This is the time of year I go on a sort of vacay!
In other words, it's Cross Country season--one facet of our sport I don't cover---much!
So when the main part of the T&F season ends (around mid-September) until it's time to post my INdoor season Previews (around mid-November), I slow the pace of my postings rather drastically!
And here's why!
While XC can be a VERY exciting sport, it just doesn't fit the parameters of what this blog is about--Records & Marks!
The many courses are different--in terrain, running surface, and weather conditions--and thus difficult to quantify as to quality of times run!
As far as I know, there are no lists of A-T best times--except maybe those kept by various High Schools and Colleges, or by the various venues where races are held!
(Yet even then, courses often change!
And the weather can vary from snow to rain to wind to cold sunshine, making some courses into mud pits!)
Long story short, I've never found it viable to keep accurate lists of times for XC!
(That said, I'll have a brief report of the weekend's action below!)
I'm not sure of the numbers, but I believe this blog has welcomed some new readers recently!
While some of you may have gone into the Archives and read some of my previous 500-plus posts, this blog has changed some over the years, and thus may need a more up-to-date "Intro" to what it's all about!
The data presented is mostly sourced from my own self-compiled Track & Field Record Book!
As I've often-stated, it's NOT an actual "book", but rather a collection of sheets of 8X10.5 college rule lined notebook paper, separated into 28 manila folders!
While I first compiled the "book" in the mid-60's, it's gone through several changes!
Even in the past 5 years, I've added events to my DDD lists, expanded my Meet Records section, added a Combined Events section for the US only, added more events to my Place Records section, and made the "book" more complete, and thus more informative for my loyal readers!
I always have stated that my Record Book has 600 pages!
But I was curious to see how many pages might have been added in recent years, due to all the above changes!
I was slightly stunned to discover that my Record Book now numbers 712 pages!!
Here's the rundown--divided into INdoor & OUTdoor, as well as Men & Women!!
The numbers match for OUTdoors---219 pages for each sex!
For INdoors, the Men's page count is 4 less than the Women's---135 to 139.
Total of 712 pages!
While it's exciting to discover I've somehow added over 100 pages since 2014, it's also daunting to know how much WORK is involved in keeping such a "book" updated--and the pages neat enough to read!!
I'm proud to say it's looking nicer than it ever has!!
(My cramped hand as proof!! LOL)
I have some "rules" I use that makes my Book & blog different from others out there!
For example, I have SEPARATE lists for INdoors & OUTdoors!
There is NO overlap!
I ignore HS times for the 1600 and 3200, or times converted from them!!
Thus, Katelyn Tuohy's 9:47.88 for 3200 (at 2018's OUTdoor Loucks Games) is NOT included on my HS Women's Two Mile list!!
For INdoors, there are NO marks made on Oversize Tracks on my lists!
I ignore all marks run by Caster Semenya, Margaret Wambui, and Francine Niyonsaba--as I believe they do NOT fit the strict criteria that would make them eligible for All-WOMEN's races!!
In a FEW cases, I've also ignored USADA, USATF, or IAAF rulings about drug bans, or other reasons for non-ratification of Records!
These included Emma Coburn's 9:11.42 AR, Gwen Berry's AR of 251-4, and Ajee Wilson's AR of 1:58.27 for INdoors!
Well, friends, XC HAS begun!
As reported in my previous post, Katelyn Tuohy ran a remarkable time on a 5000 meter course last week!
And based on what I'm about to report, it remains THE best mark of the young season!!
But here's some results from the key meets of the weekend---
The Dellinger meet saw Reuben Kiprono take the Men's 8K in 24:40!
Cooper Teare was 2nd 14 seconds back!
Reed Brown took 7th with his 25:14!
For the Women, Susan Ejore's 19:33 edged past Weronika Pyzik, also timed in 19:33 on the 6000 meter course!
Jessica Hull was 3rd--also in 19:33!!
The Chile Pepper races went to Frankline Tanoyo and Katrina Robinson!
Tanoyo's 24:05 nipped Gilbert Boit's same time!
Robinson's 5K time was 16:15.
(Remember that Ms Tuohy ran 16:07 last week!!)
In 6th came London Culbreath's 17:07!
The Wisconsin Nuttycombe meet was considered THE meet of the week!
Australia's Morgan McDonald took the Men's 8K in 23:17, with Edwin Kurgat one second back, and Tyler Day 3rd in 23:21.
The Women's race saw a slight upset, as last year's NCAA Champion--Ednah Kurgat--lost to New Mexico teammate Weini Kelati--19:36 to 19:38!!
But that was for 2nd & 3rd place!!
Alicia Monson--a Wisconsin athlete--won on her home course in 19:33!!
Right behind Kurgat came Dani Jones's 19:39 and Allie Ostrander's 19:40!
The Roy Griak Men's 8K went to Kieran Tuntivate's 24:33!
Ty Mogan's 24:34 was 2nd.
The Women's race saw a sister duo take the top 2 spots, as Bethany Hasz's 20:47 beat sister Megan Hasz's 20:54!!
No one else ran under 21:31!!
This meet also had HS races!!
The Men's race went to Maxwell Manley's 15:46!
The Women's race was won by Emily Covert in 17:28.
Tierney Wolfgram's 17:51 was 2nd.
But back in 4th and 6th came the Ping sisters, with Lauren's 18:15 beating Grace's 18:18!!
The Men's Rim Rock Farm race was won by Joe Moore's 24:07.
Sharon Lokedi had no competition, as her 19:49 won the 6K race by a mere 107 seconds!!
Finally, we have the Stanford Invite!
Robert Brandy won the Men's race in 23:46.
Sydney Didabuday's 23:55 was 2nd, with Alek Parsons 3rd in 23:58.
DJ Principe was 8th in 24:17.
Grant Fisher didn't run!!
Elise Cranny won the Women's race in 20:32.
She beat Katie Rainsberger's 20:39!!
Fiona O'Keefe took 3rd in 20:41.
A Woman named Poppy Tank (I kid you not!! LOL) was 6th, time of 21:06!
Former HS 800 and Mile stud Caitlin Collier ended way back in 58th, time of 22:37.
So what does all that tell you?
That Morgan McDonald and Alicia Monson should be seen as the early favorites for the individual titles at the NC's??
But what about Grant Fisher, Vanessa Fraser, and other MIA's from this weekend's meets??
And just WHERE would Kaitlyn Tuohy finish in such a race??
The Chicago Marathon is coming next week!
See you soon!
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Opinions, Facts, and Hypocrisy
Katelyn Tuohy ran 16:07 on a XC course a few days ago, smashing Kelsey Chmiel's Course Record by 90 seconds, and beating the 2nd place runner by over two minutes--in her first XC race of the 2018 season!
And then the Old Windmill of opinions, facts,and hypocrisy blew its mighty winds on the Message Boards of Track & Field News & Let's Run---with the latter actually being the voice of reason and positivity, while the Old Farts at the T&FN site merely threw out their usual attacks on anyone who chose to CELEBRATE Tuohy's achievement, rather than become paranoid about her potential for injury & a short-lived career destroyed by her Record-chasing tendencies!
These folks roll out the numbers--saying it's a RARE bird who beats the odds of young phenoms who are HOT for a year or 2, then become injury-prone and-or just disappear from the scene!
And you know what?
I agree!
It IS that rare bird who keeps on keeping on--year after year, and even decade after decade.
But isn't that the case in ANY field of endeavor!
For every super successful actor, writer, musical band, artist, athlete, you have 10's of 1000's who might keep acting, writing, competing, etc--but who 99% of the populace can't even match their name to anything they might have done!
Yes, young athletes do tend to shine for a season or 2 or 3, then basically disappear!
Just in the past 15 years, the list is long---
Brianna Jackucevitz (Can't even remember how to spell her name!!)
Kaylin Whitney
Trentavis Friday
Sarah Baxter
Mary Cain
Wesley Frazier
Cayla Hatton
etc, etc, etc
Who and what is to blame?
A natural tendency to change their life's direction?
Bad coaching, parenting, education?
Unexpected tragedies in their lives?
Falling in love--or out?
It's odd how NARROW the scope of T&FN people is!
Three other young athletes (from 2016 on) are talked about on the MB at T&FN---a LOT!!
Vashti Cunningham
Mondo Duplantis
Sydney McLaughlin
Cunningham won the INdoor WC High Jump in 2016!
While not progressing like we hoped, she remains the US's top female HJ'er!
(Of course, that's not really saying much!! LOL)
She'll turn 21 in January!
Mondo will turn 19 on November 10th!
As we know, he's become one of the World's elite PV'ers, and has progressed as one would expect for his entire High School career!
(He just became a college Frosh at LSU!)
McLaughlin went the Pro route after a sensational Frosh year at Kentucky!
She turned 19 in early August!
Katelyn Tuohy, meanwhile, won't turn 17 until after the end of the INdoor season, as her birthdate is March 18th, 2002!
So maybe it's okay to wonder if Tuohy will follow the teenage path of success enjoyed by the above named!
Or if she'll go the way of Cain, Hatton, Frazier, Baxter et al!!
(BTW, Australia's late Ron Clarke was a teen phenom also!
Then he started living a "normal" teen & early 20's life!
But by 1963---at the age of 26, he returned, and became one of the A-T greats!!)
Not much is known about Tuohy's "regular" life!
Is she a top student?
Does she have a fun hobby, such as juggling (as McLaughlin has!)?
Does she have close friends who have her back?
My own opinion of her "future" is that BOREDOM might overpower her enthusiasm and motivation!
She just began her 11th Grade year!
That means she's due to graduate HS around June of 2020!
She's already SMASHED several Records--INdoors, OUTdoors, and on several XC courses!
She wins her races NOT by 1 or 3 or 5 seconds, but by 30, 60, 90, or even 120 or more seconds!!
She broke that 5000 HSR not by 1 or 2 seconds, but by 18 seconds!!
And she does it with NO rabbits, having to pass numerous lapped runners, taking the lead and running a basically SOLO race over 99% of the distance!
Remember, the girl whose Course Record she recently broke (by 90 seconds!!) was no slouch!!
Kelsey Chmiel is one of the current 3 or 4 best female HS distance runners, although she's now a HS Senior!
So if Tuohy can do that to a Chmiel Record, what will she do to a Record held by someone far less talented than Chmiel??
One thought (attacked when posted by me on the T&FN MB!!) is that her 16:06 over a 5000 meter XC course would probably see her well under 20:00 in a 6000 meter race, as most Collegiate XC courses are!
In other words, she seems ready to hang with the very best the Collegiate scene has to offer---and yet she won't BE a Collegiate athlete until the XC season of 2020!!
(Unless she turns Pro!! LOL)
So let the Negative Nelly's of the T&FN MB go on about all the potential career-stultifying disasters that might befall poor little Katelyn Tuohy!!
Meanwhile, I will remain a Preacher of the Positive, and say I can't wait to see---not IF Tuohy will smash a Record--but by HOW MUCH!!
(And then appear as nonchalant as a 16 year old can be in her interviews, saying "I didn't know the course, or I would have broken 16!"!!)
So what will it be?
Will she continue to shatter HSR's like panes of glass under a tank---or will I, by 2020, not even remember how to spell her name??
See you soon!
And then the Old Windmill of opinions, facts,and hypocrisy blew its mighty winds on the Message Boards of Track & Field News & Let's Run---with the latter actually being the voice of reason and positivity, while the Old Farts at the T&FN site merely threw out their usual attacks on anyone who chose to CELEBRATE Tuohy's achievement, rather than become paranoid about her potential for injury & a short-lived career destroyed by her Record-chasing tendencies!
These folks roll out the numbers--saying it's a RARE bird who beats the odds of young phenoms who are HOT for a year or 2, then become injury-prone and-or just disappear from the scene!
And you know what?
I agree!
It IS that rare bird who keeps on keeping on--year after year, and even decade after decade.
But isn't that the case in ANY field of endeavor!
For every super successful actor, writer, musical band, artist, athlete, you have 10's of 1000's who might keep acting, writing, competing, etc--but who 99% of the populace can't even match their name to anything they might have done!
Yes, young athletes do tend to shine for a season or 2 or 3, then basically disappear!
Just in the past 15 years, the list is long---
Brianna Jackucevitz (Can't even remember how to spell her name!!)
Kaylin Whitney
Trentavis Friday
Sarah Baxter
Mary Cain
Wesley Frazier
Cayla Hatton
etc, etc, etc
Who and what is to blame?
A natural tendency to change their life's direction?
Bad coaching, parenting, education?
Unexpected tragedies in their lives?
Falling in love--or out?
It's odd how NARROW the scope of T&FN people is!
Three other young athletes (from 2016 on) are talked about on the MB at T&FN---a LOT!!
Vashti Cunningham
Mondo Duplantis
Sydney McLaughlin
Cunningham won the INdoor WC High Jump in 2016!
While not progressing like we hoped, she remains the US's top female HJ'er!
(Of course, that's not really saying much!! LOL)
She'll turn 21 in January!
Mondo will turn 19 on November 10th!
As we know, he's become one of the World's elite PV'ers, and has progressed as one would expect for his entire High School career!
(He just became a college Frosh at LSU!)
McLaughlin went the Pro route after a sensational Frosh year at Kentucky!
She turned 19 in early August!
Katelyn Tuohy, meanwhile, won't turn 17 until after the end of the INdoor season, as her birthdate is March 18th, 2002!
So maybe it's okay to wonder if Tuohy will follow the teenage path of success enjoyed by the above named!
Or if she'll go the way of Cain, Hatton, Frazier, Baxter et al!!
(BTW, Australia's late Ron Clarke was a teen phenom also!
Then he started living a "normal" teen & early 20's life!
But by 1963---at the age of 26, he returned, and became one of the A-T greats!!)
Not much is known about Tuohy's "regular" life!
Is she a top student?
Does she have a fun hobby, such as juggling (as McLaughlin has!)?
Does she have close friends who have her back?
My own opinion of her "future" is that BOREDOM might overpower her enthusiasm and motivation!
She just began her 11th Grade year!
That means she's due to graduate HS around June of 2020!
She's already SMASHED several Records--INdoors, OUTdoors, and on several XC courses!
She wins her races NOT by 1 or 3 or 5 seconds, but by 30, 60, 90, or even 120 or more seconds!!
She broke that 5000 HSR not by 1 or 2 seconds, but by 18 seconds!!
And she does it with NO rabbits, having to pass numerous lapped runners, taking the lead and running a basically SOLO race over 99% of the distance!
Remember, the girl whose Course Record she recently broke (by 90 seconds!!) was no slouch!!
Kelsey Chmiel is one of the current 3 or 4 best female HS distance runners, although she's now a HS Senior!
So if Tuohy can do that to a Chmiel Record, what will she do to a Record held by someone far less talented than Chmiel??
One thought (attacked when posted by me on the T&FN MB!!) is that her 16:06 over a 5000 meter XC course would probably see her well under 20:00 in a 6000 meter race, as most Collegiate XC courses are!
In other words, she seems ready to hang with the very best the Collegiate scene has to offer---and yet she won't BE a Collegiate athlete until the XC season of 2020!!
(Unless she turns Pro!! LOL)
So let the Negative Nelly's of the T&FN MB go on about all the potential career-stultifying disasters that might befall poor little Katelyn Tuohy!!
Meanwhile, I will remain a Preacher of the Positive, and say I can't wait to see---not IF Tuohy will smash a Record--but by HOW MUCH!!
(And then appear as nonchalant as a 16 year old can be in her interviews, saying "I didn't know the course, or I would have broken 16!"!!)
So what will it be?
Will she continue to shatter HSR's like panes of glass under a tank---or will I, by 2020, not even remember how to spell her name??
See you soon!
Sunday, September 16, 2018
A Historic Day
My title might be a slight understatement!
It's September 16th!
A day when the Talence Multi's would--for all intents--end the 2018 OUTdoor Track & Field season!
