Jonathan Gault's story about the race in which Chris Solinsky ran 26:59 has some interesting tidbits about Alberto Salazar. Basically, Salazar wanted Rupp to (a) win and (b) get the American Record. He was worried that one of the rabbits--a guy named Daniel Salel--might beat Rupp. Salel was hired to rabbit the race by Jerry Schumaker, so Salazar leaned on Schumaker to force Salel to drop out of the race after completing his rabbitting duties:
"Salazar and his assistant, Oregon Project high performance director Darren Treasure, were concerned Salel could beat Rupp, so before the race, Treasure told Schumacher to tell Salel he was not allowed to finish."
In other words, Salazar any potential threat removed.
Solinksy's agent must have gotten the message. Before the race, he instructed Salel: "You can finish the race, but make sure you don’t trip Rupp. In fact, don’t go anywhere near Rupp." God forbid someone try to run in the vicinity of Nike's golden goose.
Then, after the race, Salazar was butt-hurt because Solinksy won the race, according to Evan Jager:
“The way I remember it is that Alberto was under the assumption that Jerry knew the whole time that Chris was gonna beat Galen and he had felt deceived that Jerry didn’t tell him such,” Jager says.
So, all in all, it's a very unattractive portrait of Salazar. A few caveats:
1) I don't know how much of this is true. There are two sides to every story, and I find it a little hard to believe that any adult--let alone a respected coach--would act in the manner being described here. I would like to hear Salazar's side.
2) I don't hold any of this against Rupp.
Jonathan Gault's new story makes Alberto Salazar look totally cringe
Report Thread
-
-
Alberto is a classic narcissist. Of course Alberto wanted to guarantee that Galen would win and set the U.S. record. Alberto believed it would make people worship him. NOPe.
-
Wait wait wait..
I may be a fat pedestrian jogger by your standards, but what precisely is wrong in this case regarding Salel?
Do you forget that in 1956, Chris Brasher and Chris Chattaway rabbitted Roger Bannister to a sub-4 mile?
If salel was hired as a rabbit (see:hired..they make money), then scripting Salel was ok.
Again, you're affiliating a Salazar move with Galen Rupp.
Galen ran his heart out.....he still does..
So to me, this is ...racing. Solinsky won. Strategy didn't work.
Nobody failed here.
This is a 100% pro-Solinsky moment that is garnering thrown shade.
Solinsky is great.
Rupp is great.
Both are Americans
What is the issue? -
This has been common knowledge for...a decade now.
-
Stoppit Smith wrote:
Wait wait wait..
I may be a fat pedestrian jogger by your standards, but what precisely is wrong in this case regarding Salel?
Do you forget that in 1956, Chris Brasher and Chris Chattaway rabbitted Roger Bannister to a sub-4 mile?
If salel was hired as a rabbit (see:hired..they make money), then scripting Salel was ok.
Again, you're affiliating a Salazar move with Galen Rupp.
Galen ran his heart out.....he still does..
So to me, this is ...racing. Solinsky won. Strategy didn't work.
Nobody failed here.
This is a 100% pro-Solinsky moment that is garnering thrown shade.
Solinsky is great.
Rupp is great.
Both are Americans
What is the issue?
Well said... This is a non story. Galen and Solinsky are both awesome and they both gave it their all that night.
Salazar is a controversial dude and always will be. That fact doesn't taint the quality of the race one iota. -
Calling things "totally cringe" is totally cringe.
-
Stoppit Smith wrote:
If salel was hired as a rabbit (see:hired..they make money), then scripting Salel was ok.
The entire race was scripted with cameras for a documentary of Rupp winning, I think. Salazar paid to set up a record attempt for Rupp. Kind of annoying for someone to freeload off of it. -
broscience_the_real_1 wrote:
Stoppit Smith wrote:
If salel was hired as a rabbit (see:hired..they make money), then scripting Salel was ok.
The entire race was scripted with cameras for a documentary of Rupp winning, I think. Salazar paid to set up a record attempt for Rupp. Kind of annoying for someone to freeload off of it.
If the whole thing was scripted, it wouldn't be a race. Since it was a race, good for the guy that won. -
At the end of the day, Rupp is still running competitively and Solinsky has been out of the sport for years. Rupp's 26:44 10000m is the fastest time in the past 6 years. Rupp has the championship mentality, Solinksy does not.
-
The title of this thread should be: "Alberto Salazar makes Alberto Salazar look totally cringe."
