Did Chris Derrick blow it?

Didn't blow it...just not good enough. Sad but true.

US blew it! In all races.

Sara Hall ran pretty good for 20th

Truth is Africans are gentically superior in xc running. This is why non-African nations are starting to pull out of this race.

The Peruvian team did extremely well, which points to the fact that altitude was a major issue.

That being said, the Africans would have dominated anyway, but this was extreme domination...

honesty probe wrote:

Said he was going to be in the lead pack and try to hang as long as possible. Frankly, he was never in it. This year's edition was loaded and Team USA did their best--just wasn't gonna happen. You need more than favorable weather to take down the likes of those Kenyans and Ethiopians who ran today...

Blow it, maybe the wrong choice of words. Unprepared maybe a better outlook on what happened yesterday. Its not about the favorable weather or course conditions, you have to be prepared for anything. If you have run in world cross the one thing you learn is that the race is relentless, they go out hard and never let up, they surge , they run as teams. The great Coach Vigil always would have have his athletes train to go out hard and hang on, Pat Porter would profess this often, be prepared to go out at 4 minute mile pace and hang on. Craig Virgin echoes this as well and adds you have to be able to kick at the end!

The nationalism by the african nations and team pride is far beyond what we see by western countries, its a very serious competition in african hearts. Kenyan national television has cutaways and updates to regular broadcasting during the race.

What could we do better? Race more of the Euro x-country races with quality fields. Don't get fooled by winning a watered UK race and think your ready for the likes of yesterdays race in China. The sobering truth will haunt you.

I'm a big fan of Chris Derrick and it was going to be very tough to compete at altitude against essentially four to five teams of Ethiopians and Kenyans, roughly 24 to 30 runners, plus a few more altitude-born and raised runners from Uganda, Tanzania, and Morocco. Think about it: you add the six runners for Kenya, the six for Ethiopia, the six former Kenyan, Ethiopian, or Moroccan runners for Bahrain to the six from Eritrea, formerly part of Ethiopia, the six Moroccans, and then probably some Kenyans running for Uganda (Kipsiro was out, but he was an example of a former Kenyan running for Uganda, I think), and probably a few other Kenyans or Ethiopians or Moroccans running for other teams, and you have a huge amount of competition at altitude. Still, he should have gotten out hard to give himself a chance to stick with the lead pack, and he knows that. However, with the doubling or more of Kenyan and Ethiopian runners at this competition, the good conditions, the altitude, and a look back at how rare it is for Americans to finish in the top 30 in the men's race at world xc, he did very well for himself. I still would like to see us go for the title or medals in a serious way with guys like Derrick, Ritz, Rupp, Lagat, True, Bumbalough, Mead, Hill, and Jenkins.

top non-African

Canova right again about the Ethiopians being rather weak. How far back did they finish?

If only they would up their mileage.

I agree. Throw in Cheserek once he gets citizenship and that's a serious team.

Unfair to say he blew it. Just an incredibly deep field, as usual. Props to him for being top non-African.

Strugglez wrote:

I agree. Throw in Cheserek once he gets citizenship and that's a serious team.

Chelanga has lived in the US since 2006 and is married to an American and has a daughter with her. He still doesn't have US citizenship.

Edward likely won't be getting citizenship anytime soon.

1) Derrick did well

2) Of the Americans you list only Rupp could beat Derrick in XC. That means even if we put out our absolute best team we would be nowhere near the top few teams. At best we might have been right around 4th - 5th with somewhere around 90 to 100 points.

Strugglez wrote:

I agree. Throw in Cheserek once he gets citizenship and that's a serious team.

No, it really isn't. Do the math.

Chris Derrick was the toughest runner in America this weekend.

Our top possible A team:

1) Galen Rupp

2) Ben True

3) Chris Derrick

4) Ritz

5) Ryan Vail

6) Centro (he's a miler, but we have little depth at long distance so he'd be the next guy up)

That is not the A team man. I would go with this:

1. Rupp

2. Derrick

3. True

4. Lomong

5. Bumbi

6. Ritz

If those that say Derrick 'did well' are correct, that's even more depressing. You do realize that if African countries could enter B,C,D teams etc., Derrick would not have made the top 100. Personally I think Derrick must be disappointed, and that on his day he might have made 10-15th.

How is it that the gap for CD (and his like) is 20 secs in a track but nearly 2 MINS on the country?

How come the 'going out hard and hanging on' tactic works on the country, but even for EA's, do that on the track and usually its suicide?

agc5k wrote:

Our top possible A team:

1) Galen Rupp

2) Ben True

3) Chris Derrick

4) Ritz

5) Ryan Vail

6) Centro (he's a miler, but we have little depth at long distance so he'd be the next guy up)

Filled it out for you

1) Galen Rupp - 15

2) Chris Derrick - 25

3) Ben True - 27

4) Ritz - 31

5) Ryan Vail - 37

6) Centro (No. Just no. Do you even understand this sport at all? Centro is probably around 87th best for US at this distance. GREAT miler though!)

Team USA - 98

Pull out! wrote:

Truth is Africans are gentically superior in xc running. This is why non-African nations are starting to pull out of this race.

which makes it so plausible that Rupp beat all the African dopers and dis so on hard work.