With only the fall marathons left, we could basically wrap-up the season into a neat little bundle--and feel good about our conclusions!
Then September 16th happened!
And we suddenly have TWO WORLD RECORDS to consider!
Just hours ago, the Berlin Marathon began, with Eliud Kipchoge saying he would attempt a WR---on a course common to WR's!!
Tirunesh Dibaba also hinted at a WR attempt--but her target of 2:15:25 was seen as not as clear-cut as Kipchoge's!
And there were those Talence Multi's--where Kevin Mayer was competing.
Sure, he had DNF'ed the Euros Dec because of a 3-foul in the LJ--so MIGHT be wanting to redeem himself here!
But it's September 16th (& the 15th, the Dec's 1st day), the end of the season!
Did he still have his shape, his fire??
Berlin's is a "fast" course!
Meaning, you go there not for the scenic wonders, or even for the aromas of German cuisine!
You go there to attempt World Records!
Which is something Eliud Kipchoge is familiar with.
But all his tries had failed!
He'd WON, but winning wasn't his first intent--it was using the Berlin course to run--FAST!
So when the first 10K passed in 29:01, you knew yet another attempt was on!
But wait!
What can one say?--How does one react?--when you discover, at race's end, that his 29:01 was his SLOWEST of the 4??
This was a run where the pacers were doing their job, but Kipchoge was wanting more!
He had to yell at them (because of the crowd noise) to pick it up!
His 1st two 5's were in 14:24 and 14:37.
He calmed himself behind his rabbits with another 14:37, hitting 15K in 43:38.
But then his deep-seated, hard race-toughened, yet incredibly stoic veneer demanded he run his next 5000 in 14:18!!
He had run his second 10K in 28:55!!
He reached the Half in 1:01:06--pretty close to the 61 he'd asked for!
And he was now his own pacer!
He SLOWED to 14:28, reaching 25K (15.6 Miles) in 1:12:24!!
Clear of his rivals--which included Wilson Kipsang!!--his only "barrier" was Dennis Kimetto's WR of 2:02:57!
(Please do NOT raise his FAKE 2:00:25 as his "real" target!! That run was ILLEGAL in every sense of the word!!)
He then raised the ante again--to a 14:21, and 30K in 1:26:45!
His THIRD 10000 had been run in 28:49!!
And then he ran faster!!
His 5000 between 30 & 35K matched his earlier 14:18!!
At a place where previous Berlin's had slowed, preparing for the "kill" over the final 7195 meters, Eliud Kipchoge was running FASTER!!
Could he sustain it?
Would he crash & burn?
His last measured 5K was "only" 14:29---but he'd run his FOURTH consecutive 10000 in 28:47!
His four 10K's were 29:01, 28:55, 28:49, and 28:47!
His pair of 20K's were 57:56 and 57:36!
His second Half had been run in 1:00:33!!
World Record of 2:01:39
Age 33 Record
National Record of Kenya
Moves from 4th A-T World to 1st!
The numbers alone seem so dramatic, so fantastic!
Yet to SEE him do it was STUNNING!!
Foot step after foot step, yard after yard, K after K--he never let up!
He WANTED the World Record--and he GOT it!!
Amos Kipruto was a far back 2nd in 2:06:23, followed by Kipsang's 2:06:48.
This wasn't a race against MEN, but a race for the History books!!
The Women, however DID have a RACE!!
Dibaba's "WR" desires were out the window after the initial K.
But she had a small contingent of serious opponents to contend with!
Edna Kiplagat, Ruti Aga, and Gladys Cherono!
Reaching 15K in 49:08--well under 2:20 pace--we found Dibaba leading, with Aga and Cherono not far behind--hidden behind and between a legion of male pacers!
The Half was passed in 1:09:03!!
25K was timed at 1:21:52, making the previous 10K's time as 32:44.
Now Cherono had the lead, tagged by Aga, with Dibaba faded out of the visuals!
The next 5000 saw a pick-up to 16:12!!
The move had been made, and Dibaba was just hanging on!
It was Cherono vs Aga!
But Cherono was too much for the young Aga!
She won Berlin in 2:18:11, her 2nd Half of 69:08 almost matching her first!
She got the Age 33 Record!
She moves from 10th A-T World to 4th!
Aga's 2:18:34 is the new Age 24 Record!
It makes her 6th A-T World!
But Tiru didn't go home empty-handed!
Her time of 2:18:56 is the best 3rd Place ever!!
As for the venerable Kiplagat, Edna's 2:21:18 gives her the Age 38 Record!
And makes her the oldest Woman to run a sub-2:22!!
As noted, September 15th began the DecaStar Talence meet!
And when Kevin Mayer--a name that doesn't SOUND French!!--PR'ed his 1st pair of events, you knew a serious WR attempt was ON!!
After his 10.55 in the 100, and 25-7.25 LJ,, his SP of 52-6 fell short of a 3rd PR!
But he was now over 100 points ahead of his Rio score of 8834 points!!
And he was well clear of his nearest rivals, the most serious of whom was Germany's Arthur Abele!
He HJ'ed a measly 6-8.75--stopping after that height!
Whispers of a possible injury were being thrown about!
Would he even finish??
So sighs of relief were heard when he ran his 400 in 48.42--considered "slow" for a World Class Decathlete!!
But Mayer is a different species of Dec animal!
At a reported 170 pounds, he's not supposed to be a good thrower!
Yet it's in his Throws where he really shines!
After another PR in the 110H--13.75--he threw the Discus 165-10!!
The WR--Ashton Eaton's 9045--was in his sights--with the ever-dangerous Pole Vault coming up!!
He'd Vaulted 5.60--and even 5.70 in an exhibition!
If he could reach just 5.30, the race to the WR would be on!
5.05--5.25--5.35!
Excitement was building!
He'd passed the most fearsome test of the 10 events!
And he wasn't done!!
He cleared 5.45--or 17-10.50!!
He was now on target for a World Record that wouldn't just "nip" Eaton's mark, but would definitively put an END to the entire Ashton Eaton Era!!
(Speaking of marks here, not Medals!)
So when his JT measured 235-11, his points total was now over 8400!!
Think about this!
After just nine events, his score would be enough to have won a vast majority of NCAA Dec's!!
And get him on the podium in quite a few international Dec's!
The question now was--By how much?--!!!
The answer is 81 points!
His 9126 (after a 1500 in 4:36.11) is the WR!
It's the Age 26 Record.
He breaks his own National Record of France!
He moves from 6th A-T World to 1st!
Abele's 8310 took the Silver!
The Women's Heptathlon was a decent competition, but there was no record chase!
Carolin Schafer won it with 6457 points.
Geraldine Ruckstahl was 2nd with 6391 points.
This breaks her own National Record of Switzerland!
Katarina Cachova took 3rd with 6381 points!
Yes, a truly HISTORIC stunner of a day!
Yet there was also the Half-Marathon in Copenhagen!!
Where Sifan Hassan ran her longest race over 5000 meters!!
Where Ms Hassan's 65:15 Winner suddenly makes her 8th A-T World!
She gets the Age 25 Record!
And the Netherlands National Record!!
She now has a range of times from a sub-2 in the 800, to a 4:14 Mile, to a 5000 in 14:22--to a Half in 65:15!!
Abebel Brihana took 2nd in 65:46.
This makes her 13th A-T World!!
Joan Melly's 66:15 in 3rd wasn't a PR, but Zaneba Yimer's 66:21 makes her 23rd A-T World!
The Men's race was much closer, but not up to DDD list-making standards!!
Daniel Kipchumba's 59:06 took the W from Abraham Kiptum's 59:09!
Jamal Mekonnen was 3rd in 59:14, followed by the Track-man--Yomif Kejelcha, whose 59:17 was his initial Half!!
Felix Kibitok's 59:21 wasn't far behind!
Yes, a truly stunning historic day in the sport of Track and Field!!
One that will resonate for years--maybe decades--to come!!
See you soon-ish!
It's September 16th!
A day when the Talence Multi's would--for all intents--end the 2018 OUTdoor Track & Field season!
With only the fall marathons left, we could basically wrap-up the season into a neat little bundle--and feel good about our conclusions!
Then September 16th happened!
And we suddenly have TWO WORLD RECORDS to consider!
Just hours ago, the Berlin Marathon began, with Eliud Kipchoge saying he would attempt a WR---on a course common to WR's!!
Tirunesh Dibaba also hinted at a WR attempt--but her target of 2:15:25 was seen as not as clear-cut as Kipchoge's!
And there were those Talence Multi's--where Kevin Mayer was competing.
Sure, he had DNF'ed the Euros Dec because of a 3-foul in the LJ--so MIGHT be wanting to redeem himself here!
But it's September 16th (& the 15th, the Dec's 1st day), the end of the season!
Did he still have his shape, his fire??
Berlin's is a "fast" course!
Meaning, you go there not for the scenic wonders, or even for the aromas of German cuisine!
You go there to attempt World Records!
Which is something Eliud Kipchoge is familiar with.
But all his tries had failed!
He'd WON, but winning wasn't his first intent--it was using the Berlin course to run--FAST!
So when the first 10K passed in 29:01, you knew yet another attempt was on!
But wait!
What can one say?--How does one react?--when you discover, at race's end, that his 29:01 was his SLOWEST of the 4??
This was a run where the pacers were doing their job, but Kipchoge was wanting more!
He had to yell at them (because of the crowd noise) to pick it up!
His 1st two 5's were in 14:24 and 14:37.
He calmed himself behind his rabbits with another 14:37, hitting 15K in 43:38.
But then his deep-seated, hard race-toughened, yet incredibly stoic veneer demanded he run his next 5000 in 14:18!!
He had run his second 10K in 28:55!!
He reached the Half in 1:01:06--pretty close to the 61 he'd asked for!
And he was now his own pacer!
He SLOWED to 14:28, reaching 25K (15.6 Miles) in 1:12:24!!
Clear of his rivals--which included Wilson Kipsang!!--his only "barrier" was Dennis Kimetto's WR of 2:02:57!
(Please do NOT raise his FAKE 2:00:25 as his "real" target!! That run was ILLEGAL in every sense of the word!!)
He then raised the ante again--to a 14:21, and 30K in 1:26:45!
His THIRD 10000 had been run in 28:49!!
And then he ran faster!!
His 5000 between 30 & 35K matched his earlier 14:18!!
At a place where previous Berlin's had slowed, preparing for the "kill" over the final 7195 meters, Eliud Kipchoge was running FASTER!!
Could he sustain it?
Would he crash & burn?
His last measured 5K was "only" 14:29---but he'd run his FOURTH consecutive 10000 in 28:47!
His four 10K's were 29:01, 28:55, 28:49, and 28:47!
His pair of 20K's were 57:56 and 57:36!
His second Half had been run in 1:00:33!!
World Record of 2:01:39
Age 33 Record
National Record of Kenya
Moves from 4th A-T World to 1st!
The numbers alone seem so dramatic, so fantastic!
Yet to SEE him do it was STUNNING!!
Foot step after foot step, yard after yard, K after K--he never let up!
He WANTED the World Record--and he GOT it!!
Amos Kipruto was a far back 2nd in 2:06:23, followed by Kipsang's 2:06:48.
This wasn't a race against MEN, but a race for the History books!!
The Women, however DID have a RACE!!
Dibaba's "WR" desires were out the window after the initial K.
But she had a small contingent of serious opponents to contend with!
Edna Kiplagat, Ruti Aga, and Gladys Cherono!
Reaching 15K in 49:08--well under 2:20 pace--we found Dibaba leading, with Aga and Cherono not far behind--hidden behind and between a legion of male pacers!
The Half was passed in 1:09:03!!
25K was timed at 1:21:52, making the previous 10K's time as 32:44.
Now Cherono had the lead, tagged by Aga, with Dibaba faded out of the visuals!
The next 5000 saw a pick-up to 16:12!!
The move had been made, and Dibaba was just hanging on!
It was Cherono vs Aga!
But Cherono was too much for the young Aga!
She won Berlin in 2:18:11, her 2nd Half of 69:08 almost matching her first!
She got the Age 33 Record!
She moves from 10th A-T World to 4th!
Aga's 2:18:34 is the new Age 24 Record!
It makes her 6th A-T World!
But Tiru didn't go home empty-handed!
Her time of 2:18:56 is the best 3rd Place ever!!
As for the venerable Kiplagat, Edna's 2:21:18 gives her the Age 38 Record!
And makes her the oldest Woman to run a sub-2:22!!
As noted, September 15th began the DecaStar Talence meet!
And when Kevin Mayer--a name that doesn't SOUND French!!--PR'ed his 1st pair of events, you knew a serious WR attempt was ON!!
After his 10.55 in the 100, and 25-7.25 LJ,, his SP of 52-6 fell short of a 3rd PR!
But he was now over 100 points ahead of his Rio score of 8834 points!!
And he was well clear of his nearest rivals, the most serious of whom was Germany's Arthur Abele!
He HJ'ed a measly 6-8.75--stopping after that height!
Whispers of a possible injury were being thrown about!
Would he even finish??
So sighs of relief were heard when he ran his 400 in 48.42--considered "slow" for a World Class Decathlete!!
But Mayer is a different species of Dec animal!
At a reported 170 pounds, he's not supposed to be a good thrower!
Yet it's in his Throws where he really shines!
After another PR in the 110H--13.75--he threw the Discus 165-10!!
The WR--Ashton Eaton's 9045--was in his sights--with the ever-dangerous Pole Vault coming up!!
He'd Vaulted 5.60--and even 5.70 in an exhibition!
If he could reach just 5.30, the race to the WR would be on!
5.05--5.25--5.35!
Excitement was building!
He'd passed the most fearsome test of the 10 events!
And he wasn't done!!
He cleared 5.45--or 17-10.50!!
He was now on target for a World Record that wouldn't just "nip" Eaton's mark, but would definitively put an END to the entire Ashton Eaton Era!!
(Speaking of marks here, not Medals!)
So when his JT measured 235-11, his points total was now over 8400!!
Think about this!
After just nine events, his score would be enough to have won a vast majority of NCAA Dec's!!
And get him on the podium in quite a few international Dec's!
The question now was--By how much?--!!!
The answer is 81 points!
His 9126 (after a 1500 in 4:36.11) is the WR!
It's the Age 26 Record.
He breaks his own National Record of France!
He moves from 6th A-T World to 1st!
Abele's 8310 took the Silver!
The Women's Heptathlon was a decent competition, but there was no record chase!
Carolin Schafer won it with 6457 points.
Geraldine Ruckstahl was 2nd with 6391 points.
This breaks her own National Record of Switzerland!
Katarina Cachova took 3rd with 6381 points!
Yes, a truly HISTORIC stunner of a day!
Yet there was also the Half-Marathon in Copenhagen!!
Where Sifan Hassan ran her longest race over 5000 meters!!
Where Ms Hassan's 65:15 Winner suddenly makes her 8th A-T World!
She gets the Age 25 Record!
And the Netherlands National Record!!
She now has a range of times from a sub-2 in the 800, to a 4:14 Mile, to a 5000 in 14:22--to a Half in 65:15!!
Abebel Brihana took 2nd in 65:46.
This makes her 13th A-T World!!
Joan Melly's 66:15 in 3rd wasn't a PR, but Zaneba Yimer's 66:21 makes her 23rd A-T World!
The Men's race was much closer, but not up to DDD list-making standards!!
Daniel Kipchumba's 59:06 took the W from Abraham Kiptum's 59:09!
Jamal Mekonnen was 3rd in 59:14, followed by the Track-man--Yomif Kejelcha, whose 59:17 was his initial Half!!
Felix Kibitok's 59:21 wasn't far behind!
Yes, a truly stunning historic day in the sport of Track and Field!!
One that will resonate for years--maybe decades--to come!!
See you soon-ish!
Monday, September 10, 2018
A Sweet Mix & A Humongous MESS
While the Talence Multi's is yet to come--plus all the Road stuff--for all intents, the 2018 OUTdoor T&F season is finished!!
