitively significant in triathlon and there is nothing socially admirable in trying to prolong being paid to do your daily workout for as long as possible.

I wish him and wife all happiness with second child and hope he gets out of triathlon before he crashes the bike.

jjjjjj wrote:

what's drug testing like in the triathlon?

ITU triathlon is an Olympic sport so it falls under WADA. Testing of top US triathletes by USADA is similar in scope the top runners, that is, there is out of competition testing, in competition testing, and a biological passport regime.

Ironman is responsible for their own testing, though they may, and at least sometimes do, contract USADA or some such independent entity to do it. As such, it's likely that Ironman testing is looser than ITU.

You can see athlete test histories at the USADA site:

When it comes to Webb, I am like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football that Lucy always pulls away. I know better than to believe he will ever be fast again, but despite all the evidence to the contrary - I always think the next race might be the one where he returns to form. But he only ever gets worse.

Good Grief.

Sexton is ranked 35th.

Song: I wonda if heaven be havin liqua stores and swishas

Artist: Big Mike pka Unarmed teenage aspiring rapper on his way to college

Album: Black Lives Be Matterin'

Label: Dindu Nuffins Records/Interscope

I said hands up don't shoot

I'm jus a yung black yoof

CNN be havin da proof

I dindu nuffins craka, now give me yo loot

Wyte wimminz on muh friends list

Muh dik be ****in' yo *****

**** **** yo ***** an *****

So **** ****** ******* ****

******* an ****** *******

Yo ****** ******* ********

******* at da scripp club makin it rain

I beez six fo an two eddy fi

Dat craka *** police finna die

Deez rayciss crakas gonna lie

I dindu nuffins, black lives matter dats why

Dey be hatin cuz muh dik in dey wifey

All de news stations like me

I be havin J's on muh feet

Cuz I jacked dat craka's nikes

I beez gon befo muh time

Makin skrillions off deez rhymes

I wunda if heaven got swishas an liqua stoes

Dat wyte ho be lookin fine

I wunda if heaven got swishas an liqua stoes

I beez a young black yoof

Muh momma was poe

Dem crakas be rayciss when dey say da word thug

I always be wearin red cuz I be reppin dem bloods

Muh dik be ****in' yo *****

**** **** yo ***** an *****

So **** ****** ******* ****

******* an ****** *******

Yo ****** ******* ********

******* at da scripp club makin it rain

I head up to de liqua stoe rollin on twinnies

Muh dik fo deez wyte wimminz I be havin plenty

I go up in de liqua stoe an grab a box a swishas

Dat craka try a grab meh I'm a beat yo ass mista

I roll out that ***** an head down de road

All deez rayciss crakas honkin cuz I beez walkin slow

Dis rayciss azz police be hatin muh swag

finna put dat craka in uh body bag

I said hands up don't shoot

Cuz I beez a yung black yoof

Dis rayciss azz cracka

I hit him harder than a major league batter

Now I beez gettin madder

Cuz black lives matter

So I reach fo his nine millie

But he got to it first an killed me

I beez layin on the skreets

I hope heaven be havin swisha sweets

I wunda if heaven got swishas an liqua stoes

I beez a young black yoof

Muh momma was poe

Dem crakas be rayciss when dey say da word thug

I always be wearin red cuz I be reppin dem bloods

blah de blah wrote:

A perfectly valid position if he were doing this on his own. But he's not. He's sucking up a USA Triathlon stipend and travel expenditures that could be supporting a more deserving younger athlete. Because USA Triathlon wants to trade on the publicity his name will bring.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Agreed...Found it interesting the he was even in the Abu Dhabi race since he is ranked behind 12 other US male triathletes on the ITU points list (which is used to determine entry into a race) and only he and the top American (Shoemaker) were in the race.

you found it interesting because you don't know how it works and your tin foil hat fell off.

USAT selects racers for big races because they 1) want to go AND 2) it matches their goals, schedules ect. they don't choose who goes based on rank unless there are more than 6 who want to go, then they choose based on multiple criteria.

for abu dhabi, there were only two americans racing.. webb didn't push out 10 other americans to get this spot. there is no collusion with webb or his name. USAT has revenue from membership dues. no one needs alan's name. now go on and keep looking for waldo, he's there somewhere..

So you're saying that in the lead up year to the Olympics 10 US men had no desire to do this race?

??????? wrote:

So you're saying that in the lead up year to the Olympics 10 US men had no desire to do this race?

That would be correct. It is a month earlier than the usual season opener (Auckland) and literally is halfway around the world for a lot top Americans. Flying off to Abu Dhabi in the middle of a huge training block would at the very least be very disruptive to one's training. Which American pros were denied entry into the race that you know of? Or are you just flying blind here?

??????? wrote:

So you're saying that in the lead up year to the Olympics 10 US men had no desire to do this race?

For ranking purposes, only one's best 4 (?) results count, so presumably others are targeting later races in the series.

Jonathan Brownlee usually skips the first few events.

jonny was at abu dhabi. Ali was not

5 out of 6 American women had a faster bike split than Alan. The one who did not was only 1 second back.

oh I know they got to draft and Alan didn't

who pays for the trip to abu dhabi?? USAT???

I would like to chime in, as an ex triathlete in the 2000's who was lucky enough to be selected for a few ITU races in 2006 -2007 (I am not American).

What we see now more then ever before is that the sprint capability in swimming is as crucial to the overall outcome as never before. There was a study conducted last year that showed that the top 25 of overall results are quite similar to the top 25 of the swim after only 400m (usually the first turn).

Triathletes go out very quick (close to 4:10 min/400m in open water and then ease off and pick it up towards the exit. The point is, as a guy like Webb with a swimming background (and I think his 500yds best is 4:40 which roughly converts to 4:20 -15/400m) is that he needs to actually improve his swimming sprint capabilities after being out of the sport for so long and now he is 30. Let me tell you this is very very difficult!!

As such, the best he can try is to stick to the main group, and as a follower, I was already surprised that this seems so deemingly difficult for him. With 4:20/400 and 17flat 1500m current capability in the pool he "should" be exiting the water better than he does. The short courses at ITU nowadays (meaning half olympic distance) however play against his favors because they favor clearly the "sprinter types" and younger athletes.

Also, most of you seem to underestimate the importance of the bike leg. The times when mediocre cyclists could float in the peloton are over. A 20km tri leg at ITU level is more then that. Attacks happen countless times, and to sustain those and actuallly be able to recover from the swim to get a fresh run in, you need ride in pelotons for 2 -3 years. This is a different thing from TT non-drafting races, in which I think Alan would do better.

In fact, I do believe that Alan could eventually become a very strong half Ironman athlete. Unfortunately he picked up triathlon too late to really reach his potential at the Olympic distance, because the sport has progressed so much in the last 5 - 10 years.

If you have more questions I am happy to respond to the best of my knowledge