Ponce 800m - Charles Jock with the win (& a new PB), Symmonds showing signs of life

JW79 wrote:

Michael Norman, a jr. in CA broke 46 today, again. He's about 1/2 Wariner's age and has put his legs through about 1% of the beating JW has had in training/racing through the years.

I'm impressed with Wariner. He has nothing to gain here. Seems he's doing it for the love of competing. Very respectable.

What does a Hser have to do with anything? Answer is nothing. You have to be an idiot to mention that.

Wariner just ran some sub 45 splits. He's likely in mid 45 shape and the conditions weren't great. Merritt ran .62 off his SB which echoes that.

I've seen Symmonds run at Penn Relays in the US versus the World DMR a few times. Was pretty clear that he was in the middle or just coming off hard core base training, no real speed work in the legs. And that his attendance was perhaps mandated by contractual obligations. With several olympic and world championships under his belt, it's not a stretch to conclude that he is still deep in base/strength work during April and May, looking for an August/September peak. LRC MB posters crying the end of the world when Symmonds runs a stinker of a 1500 meter in early May should really just chill out.

It was a 805m PB for Jock considering he was in lane 4 around the last turn.

Symmonds left the coach that coached him to World Silver and 1:42 at the Olympics. Mark Rowland. Why does no one talk about that? It's a major talking point. What happens the first year he leaves his coach and joins Brooks? He was injured...

Who is Charles Jock's coach? How about Blankenship, Pat Casey, and Hassan Mead? Mark Rowland. He's the best mid-d coach in the country right now.

Symmonds had a chance to medal at the Olympics but went for the new contract assuming he could stay at the same level with a new inexperienced coach. He probably would've made more money long term if he stayed with Nike and stayed world class.

addsdflss wrote:

Symmonds left the coach that coached him to World Silver and 1:42 at the Olympics. Mark Rowland. Why does no one talk about that? It's a major talking point. What happens the first year he leaves his coach and joins Brooks? He was injured...

Who is Charles Jock's coach? How about Blankenship, Pat Casey, and Hassan Mead? Mark Rowland. He's the best mid-d coach in the country right now.

Symmonds had a chance to medal at the Olympics but went for the new contract assuming he could stay at the same level with a new inexperienced coach. He probably would've made more money long term if he stayed with Nike and stayed world class.

Nice try, but this isn't an HS athlete.

His program now probably looks exactly the same as under Rowland. In fact, more Rowland than Rowland.

If you watched Nick Symmonds interview with Flotrack, he explained why he left Nike. He had a guaranteed contract with Brooks. Nike wouldn't offer him that. Nick is all about athlete's rights and he saw Brooks honors that. Regardless of injury, poor performances, or whatever the situation is, Brooks won't give up on their athletes and Nick doesn't have to worry about reduction clauses that were imposed by Nike. He was looking out for his best interest. And that's all hypothetical situations if he stayed with Nike. Just because he switched coaches could be 1 of a hundred reasons why he got injured.

addsdflss wrote:

Symmonds left the coach that coached him to World Silver and 1:42 at the Olympics. Mark Rowland. Why does no one talk about that? It's a major talking point. What happens the first year he leaves his coach and joins Brooks? He was injured...

Who is Charles Jock's coach? How about Blankenship, Pat Casey, and Hassan Mead? Mark Rowland. He's the best mid-d coach in the country right now.

Symmonds had a chance to medal at the Olympics but went for the new contract assuming he could stay at the same level with a new inexperienced coach. He probably would've made more money long term if he stayed with Nike and stayed world class.

Jock, Blankenship, Casey, mead??? That makes him the best??? Jock just ran his 9th best time ever.

Awful error on the subject line and PB.

As for Nick Symmonds, if he never runs again he's had a great running career.

So I like his moves to shake things up and not do just the same predictable things.

I think he will have a fine life after track and may do some interesting things to promote the sport and help future athletes.

I certainly don't blame Nick for making the jump based on monetary reasons, but you'd have to be a fool not to draw a line from him leaving that situation to him being a much lesser runner.

And Mark Rowland is the best MD coach out there. I wouldn't be shocked if any of his 4 milers makes the WC team- Blankenship, Casey, J-Mac or Fleet. He's done an amazing job with 3 out of those 4 and the other it's too early to tell.

is brandon johnson healthy and running the 800m? he split 1:44.xx at world relays, right?he's better than a lot on you list

Early but still wrote:

My picks for the US 8'hundo team so far:

1. Solomon

2. Boris Berian

3. Charles Jock

Wild cards (aka the next few likely to make it) in order

Sowinsky

Brannon Kidder

Shaquille Walker

Loxsom

Symmonds

Still plenty of time to see how things unfold, is Pre the only 800 any US guys are likely to run before USA's?

OldPolarBear wrote:

I've seen Symmonds run at Penn Relays in the US versus the World DMR a few times. Was pretty clear that he was in the middle or just coming off hard core base training, no real speed work in the legs. And that his attendance was perhaps mandated by contractual obligations. With several olympic and world championships under his belt, it's not a stretch to conclude that he is still deep in base/strength work during April and May, looking for an August/September peak. LRC MB posters crying the end of the world when Symmonds runs a stinker of a 1500 meter in early May should really just chill out.

Agreed. Symmonds was in the same position as Jock with 100 to go but didn't have a kick just yet. I am looking forward to what he does in 4 more weeks. With a slightly better kick and maybe a bit closer from 0-600m and Symmonds in there. Given his pedigree I am not going to think that he is simply going to fall of the face of the earth. He has probably been the most consistent mid distance runner in the US over the past 7 or so years.

experience can help with rounds and tactical races, but 800 USATF finals have often featured unexperienced guys beating experienced guys.

1980:

Don Paige Villanova The NCAA champ wins. Johnny Gray was sick and walked it in.

James Robinson

Randy Wilson

1984:

Earl Jones Eastern Michigan 1:43.74

Johnny Gray

John Marshall Villanova 1:43.92

James Robinson was 4th with the same time as Marshall and Jones and Gray had the same time, a new American record. Two collegians in here. Jones dropped five seconds from 1983!

1988:

Gray 1:43.96

Mark Everett Florida 1:44.46

Tracy Baskin Unattached 1:44.91

1992:

Gray 1:42.80

Everett Fla (still eligible?) 1:43.67

Parilla Tennessee 1:43.97

4th was Kersh again, in 1:44.00. Parilla was NCAA champ.

1996:

Gray 1:44.00

Brandon Rock 1:44.64

Parilla 1:44.86

Gray makes his fourth straight Olympic team, while Parilla makes his second straight, but Rock comes up, and Kenah is only fourth and Everett 7th. The first time no collegians have made the team in the men's 800m since prior to 1980, apparently.

2000:

Everett 1:45.67

Kenah 1:46.05

Woodward 1:46.09

All pros this time, and Everett makes another Olympic team 8 years after the previous one.

2004:

Jonathan Johnson

Robinson

Peterson

The collegian wins.

Nick Symmonds at USATF 800

2006 2nd

2007 2nd

2008 1st

2009 1st

2010 1st

2011 1st

2012 1st

2013 2nd (Silver at World Championships)

800 USATF finals have often featured Nick Symmonds doing very well

Coincidentally, this same exact 8 year span featured Leo Manzano placing top 3 in each of the 1500m finals.

Coincidentally they were both Nike athletes that are no longer with Nike.