Is Genzebe still the favorite for Rio?

I hate to think the worst, but I wouldn't be surprised anymore if something else was going on.

jewbearpig wrote:

Genzebe pulls out of her first race. Fine. Again at Prefontaine she pulls out, it is worrisome, but she has a 5+ second PR on the field, and a not 100% could easily win gold. Now she drops out of Oslo. As the brojos say, "it is time to worry." I can't imagine her being the favorite anymore with all of this interrupted training.

Discus.

Not sure about discus, but Ayana looks almost unbeatable in the 5000 and Kipyegon will be really tough to beat in the 15.

Honestly, she may want to look at the 10,000 or even the 800.

Faith Kipyegon is going to crush dibaba in a new olympic record. I can feel in it. #BelieveinFaith

feel it*

beating her sister in the 10k is no easy feat. Also the man-woman in the 8 will not go down easily either.

Are you telling me that you thought she was clean before now?

speaking of her sister, I wonder what is the form of T.Dibaba? I know she had won the Manchester Run, but hasnt run since. I believe she wants to three peat the 10k though, and as for 5k, I don't think she can beat Ayana.,

Defar too, I don't think she can three-peat the 5k too. Ayana is not going to make the 5k a tactial affair, so no more sit and kick races for Dibabas and Defar. Should be interesting affair though.

If Genzebe is questionable, despite having two great sisters, Ayana is even more questionable. Actually, I doubt any of them is clean but the three sisters clean would probably beat just about everyone else who was clean. At any rate, this might just be a question of injury or even subordinating races to continued training when there are some minor injuries. This has been going on too long, surely, to be Meldonium, right? Of course, we never heard about all the Ethiopian meldonium positives.

I have faith in Faith wrote:

Faith Kipyegon is going to crush dibaba in a new olympic record. I can feel in it. #BelieveinFaith

THat makes two of us.

Faith can crank a 3:52 without a lot of strain.

LOL the 800???? if you think she is going to beat Semenya, you are more delusional than anybody who thinks Sanders is going to clinch the democratic nomination! Even if Dibaba can run 1:53-4, Semenya will shadow her the first 700 and BLOW HER DOORS off in the last 100, just like every other race against every other women. Maybe the only difference with Dibaba is that the race would be at a more honest pace, but the result will be no different.

I'll have what you're smoking wrote:

LOL the 800???? if you think she is going to beat Semenya, you are more delusional than anybody who thinks Sanders is going to clinch the democratic nomination!

It never fails to amaze me how Americans can turn any conversation into politics. How does something so mundane, meaningless, and intellectually underwhelming find its way into every discussion?

Oh, and to the OP, why would it be "time to worry"? Perhaps, time to rejoice. A 100%, no doubt-about-it doper might not be racing. That's a good thing.

Third. Faith will be tough to beat and it's not like she's coming out of nowhere. Last year when everyone was about Dibaba and Hassan I predicted she would beat Hassan and she did ... handily.

After last year where Kipyegon beat Hassan twice, her sight became set on Dibaba. That is what her training the whole of this season has been geared towards. She is multi-talented and could have beaten both Dibaba and Ayana and run 14:07 - 14:10 this year had she focused on the 5000m where she ran an impressive 14:31 last year in her first race ever over that distance. She will have to postpone those dreams for next but start this year by destroying Dibaba over 1500m and take the gold medal and possibly break the WR. To start with, I think she will run 4:11 for the WR in Oslo over the mile.

As long as Dibaba has a few races before Rio, she will win gold in the 1500m. I've not seen the Rio timetable yet but I hope she focuses on just that event, trying to stray into the 5000 or 10000 could lead to disappointment. Dibaba can win a slow race with her impressive kick, she can also win a race fast from the gun. There is no beating her.

Kipyegon is good but Dibaba could have run 3:48 with better pacing last year. I feel Ayana is just better than Dibaba at the 5k.

i think she could still come through,and win gold in the 1500 metres,but she wont be breaking any world records,this year.not if shes injured.of course it could be that shes not on drugs this year,and is terrified of coming up short,or she IS still on them,and is spooked about testing positive.who knows?i certainly dont.but if shes injured,she can still bounce back.

jewbearpig wrote:

Genzebe pulls out of her first race. Fine. Again at Prefontaine she pulls out, it is worrisome, but she has a 5+ second PR on the field, and a not 100% could easily win gold. Now she drops out of Oslo. As the brojos say, "it is time to worry." I can't imagine her being the favorite anymore with all of this interrupted training.

Discus.

They'll get her protocol adjusted to levels that the powers that be state are OK for third world athletes from certain regions (athletes from non-anointed countries will of course be suspended and shamed if they are found with the same muck in their systems). She'll be fine, battling her fellow cheats for the medals.

It's definitely worrisome, and she's not a lock for anything if the injury is severe, but she's not losing the 15 as long as she's 80% fit by Rio. Kipyegon is quite good, but 3:50 is a different planet than 3:56. Also, anyone know what's up with Hassan?

No need for Dibaba to switch events. She has no chance against Semenya, though she would at least force her to run all out. I doubt she would be very successful at 10k, and while she can probably beat Ayana when they're both fresh and fit, the margin between them is too small considering these setbacks.

Just Fishing wrote:

I hate to think the worst, but I wouldn't be surprised anymore if something else was going on.

I must admit I was thinking the same thing. Where is Ayanleh Souleiman? Her teammate also hasn't been seen since World Indoors.

Just Fishing wrote:

I hate to think the worst, but I wouldn't be surprised anymore if something else was going on.

Why would you hate to think the worst? Its an obvious, undeniable FACT that Dibaba is doping.