Several Stars Struggle at Pre - Reasons???

I don't entirely buy the "rust buster" theory.Simpson's recent record at Pre2016 4:01.572015 4:00.982014 3:58.28Huddle ran 14:48.14 in 2016.

After the olympics many top contenders take a year or so "off."

Bowerman looks like crap all around.

Cragg could be there only Team USA qualifier.

Hill, Chris, Jager, women steeplers, Lopez. (Not that any men but Jager made the Rio team)

Thank god Ahmed runs for Canada.

What's up in PDX?

One additional possible theory I've been wondering about- at least for the few elite Americans, like Simpson and Rowbury, who've already had great careers and international success. Since I assume they are all about MAJOR championship chasing at this point- did the Diamond League change to a "winners-take-all" "play-off like" season structure lessen their motivation to peak AT ALL earlier in the outdoor season?

(For those who didn't know of the change, See

https://www.iaaf.org/news/press-release/diamond-league-format-scoring-2017

.)

For them to have any chance at winning the "Diamond" in the last race, or even finishing near the front, they'll obviously have to be running GREAT and, running great, they should be able to easily accumulate enough points in the final few Diamond League races preceding the finals (when they will HAVE reached peak for U.S.A's, World Championships, etc.) to qualify for the final.

Interesting theory. I checked out that article, and there is definitely a qualitative change from last year. LRC should ask the athletes in their next interview if they're aware of the change, and if it's affecting their race-plans.

c'mon, seriously wrote:

pop_pop!_v2.2.1 wrote:

Off their PEDs.

This is track and field. It's hopelessly corrupt.

I didn't want to say it at first, but this is one of my fears. Innocent until proven guilty is my general policy, though.

They must be really scared by tighter testing.

girl watcher wrote:

Les wrote:

It's May. The World Championships are not for another 10 weeks. The USA championships are not for another month. It is actually more understandable if people are not running their best now.

Yeah, I agree. Rowbury and Simpson are about where they normally would be this time of year. They just happened to go against a strong field which made them look bad. Muir is still pumped from indoor; I wonder if she can sustain this?

Coburn's performance was basically ignored today by NBC. It's just like last night's 5000, where the "second pack" was non-existent in the coverage.

Coburn ditched her coach and is going alright, Simpson stayed and she looks terrible (though still gorgeous). Perhaps peaking for the major champs will be the big question.

Yeah, I like the changes. In the past, people could run well early, score a lot of points and wrap up the Diamond title and just blow off the later meets including the final. Now, if they want the dough they have to make and compete in the finals.

Coburn, Taylor and don't forget Crouser, were all awesome performances. NBC coverage was pathetic as usual, not even showing the entire 5000m race.

I wasn't aware of the DL change. That's definitely an improvement.

usa sprinters and field people did pretty well.

I think World's, and especially the qualification for World's at the USATF national championship is the central focus of training at this time of the year. That's 25 - 28 days from now. That's what's important, not the 10 weeks to World's.Which American distance/mid-d athletes (if any) plan this season around Diamond League points? I can only think of three who have a chance at scoring high in the DL - Coburn, Jager, Simpson. Rowbury and Centrowitz have never competed consistently or well in DL events.

Les wrote:

Yeah, I like the changes. In the past, people could run well early, score a lot of points and wrap up the Diamond title and just blow off the later meets including the final. Now, if they want the dough they have to make and compete in the finals.

c'mon, seriously wrote:

Maria Lasitskene wins the high jump in 2.03. Where is she from? I have no idea what country code ANA is. Regardless, women's high jump is hot, and she was over 2m. ?

Russian 2015 World champ Maria Kuchina got married and has been tested enough times out of Russia that the IAAF is letting her complete unattached. She matched her PB at Pre.

ANA is the code for these neutral Russians - Klishina in the long jump is another example.

Souleiman tripped and fell he got back up but I guess he didn't finish. He was pretty far back. LRC didn't put it in the race description tho idk why.

c'mon, seriously wrote:

Renaud Lavillenie: 5.81m. Was it windy? I'd like to see his scorecard. Did he try for 5.91 on his last attempt & miss?

Renaud is coming off an injury and is not at his full run. One knee was taped up. He took one attempt at 5.86, then took his final two attempts at 5.91. All decent attempts.

Wind swirled a little at times but mostly blew cross tail, I don't think it was a factor for any of the top 4. I asked Mondo about it and he said it wasn't an issue.

Any time there's increased buzz about doping investigations, performances are negatively impacted for a portion of athletes. The perceived increased scrutiny creates additional emotional stress for athletes and may impact their sleep, training adaptations, and mental focus---even if they don't (or don't feel a need to) alter their pre-race dosing protocols. It takes a special athlete to be impervious to the repeated strain and stress, that is present before every big, test-heavy event, even when doping news is relatively quiet. Some athletes avoid this by intentionally isolating themselves from news media reports, creating self-imposed black out periods before events.

Typically, a certain portion of elites who are aligned with major sponsors, teams, agents, or coaches are untouchable in terms of investigations, but it is a tenuous time in track and field. This immunity could be reversed at any time. This, too, must be incredibly stressful for athletes.

The three most notable performances for me were Chespol, Bowie and Mo. I never pay much attention to people that are "off" for this meet- too early.

Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:They must be really scared by tighter testing.

We have enough public evidence at this point to be confident it isn't the testing per se, but the federation's willingness to sanction dopers.

We also know at this point the federations pick winners and losers by stacking fields as they see fit.

Again, there's so much corruption, it's impossible to call it a sport. We need some equivalent name to entertainment wresting. WWE Track and Field by Nike. Something.

Maybe this post is the real reason for Centro's DNS and why our sport is unpopular overall.

It seems like the track and field community is just a goddamn girls high school lunch table with all the "gossip" that goes around. The good performances are briefly celebrated but the discussion always shifts and focuses on the negatives for the rest of eternity in the form of looking for ways to tear down great athletes who have a poor performance.

I don't get it, man. Grow up and celebrate the positives.