In the week following the DL's last 2 meets (See previous posts!), the Continental Cup was the "last" meet people were anticipating!
And that turned out to be A HUMONGOUS MESS!!
But let's save that for my closer!
Because before that, we saw some pretty fine results trickle in from here, there, and everywhere!!
Berlin's ISTAF meet had a good Women's Mile!
Marta Freitas won it in 4:22.45, getting the Portugal National Record!
Kate Grace was 2nd in 4:23.23, with Konstanze Klosterhalfen taking 3rd in 4:24.27.
Alexa Efraimson got a PR of 4:24.82, making her 11th A-T US!!
Knocked FROM the US list was one Molly Huddle, her 4:26.84 dating from 2014!
While South Africa's "CS" was doing whatever up front, the Women's 1000 was being won by Halimu Nakaayi's 2:34.88!
That's the National Record of Uganda!
Nelly Jepkosgei also got an NR, her 2:35.30 getting Kenya's!
Colleen Quigley ended her Track season with a solid PR of 9:10.27 in the 3000SC!
(She apparently ran her final K in 2:59!!)
She moves from 4th A-T US to 3rd!!
And she becomes 20th A-T World!!
Daisy Jepkemai was 2nd in 9:14.66.
In 4th came MaruSa Mismas, whose 9:28.61 is the National Record of Slovenia!
Other ISTAF events--
Christina Schwanitz took the SP with 63-2, while Raven Saunders could only finish 6th, not even reaching 60 feet!
Tim Cheruiyot's 3:32.47 beat Ferguson Rotich's 3:33.21 in the 1500.
And Marie Josee Ta Lou took the 100 in 11.08!
The Padua meet saw Genzebe Dibaba run a quick Mile of 4:20.51.
Anzhelika Sidorova took the PV, clearing 15-7!
The Asian Games last days saw Neeraj Chopra's JT of 288-11 break his own National Record of India!
Zagreb had a solid little meet!
Meet Records were broken by---
Fedric Dacres's DT of 223-9
Nijel Amos's 800 of 1:44.08
Timur Morgunov's PV of 18-10.50
Luvo Manyonga's LJ of 27-9.25
And Lillian Rengerek's 3000 time of 8:33.37!
But in 2nd came Norah Tanui's 8:33.61, a PR!
On my World Combined Events list for the 3000 & 3000SC, her times of 8:33.61 and 8:59.62 adds to 17:33.23!
She is 3rd A-T!!
In other Zagreb news---
Ryan Crouser's SP lob of 72-5.75 beat Tom Walsh's 71-5.50!
Marie Josee Ta Lou's 11.05 took the Women's 100, while Michael Rodgers's 10.08 took the Men's!
Salwa Naser again had her way with the 400 Women of the World--winning that event in 50.54.
Sandra Perkovic took the DT with her 221-9.
And Elijah Manangoi won the 1500 in 3:32.52.
But Yomif Kejelcha got a small PR, time of 3:32.59.
When added to his 5000 time of 12:46.79, it adds to 16:19.38.
On my World C-E list for those events, he moves from 6th A-T, tied with 1 other, to 5th!
Before I turn to that CC fiasco, let's look at some Road action (& a Special Track Mile)!
In the latter, the race being dubbed the David Torrence Memorial, Chris O'Hare's 3:55.53--and Shannon Osika's 4:29.91 took the W's!
Ben Blankenship took 4th in the Men's race, time of 3:57.29.
Rachel Schneider's 4:30.18 beat Emma Coburn's 4:31.08 for 2nd in the Women's division!
The New Haven 20K, the USATF Championship, the winners were Len Korir (60:17) and Sara Hall (69:04).
Haron Lagat's 60:29 was 2nd in the Men's race, with Kiya Dendena taking 3rd in 60:34!
Allie Kieffer was 2nd behind Hall, her 69:20 sending Emma Bates (69:42) into 3rd!
Mo Farah ain't dead!!
His 59:26 took the Great North Half over Jake Robertson's 59:57!
Vivian Cheruiyot won the Women's race in 67:43!
Brigid Kosgei was 2nd in 67:52, with Joyciline Jepkosgei taking the Bronze in 68:10!
Rhonex Kipruto stormed through the Prague 10K in a near-Road WR time of 26:46!!
He's still a teenager!!
Caroline Kipkirui took the Women's race in 30:19!
Finally (on the Road, that is!), we have the venerable Fifth Avenue Mile!
And Jenny Simpson continues to make this HER race, winning for the 7th time in 4:18.9.
But Colleen Quigley--having a great year!--came on strong at the end, but her 4:19.2 fell short of stopping the Simpson train!
Melissa Courtney took 3rd in 4:20.3, just ahead of Emma Coburn's 4:20.5, and Alexa Efraimson's 4:21.0!!
The Men's race was a snorer, relatively speaking!
But it did produce an upset of sorts, as Jake Wightman's 3:53.6 beat this race's Male equivalent of Simpson--Nick Willis--who ran 3:54.2.
Eric Avila was the first US finisher, time of 3:54 something in 4th!
Matthew Centrowitz--recovering from a slight injury--finished just 12th!
That Continental Cup!
Oh my!
(For the best account of this IAAF TRAVESTY, please read Alan Shank's lengthy rundown on the T&FN Message Board!)
As a Blogger whose main purpose is to report Top End Marks--and the variety of Records broken, I looked at the CC results as just marks to be reported!
All the incredibly INSANE format rules created by Sebastian Coe & Co (aka the IAAF) were ignored by me!!
(You'll get a massive migraine if you try to read the dozens of comments on the T&FN MB about the FORMAT!!)
I will NOT try to explain them here!
But you'll get the gist of them by two examples--
The distance races were a "devil take the hindmost" circus!
Because of how the field events were held, the results page showed the athlete having the longest throw sometimes NOT winning!!
(Although apparently the $30,000 prize for 1st was given to the REAL winners!!)
Anyway......!!!
First, some Meet Records were broken!!
Abderahman Samba TIED the Meet Record (Edwin Moses ran 47.37 in the 1981 World Cup, this meet's precursor!), his 47.37 a VERY decent time!
DeAnna Price's 247-7 not only got her the MR, but she whomped 2nd placer Anita Wlodarczyk by 2 meters, AW hitting 240-11!
Sifan Hassan won the 3000 in 8:27.50, another MR!
The 3 other finishers (Don't ask!! LOL)--besides Hassan--included Senbere Teferi (8:32.49), Helen Obiri (8:36.20), and that German lass known as KK, her time being 8:38.04!
Beatrice Chepkoech sailed through the 3000SC in the MR time of 9:07.92!
Courtney Frerichs was a far back 2nd in 9:15.22.
The Women's PV ignored the rules, and gave us a SOLID competition!
Anzhelika Sidorova, Sandi Morris, and Ekaterina Stefanida all topped the bar set at 15-11!!
But Sidorova claimed the W--and the MR!
Morris was given 2nd, with Stefanidi getting the Bronze!
Morris's mark ties the best 2nd Place mark, while Stef's gets sole possession of the best 3rd Place mark!
Once again, this blog is interested only in the Marks--the rules be damned!!
So here are the rest of the REAL winning marks, divided by sex---
Men
Darlan Romani's 71-10 took the SP!
Emmanuel Korir jogged his 800 in 1:46.50.
Alonzo Edward took the 200 in 20.19.
That was run INTO a wind of 1.6!!
Fedric Dacres took the DT with 223-0.
Consesius Kipruto "ran" the 3000SC in 8:22.55.
Dilshod Nazarov won the HT with his 253-9.
Christian Taylor won the TJ with 57-8.50!
Sergey Shubenkov took the 110H in 13.03.
Sam Kendricks beat Renaud Lavillenie in the PV, 19-2.25 to 19-0.25!
Abdelelah Haroun won a sluggish 400 in 44.72.
Thomas Rohler won the JT with his 285-8!
Another MoBot affair was the 1500, with Elijah Manangoi's WALK of 3:40.00 finding Jakob Ingebrigtsen in 3rd, 0.80 seconds back!
Paul Chelimo was 1st in the 3000, time of 7:57.13.
Noah Lyles took the 100 over Bingtian Su, 10.01 to 10.03!
The "Americas" team took the 4X100 Relay in 38.05.
Women
Danielle Williams upset Kendra Harrison in the 100H, 12.49 to 12.52!
Marie Josee Ta Lou beat Dina Asher-Smith in the 100, 11.14 to 11.16.
The 1500 was a (literal??) walk in the park for Winny Chebet, her embarrassing time of 4:16.01 beating Shelby Houlihan's 4:16.36!
But their finishes were solid--1:46.66 for the last 700, and 42.59 for the last 300!
Salwa Naser sped the 400 in 49.32!!
The Americas 4X100 Relay team won in 42.11.
Sandra Perkovic took the DT with 224-6.
Mariya Lasitskene (Yawn!) won the HJ, clearing 2 meters, or 6-6.75!
While "CS" was doing "her" thing somewhere up front, Ajee Wilson won the WOMEN's 800 in 1:57.16 over Natoya Goule's 1:57.36.
SMU--aka Shaunae Miller-Uibo--won the 200 in 22.16, beating Dafne Schippers's 22.28!
Janieve Russell won the 400H in 53.62, beating Shamier Little, who ran 53.86.
Raven Saunders beat some big ones--her 64-9.25 prevailing over Christina Schwanitz's 64-8.75, and Lijiao Gong, who was in the high-63's!
Huihui Lyu won the JT with 209-7.
And then there's Caterine Ibarguen, who doubled--taking her Triple Jump specialty, and the LJ!!
Her TJ measured 48-5.25.
But her 22-9 LJ broke her own National Record of Colombia!!
On my World Combined Events list for the Horizontals, her 22-9 and 50-3 adds to 73-0!
This makes her 4th A-T!
The ending event of this Circus of Horrors was a MIXED (or co-ed!) 4X400 Relay!
The Americas team won it in 3:13.01!
After the Men (Christian Taylor and Liguelin Santos) hit the half in 1:31.44, Stephanie McPherson and SMU ran the Women's parts in around 51x & 50x, their splits adding to 1:41.57!
In the Sad News Department, Michael Johnson suffered what was described as a "mini-stroke"!
But he's reportedly (He tweeted about it!!) okay now!
He's in his early 50's!
A Reminder--Read Alan Shank's perspective on the CC meet on T&FN's Message Board!!
The Berlin Marathon is next week, but reports are that the heat might be too high for its usual speedy WR chase!
Also upcoming is the Talence Multi's--entrants unknown!
And of course the Cross Country season is up and running!
The "heavy hitters" have yet to toe the line, so nothing to report from that sector!!
See you soon-ish!
In the week following the DL's last 2 meets (See previous posts!), the Continental Cup was the "last" meet people were anticipating!
And that turned out to be A HUMONGOUS MESS!!
But let's save that for my closer!
Because before that, we saw some pretty fine results trickle in from here, there, and everywhere!!
Berlin's ISTAF meet had a good Women's Mile!
Marta Freitas won it in 4:22.45, getting the Portugal National Record!
Kate Grace was 2nd in 4:23.23, with Konstanze Klosterhalfen taking 3rd in 4:24.27.
Alexa Efraimson got a PR of 4:24.82, making her 11th A-T US!!
Knocked FROM the US list was one Molly Huddle, her 4:26.84 dating from 2014!
While South Africa's "CS" was doing whatever up front, the Women's 1000 was being won by Halimu Nakaayi's 2:34.88!
That's the National Record of Uganda!
Nelly Jepkosgei also got an NR, her 2:35.30 getting Kenya's!
Colleen Quigley ended her Track season with a solid PR of 9:10.27 in the 3000SC!
(She apparently ran her final K in 2:59!!)
She moves from 4th A-T US to 3rd!!
And she becomes 20th A-T World!!
Daisy Jepkemai was 2nd in 9:14.66.
In 4th came MaruSa Mismas, whose 9:28.61 is the National Record of Slovenia!
Other ISTAF events--
Christina Schwanitz took the SP with 63-2, while Raven Saunders could only finish 6th, not even reaching 60 feet!
Tim Cheruiyot's 3:32.47 beat Ferguson Rotich's 3:33.21 in the 1500.
And Marie Josee Ta Lou took the 100 in 11.08!
The Padua meet saw Genzebe Dibaba run a quick Mile of 4:20.51.
Anzhelika Sidorova took the PV, clearing 15-7!
The Asian Games last days saw Neeraj Chopra's JT of 288-11 break his own National Record of India!
Zagreb had a solid little meet!
Meet Records were broken by---
Fedric Dacres's DT of 223-9
Nijel Amos's 800 of 1:44.08
Timur Morgunov's PV of 18-10.50
Luvo Manyonga's LJ of 27-9.25
And Lillian Rengerek's 3000 time of 8:33.37!
But in 2nd came Norah Tanui's 8:33.61, a PR!
On my World Combined Events list for the 3000 & 3000SC, her times of 8:33.61 and 8:59.62 adds to 17:33.23!
She is 3rd A-T!!
In other Zagreb news---
Ryan Crouser's SP lob of 72-5.75 beat Tom Walsh's 71-5.50!
Marie Josee Ta Lou's 11.05 took the Women's 100, while Michael Rodgers's 10.08 took the Men's!
Salwa Naser again had her way with the 400 Women of the World--winning that event in 50.54.
Sandra Perkovic took the DT with her 221-9.
And Elijah Manangoi won the 1500 in 3:32.52.
But Yomif Kejelcha got a small PR, time of 3:32.59.
When added to his 5000 time of 12:46.79, it adds to 16:19.38.
On my World C-E list for those events, he moves from 6th A-T, tied with 1 other, to 5th!
Before I turn to that CC fiasco, let's look at some Road action (& a Special Track Mile)!
In the latter, the race being dubbed the David Torrence Memorial, Chris O'Hare's 3:55.53--and Shannon Osika's 4:29.91 took the W's!
Ben Blankenship took 4th in the Men's race, time of 3:57.29.
Rachel Schneider's 4:30.18 beat Emma Coburn's 4:31.08 for 2nd in the Women's division!
The New Haven 20K, the USATF Championship, the winners were Len Korir (60:17) and Sara Hall (69:04).
Haron Lagat's 60:29 was 2nd in the Men's race, with Kiya Dendena taking 3rd in 60:34!
Allie Kieffer was 2nd behind Hall, her 69:20 sending Emma Bates (69:42) into 3rd!
Mo Farah ain't dead!!
His 59:26 took the Great North Half over Jake Robertson's 59:57!
Vivian Cheruiyot won the Women's race in 67:43!
Brigid Kosgei was 2nd in 67:52, with Joyciline Jepkosgei taking the Bronze in 68:10!
Rhonex Kipruto stormed through the Prague 10K in a near-Road WR time of 26:46!!
He's still a teenager!!
Caroline Kipkirui took the Women's race in 30:19!
Finally (on the Road, that is!), we have the venerable Fifth Avenue Mile!
And Jenny Simpson continues to make this HER race, winning for the 7th time in 4:18.9.
But Colleen Quigley--having a great year!--came on strong at the end, but her 4:19.2 fell short of stopping the Simpson train!
Melissa Courtney took 3rd in 4:20.3, just ahead of Emma Coburn's 4:20.5, and Alexa Efraimson's 4:21.0!!
The Men's race was a snorer, relatively speaking!
But it did produce an upset of sorts, as Jake Wightman's 3:53.6 beat this race's Male equivalent of Simpson--Nick Willis--who ran 3:54.2.
Eric Avila was the first US finisher, time of 3:54 something in 4th!
Matthew Centrowitz--recovering from a slight injury--finished just 12th!
That Continental Cup!
Oh my!
(For the best account of this IAAF TRAVESTY, please read Alan Shank's lengthy rundown on the T&FN Message Board!)
As a Blogger whose main purpose is to report Top End Marks--and the variety of Records broken, I looked at the CC results as just marks to be reported!
