Lopez Lomong Appreciation Thread

BergLaufer wrote:

A beast of a runner. 11 years ago ran 1:45 for 800. Tonight he ran 27:30 with the last lap of 55 seconds. I wish him the best of luck at world's.

Unreal. Just beautiful to watch.

That's awesome!

I've been following his pro career for a while. I was a so-so cross country and track runner around Syracuse in 2000-2003 when he and his adopted brother Dominic Luka came and dominated the scene. I love that his high school coach, Bill Meylan, keeps an archive of all the old results, so I can show how we all knew had crazy range back when he won the 400m and 3200m (and triple jump!) in the same meet back in the day:

http://www.tullyrunners.com/OutDoor03/OhslC1C2b.htm

Stoked to see him put up that fantastic performance in the 10000 last night, showing he can still dominate as he moves up in distance. It would be great to see him make another Olympic team next summer. And if he winds up on the 2024 team in the marathon, I guess I'd be surprised... but not that surprised.

Most of those guys didn't have the standard- this was a chance for them to go after it.

I applaud him for making it a real race, I just wish more guys at least tried to go with him.

I remember Lopez and Dominic from high school. I remember that in his first race he thought he had to beat the golf cart to win!!! He ran his heart out.

I also saw him run a sub 4:20 while it was snowing after taking the SAT's!

That same meet my daughter ran the steeple- they had to break the ice on the water jump with shovels and rakes from the Long Jump! Cold day!!!

runn wrote:

Most of those guys didn't have the standard- this was a chance for them to go after it.

I applaud him for making it a real race, I just wish more guys at least tried to go with him.

By him, you mean Shadrack.

Lopez never led a lap till the end and tried to slow in down 100m in.

Golf clap is appropriate here

runn wrote:

I remember that in his first race he thought he had to beat the golf cart to win!!!

Hahahahahaha, are you serious?!

Gjdjfjfflr wrote:

runn wrote:

I remember that in his first race he thought he had to beat the golf cart to win!!!

Hahahahahaha, are you serious?!

Talks about it here(I think this is the right video):

Wrong video, this is the right one about the golf cart.

https://youtu.be/qrIFinX7OqU

I am still trying to process this one. Last year, I was like “That’s amazing, but an 800/1500 guy winning a slow, tactical 10,000 can easily happen.” But this... such a fast time, and he throws down a 51 second last lap just for fun?

Lopez Lomong is now a long shot to medal at Worlds. A 51 second final lap will smoke anyone. His legend just keeps growing.

Rupp fan wrote:

I am still trying to process this one. Last year, I was like “That’s amazing, but an 800/1500 guy winning a slow, tactical 10,000 can easily happen.” But this... such a fast time, and he throws down a 51 second last lap just for fun?

Lopez Lomong is now a long shot to medal at Worlds. A 51 second final lap will smoke anyone. His legend just keeps growing.

He didn’t run a 51s last lap.

Due credit wrote:

runn wrote:

Most of those guys didn't have the standard- this was a chance for them to go after it.

I applaud him for making it a real race, I just wish more guys at least tried to go with him.

By him, you mean Shadrack.

Lopez never led a lap till the end and tried to slow in down 100m in.

Golf clap is appropriate here

Thank goodness someone spoke up with something negative to say in this thread. I was worried I was on the wrong forum.

broosty wrote:

He didn’t run a 51s last lap.

Ty, I misread it... a 51 second PR lol. Not a 51 second final lap. A 55 second final lap running solo is still beast, but gonna backtrack on him being a medal contender for now ;)

...just read that LL is listed as a 1500m participant today. Doubling back with a chance at 1,500m ..lol

Lopezlo wrote:

Lopez looks to be about 52. How old is he?

EPO? HGH? Roids?

One of the most despicable and sad posts I've ever scene.

Look I'm not saying there aren't plenty of cheats out there - many of them from very poor countries.

But you think a refugee who got off the plane in the US thinking he's going to be living the servants quarters was on drugs? Clearly he wasn't on them when he got here. I guess you are arguing he could be on them now?

But what a sad post.

Speaking of sad, that video was the opposite of sad. Truly amazing.

thanks rojo, agree 100%.

rojo wrote:

Lopezlo wrote:

Lopez looks to be about 52. How old is he?

EPO? HGH? Roids?

One of the most despicable and sad posts I've ever scene.

Look I'm not saying there aren't plenty of cheats out there - many of them from very poor countries.

But you think a refugee who got off the plane in the US thinking he's going to be living the servants quarters was on drugs? Clearly he wasn't on them when he got here. I guess you are arguing he could be on them now?

But what a sad post.

Speaking of sad, that video was the opposite of sad. Truly amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrIFinX7OqU

I agree very sad. I remember a story that when he first got to his new home in NY ... his new parents thought he was afraid of the dark after the boys had gone to bed... no, he just didn’t know it was the switch on the wall... I saw him win the mountain region xc in 2007, hosted in UT by Weber State... he ran 29:xx winning so easily it looked like a tempo, he turned professional after that fall semester. Super nice guy.