Has an Olympic Trials 4th placer ever paid a two-event top 3 finisher like $20,000 to not double at the Games?

I don't like know, but but you could like ask one of the pros. Send them like an email or like a text.

It's a good question. I wouldn't think running two events would net an athlete twice as much as one event, so there could be some value created if a 4th placers split their olympic bonus with an athlete that qualified for multiple events.Could be against the rules though.

are you 12? wrote:

I don't like know, but but you could like ask one of the pros. Send them like an email or like a text.

I had to read the title of this thread a half dozen times before I understood what they were asking. Sometimes I feel like they're becoming semi literate, then they seem to pull the rug out from under me.

Ask Weldon if he ever considered it. Wasn't he a 4th place finisher?

babbbby wrote:

are you 12? wrote:

I don't like know, but but you could like ask one of the pros. Send them like an email or like a text.

I had to read the title of this thread a half dozen times before I understood what they were asking. Sometimes I feel like they're becoming semi literate, then they seem to pull the rug out from under me.

I found this thread title is very clear, probably because I'm used to thinking about coaseian side payments. Sometimes, incomprehension is not other people's fault.

I would bet that any shoe company found out one of their athletes did this, either accepted or offered a payment, would sever the contract. But if you want to look for possibilities, has anyone in the modern era given up a spot in their weak event if they qualify for two? No one in either Beijing or London comes to mind. Mozer dropped out of the 1500 in 2013 right? Did her replacement go in her stead?

kjc wrote:

Ask Weldon if he ever considered it. Wasn't he a 4th place finisher?

Yes, but not in an Olympic year.

He came back from his injuries in 2003, to place 4th in the country at 10,000m at the USA Track and Field Championships running a personal best time of 28:06.58, qualifying to represent the United States at the Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic. His chances to make the 2004 Athens Olympics were realistic as the top 3 in the United States qualify. However, a series of injuries that began at the Pan Am Games derailed his Olympic dream which he reflects upon here.

LetsRun.com wrote:

Could a 4th or 5th placer offer to pay them a large sum of money say $20,000 (that may sound like a lot but it's nothing if you have a $50,000 bonus for being an Olympian) to not run the Olympics in the 5,000.

Sorry, but that is not "nothing" for these people. To give up 40% of your bonus when you're being paid pittance is a lot. Now you may say they're still netting 30K, but there is also lost opportunity by training for the Olympics.

This isn't the NFL where a veteran pays a rookie 50K for their jersey number.

ScottEvil wrote:

babbbby wrote:

I had to read the title of this thread a half dozen times before I understood what they were asking. Sometimes I feel like they're becoming semi literate, then they seem to pull the rug out from under me.

I found this thread title is very clear, probably because I'm used to thinking about coaseian side payments. Sometimes, incomprehension is not other people's fault.

I would bet that any shoe company found out one of their athletes did this, either accepted or offered a payment, would sever the contract. But if you want to look for possibilities, has anyone in the modern era given up a spot in their weak event if they qualify for two? No one in either Beijing or London comes to mind. Mozer dropped out of the 1500 in 2013 right? Did her replacement go in her stead?

Decker gave up her 1500 spot to concentrate on the 3000 in 1984.

In 1972 Frank Shorter, Jack Bacheler and Jeff Galloway were training together as part of the Florida Track Club. At the trials Shorter and Galloway went 1-2 in the 10k but Bacheler was passed by Jon Anderson for the last spot. In the marathon trials (later that week!) Galloway (who was a better marathoner) let Bacheler finish a step in front of him for the last spot (Shorter and Kenny Moore were 1-2 and would go 1-4 in Munich).

Whatever feedback you get could you please change the wording of your piece where you say, "but if they decide not to bother" ? I think the decision whether or not to compete in an event at their national championships/Olympic Trials, with the possibility of an Olympic spot on the line, comes down to more than whether or not a professional athlete can be bothered to compete.