All the incredibly INSANE format rules created by Sebastian Coe & Co (aka the IAAF) were ignored by me!!
(You'll get a massive migraine if you try to read the dozens of comments on the T&FN MB about the FORMAT!!)
I will NOT try to explain them here!
But you'll get the gist of them by two examples--
The distance races were a "devil take the hindmost" circus!
Because of how the field events were held, the results page showed the athlete having the longest throw sometimes NOT winning!!
(Although apparently the $30,000 prize for 1st was given to the REAL winners!!)
Anyway......!!!
First, some Meet Records were broken!!
Abderahman Samba TIED the Meet Record (Edwin Moses ran 47.37 in the 1981 World Cup, this meet's precursor!), his 47.37 a VERY decent time!
DeAnna Price's 247-7 not only got her the MR, but she whomped 2nd placer Anita Wlodarczyk by 2 meters, AW hitting 240-11!
Sifan Hassan won the 3000 in 8:27.50, another MR!
The 3 other finishers (Don't ask!! LOL)--besides Hassan--included Senbere Teferi (8:32.49), Helen Obiri (8:36.20), and that German lass known as KK, her time being 8:38.04!
Beatrice Chepkoech sailed through the 3000SC in the MR time of 9:07.92!
Courtney Frerichs was a far back 2nd in 9:15.22.
The Women's PV ignored the rules, and gave us a SOLID competition!
Anzhelika Sidorova, Sandi Morris, and Ekaterina Stefanida all topped the bar set at 15-11!!
But Sidorova claimed the W--and the MR!
Morris was given 2nd, with Stefanidi getting the Bronze!
Morris's mark ties the best 2nd Place mark, while Stef's gets sole possession of the best 3rd Place mark!
Once again, this blog is interested only in the Marks--the rules be damned!!
So here are the rest of the REAL winning marks, divided by sex---
Men
Darlan Romani's 71-10 took the SP!
Emmanuel Korir jogged his 800 in 1:46.50.
Alonzo Edward took the 200 in 20.19.
That was run INTO a wind of 1.6!!
Fedric Dacres took the DT with 223-0.
Consesius Kipruto "ran" the 3000SC in 8:22.55.
Dilshod Nazarov won the HT with his 253-9.
Christian Taylor won the TJ with 57-8.50!
Sergey Shubenkov took the 110H in 13.03.
Sam Kendricks beat Renaud Lavillenie in the PV, 19-2.25 to 19-0.25!
Abdelelah Haroun won a sluggish 400 in 44.72.
Thomas Rohler won the JT with his 285-8!
Another MoBot affair was the 1500, with Elijah Manangoi's WALK of 3:40.00 finding Jakob Ingebrigtsen in 3rd, 0.80 seconds back!
Paul Chelimo was 1st in the 3000, time of 7:57.13.
Noah Lyles took the 100 over Bingtian Su, 10.01 to 10.03!
The "Americas" team took the 4X100 Relay in 38.05.
Women
Danielle Williams upset Kendra Harrison in the 100H, 12.49 to 12.52!
Marie Josee Ta Lou beat Dina Asher-Smith in the 100, 11.14 to 11.16.
The 1500 was a (literal??) walk in the park for Winny Chebet, her embarrassing time of 4:16.01 beating Shelby Houlihan's 4:16.36!
But their finishes were solid--1:46.66 for the last 700, and 42.59 for the last 300!
Salwa Naser sped the 400 in 49.32!!
The Americas 4X100 Relay team won in 42.11.
Sandra Perkovic took the DT with 224-6.
Mariya Lasitskene (Yawn!) won the HJ, clearing 2 meters, or 6-6.75!
While "CS" was doing "her" thing somewhere up front, Ajee Wilson won the WOMEN's 800 in 1:57.16 over Natoya Goule's 1:57.36.
SMU--aka Shaunae Miller-Uibo--won the 200 in 22.16, beating Dafne Schippers's 22.28!
Janieve Russell won the 400H in 53.62, beating Shamier Little, who ran 53.86.
Raven Saunders beat some big ones--her 64-9.25 prevailing over Christina Schwanitz's 64-8.75, and Lijiao Gong, who was in the high-63's!
Huihui Lyu won the JT with 209-7.
And then there's Caterine Ibarguen, who doubled--taking her Triple Jump specialty, and the LJ!!
Her TJ measured 48-5.25.
But her 22-9 LJ broke her own National Record of Colombia!!
On my World Combined Events list for the Horizontals, her 22-9 and 50-3 adds to 73-0!
This makes her 4th A-T!
The ending event of this Circus of Horrors was a MIXED (or co-ed!) 4X400 Relay!
The Americas team won it in 3:13.01!
After the Men (Christian Taylor and Liguelin Santos) hit the half in 1:31.44, Stephanie McPherson and SMU ran the Women's parts in around 51x & 50x, their splits adding to 1:41.57!
In the Sad News Department, Michael Johnson suffered what was described as a "mini-stroke"!
But he's reportedly (He tweeted about it!!) okay now!
He's in his early 50's!
A Reminder--Read Alan Shank's perspective on the CC meet on T&FN's Message Board!!
The Berlin Marathon is next week, but reports are that the heat might be too high for its usual speedy WR chase!
Also upcoming is the Talence Multi's--entrants unknown!
And of course the Cross Country season is up and running!
The "heavy hitters" have yet to toe the line, so nothing to report from that sector!!
See you soon-ish!
Friday, September 7, 2018
2018 OUTdoor Collegiate AOY's
As with the HS'ers, we have one person winning all 3 major categories, and a somewhat tougher choice to make among the other sex!
However, there WERE differences, as will be explained below!
The Collegiate OUTdoor season ended with the final event of the NCAA Championship meet back in June!
NO INdoor marks were considered!
Let's start with the Men!
Collegiate Records went to Michael Norman (43.61 in the 400), Michael Saruni's 1:43.25 in the 800, Josh Kerr's 1500 time of 3:35.01, Rai Benjamin's 400H time of 47.02, and USC's 2:59.00 in the 4X400 Relay!
There were no Frosh or Senior Class records!
Soph Class records fell to Norman, Saruni, and Gleb Dudarev's HT of 256-0!
Junior Class records went to Kerr and Benjamin!
NCAA Meet Records were set by Norman, Benjamin, USC, Chris Nilsen (19-1.50 in the PV), and Anderson Peters's 271-9 in the JT!
My AOY pick really came down to two Men---Michael Norman and Rai Benjamin.
Norman ran on USC's Relay (See above!), sped a quick 200, and broke the CR in the 400.
But RAI BENJAMIN gets my Collegiate Athlete of the Year award for his incredible 47.02 in the 400H!!
Second only to Kevin Young's 46.78 WORLD Record, and TIED with the most venerable Edwin Moses, only, say, a 43.20 or so by Norman might have tilted this award to him!
Getting HM's were Norman, Dudarev, Kerr, Nilsen, and Grant Holloway!
As noted above, one athlete garnered all 3 of my Awards--and his name is Rai Benjamin!!
For my Performance of the Year, I had to go with Benjamin again!
Tying Moses was the deal-breaker!
But Norman's 43.61 was spectacular!
So he leads the Honorable Mentions!
Other HM's go to Kerr, Dudarev, Saruni, Nilsen (but for his PR of 19-2.75), Holloway's 13.15 in the 110H, and Houston's 4X100 Relay time of 38.17!
As for my Personality of the Year award, it goes to Norman!
For being TALKED about more than any other Collegiate athlete this year!
Speculation of what was possible for him dominated the T&FN Message Board all spring!
(After his 47.02, lots of commentary went Benjamin's way also!)
Event of the Year for the Collegiate Men--
The 400 led with 5 marks from 2018!
The 1500 got 4.
With 3 each were the 100, 110H, 400H, PV, JT, HT, 4X100 Relay, and the DMR!
With a pair were the 200, 800, SP, Decathlon, and the 4X400 Relay.
The 5000 and LJ have one.
With ZERO are the Mile, 10000, 3000SC, HJ, TJ, and DT!
Following are all the marks from 2018 on my various DDD's!
Events with NO marks are NOT listed!
100 Bacon (9.97 14th, tied with 5 others) Ewers (9.98 20th, tied with 3 others) K Williams (9.99 24th, tied with 4 others)
200 Titi (20.00 13th, tied with 1 other) Norman (20.06 23rd)
400 Norman (43.61 CR 1st) Bloomfield (43.94 3rd) N Allen (44.13 6th) Strother (44.34 11th, tied with 1 other) St Hilaire (44.55 19th)
800 Saruni (1:43.25 CR 1st) I Harris (1:44.76 12th)
1500 Kerr (3:35.01 CR 1st) Knight (3:36.07 7th) Dominic (3:36.33 9th) Prakel (3:36.84 17th)
5000 Trouard (13:21.07 16th)
110H Holloway (13.15 2nd) D Roberts (13.27 10th, tied with 1 other) Walters (13.31 16th)
400H Benjamin (47.02 CR 1st) Selmon (48.12 5th) Kendziera (48.42 13th)
LJ Bazile (27-5.50 8th, tied with 1 other)
PV Nilsen (19-2.75 4th, tied with 1 other) King (19-0.25 8th, tied with 2 others) Richartz (18-8.25 20th, tied with 7 others)
SP Otterdahl (68-9.25 19th) Comenentia (68-6 20th, tied with 1 other)
JT A Peters (271-9 7th) S Gudmundsson (264-1 17th) Quuara (263-2 18th)
HT Dudarev (256-0 4th) Comenentia (250-8 10th) Eriksson (243-5 21st)
Dec Duckworth (8336 7th) Saluri (8137 24th)
4X100R Houston (38.17 2nd) Ohio St (38.67 16th) Southern Miss (38.89 24th)
4X400R USC (2:59.00 CR 1st) Houston (3:01.82 19th)
DMR Notre Dame (9:35.18 19th) Princeton (9:35.74 22nd) Florida (9:35.90 23rd)
Now for the Women!
Collegiate Records went to Sydney McLaughlin (52.75 in the 400H), Keturah Orji's 47-11.75 TJ, Maggie Ewen's 63-10.25 in the SP--AND her 244-6 in the HT!!--as well as LSU's 4X100 Relay time of 42.05!
Frosh Class records go to McLaughlin, Twanisha Terry's 10.99 in the 100, Lynna Irby's 49.80 over 400 meters, Weini Kelati's 5000 time of 15:22.71, and Shannon Wasike's 10000 time of 32:11.81.
NO Soph Class records!!
Lexi Jacobus (15-3 in the PV), and Makenzie Little's JT of 198-0 got Junior Class records!
Orji, and both of Ewen's marks got Senior Class records!!
NCAA Meet Records fell to Irby, Sharon Lokedi's 10000 of 32:09.20, and LSU's 4X100 Relay of 42.09!
There was a 3-way tie for my Event of the Year!
The 400, 1500, and HT all got 5 marks dated 2018 on my DDD's!
With 4 apiece were the 100, 5000, 10000, TJ, PV, and the Heptathlon!
With 3 each were the 800, 3000SC, 100H, SP, JT, and the 4X100 Relay.
Getting a pair each were the 200, LJ, DT, and the 4X400 Relay.
With 1 each are the 400H and the DMR.
Getting NONE were the Mile, 3000, and the HJ!
As with the HS Men, one person was dominant in my AOY ratings!
However, she came nowhere near the dominance of Mondo Duplantis, despite a GREAT season!!
That said, SYDNEY McLAUGHLIN---as with Mondo--wins ALL THREE of my Awards--the Athlete of the Year, Performance of the Year, and Personality of the Year!!
Just tone down the SHINE around her aura by several notches from that produced by Mr Duplantis among the HS crowd!!
Her 400H time of 52.75, as well as her 50.07 400, 22.39 over a Half Lap, and her sensational Relay splits--as well as the breadth and depth of her popularity--made her a fairly easy choice for AOY!!
But the HM's were pretty strong!
Maggie Ewen came much closer to McLaughlin than anyone came to Mondo!
Her Throwing talents saw TWO Collegiate Records, plus a decent DT!!
Other HM'ers include Irby, Orji, Jacobus, and Lokedi!
The latter gets Special Mention for taking down the 30 year old NCAA Meet Record in the 10000, a rarity in distance events!!
McLaughlin, as noted, also gets my Performance of the Year!!
Her 52.75 took 1.07 seconds off her 2017 PR, and was a solo run!!
Speculation on a World Record immediately followed!!
And she did this as a FROSH!!
But for my HM's you can't ignore Irby's 49.80, Orji's TJ, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn's 12.40 over the 100H, both of Ewen's CR's, as well as Lokedi's 10K!
(Again, Lokedi gets VERY Special Mention here also!!)
McLaughlin takes my Personality of the Year hands down!!
NOT for her magnificent athletics ability, but for how she handled the MASSIVE attention thrown her way from Day One of her only Collegiate season!!
In fact, I'm not certain who got more---Syd the Kid--or Mondo!!
Her serious yet playful demeanor throughout her entire year makes her's a personality to die for!!
Hang on to your hats, Friends!
My list of all the 2018 marks making my various Collegiate DDD's is MASSIVE!!
Again, only events WITH 2018 marks are included!!
Also remember that NO marks made AFTER the end of the NCAA meet are included here!!
100 Henderson (10.98 9th, tied with 2 others) S Collins (10.98 9th, tied with 2 others) T Terry (10.99 12th, tied with 1 other) T Clark (11.02 17th, tied with 1 other)
200 Irby (22.25 10th) Thomas (22.32 14th, tied with 1 other) McLaughlin (22.39 24th, tied with 1 other)
400 Irby (49.80 2nd) K Ellis (49.99 3rd) McLaughlin (50.07 4th) Dunmore (50.63 20th, tied with 1 other) Barnett (50.69 24th)
800 Southerland (2:00.72 12th) Wilson-Perteete (2:01.14 20th) J Fray (2:01.18 24th)
1500 Hull (4:08.75 9th) Hiltz (4:09.14 11th) Cranny (4:09.49 14th) C Aragon (4:09.59 18th) Pocratsky (4:10.03 24th)
5000 Schweizer (15:19.65 13th) E Kurgat (15:20.06 14th) V Fraser (15:20.10 15th) Kelati (15:22.71 16th)
10000 Schweizer (32:00.55 8th) Lokedi (32:09.20 13th) Wasike (32:11.81 15th) Wright (32:15.73 19th)
3000SC Ostrander (9:38.57 8th) Bouchard (9:41.32 14th) Prouse (9:45.45 23rd)
100H Camacho-Quinn (12.40 2nd) Charleton (12.70 16th, tied with 3 others) P Seymour (12.72 22nd, tied with 2 others)
400H McLaughlin (52.75 CR 1st)
LJ Orji (22-4.25 9th, tied with 2 others) T Brooks (22-3 14th, tied with 3 others)
TJ Orji (47-11.75 CR 1st) David (46-4.25 7th) Ebwea-Bile (45-11.25 12th) C Cook (45-7 17th)
PV Jacobus (15-3 3rd) Gunnarsson (15-1 7th, tied with 3 others) Gruver (14-11 12th, tied with 2 others) Guy (14-7.50 22nd, tied with 2 others)
SP Ewen (63-10.25 CR 1st) Woodard (61-3.50 9th) Giger (59-4.25 23rd, tied with 1 other)
DT Allman (206-1 10th) Ewen (204-11 12th)
JT Little (198-0 5th) Olin (191-6 15th) Gray (187-11 21st)
HT Ewen (244-6 CR 1st) Andersen (243-5 2nd) Stewart (239-3 4th) Scarvelis (226-8 15th)
Kassanavoid (223-9 22nd)
Hept Ellenwood (6173 9th) Schultz (6133 14th) Gittens (6074 18th, tied with 1 other) Grauvogel (6074 18th, tied with 1 other)
4X100 Relay LSU (42.05 CR 1st) Kentucky (42.30 3rd) USC (42.53 5th)
4X400 Relay Kentucky (3:25.99 7th) Purdue (3:26.91 11th)
DMR Missouri (11:07.59 23rd)
And that's a wrap on my AOY's---until December 31st, when I'll choose my AOY's etc for the US and the World!!
