USATF let's Nike athletes into Olympic Trials who haven't qualified

First of all, I agree 100% with the 'conspiracy theory'. Of course it is the USATF's primary sponsor at work. Don't any of you remember the Salazar sneaking into the judge's tent indoors thing? I knew you did.

Another example: Alyson Felix makes the 4X400 team in years in which she did not place top 4 in the 400 at the Nationals/Trials. When she runs the 100/200 double (2012 is an example) she makes both relay teams in favor of whoever was 4th in the 400.

This year, she will do the 200/400 double yet make both relay teams in favor of the 100 4th placer. Totally corrupt and nothing new.

By the way, although it is remarkable how many A-list T&F athletes sport the swoosh, it is perhaps even more sgnificant how few outside of HS teams, where peer pressure requires this brand, who wear them. Stand around a road race that has decent runners and look. Brooks, ASICS, and Saucony. Some adidas and Mizuno. That's about it if you're not in Portland. For 100k a year, my tune changes, but until then, they SUCK!

You have blinders on. Most of the elite collegians in the country wear nike, as do many good-mediocre ones. Many former D1 runners continue wearing Nike after college. I switched only because I wanted a cheaper shoe. Also, the idea that high school teams are full of Nike shoes is strange to me. I see kids wearing a lot more brooks, Saucony, and asics than Nike.

I don't personally think that Nike is necessarily the best brand for trainers, but, to be clear, you're an angry fool if you truly believe that they aren't up to par.

Anyway, go Chris Derrick! I will admit that after his last bad race I started wondering if he might be done. I really hope he has a good showing here.

what are you talking about? wrote:

Uh he's only made one team in the event, back in 2013.

You are right, his second-place finish was in an even year. Thanks for correcting me.

. . . but Nike supplied the stamp and the stationery.

Stubborn guy here--- the argument that at 10,000m 0.16 of a second is for all practical purposed the same time. At 10000 meters on the track we see plus or minus 1 meter as acceptable measuring,

+/- 0.040m per lap over 25 laps

Of course his past credentials had something to do with it. But USATF already has a rule (Competition Rule 8) that allows athletes into the Trials based on past accomplishments. Derrick didn't meet those standards.

If USATF is going to go beyond its own rule addressed to the subject, it should look seriously at what the athlete has done in the current season. If Derrick had put up a respectable 5000m time in 2016 or if he had come close to the Trials auto and it was a situation where the field had filled to the auto, I could buy it.

But he has done nothing of the sort. A 13:40 5k at Payton Jordan and then a 28:38 in a sub-27:00 race a month ago are pretty much worthless. If his past credentials are still good enough to get him in, then change Rule 8 to reflect that, don't make it up as you go along.

There's also no rule that "pushes in" the other two runners. They don't have the credentials, so why do they get in? Just to avoid the bad press?

For races not run in lanes, field size is a non-trivial factor. More legs on the track, more spikes on the track, more chance of a crack-up. And, in the 10k, real possibility that marginal runners will pack it in, get lapped and get in the way of the finish.

Bad precedent.

The fact that #25 and #26 got in makes USATF look even WORSE, yes 2 guys got in, but why didn't theu expand the women's side to #27? They should have and the fact that they didn't accept #28 who was 0.16 behind makes it look even more blatant!

It's sad that it took Becky Wade 3 times to appeal over some really small technicality that no one cared about to get into the race (which was probably also fired by public outrage, I don't think USATF would have done it without public involvement), but Schumacher appeals once and gets Derrick in

The ONLY reason an athlete should be given an exception is if the athlete has an overwhelmingly legitimate shot at making the team, which for the 10k ONLY includes Galen Rupp (others in other events would include Jager, Centro, Coburn, Merritt, Huddle)

Chris Derrick ran 28:31 6 weeks ago and hasn't raced since, he could have at least ran the Portland Track Festival 5k or Stumptown 5k to at least prove his fitness, but he's done nothing to suggest he's in good fitness to nab top 3

This is just outright sad on USATF's part

I can't wait to pull up this thread when Derrick medals in Rio... START BELIEVING

NOP Skeptic wrote:

Chris Derrick ran 28:31 6 weeks ago and hasn't raced since, he could have at least ran the Portland Track Festival 5k or Stumptown 5k to at least prove his fitness, but he's done nothing to suggest he's in good fitness to nab top 3

This is just outright sad on USATF's part

Agree with your point but, just to underline it, Derrick actually only ran 28:38 at 2016 Pre meet. The 28:31 on his entry is from last year's USATF champs.

If they let Derrick in they should let Ritz in as well. He has far superior past accomplishments and has demonstrated much better recent fitness (28:12 on the road versus 28:38 on the track). Hell, why not let Solinsky run, he has better palmares and ran 26:59 just a few years ago? What about Craig Virgin with all his world XC medals and 27:29? Billy Mills has an Olympic gold, let's let him run too!

Good point.

And, by the by, Cheseret did appeal and was denied with no reasoning why.

Does USATF event WANT T&F to have a chance to be popular? This could have been a massive PR coup. Fill the field .. add Derrick on history (and, corporate convenience aside, he does have a puncher's chance) and extend a highly publicized personal invitation to Cheseret - the soldier - as well. This is the easiest chance ever to "support the troops" with zero effort and all upside.

USATF "leadership" is getting dumber by the day,

Considering derrick came in 5th today (and hehir 7th), that should pretty much shut everyone up on this topic.

Cheseret would have been top 10 for sure then!

High placement BUT both well outside the OG Q time (nearly a minute shy.). In hindsight we might have a level of National Championship validity to the addition but at the OTrials level the only hindsight justification possible would be if they produced an OG Q time along with their notable but off the podium placement.It is not Derrick himself at issue it is the USATF process that drives the negative thoughts surrounding this topic.

usnspecialist wrote:

Considering derrick came in 5th today (and Hehir 7th), that should pretty much shut everyone up on this topic.

High placement BUT both well outside the OG Q time (nearly a minute shy.). In hindsight we might have a level of National Championship validity to the addition but at the OTrials level the only hindsight justification possible would be if they produced an OG Q time along with their notable but off the podium placement.It is not Derrick himself at issue it is the USATF process that drives the negative thoughts surrounding this topic.

usnspecialist wrote:

Considering derrick came in 5th today (and Hehir 7th), that should pretty much shut everyone up on this topic.