Yes, I'm a pedant. But you and your website don't seem to realize how your writing often undercuts the professionalism of the sport. I'm not talking about having grammatical errors in your writing--though there are far too many of those. I mean that too often your work is just lazy, with phrases like this that show your writers are not investing themselves in their work and doing an effective job of promoting the sport. It deserves better.

No shortcuts wrote:

ScottEvil wrote:

I found this thread title is very clear, probably because I'm used to thinking about coaseian side payments. Sometimes, incomprehension is not other people's fault.

I would bet that any shoe company found out one of their athletes did this, either accepted or offered a payment, would sever the contract. But if you want to look for possibilities, has anyone in the modern era given up a spot in their weak event if they qualify for two? No one in either Beijing or London comes to mind. Mozer dropped out of the 1500 in 2013 right? Did her replacement go in her stead?

Decker gave up her 1500 spot to concentrate on the 3000 in 1984.

That's because she got beat by Ruth Wysocki in the 1500 at the Trials. Pouted and scowled up there on the podium.

What?

You think Jeneba Tarmoh would fit this question.

She tied Allyson Felix for the third spot in the 100. Felix made the 200 team and still didn't give up her 100m spot.

Instead of doing a run-off, they made some back room deal to give the spot to Felix, the person who already had another spot on the team.

Galloway, Bachelor and Shorter had spent months training together. They wanted to see all three of them make it to Munich. Galloway was generous to step aside, but Bachelor and he were good friends.

Actually wrote:

LetsRun.com wrote:

Could a 4th or 5th placer offer to pay them a large sum of money say $20,000 (that may sound like a lot but it's nothing if you have a $50,000 bonus for being an Olympian) to not run the Olympics in the 5,000.

Sorry, but that is not "nothing" for these people. To give up 40% of your bonus when you're being paid pittance is a lot. Now you may say they're still netting 30K, but there is also lost opportunity by training for the Olympics.

This isn't the NFL where a veteran pays a rookie 50K for their jersey number.

No, because after the socialist feds and state and locals take their illegal taxes out of the $50K bonus it probably only comes out to $19K. I know that to be true because I read it on the Internet all the time.

Star wrote:

What?

You think Jeneba Tarmoh would fit this question.

She tied Allyson Felix for the third spot in the 100. Felix made the 200 team and still didn't give up her 100m spot.

Instead of doing a run-off, they made some back room deal to give the spot to Felix, the person who already had another spot on the team.

This is what I was thinking of. Remmeber Tarmoh DID GO TO THE OLYMPICS on the relay.

IMO there is no doubt that Felix paid off Tarmoh to get that spot on the team.

Dingler wrote:

In 1972 Frank Shorter, Jack Bacheler and Jeff Galloway were training together as part of the Florida Track Club. At the trials Shorter and Galloway went 1-2 in the 10k but Bacheler was passed by Jon Anderson for the last spot. In the marathon trials (later that week!) Galloway (who was a better marathoner) let Bacheler finish a step in front of him for the last spot (Shorter and Kenny Moore were 1-2 and would go 1-4 in Munich).

That's not what happened. Galloway didn't "let Bacheler finish a step in front of him". Galloway was ahead of Bacheler going into the final 100, and decided that this was a good time to utilized his "gallowalk" strategy, so he decided to walk 50 meters, and Bacheler, much to Jeff's surprise, passed him, costing him an olympic marathon appearance. Despite this, Jeff said it was still a sound strategy and that he didn't regret a thing.

The Tale Of The Felix Tarmoh Coin Flip was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread this morning.

No healthy athlete would give up a chance to double no matter how bad the odds against them are. Championship 5k/10ks can be toss ups. When the pace is slow and super tactical, it can be possible for a lesser athlete to sneak a medal with a well timed big kick. If the pass is torrid from the gun (rare with the women), it can be possible to pick off a few top runners who tank and get a medal. No athlete is going to give up a shot at a medal, no matter how remote the chances are.

Isn't this akin to throwing games in the MLB?

Even if it's not, it sounds pretty far from the spirit of the sport we should all want to protect.