The Continental Cup is next up on the fading OUTdoor T&F schedule!
It's been getting lots of "thumbs down" comments on the T&FN Message Board!
But the provisional entry lists shows it COULD be a GREAT meet!!
My detailed report should follow soon after its end!!
The 5th Avenue Mile is also upcoming!!
See you soon!
However, there WERE differences, as will be explained below!
The Collegiate OUTdoor season ended with the final event of the NCAA Championship meet back in June!
NO INdoor marks were considered!
Let's start with the Men!
Collegiate Records went to Michael Norman (43.61 in the 400), Michael Saruni's 1:43.25 in the 800, Josh Kerr's 1500 time of 3:35.01, Rai Benjamin's 400H time of 47.02, and USC's 2:59.00 in the 4X400 Relay!
There were no Frosh or Senior Class records!
Soph Class records fell to Norman, Saruni, and Gleb Dudarev's HT of 256-0!
Junior Class records went to Kerr and Benjamin!
NCAA Meet Records were set by Norman, Benjamin, USC, Chris Nilsen (19-1.50 in the PV), and Anderson Peters's 271-9 in the JT!
My AOY pick really came down to two Men---Michael Norman and Rai Benjamin.
Norman ran on USC's Relay (See above!), sped a quick 200, and broke the CR in the 400.
But RAI BENJAMIN gets my Collegiate Athlete of the Year award for his incredible 47.02 in the 400H!!
Second only to Kevin Young's 46.78 WORLD Record, and TIED with the most venerable Edwin Moses, only, say, a 43.20 or so by Norman might have tilted this award to him!
Getting HM's were Norman, Dudarev, Kerr, Nilsen, and Grant Holloway!
As noted above, one athlete garnered all 3 of my Awards--and his name is Rai Benjamin!!
For my Performance of the Year, I had to go with Benjamin again!
Tying Moses was the deal-breaker!
But Norman's 43.61 was spectacular!
So he leads the Honorable Mentions!
Other HM's go to Kerr, Dudarev, Saruni, Nilsen (but for his PR of 19-2.75), Holloway's 13.15 in the 110H, and Houston's 4X100 Relay time of 38.17!
As for my Personality of the Year award, it goes to Norman!
For being TALKED about more than any other Collegiate athlete this year!
Speculation of what was possible for him dominated the T&FN Message Board all spring!
(After his 47.02, lots of commentary went Benjamin's way also!)
Event of the Year for the Collegiate Men--
The 400 led with 5 marks from 2018!
The 1500 got 4.
With 3 each were the 100, 110H, 400H, PV, JT, HT, 4X100 Relay, and the DMR!
With a pair were the 200, 800, SP, Decathlon, and the 4X400 Relay.
The 5000 and LJ have one.
With ZERO are the Mile, 10000, 3000SC, HJ, TJ, and DT!
Following are all the marks from 2018 on my various DDD's!
Events with NO marks are NOT listed!
100 Bacon (9.97 14th, tied with 5 others) Ewers (9.98 20th, tied with 3 others) K Williams (9.99 24th, tied with 4 others)
200 Titi (20.00 13th, tied with 1 other) Norman (20.06 23rd)
400 Norman (43.61 CR 1st) Bloomfield (43.94 3rd) N Allen (44.13 6th) Strother (44.34 11th, tied with 1 other) St Hilaire (44.55 19th)
800 Saruni (1:43.25 CR 1st) I Harris (1:44.76 12th)
1500 Kerr (3:35.01 CR 1st) Knight (3:36.07 7th) Dominic (3:36.33 9th) Prakel (3:36.84 17th)
5000 Trouard (13:21.07 16th)
110H Holloway (13.15 2nd) D Roberts (13.27 10th, tied with 1 other) Walters (13.31 16th)
400H Benjamin (47.02 CR 1st) Selmon (48.12 5th) Kendziera (48.42 13th)
LJ Bazile (27-5.50 8th, tied with 1 other)
PV Nilsen (19-2.75 4th, tied with 1 other) King (19-0.25 8th, tied with 2 others) Richartz (18-8.25 20th, tied with 7 others)
SP Otterdahl (68-9.25 19th) Comenentia (68-6 20th, tied with 1 other)
JT A Peters (271-9 7th) S Gudmundsson (264-1 17th) Quuara (263-2 18th)
HT Dudarev (256-0 4th) Comenentia (250-8 10th) Eriksson (243-5 21st)
Dec Duckworth (8336 7th) Saluri (8137 24th)
4X100R Houston (38.17 2nd) Ohio St (38.67 16th) Southern Miss (38.89 24th)
4X400R USC (2:59.00 CR 1st) Houston (3:01.82 19th)
DMR Notre Dame (9:35.18 19th) Princeton (9:35.74 22nd) Florida (9:35.90 23rd)
Now for the Women!
Collegiate Records went to Sydney McLaughlin (52.75 in the 400H), Keturah Orji's 47-11.75 TJ, Maggie Ewen's 63-10.25 in the SP--AND her 244-6 in the HT!!--as well as LSU's 4X100 Relay time of 42.05!
Frosh Class records go to McLaughlin, Twanisha Terry's 10.99 in the 100, Lynna Irby's 49.80 over 400 meters, Weini Kelati's 5000 time of 15:22.71, and Shannon Wasike's 10000 time of 32:11.81.
NO Soph Class records!!
Lexi Jacobus (15-3 in the PV), and Makenzie Little's JT of 198-0 got Junior Class records!
Orji, and both of Ewen's marks got Senior Class records!!
NCAA Meet Records fell to Irby, Sharon Lokedi's 10000 of 32:09.20, and LSU's 4X100 Relay of 42.09!
There was a 3-way tie for my Event of the Year!
The 400, 1500, and HT all got 5 marks dated 2018 on my DDD's!
With 4 apiece were the 100, 5000, 10000, TJ, PV, and the Heptathlon!
With 3 each were the 800, 3000SC, 100H, SP, JT, and the 4X100 Relay.
Getting a pair each were the 200, LJ, DT, and the 4X400 Relay.
With 1 each are the 400H and the DMR.
Getting NONE were the Mile, 3000, and the HJ!
As with the HS Men, one person was dominant in my AOY ratings!
However, she came nowhere near the dominance of Mondo Duplantis, despite a GREAT season!!
That said, SYDNEY McLAUGHLIN---as with Mondo--wins ALL THREE of my Awards--the Athlete of the Year, Performance of the Year, and Personality of the Year!!
Just tone down the SHINE around her aura by several notches from that produced by Mr Duplantis among the HS crowd!!
Her 400H time of 52.75, as well as her 50.07 400, 22.39 over a Half Lap, and her sensational Relay splits--as well as the breadth and depth of her popularity--made her a fairly easy choice for AOY!!
But the HM's were pretty strong!
Maggie Ewen came much closer to McLaughlin than anyone came to Mondo!
Her Throwing talents saw TWO Collegiate Records, plus a decent DT!!
Other HM'ers include Irby, Orji, Jacobus, and Lokedi!
The latter gets Special Mention for taking down the 30 year old NCAA Meet Record in the 10000, a rarity in distance events!!
McLaughlin, as noted, also gets my Performance of the Year!!
Her 52.75 took 1.07 seconds off her 2017 PR, and was a solo run!!
Speculation on a World Record immediately followed!!
And she did this as a FROSH!!
But for my HM's you can't ignore Irby's 49.80, Orji's TJ, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn's 12.40 over the 100H, both of Ewen's CR's, as well as Lokedi's 10K!
(Again, Lokedi gets VERY Special Mention here also!!)
McLaughlin takes my Personality of the Year hands down!!
NOT for her magnificent athletics ability, but for how she handled the MASSIVE attention thrown her way from Day One of her only Collegiate season!!
In fact, I'm not certain who got more---Syd the Kid--or Mondo!!
Her serious yet playful demeanor throughout her entire year makes her's a personality to die for!!
Hang on to your hats, Friends!
My list of all the 2018 marks making my various Collegiate DDD's is MASSIVE!!
Again, only events WITH 2018 marks are included!!
Also remember that NO marks made AFTER the end of the NCAA meet are included here!!
100 Henderson (10.98 9th, tied with 2 others) S Collins (10.98 9th, tied with 2 others) T Terry (10.99 12th, tied with 1 other) T Clark (11.02 17th, tied with 1 other)
200 Irby (22.25 10th) Thomas (22.32 14th, tied with 1 other) McLaughlin (22.39 24th, tied with 1 other)
400 Irby (49.80 2nd) K Ellis (49.99 3rd) McLaughlin (50.07 4th) Dunmore (50.63 20th, tied with 1 other) Barnett (50.69 24th)
800 Southerland (2:00.72 12th) Wilson-Perteete (2:01.14 20th) J Fray (2:01.18 24th)
1500 Hull (4:08.75 9th) Hiltz (4:09.14 11th) Cranny (4:09.49 14th) C Aragon (4:09.59 18th) Pocratsky (4:10.03 24th)
5000 Schweizer (15:19.65 13th) E Kurgat (15:20.06 14th) V Fraser (15:20.10 15th) Kelati (15:22.71 16th)
10000 Schweizer (32:00.55 8th) Lokedi (32:09.20 13th) Wasike (32:11.81 15th) Wright (32:15.73 19th)
3000SC Ostrander (9:38.57 8th) Bouchard (9:41.32 14th) Prouse (9:45.45 23rd)
100H Camacho-Quinn (12.40 2nd) Charleton (12.70 16th, tied with 3 others) P Seymour (12.72 22nd, tied with 2 others)
400H McLaughlin (52.75 CR 1st)
LJ Orji (22-4.25 9th, tied with 2 others) T Brooks (22-3 14th, tied with 3 others)
TJ Orji (47-11.75 CR 1st) David (46-4.25 7th) Ebwea-Bile (45-11.25 12th) C Cook (45-7 17th)
PV Jacobus (15-3 3rd) Gunnarsson (15-1 7th, tied with 3 others) Gruver (14-11 12th, tied with 2 others) Guy (14-7.50 22nd, tied with 2 others)
SP Ewen (63-10.25 CR 1st) Woodard (61-3.50 9th) Giger (59-4.25 23rd, tied with 1 other)
DT Allman (206-1 10th) Ewen (204-11 12th)
JT Little (198-0 5th) Olin (191-6 15th) Gray (187-11 21st)
HT Ewen (244-6 CR 1st) Andersen (243-5 2nd) Stewart (239-3 4th) Scarvelis (226-8 15th)
Kassanavoid (223-9 22nd)
Hept Ellenwood (6173 9th) Schultz (6133 14th) Gittens (6074 18th, tied with 1 other) Grauvogel (6074 18th, tied with 1 other)
4X100 Relay LSU (42.05 CR 1st) Kentucky (42.30 3rd) USC (42.53 5th)
4X400 Relay Kentucky (3:25.99 7th) Purdue (3:26.91 11th)
DMR Missouri (11:07.59 23rd)
And that's a wrap on my AOY's---until December 31st, when I'll choose my AOY's etc for the US and the World!!
The Continental Cup is next up on the fading OUTdoor T&F schedule!
It's been getting lots of "thumbs down" comments on the T&FN Message Board!
But the provisional entry lists shows it COULD be a GREAT meet!!
My detailed report should follow soon after its end!!
The 5th Avenue Mile is also upcoming!!
See you soon!
2018 OUTdoor High School AOY's
FUN!!
But in the AOY Dept, we have some Honorable Mentions--
Anthony Schwartz, Brodey Hasty, Josh Hoey, Tyson Jones, Tzuriel Pedigo, and from his same event, KC Lightfoot and Sondre Guttormsen---who in any year without Mondo, might have won the AOY!!
The two HSR's to fall were Mondo's PV, and The Woodlands (TX) 4X200 Relay team's 1:23.25!
As for Class Records, Cole Sprout set a pair of Soph Class marks--the 3000 (8:13.85), and the 2 Mile (8:49.46).
In 5th (a tie)---but as close to FIRST as you can possibly get!!--came Tamari Davis AND Brianna Williams!
The reason I hesitated was because she took the record down by just 1.37 seconds!
Coming soon will be my Collegiate AOY's!!
Yes, THIS one's gonna be fun, fun, FUN!!
Why?
Because the Men's selection was so EASY!!
And because the Women's choice was so very TOUGH!!
Since I'm covering both sexes here, let's get started!
And because the Women's choice was so very TOUGH!!
Since I'm covering both sexes here, let's get started!
Some guidelines--
This is for the OUTdoor season ONLY~
NO 1600 or 3200 marks, or times converted from them, were considered!!
Throwing events for the Men are for US High School weighted impliments ONLY!
The HS season ended August 31st, unless an athlete went Pro before that, or began College classes prior to that date!
MONDO
His birth name is Armand Duplantis.
This is for the OUTdoor season ONLY~
NO 1600 or 3200 marks, or times converted from them, were considered!!
Throwing events for the Men are for US High School weighted impliments ONLY!
The HS season ended August 31st, unless an athlete went Pro before that, or began College classes prior to that date!
MONDO
His birth name is Armand Duplantis.
But when an athlete attains the heights (literally!!) this athlete has, one name is sufficient!
And when he not only can be called the greatest HS Pole Vaulter---or maybe even field eventer--of all-time--his winning the Athlete of the Year, the Performance of the Year, AND the Personality of the Year--by a unanimous vote (by this committee of one!) should not be surprising!
His 19-10.25 not only WON the most prestigious meet of the year (for the WORLD!!), and not only broke his own Age 18 and Swedish National records, but it left him second only to the inimitable Sergey Bubka---the ONLY Man in all of T&F History to jump higher OUTdoors!!
So forget his status as a mere High Schooler!
Think of him as a truly ELITE WORLD CLASS athlete--PERIOD!!
His 19-10.25 not only WON the most prestigious meet of the year (for the WORLD!!), and not only broke his own Age 18 and Swedish National records, but it left him second only to the inimitable Sergey Bubka---the ONLY Man in all of T&F History to jump higher OUTdoors!!
So forget his status as a mere High Schooler!
Think of him as a truly ELITE WORLD CLASS athlete--PERIOD!!
He met the best Vaulters of the past several years--Sam Kendricks, Piotr Lisek, Pawel Wojcieckowski, Thiago Braz, Shawn Barber, and the super veteran Renaud Lavillenie!!
Yes, he lost a few!
But he also WON a few!!
Including, as noted, the most important meet of 2018--the European Championships!!
Thus, MONDO DUPLANTIS wins this Blog's Athlete of the Year, its Performance of the Year, and its Personality of the Year---NO contest!!!
But in the AOY Dept, we have some Honorable Mentions--
Anthony Schwartz, Brodey Hasty, Josh Hoey, Tyson Jones, Tzuriel Pedigo, and from his same event, KC Lightfoot and Sondre Guttormsen---who in any year without Mondo, might have won the AOY!!
In the Performance of the Year section, HM's go to---
James Mwaura's 14:00.42 5000, Hasty's 8:00.92 over 3000 meters, Guttormsen's spectacular rise to 18-10.25, Nate Patterson's 7-4 HJ, Pedigo's several JT PR's. Trey Knight's 233-10- HT. Schwartz's 10.09 in the 100, and Hoey's 800 time of 1:48.07!
James Mwaura's 14:00.42 5000, Hasty's 8:00.92 over 3000 meters, Guttormsen's spectacular rise to 18-10.25, Nate Patterson's 7-4 HJ, Pedigo's several JT PR's. Trey Knight's 233-10- HT. Schwartz's 10.09 in the 100, and Hoey's 800 time of 1:48.07!
Mondo gets the Personality Award also---not for his historic marks, but for his interactions with guys 6 to 13 years older than him---who sort of adopted him as their friend and CO-EQUAL competitor---unashamedly!!