-
One coach is a shoe seller, the other coach, Jerry, is a shoe maker. Ironic.
The salesman usually gets paid better, while the shoe maker does the work. A fable for our times. -
colorunner123 wrote:
Jonathan Gault's story about the race in which Chris Solinsky ran 26:59 has some interesting tidbits about Alberto Salazar. Basically, Salazar wanted Rupp to (a) win and (b) get the American Record. He was worried that one of the rabbits--a guy named Daniel Salel--might beat Rupp. Salel was hired to rabbit the race by Jerry Schumaker, so Salazar leaned on Schumaker to force Salel to drop out of the race after completing his rabbitting duties:
"Salazar and his assistant, Oregon Project high performance director Darren Treasure, were concerned Salel could beat Rupp, so before the race, Treasure told Schumacher to tell Salel he was not allowed to finish."
In other words, Salazar any potential threat removed.
Solinksy's agent must have gotten the message. Before the race, he instructed Salel: "You can finish the race, but make sure you don’t trip Rupp. In fact, don’t go anywhere near Rupp." God forbid someone try to run in the vicinity of Nike's golden goose.
Then, after the race, Salazar was butt-hurt because Solinksy won the race, according to Evan Jager:
“The way I remember it is that Alberto was under the assumption that Jerry knew the whole time that Chris was gonna beat Galen and he had felt deceived that Jerry didn’t tell him such,” Jager says.
So, all in all, it's a very unattractive portrait of Salazar. A few caveats:
1) I don't know how much of this is true. There are two sides to every story, and I find it a little hard to believe that any adult--let alone a respected coach--would act in the manner being described here. I would like to hear Salazar's side.
2) I don't hold any of this against Rupp.
None of this was remotely surprising if you've followed Alberto's antics over the years. -
jesseriley wrote:
One coach is a shoe seller, the other coach, Jerry, is a shoe maker. Ironic.
The salesman usually gets paid better, while the shoe maker does the work. A fable for our times.
Absolutely moronic post of the year, by a mile! -
Championship mentality? Solinsky won Footlocker, which Rupp lost, by 21 seconds. He won 5 individual NCAA titles. He was the first non-African to break 27 and three times ran 12:55-56.
What he lacked was health. When he tore his hamstrings, he was never close to the same runner again. -
zxcvzcxv wrote:
Championship mentality? Solinsky won Footlocker, which Rupp lost, by 21 seconds. He won 5 individual NCAA titles. He was the first non-African to break 27 and three times ran 12:55-56.
What he lacked was health. When he tore his hamstrings, he was never close to the same runner again.
Chris Solinsky at peak:
12:55 @ 6'1", 165 pounds.
That's fricken huge.
And fast.
Imagine if Salazar got a hold of him instead of Schumacher. -
The article notes that Jon reached out to both Rupp and Salazar but they did not respond, so we got the Solinsky/Schumacher version of events (as it should be).
p.s. Thanks for one of the best articles I've ever read. -
He was hired by Schumacher to rabbit Schumacher's guys, not Rupp. Rupp had his own pacemaker. Schumacher had already agreed when hiring him that Salel could finish because he was chasing a Commonwealth Games qualifying mark. So basically Salazar was trying to control an agreement Schumacher made with Salel to rabbit the Bowerman guys, which has nothing to do with Rupp. Rupp wasn't even supposed to be in the race until he entered at the last minute. Schumacher had no obligation to make things easier for Rupp or to ensure him winning. Salazar looks like a fool trying to control that.
-
Meh.
Both teams are the same. Both use the same drugs. The bad blood is scripted to make it appear that they aren't both up to the same shitt. -
How does one look cringe?
And what does that mean? -
Stoppit Smith wrote:
Wait wait wait..
I may be a fat pedestrian jogger by your standards, but what precisely is wrong in this case regarding Salel?
Do you forget that in 1956, Chris Brasher and Chris Chattaway rabbitted Roger Bannister to a sub-4 mile?
If salel was hired as a rabbit (see:hired..they make money), then scripting Salel was ok.
Again, you're affiliating a Salazar move with Galen Rupp.
Galen ran his heart out.....he still does..
So to me, this is ...racing. Solinsky won. Strategy didn't work.
Nobody failed here.
This is a 100% pro-Solinsky moment that is garnering thrown shade.
Solinsky is great.
Rupp is great.
Both are Americans
What is the issue?
Anyone else read
The way
He types
Like Stevie (the kid in the wheelchair) from Malcolm in the middle?