I remember reading about 35-40 years ago (ouch) that the UTEP Runners would do this - so one race Alberto Salazar and Rudy Chapa started speaking "the Espanol."
LetsRun.com wrote:
We'll have more in our 10k recap but Scott Simmons, coach of the American Distance Project runners, who went 2-3-4-7 in tonight's 10,000m, said the plan was for his guys to put in surges in the race and talk in Swahili so others wouldn't know exactly what was going on.
Turns out Sam Chelanga ended up surging more frequently than expected and the others didn't go with him so it turned into more of a unique fartlek by Chelanga but Simmons' guys did get 2 on the Worlds team.
I'm not saying they aren't proud to serve or avoid regular service. What I'm asking is how paying them to run professionally a good use of tax dollars.
kipkip wrote:
Remember among est thousands of Kenyans now serving in united state military, the few with great talent where able to join the group WCAP. Was it to avoid serving then every Kenyan would have done so. I'm very sure those guys are proud to be serving as well as putting the name of the US at the top in world sport. So brother keep your comment to yourself.
They are marketing toward a target audience. Young folks involved in sports make better recruits than fat out of shape kids that spend their time in front of the TV.
FWAC wrote:kipkip wrote:I'm not saying they aren't proud to serve or avoid regular service. What I'm asking is how paying them to run professionally a good use of tax dollars.
Remember among est thousands of Kenyans now serving in united state military, the few with great talent where able to join the group WCAP. Was it to avoid serving then every Kenyan would have done so. I'm very sure those guys are proud to be serving as well as putting the name of the US at the top in world sport. So brother keep your comment to yourself.
Is that actually true? Do the Army athletes have a different term of service than usual. Typically, you serve something like 4 years active duty and then 4 years in the reserve. If a runner competes for one Olympic cycle, they've probably fulfilled their active duty requirement over that time.
Long term investment wrote:
They serve after their careers are over.
Is that true? Or even plausible? I'm not questioning that the Army runners are great guys and great runners. I'm sure they are. But did a single person in the US see the Army runners in the 10000m last night or even see Paul Chelimo win silver at the Olympics and think "I should enlist in the Army"? I doubt that happened even once.
joho wrote:They are marketing toward a target audience. Young folks involved in sports make better recruits than fat out of shape kids that spend their time in front of the TV.
I agree.
C. Duque wrote:
I am allowed to have my own opinion and having drawn blood in that uniform I will make my comment known they should serve 4 years deployable before they run for wcaps.
Men's distances is too competitive for them to take time off training to deploy and still be relelvant at this level.
C. Duque wrote:
I am allowed to have my own opinion and having drawn blood in that uniform I will make my comment known they should serve 4 years deployable before they run for wcaps.