The two HSR's to fall were Mondo's PV, and The Woodlands (TX) 4X200 Relay team's 1:23.25!
As for Class Records, Cole Sprout set a pair of Soph Class marks--the 3000 (8:13.85), and the 2 Mile (8:49.46).
Duplantis's 19-10.25 was the sole Senior Class record!
No Frosh or Junior Class records went down!
The only NBN Meet Record to fall went to KC Lightfoot's PV of 18-0.50!!
My Event of the Year is determined by the number of marks on my various Top 24 A-T Performers lists---or DDD's, as I call them!
And here again, Mondo leads the way!
The PV leads with 5 marks dated 2018!
The 200 has 3 marks.
With a pair are the 100, 1500, and the JT!
With one each are the 800, 3000, 5000, 3000SC, HJ, SP, and the HT!
Striking out were the 400, Mile, Two Mile, 10000, 110H, 400H, LJ, TJ, DT, and the Decathlon!
Following are all those who made my various DDD's!
My Event of the Year is determined by the number of marks on my various Top 24 A-T Performers lists---or DDD's, as I call them!
And here again, Mondo leads the way!
The PV leads with 5 marks dated 2018!
The 200 has 3 marks.
With a pair are the 100, 1500, and the JT!
With one each are the 800, 3000, 5000, 3000SC, HJ, SP, and the HT!
Striking out were the 400, Mile, Two Mile, 10000, 110H, 400H, LJ, TJ, DT, and the Decathlon!
Following are all those who made my various DDD's!
(Events with NO marks are NOT listed!!)
100 Schwartz (10.09 4th), K Carter (10.22 19th, tied with 1 other)
200 Bednarek (20.43 11th, tied with 1 other) Schwartz (20.47 15th, tied with 1 other) Tarantino (20.51 19th, tied with 1 other)
100 Schwartz (10.09 4th), K Carter (10.22 19th, tied with 1 other)
200 Bednarek (20.43 11th, tied with 1 other) Schwartz (20.47 15th, tied with 1 other) Tarantino (20.51 19th, tied with 1 other)
800 J Hoey (1:48.07 12th)
1500 Hasty (3:43.77 10th) Hengst (3:45.59 24th)
3000 Hasty (8:00.92 2nd)
5000 Mwaury (14:00.42 9th)
3000SC Stokes (9:05.67 12th)
HJ Patterson (7-4 18th, tied with 7 others)
PV Duplantis (19-10.25 HSR 1st) Guttormsen (18-10.25 2nd) Lightfoot (18-5 3rd) Ellis (18-3.25 6th) Bradford (18-2.50 8th)
SP T Jones (71-8.75 15th, tied with 1 other)
JT Pedigo (242-0 4th) Mirabelli (227-10 16th)
HT Knight (233-10 19th)
But the Women!!!
3000SC Stokes (9:05.67 12th)
HJ Patterson (7-4 18th, tied with 7 others)
PV Duplantis (19-10.25 HSR 1st) Guttormsen (18-10.25 2nd) Lightfoot (18-5 3rd) Ellis (18-3.25 6th) Bradford (18-2.50 8th)
SP T Jones (71-8.75 15th, tied with 1 other)
JT Pedigo (242-0 4th) Mirabelli (227-10 16th)
HT Knight (233-10 19th)
But the Women!!!
JEEZ!!!
In my 5 years of producing a High School AOY award (whether INdoors or OUTdoors!), I have never had a more difficult time coming to a final decision!!
In my 5 years of producing a High School AOY award (whether INdoors or OUTdoors!), I have never had a more difficult time coming to a final decision!!
So instead of just naming my winners, let me run down my thinking---in inverse order!
In 5th (a tie)---but as close to FIRST as you can possibly get!!--came Tamari Davis AND Brianna Williams!
Both ran 100's in 11.13!
Davis sped 200 in 22.48, while Williams was THIS close--her best being 22.50!
Davis sped 200 in 22.48, while Williams was THIS close--her best being 22.50!
As NINTH GRADERS!!!
In 3rd is Anna Hall!
Her SMASHING of the venerable Kendell Williams's HSR by 220 points in the Heptathlon was made all the more incredible because she did it as an ELEVENTH GRADER!!
Then I came to THE hardest choice I've ever had to make for AOY!
After all, Katelyn Tuohy FINALLY took down the 36 year old HSR for the Mile--something I've been URGING the elite Women of the past few years to do--or at least TRY to do!!
In 3rd is Anna Hall!
Her SMASHING of the venerable Kendell Williams's HSR by 220 points in the Heptathlon was made all the more incredible because she did it as an ELEVENTH GRADER!!
Then I came to THE hardest choice I've ever had to make for AOY!
After all, Katelyn Tuohy FINALLY took down the 36 year old HSR for the Mile--something I've been URGING the elite Women of the past few years to do--or at least TRY to do!!
And this incredible athlete did it as a solo effort---on a hot day!!
But Taylor Ewart broke the HSR for the 10000 meter Walk (on a track!!) not once, but TWICE---the 2nd time by THREE MINUTES & TEN SECONDS!!
AND she was the fastest HS'er over the 2000SC distance--running!!
Ewart and Tuohy are both Sophs!!
Both are amazing athletes!
Ewart is in a class by herself--being a Walker AND a Runner---and top-notch in both!
Tuohy probably doesn't need a career re-cap here---but we might never see (unless SHE does it!!) a run like her INdoor 5000 of 15:37.12 this past winter!
Ewart DESERVES to be AOY!!
The HSR she broke belonged to Maria Michta (Coffey)!
But Taylor Ewart broke the HSR for the 10000 meter Walk (on a track!!) not once, but TWICE---the 2nd time by THREE MINUTES & TEN SECONDS!!
AND she was the fastest HS'er over the 2000SC distance--running!!
Ewart and Tuohy are both Sophs!!
Both are amazing athletes!
Ewart is in a class by herself--being a Walker AND a Runner---and top-notch in both!
Tuohy probably doesn't need a career re-cap here---but we might never see (unless SHE does it!!) a run like her INdoor 5000 of 15:37.12 this past winter!
Ewart DESERVES to be AOY!!
The HSR she broke belonged to Maria Michta (Coffey)!
But she finished "just" 10th in her race at the World Juniors!
And this Blog pays NO attention to the 2K SC--only the 3000SC!
But KATELYN TUOHY gets my 2018 OUTdoor Athlete of the Year Award NOT because she broke a HSR, but because of the EVENT she broke the record in!!
For this Blogger, the Mile remains THE best Middle Distance event!
And this Blog pays NO attention to the 2K SC--only the 3000SC!
But KATELYN TUOHY gets my 2018 OUTdoor Athlete of the Year Award NOT because she broke a HSR, but because of the EVENT she broke the record in!!
For this Blogger, the Mile remains THE best Middle Distance event!
And breaking such an old mark as Polly Plumer's adds weight to her accomplishment!
The reason I hesitated was because she took the record down by just 1.37 seconds!
She's CAPABLE of something between 4:25 and 4:28!
So give the Award to Tuohy because of WHAT she ran, NOT for her time!!
And do so by the very slimmest of margins---a mere sliver--a fraction of a centimeter, one-ten thousandth of a second!!
Thus, my HM's are actually CO-EQUAL AOY's in disguise!!!
So give the Award to Tuohy because of WHAT she ran, NOT for her time!!
And do so by the very slimmest of margins---a mere sliver--a fraction of a centimeter, one-ten thousandth of a second!!
Thus, my HM's are actually CO-EQUAL AOY's in disguise!!!
And they go to all of the above--Williams, Davis, Hall, and Ewart!
BUT my Performance of the Year goes to Ewart's 45:57.81 for her track 10K Walk!!
However, once again we find ourselves with a set of HM's who came THIS close to topping this category!
Hall's Hept, Davis's & Williams's 200's (and their matching 100's), and of course Tuohy's Mile!!
You can add Caitlin Collier's 2:00.85 800, Dana Baker's JT of 180-10, Jasmine Moore's TJ of 44-1, and Sterling Lester's Hept score of 5523 points!
And TAYLOR EWART wins my Personality of the Year Award also!
In my memory, similarly talented among the Women these past few years were Stephanie Jenks and Allie Ostrander!
Hall's Hept, Davis's & Williams's 200's (and their matching 100's), and of course Tuohy's Mile!!
You can add Caitlin Collier's 2:00.85 800, Dana Baker's JT of 180-10, Jasmine Moore's TJ of 44-1, and Sterling Lester's Hept score of 5523 points!
And TAYLOR EWART wins my Personality of the Year Award also!
In my memory, similarly talented among the Women these past few years were Stephanie Jenks and Allie Ostrander!
Jenks was a solid distance runner,but also an accomplished Tri-athlete!
Ostrander was a great distance runner, but also a renowned Mountain Racer!!
Ewart's being both a Walker AND a Runner puts her in that class!
That she's willing to take on BOTH--and feel passionate about each--gives her a personality I can easily admire!
Ostrander was a great distance runner, but also a renowned Mountain Racer!!
Ewart's being both a Walker AND a Runner puts her in that class!
That she's willing to take on BOTH--and feel passionate about each--gives her a personality I can easily admire!
Besides Tuohy's, Ewart's, and Hall's, HSR's were also set by Densa East (sp?) in the Swedish Relay (1:42.63), and Western Branch (VA) in the Shuttle Hurdles Relay, time of 54.67!
Frosh Class records fell to Davis in the 100 (11.13) and 200 (22.48).
Soph Class records went to Tuohy (4:33.87 AND her 3000 of 9:09.71), as well as Ewart's Walk!
Hall's Hept and Tia Jones's 12.89 in the 100H were Junior Class records!
NO Senior Class records fell!!
Best Event was---by about Two Miles (LOL)---the Two Mile, with 8 marks on my DDD!
The PV has 4.
With 3 each were the 200, JT, HT, and the Heptathlon!
The 100, 400, 1500, Mile, and 100H have a pair apiece.
With one are the 800, 3000, LJ, TJ, and DT!
With ZERO marks are the 5000, 10000, 3000SC, 400H, HJ, and SP!
As is common, my Women's DDD's are FILLED with marks made in 2018!!
Again, events with no marks are NOT listed!
100 T Davis (11.13 4th, tied with 3 others) B Williams (11.13 4th, tied with 3 others)
Frosh Class records fell to Davis in the 100 (11.13) and 200 (22.48).
Soph Class records went to Tuohy (4:33.87 AND her 3000 of 9:09.71), as well as Ewart's Walk!
Hall's Hept and Tia Jones's 12.89 in the 100H were Junior Class records!
NO Senior Class records fell!!
Best Event was---by about Two Miles (LOL)---the Two Mile, with 8 marks on my DDD!
The PV has 4.
With 3 each were the 200, JT, HT, and the Heptathlon!
The 100, 400, 1500, Mile, and 100H have a pair apiece.
With one are the 800, 3000, LJ, TJ, and DT!
With ZERO marks are the 5000, 10000, 3000SC, 400H, HJ, and SP!
As is common, my Women's DDD's are FILLED with marks made in 2018!!
Again, events with no marks are NOT listed!
100 T Davis (11.13 4th, tied with 3 others) B Williams (11.13 4th, tied with 3 others)
200 T Davis (22.48 3rd) B Williams (22.50 5th) A Steiner (22.73 7th)
400 Holmes (51.21 7th) Minor (51.92 16th)
800 Collier (2:00.85 4th)
400 Holmes (51.21 7th) Minor (51.92 16th)
800 Collier (2:00.85 4th)
1500 Tuohy (4:14.45 8th) Collier (4:18.40 18th)
Mile Tuohy (4:33.87 HSR 1st) Collier (4:38.48 7th)
3000 Tuohy (9:09.71 3rd)
2 Mile Noe (9:54.95 4th) Hart (9:56.40 6th) Gaughn (9:59.40 7th) Vanderlende (9:59.92 8th)
Culbreath (10:03.29 16th) M Denner (10:04.53 17th) Covert (10:05.19 19th) E Denner (10:05.68 23rd)
NOTE--Tuohy's VERY fast 3200 time was NOT considered for my lists--or my AOY considerations!
100H Stark (13.16 11th) Hicks (13.24 22nd)
LJ J Moore (20-11.75 19th, tied with 2 others)
TJ J Moore (44-1 6th)
PV Campbell (14-0 7th, tied with 6 others) Hayward (14-0 7th, tied with 6 others) C Cunliffe (14-0 7th, tied with 6 others) Fixsen (13-11.25 14th, tied with 2 others)
DT Moran (179-7 16th, tied with 1 other)
JT D Baker (180-10 3rd) Ciccolini (177-0 5th) T Clark (165-3 20th)
HT S Kunza (195-6 7th) S Moran (191-11 16th) G Rao (189-1 19th)
Hept (Hall (5798 HSR 1st) Lester (5523 5th) Jaskaviciute (5251 22nd)
3000 Tuohy (9:09.71 3rd)
2 Mile Noe (9:54.95 4th) Hart (9:56.40 6th) Gaughn (9:59.40 7th) Vanderlende (9:59.92 8th)
Culbreath (10:03.29 16th) M Denner (10:04.53 17th) Covert (10:05.19 19th) E Denner (10:05.68 23rd)
NOTE--Tuohy's VERY fast 3200 time was NOT considered for my lists--or my AOY considerations!
100H Stark (13.16 11th) Hicks (13.24 22nd)
LJ J Moore (20-11.75 19th, tied with 2 others)
TJ J Moore (44-1 6th)
PV Campbell (14-0 7th, tied with 6 others) Hayward (14-0 7th, tied with 6 others) C Cunliffe (14-0 7th, tied with 6 others) Fixsen (13-11.25 14th, tied with 2 others)
DT Moran (179-7 16th, tied with 1 other)
JT D Baker (180-10 3rd) Ciccolini (177-0 5th) T Clark (165-3 20th)
HT S Kunza (195-6 7th) S Moran (191-11 16th) G Rao (189-1 19th)
Hept (Hall (5798 HSR 1st) Lester (5523 5th) Jaskaviciute (5251 22nd)
10000 Walk (Ewart 45:57.81 HSR 1st)
Coming soon will be my Collegiate AOY's!!
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Last DL's (& more)
If you read my last TWO posts, you know how I feel about the entire DL set-up---AND that a few events might bring on a sea change in the way DL distance races are run!
Yes, Boys & Girls, they really DID run a 12:43 in the 5000!
And yes, Consesius Kipruto might have put paid to the running shoe industry!
(A joke on Twitter went something like---When you buy new Adidas racing spikes, they'll send you the STRIPES with instructions on how to attach them to your FEET!)
Anyway, those 4 races described in my previous post weren't the whole story from those DL's in Switzerland and Belgium!
In fact, the Zurich Men's SP could also change people's way of thinking about those "unbeatable" marks in the Throws from the 1980's!!
But it didn't stop there!
Darlan Romani's 71-11.75 gives him the best 4th Place mark, and Tomas Stanek's 71-9 gets the best 5th Place mark!!
Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman might make people forget their lamenting that soccer is Usain Bolt's new sport!!
Lyles JUST missed removing Bolt's Zurich Meet Record, running 19.67 for an easy win!
Ramil Guliyev was a distant 2nd in 19.98!
And in Brussels, Coleman's new PR dipped to 9.79!
This moves him from 9th A-T World, tied with 1 other, to 7th, also tied with 1 other!
On the A-T US list, he moves from 4th to 3rd, tied with 1 other!
And on my US C-E list for the 100 & 200, his 9.79 and 19.85 adds to 29.64.
He moves from 11th to 9th there!
Ronnie Baker was a far back 2nd in 9.93.
Yohan Blake ended 3rd in 9.94!
The PV's had some notable results!
At an earlier meet, Katie Nageotte upped her PR to 15-9 OUTdoors!
Were the 4 distance races detailed in my previous post the only good races over 400 meters?
