Webb 8th in World Cup Triathlon in Australia

Methinks he peaks too early

Catch 22: If Webb peaked too early, then the finishers ahead him did as well.

fak checking time wrote:

Fact checking time:

1. webb is eligible for the olympics. YES! and after this race and because of this race. just needs a 140 rank or better. He will have that NOW. rankings updated shortly.

2. this was a World cup not a WTS so its worthless. WRONG! winner David Haus was 5th or 6th in London. That would be the Olympics folks.Courtney Atkinson has been top level for years. Webb was only 20 seonds off the win and seconds from the podium. Many in the top 30 are regulars at WTS races and Alan beat most of them.

3. Kanute and zefarus were training this race only, hence easy run. WRONG! racers don't fly to OZ for training races on the USAT dime. How stupid are you? points are cut throat all this year. nothing is for training.

I do hope Webb continues to improve, but I think you're overselling it a bit. He still has yet to come anywhere near the WTS big names in any race that he has been in them with. Both Brownlees, Gomez, Fredeno, Mola, Murray, Portuguese dude, French dudes etc are all in a league distinctly above Webb. If he can get to the Olympics and somehow hold in there until the run I think he has a shot given his pedigree, but he's going to need to improve quite dramatically to have that chance. I just hope USA triathlon isn't wasting resources that could be spent on a young developmental athlete as the US male representation in triathlon is pretty lackluster currently. People in the running world like to badmouth triathlon running, but Webb's 10k of 27:34 in 2006 at Payton Jordan is only a minute faster than Alistair Brownlee (28:32- 2013) ran at Payton Jordan. Keep in mind Brownlee was in the middle of his triathlon racing season (He was trying to post a qualifier for Commonwealths 10k I think) and he was in the 2nd heat so he couldn't have been paced to a much faster time anyhow.

He is ready for the US team now. Needs to keep a 140 or better rank to trials and nail that day(s). Then he goes to Rio. Very simple.

And totally feasible given there are no stand outs for the americans. hunter was a lock back in the day for the first spot but we got nothing now. Maloy is still a little green but starting to realize his potential limits. Shoemaker is tapped just to stay in the hunt mentally and will be struggling to make the push after a long slog from his 2012 trials melt down. But alan is still in the steep part of his learning curve, all of this season. He is tasting success and still learning the trade with more growth than most. kanute and zefarius are long shots still.

Webb beating the top WTS guys? You appear clueless suddenly. What makes you think he can at this point? Pr'ing ali by a minute in an open 10k doesn't equate to triathlon. He could have some breakthroughs this year but nothing yet to show he will be gunning down the WTS elite. Work in progress.

~ Fact checked

WebbinRio? wrote:

...I just hope USA triathlon isn't wasting resources that could be spent on a young developmental athlete as the US male representation in triathlon is pretty lackluster currently...

By Monday, there will be 12 Americans ranked in the top 140. No countries in the world have more than that in the top 140.

Although the top end is weak (highest ranked American in 16th), there is certainly a lot of depth in the US. More than any country in the world.

Webb has moved up through the ranks really quickly in the past 10 months (from unranked to 120th). If he has a good race next week, he could crack the top 100. Who else should US triathlon invest in right now (that they are not investing in at the moment)? Which currently unranked American has a shot at being ranked in the top 50 by the end of 2015?

If you have a name, I'm sure that USA Triathlon would listen.

USA Triathlon is having some good luck, finding female athletes with a really solid run background who can also swim...that's what they need to find for the men - a male Gwen. Webb would have been the answer 10 years ago, but his potential now is limited.

All good points.

The issue he is going to have (I think) in the WTS races is getting out of the water in contention. Most of the races recently have had some killer swim splits and if you're not a top swimmer you're in a hole and possibly out of contention before the race even gets going.

Guys like Zafares, Kemper, Maloy, Kanute, and Lagerstrom (I don't think he's in the top 140 right now, but won the ITU PanAm race in Florida yesterday) will be out of the water within the top group or at the front of group 2. Alan will have to be in group 2 to have a chance and I'm not sure his swim is good enough to do that yet- at least not in a fast swim race.

With all that said, if it's the right race on the right day and he gets off the bike with the pack he has the talent to run with ANYONE, which makes him as dangerous or more dangerous than anyone else the US has.

many good points here.. from some knowledgeable tri guys.

USAT has no front runners now. not by rank either. it is a shotgun approach. get as many guys in the hunt and let them sort it out at the selection races. there is no gwensanity for the men, thus no domestiques, no role players.

I really think a great WTS opener (full oly distance) is yokohama this spring. I bet USAT is targeting this race for webb. the swim gets really strung out with about 4 - 5 groups forming out of T1. and it always comes together by T2. I Have watched this race the last 4 years. would be a great race for alan to sniff the elite off the bike.

Ygtvyggvyvgy wrote:

Not a Chance wrote:

Webb has literally no chance of an olympic spot. 8th in an early season World Cup race means nothing. he would have to be in the top 3 Americans in multiple WTS races this year to even be in consideration for a spot. He's currently ranked 14th in the US.

