What happened to Courtney Frerichs in Berlin?

she was a pacer.

Frerichs had the fastest PR of anyone in the race by far. Why wouldn't she want to win a fairly significant race like that?

Money?

She was pacing the race. She mentioned that on her social media outlets.

I just watched the video and Frerichs paced the second 1000 but not particularly fast. The early pacer took them through 1000 at 3:02 and change which was almost exactly the London pace. Frerichs took over but she clearly isn't accustomed to front running plus she has somewhat of a choppy hesitant stride, one that looks most suited to preparing for the barriers.

They cut away to a discus throw just before Frerichs steeped aside but it appears she slowed the pace all the way down to 6:08 at 2000. That was 6 seconds slower than London.

Then the winner, who sat just behind Frerich's pacing, really pushed the final 1000 and ran it in 2:55 high. That equated to a final time of 9:03 and change or almost exactly what Frerichs ran in London.

BTW, Colleen Quigley finished third and quietly managed a personal best of just under 9:16

Plo67 wrote:

She was pacing the race. She mentioned that on her social media outlets.

From before the race:

Whoever wrote the organizer's press release didn't seem to know she was a rabbit. From their recap:

A very fast race developed in the 3,000 m Steeplechase. Kenya’s pacemaker Caroline Tuigong guided the field through the 1,000 m mark in 3:02.56 and then dropped out. The pace remained high with a 6:07.88 split time for 2k. America’s World Championships silver medallist Courtney Frerichs was in the lead at this point, but she did not finish.

Flying By My Nuts wrote:

Frerichs had the fastest PR of anyone in the race by far. Why wouldn't she want to win a fairly significant race like that?

One can only imagine she made the agreement before worlds and decided to honor it. Who knows if the meet directors offered her an option in.

Frerichs just finished second at worlds and probably ranks in the top 15 all-time in her event. No one wants to see her pace. The winner ran 9:05 and she could have done that by herself. If Frerichs has been vacationing in Europe the past two weeks and wanted an easy pay day, she did the sport a disservice Sunday.

She was rabbiting the race, specifically for Quigley, I believe. Quigley ran a PR - mission accomplished.

Flying By My Nuts wrote:

Frerichs just finished second at worlds and probably ranks in the top 15 all-time in her event. No one wants to see her pace. The winner ran 9:05 and she could have done that by herself. If Frerichs has been vacationing in Europe the past two weeks and wanted an easy pay day, she did the sport a disservice Sunday.

Huh? How is that a "disservice to the sport?"

One would think Frerichs would be eager to prove London wasn't a fluke, that she definitely is among the world's best in her event. Let's face it, if London was run 100 times, Frerichs probably would never finish second again and rarely finish in the top 5.

If anything, the meet director had Frerichs rabbit for Gesa Krause because everyone in the stadium wanted her to PR, which she did. Krause is a national hero in Germany. But Frerichs on paper is much faster than Krause (12 second faster PR before Sunday).

I say it was a "disservice" because Frerichs did not compete. She had a chance to win a major race on the world stage and she passed. Opportunities like that don't come around every day. Those fans paid good money to see the best in the world compete, not cash in.

I am guessing she/her coach had already figured out that she was a krispy kritter race wise. She did a fantastic job of being ready for the biggest meet but focusing on one race is a double edged sword and anybody that has trained/known an elite runner knows there are only so many bullets and I think her last race after worlds showed the chamber was probably empty. She made a business decision to get one last paycheck (after all it is her job) using what was left in the tank to pace. The fact she was barely able to make it close to pace ( I am betting she was supposed to be closer to 6:03 - 4) shows she made the right decision. Don't be confused by PR's, she had no chance to win this race but I doubt she will lose any sleep over it.

Flying By My Nuts wrote:

Frerichs just finished second at worlds and probably ranks in the top 15 all-time in her event. No one wants to see her pace. The winner ran 9:05 and she could have done that by herself. If Frerichs has been vacationing in Europe the past two weeks and wanted an easy pay day, she did the sport a disservice Sunday.

She is a professional who makes her living from running. Pacing (if you are good) can pay quite well.

My guess is that she was done emotionally and physically after worlds, but she had agreed to pace before all this happened and followed through.

Good for her to honor her agreement.

One cashes in, a bunch of others have a chance of running fast because they follow the rabbit, everyone should be happy.

Frerichs probably couldn't run 9:05 by herself also, given her "slow" second km.

The best in the world ran in Zurich some days ago. not in Berlin.

BS wrote:

I am guessing she/her coach had already figured out that she was a krispy kritter race wise. She did a fantastic job of being ready for the biggest meet but focusing on one race is a double edged sword and anybody that has trained/known an elite runner knows there are only so many bullets and I think her last race after worlds showed the chamber was probably empty. She made a business decision to get one last paycheck (after all it is her job) using what was left in the tank to pace. The fact she was barely able to make it close to pace ( I am betting she was supposed to be closer to 6:03 - 4) shows she made the right decision. Don't be confused by PR's, she had no chance to win this race but I doubt she will lose any sleep over it.

I agree with this. While Frerichs is a hot topic right now it's almost guaranteed she would disappoint if asked to run another steeplechase full out. She may be reluctant to concede that but her connections understand and have proceeded smartly and accordingly.

Everything happened to blend perfectly in London. But Frerichs likely would have been fourth at best without the mind cramp from Chepkoech and strange collapse from Jebet.

Next year Frerichs needs to establish herself as a regular force by running 9:10-9:15 or thereabouts on the high end, with occasional dips to her London level of 9:03.

BTW, the winning time yesterday in Berlin was 9:03.72, not 9:05 as listed elsewhere in this thread.

I think you are too worked up about this.

Flying By My Nuts wrote:

Frerichs just finished second at worlds and probably ranks in the top 15 all-time in her event. No one wants to see her pace. The winner ran 9:05 and she could have done that by herself. If Frerichs has been vacationing in Europe the past two weeks and wanted an easy pay day, she did the sport a disservice Sunday.

8:52.78 Ruth Jebet BRN Saint-Denis 2016-08-27 CR, NR

2.

8:58.78 Celphine Chespol KEN Eugene 2017-05-26 AAR, CR, JWR, NR

3.

8:58.81 Gulnara Galkina RUS Beijing (OG) 2008-08-17 AAR, CR, NR

4.

8:59.84 Beatrice Chepkoech KEN Zürich 2017-08-24 P2WR

5.

9:00.01 Hyvin Kiyeng KEN Eugene 2016-05-28

6.

9:02.58 Emma Coburn USA London (WC) 2017-08-11 CR, NR

7.

9:03.77 Courtney Frerichs USA London (WC) 2017-08-11

8.

9:05.31 Norah Jeruto Tanui KEN Zürich 2017-08-24

9.

9:05.36 Habiba Ghribi TUN Bruxelles 2015-09-11 AAR, NR

10.

9:06.57 Yekaterina Volkova RUS Osaka (WC) 2007-08-27

Flying By My Nuts wrote:

Frerichs just finished second at worlds and probably ranks in the top 15 all-time in her event. No one wants to see her pace. The winner ran 9:05 and she could have done that by herself. If Frerichs has been vacationing in Europe the past two weeks and wanted an easy pay day, she did the sport a disservice Sunday.

Silly comment.

Flying By My Nuts wrote:

Frerichs just finished second at worlds and probably ranks in the top 15 all-time in her event. No one wants to see her pace. The winner ran 9:05 and she could have done that by herself. If Frerichs has been vacationing in Europe the past two weeks and wanted an easy pay day, she did the sport a disservice Sunday.

Excuse me fine poster but you are....who do we say it...

....a boob.