Nope!
As stated, Sifan Hassan ran the Brussels 1500 after taking 2nd to Helen Obiri in the Zurich 5000, then DRIVING 7 hours to Belgium!
The Men's race in Zurich was good also!
SOME of the excitement was removed when young Jakob Ingebrigtsen was a late DNS, due to a sore throat!
But Tim Cheruiyot didn't mind!
He won it in 3:30.27!
Other Zurich events---
Minus the usual 3 unnamed, Ajee Wilson took the Women's 800 in 1:57.86.
Fred Kerley won the 400 in 44.80.
Muriel Ahoure's 11.01 took the 100 over the favored Marie Josee Ta Lou and Dina Asher-Smith, who took 2nd in 11.08!
BTW, DAS's anchor won the 4X100 Relay, Great Britain's time of 42.28 beating Switzerland's 42.49--with Mujinga Kambundji running 3rd leg for the Swiss!
Andreas Hofmann's 300-0 JT took the W!
Not a DL event, but Lynsey Sharp's 1:59.93 was the lone sub-2 in the 800!
Fedric Dacres took the DT with 225-4, while Australia's Brandon Starc took the HJ with his 7-7.75!
After some solid performances in the Asian Games, Salwa Naser flew to Belgium and took the 400 in 49.33---winning over Phyllis Francis by 1.18 seconds!!
Sergey Shubenkov easily nabbed the 110H title with his quick 12.97.
And in OTHER news---
Yomif Kejelcha presaged his Brussels 5000 with a PR over 3000 meters!
His 7:28.00 gave him the Age 21 record.
The Asian Games produced some notable marks---
After taking 2nd in the Zurich PV, Sandi Morris returned to her hotel room to find her beau--Tyrone Smith--who twice surprised her---first with his unplanned visit, and then by proposing to her!
(She accepted!!)
The Continental Cup (or whatever it's called!) is coming next week!!
And---believe it or not!!--Cross Country season has begun!!
Also upcoming---my blog's picks for Collegiate & HS Athletes of the Year!!
See you soon!
Yes, Boys & Girls, they really DID run a 12:43 in the 5000!
And yes, Consesius Kipruto might have put paid to the running shoe industry!
(A joke on Twitter went something like---When you buy new Adidas racing spikes, they'll send you the STRIPES with instructions on how to attach them to your FEET!)
Anyway, those 4 races described in my previous post weren't the whole story from those DL's in Switzerland and Belgium!
In fact, the Zurich Men's SP could also change people's way of thinking about those "unbeatable" marks in the Throws from the 1980's!!
It wasn't just Tom Walsh's Weltklasse Meet Record of 74-1.75!
No, it was the fact that Darrell Hill's 73-6 and Ryan Crouser's 72-9.25 removed the final pair of Place Records dating from the '80's--or just the whole previous century!!
No, it was the fact that Darrell Hill's 73-6 and Ryan Crouser's 72-9.25 removed the final pair of Place Records dating from the '80's--or just the whole previous century!!
EVERY Place Record in the Men's SP now dates from either 2017 or 2018!!
Hill gets the best 2nd Place mark, while Crouser nabs the best 3rd Place mark!
Hill gets the best 2nd Place mark, while Crouser nabs the best 3rd Place mark!
But it didn't stop there!
Darlan Romani's 71-11.75 gives him the best 4th Place mark, and Tomas Stanek's 71-9 gets the best 5th Place mark!!
Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman might make people forget their lamenting that soccer is Usain Bolt's new sport!!
Lyles JUST missed removing Bolt's Zurich Meet Record, running 19.67 for an easy win!
Ramil Guliyev was a distant 2nd in 19.98!
And in Brussels, Coleman's new PR dipped to 9.79!
This moves him from 9th A-T World, tied with 1 other, to 7th, also tied with 1 other!
On the A-T US list, he moves from 4th to 3rd, tied with 1 other!
And on my US C-E list for the 100 & 200, his 9.79 and 19.85 adds to 29.64.
He moves from 11th to 9th there!
Ronnie Baker was a far back 2nd in 9.93.
Yohan Blake ended 3rd in 9.94!
The PV's had some notable results!
At an earlier meet, Katie Nageotte upped her PR to 15-9 OUTdoors!
While she remains 4th A-T US, she moves from 22nd A-T World, tied with 4 others, to 17th, tied with 1 other!
The Zurich meet's Men's PV was held INdoors---in the Zurich train station!!
The Zurich meet's Men's PV was held INdoors---in the Zurich train station!!
Timor Morgunov won it, clearing 19-4.75.
This makes him 20th A-T World, tied with 2 others!
Remember, that mark is for my INdoor list!!
This makes him 20th A-T World, tied with 2 others!
Remember, that mark is for my INdoor list!!
The Weltklasse also held a Women's event---but it was OUTdoors!!
Nageotte---among others---went out early, leaving Anzhelika Sidorova, Sandi Morris, and Ekaterina Stefanidi to duke it out!
When the dust had settled, Stef was on top, having cleared 15-11.75.
Morris and Sidorova both got over 15-9.75, with Morris getting 2nd!
But it was the Men's event at the Brussels meet that most excited us.
Could Mondo Duplantis beat the Vets--Sam Kendricks and Renaud Lavillenie--AGAIN??
Sorry, but no---despite the fact he was wearing his uni from LSU---where he'll start classes soon!
When the dust had settled, Stef was on top, having cleared 15-11.75.
Morris and Sidorova both got over 15-9.75, with Morris getting 2nd!
But it was the Men's event at the Brussels meet that most excited us.
Could Mondo Duplantis beat the Vets--Sam Kendricks and Renaud Lavillenie--AGAIN??
Sorry, but no---despite the fact he was wearing his uni from LSU---where he'll start classes soon!
Mondo could only clear 18-7.50, and finish 7th!!
Lavillenie didn't do much better, his 18-9.50 giving him 5th!
Kendricks cleared 19-3.50.
But when the Russian Morgunov topped 19-5.50, Kendricks went for 19-7.50.
But he failed, and the Russian won---again!!
Lavillenie didn't do much better, his 18-9.50 giving him 5th!
Kendricks cleared 19-3.50.
But when the Russian Morgunov topped 19-5.50, Kendricks went for 19-7.50.
But he failed, and the Russian won---again!!
Were the 4 distance races detailed in my previous post the only good races over 400 meters?
Nope!
As stated, Sifan Hassan ran the Brussels 1500 after taking 2nd to Helen Obiri in the Zurich 5000, then DRIVING 7 hours to Belgium!
But, like Obiri, Hassan was going against Shelby Houlihan and Laura Muir, as well as some other good ones!
Many were waiting for Houlihan to unleash her fierce kick---and she did!!
But it wasn't enough to catch Muir, who had begun HER kick much earlier!!
Many were waiting for Houlihan to unleash her fierce kick---and she did!!
But it wasn't enough to catch Muir, who had begun HER kick much earlier!!
Muir's 3:58.49 survived Houlihan's 3:58.94!
As for Hassan, her wild frizzed mane carried her to 3:59.41--and 3rd!
Not a bad double!!
Gudaf Tsegay's 3:59.68 took 4th, while Jenny Simpson could finish just 10th in 4:04.57!!
As for Hassan, her wild frizzed mane carried her to 3:59.41--and 3rd!
Not a bad double!!
Gudaf Tsegay's 3:59.68 took 4th, while Jenny Simpson could finish just 10th in 4:04.57!!
The Men's race in Zurich was good also!
SOME of the excitement was removed when young Jakob Ingebrigtsen was a late DNS, due to a sore throat!
But Tim Cheruiyot didn't mind!
He won it in 3:30.27!
Elijah Manangoi's 3:31.16, Ayanleh Soulehman's 3:31.24, and Abdelaati Iguider's 3:31.59 followed!
Jakob would have had to break a sweat to match those times!!
Jakob would have had to break a sweat to match those times!!
Other Zurich events---
Mariya Lasitskene won the HJ with ease, but her 6-5.50 topper seems pedestrian!
Caterine Ibarguen was another---like Hassan---to double dip!
She began with a TJ win in Zurich measuring 47-9.50.
She began with a TJ win in Zurich measuring 47-9.50.
(See below for her Brussels result!)
Daniel Stahl took the DT with a solid 228-9!
The Women's JT saw Kara Winger wing one out to 212-5--her 2018 best!
But Tatsiana Khaladovich's 219-9 and Shiying Lui's 216-6 beat her!
Luvo Manyonga;s 27-5.50 took the LJ with that 6th round leap!
But Tatsiana Khaladovich's 219-9 and Shiying Lui's 216-6 beat her!
Luvo Manyonga;s 27-5.50 took the LJ with that 6th round leap!
Minus the usual 3 unnamed, Ajee Wilson took the Women's 800 in 1:57.86.
Fred Kerley won the 400 in 44.80.
Muriel Ahoure's 11.01 took the 100 over the favored Marie Josee Ta Lou and Dina Asher-Smith, who took 2nd in 11.08!
BTW, DAS's anchor won the 4X100 Relay, Great Britain's time of 42.28 beating Switzerland's 42.49--with Mujinga Kambundji running 3rd leg for the Swiss!
Andreas Hofmann's 300-0 JT took the W!
Delilah Muhammed surprised Shamier Little in the Women's 400H--53.88 to 54.21.
And Kyron McMaster did the same to Karsten Warholm in the Men's event--48.08 to 48.10.
Other Brussels events---
Other Brussels events---
Held OUTdoors, but downtown, the Women's SP saw Raven Saunders almost win!!
But Lijiao Gong's 65-0.75 prevsiled over the HULK's 64-5.25!!
Christina Schwanitz was 3rd!!
Sandra Perkovic left her "perky" side at home, as her 211-0 DT couldn't match Yaime Perez's 213-3!
Caterine Ibarguen completed her impressive double---taking the LJ with an almost-PR leap of 22-3.75!
But Lijiao Gong's 65-0.75 prevsiled over the HULK's 64-5.25!!
Christina Schwanitz was 3rd!!
Sandra Perkovic left her "perky" side at home, as her 211-0 DT couldn't match Yaime Perez's 213-3!
Caterine Ibarguen completed her impressive double---taking the LJ with an almost-PR leap of 22-3.75!
Not a DL event, but Lynsey Sharp's 1:59.93 was the lone sub-2 in the 800!
Fedric Dacres took the DT with 225-4, while Australia's Brandon Starc took the HJ with his 7-7.75!
After some solid performances in the Asian Games, Salwa Naser flew to Belgium and took the 400 in 49.33---winning over Phyllis Francis by 1.18 seconds!!
Sergey Shubenkov easily nabbed the 110H title with his quick 12.97.
Orlando Ortega was 2nd in 13.10.
The Men's TJ saw PPPP---aka Pablo Pichardo--and Chrstian Taylor go at each other again!
The P's man prevailed---57-4.75 to 56-9.50!
Emmanuel Korir jogged the 800 in 1:44.72--after a 51.10 first 400.
Brianna McNeal nipped Kendra Harrison in the 100H--12.61 to 12.63!
And Shaunae Miller-Uibo---her long wavy hair divided into two distinct colors---one side purple, the other green---
(I might have the colors wrong---but they WERE flashy!!!!)
---took the 200 in 22.12.
The P's man prevailed---57-4.75 to 56-9.50!
Emmanuel Korir jogged the 800 in 1:44.72--after a 51.10 first 400.
Brianna McNeal nipped Kendra Harrison in the 100H--12.61 to 12.63!
And Shaunae Miller-Uibo---her long wavy hair divided into two distinct colors---one side purple, the other green---
(I might have the colors wrong---but they WERE flashy!!!!)
---took the 200 in 22.12.
Dafne Schippers---who ran several steps in the lane inside of her, but was NOT DQ'ed!!---took 2nd in 22.53!!
And in OTHER news---
Yomif Kejelcha presaged his Brussels 5000 with a PR over 3000 meters!
His 7:28.00 gave him the Age 21 record.
He remains 14th A-T World!
Ronnie Baker also PR'ed--his 9.87 in the 100 moving him from 9th A-T US, tied with 4 others, to 9th, but with no ties!!
He also becomes 23rd A-T World, tied with 2 others!
Colleen Quigley won a 1500 in 4:03.02, making her 17th A-T US!
Alexa Efraimson ran 3000 meters in 8:52.53, ending 3rd about 9 seconds back!
It's her first 3K under 9 minutes!!
Ronnie Baker also PR'ed--his 9.87 in the 100 moving him from 9th A-T US, tied with 4 others, to 9th, but with no ties!!
He also becomes 23rd A-T World, tied with 2 others!
Colleen Quigley won a 1500 in 4:03.02, making her 17th A-T US!
Alexa Efraimson ran 3000 meters in 8:52.53, ending 3rd about 9 seconds back!
It's her first 3K under 9 minutes!!
The Asian Games produced some notable marks---
As noted earlier, Salwa Naser was HOT here!
Her 50.09 in the 400 broke the Meet Record.
Her 50.09 in the 400 broke the Meet Record.
And her anchor leg on Bahrain's 4X100 Relay helped them break their National Record by TWO SECONDS!!
Their 42.73 makes them 22nd A-T Nation!!
Bingtian Su sped the 100 in 9.92 for the W.
Abderahman Samba ran here instead of in the DL--his 47.66 over 400H also nabbing the Meet Record!
Their 42.73 makes them 22nd A-T Nation!!
Bingtian Su sped the 100 in 9.92 for the W.
Abderahman Samba ran here instead of in the DL--his 47.66 over 400H also nabbing the Meet Record!
Japan took the 4X100 Relay in 38.16.
Qatar won the 4X400 in 3:00.56, making them 20th A-T Nation!!
In the Murphey Mile in Tennessee (on a track!), Eric Avila won the Men's race in 3:55.43.
Tripp Hurt, a Steepler, was 5th in 3:56.02!
Qatar won the 4X400 in 3:00.56, making them 20th A-T Nation!!
In the Murphey Mile in Tennessee (on a track!), Eric Avila won the Men's race in 3:55.43.
Tripp Hurt, a Steepler, was 5th in 3:56.02!
Shannon Osika won the Women's race in 4:25.47, making her 15th A-T US!
In the Falmouth 7 Miler, Ben Flanagan's 32:21 won over Scott Fauble's 32:23, and Len Korir's 32:28.
Caroline Chepkoech destroyed the field in the Women's race, winning by 55 seconds over Margaret Wangani--35:48 to 36:43!
In the Falmouth 7 Miler, Ben Flanagan's 32:21 won over Scott Fauble's 32:23, and Len Korir's 32:28.
Caroline Chepkoech destroyed the field in the Women's race, winning by 55 seconds over Margaret Wangani--35:48 to 36:43!
The Women's race was notably devoid of top Americans!!
After taking 2nd in the Zurich PV, Sandi Morris returned to her hotel room to find her beau--Tyrone Smith--who twice surprised her---first with his unplanned visit, and then by proposing to her!
(She accepted!!)
A video on Twitter has her giddily displaying her ring to the media, and giggling, explaining what happened!!
Jarrion Lawson has apparently been busted for the same reason Ajee Wilson was---tainted food!
Not sure what will happen in his case!
And Josh Hoey has gone Pro---his main claim to fame his HSR in the INdoor 800!!
Jarrion Lawson has apparently been busted for the same reason Ajee Wilson was---tainted food!
Not sure what will happen in his case!
And Josh Hoey has gone Pro---his main claim to fame his HSR in the INdoor 800!!
The Continental Cup (or whatever it's called!) is coming next week!!
And---believe it or not!!--Cross Country season has begun!!
Also upcoming---my blog's picks for Collegiate & HS Athletes of the Year!!
See you soon!
Brussels sprouts New Distance Age
That "clever" title is slightly misleading---as the following includes a couple of events from the Weltklasse DL in Zurich also!
