Chris Chavez has the story for SI.
Share your favorite Manzano memories below.
Chris Chavez has the story for SI.
Share your favorite Manzano memories below.
Congrats on a spectacular career! Always exciting to watch. I wish him the best.
Followed him closely ever since he was a 5’ nothing high school sophomore that beat me (badly) at KU relays.
Always got entertainment out of not knowing which Leo would show up later in his career. I’ll remember him for his dominating races/relays at Texas, uncanny ability to make teams with great finishes in US finals, people getting their panties in a bunch from him carrying two flags, and of course the masterful Olympic silver behind a guy who b!tched out of the 800m by faking an injury.
Who?
This is news..? Did you see him in the flotrack workout video..? Not only has he retired, he's also taking up sumo wrestling.
I'll remember him for his odd pre-race cat-licking ritual. Still haven't figure that one out (cools him down potentially..?)
No, but his top performances were great. I like the guys that can always pose a threat in the final 100m.
This exactly. He'd muddle through early meets, then show up when it mattered to make a team.
atedust wrote:
Always got entertainment out of not knowing which Leo would show up later in his career.
NCAA champs 2005, Sacramento. Sitting on the back stretch on a lovely evening for a full session of track. One great race after another.
When the 1500m came by on the last lap, looked like Chris Lukezic had it with a 2:54 1200m split. Then on the last turn there was this flash of orange moving at a rate of speed that you can only really appreciate when watching live.
I'd never heard of Leo Manzano before that. He went on to show he was more than a flash.
Bryan Lindsay of BYU, who finished second place, put the race on youtube last year.
Sadly that race was the best we got out of true sophomore Adam Perkins.
Every time I looked up Manzano's record, I'd be amazed at how good he was. Every time.
If anything, I was even more amazed by watching him race.
At least for me, he defined "under-appreciated." He delivered what others like Wheating only promised.
Better career than Webb but doesn’t get the love.
krispy kremlin._._._. wrote:
This is news..? Did you see him in the flotrack workout video..? Not only has he retired, he's also taking up sumo wrestling.
I'll remember him for his odd pre-race cat-licking ritual. Still haven't figure that one out (cools him down potentially..?)
No, but his top performances were great. I like the guys that can always pose a threat in the final 100m.
This. I watched that video earlier this week and was wondering how a letsrun thread hadn't yet been started about Leo's assault on the new refrigerator emptying WR.
No disrespect, I'd do the same thing if I had to maintain that fitness for that long
Leo, THANKS FOR THE THRILLS I ENJOYED AS AN AMERICAN DISTANCE RUNNING FAN! Onward may you go to further satisfying and successful endeavors!
He got a lot of flack for inconsistency but he placed top three at USATF for 10 straight years until his 4th place at the 2016 Trials.
Think of great runners famous for not making top three at US champs - Spivey, Holman, Webb.
Ten straight years in tactical races is amazing.
It'd have to be his silver, of course, but he was always something to watch -- you could never count him out, at least not in championships. In regular meets, you never knew if he'd win or run 4:10.
I loved the 2008 1500m team, with 3 naturalized citizens, each of whom came here for different reasons, none of which was because they were getting paid or hoping for an easier team to make. It said a lot about America (which I fear we are now forgetting...)
Enjoy your retirement, Leo, and you have every right to be very proud of your career!
Leo was a class act on and off the track.
I remember first time I met him. I was thinking it was Eugene but I see he first one NCAAs in Sacramento. Such a courteous guy. "Yes sir". "No sir" to questions. I don't think I had ever gotten that from anyone.
Always seemed to give thoughtful answers and he competed like a lion. Might be stupid to think this but sometimes I think he just willed himself to success. His performances were hit and miss at times but when it mattered it was almost always a hit.
For example that freshman year at NCAAs. He barely made final and then he wins it in 3:37.
He'll be missed. Other pros should try and emulate him.
Can’t cheer for you wrote:
His dad came here as an illegal with him when he was 4. Fine, not your fault. Then you make the US team and fly the US and Mexican flag. Unforgivable in my mind. It’s not about you, Leo. You’re there to represent your country on the US Olympic team and the fact that too many on here are shrugging this off shows where we are as a country. The American male has effectively been neutered. You had a nice career bro, but if your dad brought you to say, an Arab country and pulled this crap, you’d be put to death. Enjoy your freedom, dickhead.
He could have taken the easy way out and represented Mexico instead of U.S.A. There are so many in U.S. who represent their grandparents' countries. We do not care when a German-American who was born and raised in Saint Paul, MN represents Germany as a curler in winter Olympics. When Manzano looks in the mirror, he sees a Mexican-American. Manzano knows both Mexicans and Mexican-Americans are proud of him. Calm down poster.
tally wrote:
NCAA champs 2005, Sacramento. Sitting on the back stretch on a lovely evening for a full session of track. One great race after another.
When the 1500m came by on the last lap, looked like Chris Lukezic had it with a 2:54 1200m split. Then on the last turn there was this flash of orange moving at a rate of speed that you can only really appreciate when watching live.
I'd never heard of Leo Manzano before that. He went on to show he was more than a flash.
Bryan Lindsay of BYU, who finished second place, put the race on youtube last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrzfih_Izq0
Bryan Lindsay? I learned who this guy was when he showed up at a local 5k, chatted with him for a bit, and he stated his goal was to break 16:00. The dude looked on the other end of 35, so I knew he had to be somebody talented. After the race, I looked up his name in the results and Googled him. I'll take losing to a former NCAA runner up.
tally wrote:
NCAA champs 2005, Sacramento. Sitting on the back stretch on a lovely evening for a full session of track. One great race after another.
When the 1500m came by on the last lap, looked like Chris Lukezic had it with a 2:54 1200m split. Then on the last turn there was this flash of orange moving at a rate of speed that you can only really appreciate when watching live.
I'd never heard of Leo Manzano before that. He went on to show he was more than a flash.
Bryan Lindsay of BYU, who finished second place, put the race on youtube last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrzfih_Izq0
An incredible race. Right about 4:02, you can see Manzano move a bit to the outside and start going hard as hell while the commenters were gushing about Lukezic.
No, he couldn’t have represented Mexico since he had US citizenship. Last I checked, the letters on his singlet said “USA”. Ruben Navarrette put it best: “It’s illogical to show your allegiance to one country while demanding accommodation from another.” Leo even came out and said “representing two countries USA and Mexico”. The Olympics are about being part of a team and representing your country with sportsmanship and national pride, it’s not about his personal grievances, his opinions, or his individualism. You and Leo both missed the mark here I’m afraid.