What are you talking about? Webb will be ranked in the top 10 Americans by Monday (even though he has zero points for the 2013-2014 period). He has beaten all the other top 10 Americans already, except for Shoemaker, Maloy and Kemper.

He is very close to being top 3 American already.

He will be racing against Maloy on the 22nd in NZ. We'll see how he does against him.

He has beaten all the top Americans, except the 3 best, and he is not on their level. Read up on the USAT Olympic Team selection criteria. Webb will have to do VERY well (top 10) at the Rio Test Event to earn an automatic spot on the team. Since that race will be used by most countries as the Olympic Qualifier, it is unlikely that any USA athletes will finish top 9 at that race.

In the event no USA athletes finish in the top 9 at the test event, it will come down to the points race, and Webb is way off the back in that race. It will be very challenging for him to catch up even if the top 3 don't race this season.

USAT does reserve the right to subjectively select a domestique in the third spot - someone who will ensure that the other 2 athletes are in good position off the bike to compete for the win. That athlete has to be very good in the water and on the bike, and Webb is neither.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

The thing I like about Webb's story is that it would be a significant achievement to make two separate endurance events at the Olympic level

and if he makes it, he will probably still be the American record holder in the mile. Following his results with great interest and the posts on this board from people that seem to know what they are talking about.

Myth: Webb (or any American) have to finish in top 10 at the test event to go to the Olympics.

Busted: 140 rank or lower AND getting the 2 or 3 spots at the trials selection races will get you on the team.

Does overall place at the test event matter? No. Only Webb's place versus THE OTHER AMERICANS matter and only if the test event is ALSO a selection race for the team. If there are 100 athletes and the Americans place 98th, 99, and 100th overall, but Webb is 98th, he makes the team.

The American Olympic team isn't chosen by comparing US athletes to chinese or french athletes. It is chosen based on US vs. US athletes. For this reason, it is called the "US Olympic trials". If this changes, I will re-post here.

Darn those pesky facts.... Any other questions?

If the US team was chosen on points, there would be no trials or selection races, doofus. Ignored

Tri mythbusters wrote:

Myth: Webb (or any American) have to finish in top 10 at the test event to go to the Olympics.

Busted: 140 rank or lower AND getting the 2 or 3 spots at the trials selection races will get you on the team.

Does overall place at the test event matter? No. Only Webb's place versus THE OTHER AMERICANS matter and only if the test event is ALSO a selection race for the team. If there are 100 athletes and the Americans place 98th, 99, and 100th overall, but Webb is 98th, he makes the team.

The American Olympic team isn't chosen by comparing US athletes to chinese or french athletes. It is chosen based on US vs. US athletes. For this reason, it is called the "US Olympic trials". If this changes, I will re-post here.

Darn those pesky facts.... Any other questions?

US Olympic Trials don't exist for Triathlon. The team is selected based on points (this is how many team spots are given to each country). And yes, place in the test event DOES matter, because that's one of the team selection criteria races. The test event played a huge role in London, as you can see from the article below.

The Olympic Team is chosen based on who USAT thinks will have the best chance of success against the world's best at the Olympics, as you can see from the article below.

Let me know if you have any questions, because this is clearly all new information to you.

I thought LRC had just as much love for triathletes as for XFitters.

I predict, Alan Webb's ranking will not be in the top 20 US triathletes.

Hear my, roar! You know I am right. Deal with it haters.

Since Webb is ripped and shedded without douchefit, we like him whatever he does.

Who cares.. wrote:

I thought LRC had just as much love for triathletes as for XFitters.

Exactly, as stated in the link:

Any US athlete needs: 1) a 140 or under ranking and 2) earn a spot at the yet to be determined selection races. This applies for Webb too! go figure...

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2014/08/features/2016-olympics-update-u-s-stands-now_103208

You don't get the bigger picture... and have made a fool of yourself by complicating things. it's really quite easy...

Webb is already in the top 20 US! LOL... Doh!

http://www.triathlon.org/rankings

Apology accepted...

myth more busted wrote:

Exactly, as stated in the link:

Any US athlete needs: 1) a 140 or under ranking and 2) earn a spot at the yet to be determined selection races. This applies for Webb too! go figure...

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2014/08/features/2016-olympics-update-u-s-stands-now_103208

You don't get the bigger picture... and have made a fool of yourself by complicating things. it's really quite easy...

Webb is already in the top 20 US! LOL... Doh!

http://www.triathlon.org/rankings

Apology accepted...

1) I did not say Webb wasn't in the top 20. That was someone else using my name.

2) top 140 ranking is the most minimum of all of the requirements.

3) Selection races have already been determined: Pan Am Games in Toronto, WTS Grand Final in Chicago, Rio Test Event

4) As I've said multiple times, ITU Points race is important because they reflect the athlete's ability to compete against the best in the world, which the selection committee takes into consideration.

Cycfgyfvyvf wrote:

He had a bad T1 transition again.

He beat Jefferson by a lot... He was also the first American.

This race will help his world ranking...

Nobody ahead of him was ranked lower than him...

Do you think he could speed up , if he wore a bathing suit that was loser and easy to remove ?