But the four distance events were so startling---for different reasons---and so fascinating---that I think you'll agree that we perhaps were witness to a new and brighter future for the distances---and that, yes, at least a couple of them "sprouted" in the Brussels Van Damme Memorial DL!
It began with the Zurich Men's 3000SC, where Consesius Kipruto (and maybe Evan Jager) were once again thinking sub-8's!
But losing a shoe wasn't on the agenda!
(Remember Jenny Simpson losing a shoe in that 1500!)
So when Kipruto's shoe went flying off him (with over 2000 meters left to race!), he was left with 2 choices---DNF or keep going!
He kept going, but no one thought he had any chance to go sub-8 or to win!
(Simpson had finished far back with her 1 shoe!)
Yet there he was!
They even showed an official removing the shoe from the track!
He was down a few meters coming off the final water jump!
He was behind Soufiane El Bakkali, but then he moved into 5th gear!
With just one shoe, he outkicked El Bakkali off the final hurdle, timing 8:10.15 to El Bakkali's 8:10.19.
Jager was another 3 seconds back!
Not sure, but I believe Kipruto's final 400 was a sub-60!
With 4 hurdles and a water pit to clear!
With ONE shoe!!
The other Zurich event was the Women's 5000.
It was a strong field, and a fast time was expected.
Sifan Hassan planned to run the 5000, then DRIVE 7 hours to Brussels, and race the 1500 there!
But she was facing a strong field, who knew of her plans, with the idea to make her go fast here!
Yes, it was fast---for awhile.
Then they jogged a couple of 73-74 second laps, defeating their plan!
A 14:20-ish time was out the window!
And maybe Hassan didn't think Helen Obiri could outkick her!
But then Obiri sped past her like she was standing still.
Unable to immediately react, she had some ground to make up.
Hassan, however, was faster over 1500 meters!
Tell that to Obiri!
Arms pumping, face a grimace, she outlasted Hassan, 14:38.39 to 14:38.77!
Back in 6th came Genzebe Dibaba, timed in 14:50.24.
G-D kept falling off the pace, then regrouping.
That probably wore her out more than if she'd kept pace up front!!
Then we move to Belgium, where Beatrice Chepkoech was thinking a possible WR in the 3000SC---to beat her own!---or at least something VERY fast!
The first K went past in 2:52----UNDER World Record pace!
But Steeple splits aren't too accurate---especially for the first kilometer--so that probably wasn't the correct split!
Chepkoech was well ahead of everyone, including the 2 fastest Americans--Courtney Frerichs and Emma Coburn.
(Their goal of a sub-9 was gone by the halfway point!)
Chepkoech glided across the line in 8:55.10, smashing the Meet Record by over 10 seconds!
Norah Tanui (aka Jeruto!) ran 8:59.62 in 2nd!
She broke her own Age 22 record!
She moved from 8th A-T World to 5th!
On my World Combined Events list for the 3000 & 3000SC, her times of 8:37.09 and 8:59.62 adds to 17:36.71.
But she remains 4th on that list!
She also nabbed the best 2nd Place mark!!
Hyvin Jepkemoi ran 9:01.60 for the best 3rd Place mark!!
Coburn's 9:06.51 gave her 4th!
Celiphine Chespol's 9:06.75 gave her the best 5th Place mark!
Frerichs's 9:07.07 gave her the best 6th Place time!
Finishing 8th, Aisha Praught-Leer's 9:14.09 broke her own National Record of Jamaica!
Then came the Men's 5000!
So let me begin by telling you what this race did NOT produce!!
It did NOT break the Van Damme Meet Record!
There was no MASS breaking of Place Records!
Just ONE Age Record was broken!
Pre-race, the NBC talkers were saying no sub-13:00 clockings had happened in 2018.
They added that, due to Championship race strategy, it probably wouldn't happen here!
(Even though 3 rabbits were to take them through halfway in sub-13 pace!)
They hit the first K in just under 2:32.
This wasn't just sub-13 pace--it was 12:40 pace!!!
But the shadowy MoBot bugs were seen lurking about!
So when they slowed to 63 and 64 seconds---and a 2nd K in 2:39--that sub-13 seemed FAR removed from reality!!
Yet that 5:11.97 split at 2000 was still the correct split for a 12:59!!
Yomif Kejelcha---who had run a fast 3K a few days earlier (See my NEXT post!!)--decided to go for it!
Taking the lead with a 60 second split, he kept that pace going---timing in the 60 to 61 second range for the next 4 laps!!
Seleman Barega followed, as did Hagos Gebrhiwet!
The 3000 mark was passed in 7:41 & change!
That 4:02-ish "mile" by this trio had brought them not only to sub-13 pace, but to the precipice of a sub-12:50---a time rarely seen (or even thought of!!) in this decade!!
And then Kejelcha upped the ante to a 56!!
Yes, the previous 2000 meters had been run at sub-4 Mile pace!!
And he still had the two taggers right there!!
Barega---a REALLY 18 year old from Ethiopia (In fact, all three were from Ethiopia!!)--used his youth-charged kick to speed away--crossing the line in a startling, amazing, thrilling, unbelievable etc etc 12:43.02!!
Only Ken Bekele, Haile Gebrsellassie, and Daniel Komen have run faster---all sub-12:40's!
But that was in the "00" decade---or even in the previous CENTURY!!
Sub 13's had become so rare (except in the Paris DL 5000 from 2012!) that seeing one or two guys run high-12:50's left the observers with a "high" that lasted for days!
The numbers---
Barega gets the Age 18 Record!
(Think about this---an 18 year old in the US is normally a High School Senior!! Galen Rupp holds the US High School Record with his 13:37.91!!)
He's now 4th A-T World!
His final K was approximately 2:27!!
Gebrhiwet ran 12:45.82 in 2nd.
This makes him 5th A-T World!
Kejelcha's leading tired him enough that he finished "only" 3rd in "just" 12:46.79!
His 1500 and 5000 times of 3:32.94 and 12:46.79 adds to 16:19.73.
On my World C-E list for those events, he's now 6th A-T, tied with one Eliud Kipchoge!!
Oh yes, he's 7th A-T World, and he gets the best 3rd Place mark!!
WAY back came 5 more who got under 13:00!!
Muktar Edris's 12:55.18 took 4th.
Abadi Hadis's 12:56.27 finished 5th!
But in 6th came Paul Chelimo's 12:57.55!
He moved from 11th A-T US to 4th!!
Richard Yator and Geteneh Molla also dipped under--in the 12:59's!
Mo Ahmed and Ben True ran good--13:03 & 13:04---close to their PR's!
But in THIS race, low-13's just didn't cut it!!
So what does all this MEAN??
Why do these results possibly predict a new Distance Age??
Think about it!
These races were part of the dual Diamond League Finals---points & cash to be won!
Who's thinking time??
And coming off the Mo Farah Era---when Championship races were almost all jog & kick affairs---no one expected anything different in Zurich or Brussels---despite the rabbits and the trash talk!!
(Even those idiots at NBC were downplaying the possibility of anything fast in the distance races!)
Kipruto's losing a shoe---and still being able to run 8:10 & have a hard sprint finish---gives future Steeplers little room for alibi's and excuses if they choose the strategic route to DL glory & cash!
Hassan's road to a possible double---with 7 hours drive time between---calls for a new definition of tough!
(See my NEXT post for what happened in that 1500!)
Those sub-9 SC's makes the 9:05 to 9:10 speeds seem ancient---despite the event's relatively brief history!
To reach the ELITE elite level, you'll need to run in the 8's from now on!!
As for that Men's 5000, it once and for all removed MoBot from ANY consideration for being the G.O.A.T!!!
Medals?
Points?
DL Champ?
Give me a break!!
Unless you can run in the 12-FORTIES---you can't even THINK of entering the history books!!
Does this mean we'll see a total turnabout in the way distance races are run?
Will the jog & kick crowd go the way of dial phones & printed & bound books??
Doubtful!
But these races---and the Men and Women who ran them---DO give SOME credence to the IDEA of a new Distance Age!
And I've NEVER eaten brussel sprouts!!
LOL
But the four distance events were so startling---for different reasons---and so fascinating---that I think you'll agree that we perhaps were witness to a new and brighter future for the distances---and that, yes, at least a couple of them "sprouted" in the Brussels Van Damme Memorial DL!
It began with the Zurich Men's 3000SC, where Consesius Kipruto (and maybe Evan Jager) were once again thinking sub-8's!
But losing a shoe wasn't on the agenda!
(Remember Jenny Simpson losing a shoe in that 1500!)
So when Kipruto's shoe went flying off him (with over 2000 meters left to race!), he was left with 2 choices---DNF or keep going!
He kept going, but no one thought he had any chance to go sub-8 or to win!
(Simpson had finished far back with her 1 shoe!)
Yet there he was!
They even showed an official removing the shoe from the track!
He was down a few meters coming off the final water jump!
He was behind Soufiane El Bakkali, but then he moved into 5th gear!
With just one shoe, he outkicked El Bakkali off the final hurdle, timing 8:10.15 to El Bakkali's 8:10.19.
Jager was another 3 seconds back!
Not sure, but I believe Kipruto's final 400 was a sub-60!
With 4 hurdles and a water pit to clear!
With ONE shoe!!
The other Zurich event was the Women's 5000.
It was a strong field, and a fast time was expected.
Sifan Hassan planned to run the 5000, then DRIVE 7 hours to Brussels, and race the 1500 there!
But she was facing a strong field, who knew of her plans, with the idea to make her go fast here!
Yes, it was fast---for awhile.
Then they jogged a couple of 73-74 second laps, defeating their plan!
A 14:20-ish time was out the window!
And maybe Hassan didn't think Helen Obiri could outkick her!
But then Obiri sped past her like she was standing still.
Unable to immediately react, she had some ground to make up.
Hassan, however, was faster over 1500 meters!
Tell that to Obiri!
Arms pumping, face a grimace, she outlasted Hassan, 14:38.39 to 14:38.77!
Back in 6th came Genzebe Dibaba, timed in 14:50.24.
G-D kept falling off the pace, then regrouping.
That probably wore her out more than if she'd kept pace up front!!
Then we move to Belgium, where Beatrice Chepkoech was thinking a possible WR in the 3000SC---to beat her own!---or at least something VERY fast!
The first K went past in 2:52----UNDER World Record pace!
But Steeple splits aren't too accurate---especially for the first kilometer--so that probably wasn't the correct split!
Chepkoech was well ahead of everyone, including the 2 fastest Americans--Courtney Frerichs and Emma Coburn.
(Their goal of a sub-9 was gone by the halfway point!)
Chepkoech glided across the line in 8:55.10, smashing the Meet Record by over 10 seconds!
Norah Tanui (aka Jeruto!) ran 8:59.62 in 2nd!
She broke her own Age 22 record!
She moved from 8th A-T World to 5th!
On my World Combined Events list for the 3000 & 3000SC, her times of 8:37.09 and 8:59.62 adds to 17:36.71.
But she remains 4th on that list!
She also nabbed the best 2nd Place mark!!
Hyvin Jepkemoi ran 9:01.60 for the best 3rd Place mark!!
Coburn's 9:06.51 gave her 4th!
Celiphine Chespol's 9:06.75 gave her the best 5th Place mark!
Frerichs's 9:07.07 gave her the best 6th Place time!
Finishing 8th, Aisha Praught-Leer's 9:14.09 broke her own National Record of Jamaica!
Then came the Men's 5000!
So let me begin by telling you what this race did NOT produce!!
It did NOT break the Van Damme Meet Record!
There was no MASS breaking of Place Records!
Just ONE Age Record was broken!
Pre-race, the NBC talkers were saying no sub-13:00 clockings had happened in 2018.
They added that, due to Championship race strategy, it probably wouldn't happen here!
(Even though 3 rabbits were to take them through halfway in sub-13 pace!)
They hit the first K in just under 2:32.
This wasn't just sub-13 pace--it was 12:40 pace!!!
But the shadowy MoBot bugs were seen lurking about!
So when they slowed to 63 and 64 seconds---and a 2nd K in 2:39--that sub-13 seemed FAR removed from reality!!
Yet that 5:11.97 split at 2000 was still the correct split for a 12:59!!
Yomif Kejelcha---who had run a fast 3K a few days earlier (See my NEXT post!!)--decided to go for it!
Taking the lead with a 60 second split, he kept that pace going---timing in the 60 to 61 second range for the next 4 laps!!
Seleman Barega followed, as did Hagos Gebrhiwet!
The 3000 mark was passed in 7:41 & change!
That 4:02-ish "mile" by this trio had brought them not only to sub-13 pace, but to the precipice of a sub-12:50---a time rarely seen (or even thought of!!) in this decade!!
And then Kejelcha upped the ante to a 56!!
Yes, the previous 2000 meters had been run at sub-4 Mile pace!!
And he still had the two taggers right there!!
Barega---a REALLY 18 year old from Ethiopia (In fact, all three were from Ethiopia!!)--used his youth-charged kick to speed away--crossing the line in a startling, amazing, thrilling, unbelievable etc etc 12:43.02!!
Only Ken Bekele, Haile Gebrsellassie, and Daniel Komen have run faster---all sub-12:40's!
But that was in the "00" decade---or even in the previous CENTURY!!
Sub 13's had become so rare (except in the Paris DL 5000 from 2012!) that seeing one or two guys run high-12:50's left the observers with a "high" that lasted for days!
The numbers---
Barega gets the Age 18 Record!
(Think about this---an 18 year old in the US is normally a High School Senior!! Galen Rupp holds the US High School Record with his 13:37.91!!)
He's now 4th A-T World!
His final K was approximately 2:27!!
Gebrhiwet ran 12:45.82 in 2nd.
This makes him 5th A-T World!
Kejelcha's leading tired him enough that he finished "only" 3rd in "just" 12:46.79!
His 1500 and 5000 times of 3:32.94 and 12:46.79 adds to 16:19.73.
On my World C-E list for those events, he's now 6th A-T, tied with one Eliud Kipchoge!!
Oh yes, he's 7th A-T World, and he gets the best 3rd Place mark!!
WAY back came 5 more who got under 13:00!!
Muktar Edris's 12:55.18 took 4th.
Abadi Hadis's 12:56.27 finished 5th!
But in 6th came Paul Chelimo's 12:57.55!
He moved from 11th A-T US to 4th!!
Richard Yator and Geteneh Molla also dipped under--in the 12:59's!
Mo Ahmed and Ben True ran good--13:03 & 13:04---close to their PR's!
But in THIS race, low-13's just didn't cut it!!
So what does all this MEAN??
Why do these results possibly predict a new Distance Age??
Think about it!
These races were part of the dual Diamond League Finals---points & cash to be won!
Who's thinking time??
And coming off the Mo Farah Era---when Championship races were almost all jog & kick affairs---no one expected anything different in Zurich or Brussels---despite the rabbits and the trash talk!!
(Even those idiots at NBC were downplaying the possibility of anything fast in the distance races!)
Kipruto's losing a shoe---and still being able to run 8:10 & have a hard sprint finish---gives future Steeplers little room for alibi's and excuses if they choose the strategic route to DL glory & cash!
Hassan's road to a possible double---with 7 hours drive time between---calls for a new definition of tough!
(See my NEXT post for what happened in that 1500!)
Those sub-9 SC's makes the 9:05 to 9:10 speeds seem ancient---despite the event's relatively brief history!
To reach the ELITE elite level, you'll need to run in the 8's from now on!!
As for that Men's 5000, it once and for all removed MoBot from ANY consideration for being the G.O.A.T!!!
Medals?
Points?
DL Champ?
Give me a break!!
Unless you can run in the 12-FORTIES---you can't even THINK of entering the history books!!
Does this mean we'll see a total turnabout in the way distance races are run?
Will the jog & kick crowd go the way of dial phones & printed & bound books??
Doubtful!
But these races---and the Men and Women who ran them---DO give SOME credence to the IDEA of a new Distance Age!
And I've NEVER eaten brussel sprouts!!
LOL
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