The Mens' 10 km. Final

[Django]

It must have been a great race to watch but, unfortunately, American TV coverage was terrible again. They showed just over 1 minute of the race, and devoted nearly as much time to showing the hurdles crew setting up hurdles!
I can't understand why the producers can't understand that perhaps coverage of a Final event deserves more time than coverage of,for example, heats of the womens' 200m-- complete with coverage of every false start. Surely we don't need to be shown a single heat for over 7 minutes if time constraints prevent showing more of the 10k final.

[Guest]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

You poor chap. For the next major championship arrange to be on vacation in the Caribbean.

We have been getting live coverage as it happens (CSN) with nightly summaries courtesy of the BBC.

To be at the mercy of ABC and ESPN how miserable you must be.....

The joy of watching all the heats of the sprints and all 26 plus minutes of the 10k a track fans dream.

You have my sympathies.

[Guest]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

In terms of track TV coverage, we don't live in a third world country--it's no better than FOURTH world (whatever the heck that is). If we don't move to the Carribean, any European country will do...

[Guest]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

With Americans doing so bad in this event (10,000meters) why would ABC show it.

Watching the hurdles being set up is probably less depressing than watching a final without any US runners.

[Guest]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

I fear Annoying Bastard should now be put on suicide watch pending the outcome of the men's 800m. Just kidding - it truly is dismal. I was trackside at the Olympics in 96 when Kennedy snatched the lead with 2 laps to go - the look on his face - the determination and willingness to go over the edge - is noticably absent today.

[Guest]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

If you Americans are griping about the performance of your distance runners at this meet, spare a thought for the Kenyans.

They are in danger of ending the meet without a gold medal. Their best chance of a gold in the remaining events is probably the 5000m which just happens to be the toughest event remaining with four maybe five legit. contenders.

[Guest]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

Yeah, it is a real pity that the Kenyans aren't winning every single distance event. From what I hear, their 3rd string guys are no longer sweeping the American road races either (NOT!).

[Guest]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

<<I fear Annoying Bastard should now be put on suicide watch pending the outcome of the men's 800m. Just kidding - it truly is dismal. I was trackside at the Olympics in 96 when Kennedy snatched the lead with 2 laps to go - the look on his face - the determination and willingness to go over the edge - is noticably absent today.>>

I will be fine. I don't take Track and Field that seriously!

[Guest]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

The Kenyans have a different problem. Top athletes moving out of the country to take citizenship elsewhere.

They are still producing top distance runners by the hundreds. Look at the road races, cross country and the times on the track. Just because they don't win a few golds doesn't mean they are in the pitts.

The U.S. on the otherhand is in the pitts.

If the U.S. had 1/10 the talented athletes the Kenyans have you wouldn't be hearing the crying from the peanut gallery.

[Guest]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

Are British distance runners any better than the Americans.

[Guest]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

>The Kenyans have a different problem. Top
>athletes moving out of the country to take
>citizenship elsewhere.

They are still
>producing top distance runners by the hundreds.
>Look at the road races, cross country and the
>times on the track. Just because they don't win a
>few golds doesn't mean they are in the pitts.
>

The U.S. on the otherhand is in the
>pitts.

If the U.S. had 1/10 the talented
>athletes the Kenyans have you wouldn't be hearing
>the crying from the peanut gallery.

The US probably has more than 1/10 the talented runners, in fact it could probably produce many top challengers. The fact is that there is very little interest in distance running in the US. It's been that way here for ... forever.

[Guest]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

I agree that you can't attribute the lack of US success in international distance running to lack of talent.... it's impossible to say..... but it's reasonable to expect that, given the unpopularity of running in the US, that if more people took up the sport seriously we'd dig up better talent!

[dl]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

I had an interesting discussion with Tim Hutchings (Eurosport commentator and 2-time World Cross runner-up for England) last year in Dublin at World Cross. He basically said you can't blame the 28:30 10K runners for not being better. 20 years ago they'd still have been the 28:30 guys. We (and the UK) simply are not getting the 27:30 guys out like we used to.

[Guest]

Re: The Mens' 10 km. Final

The US probably has more than 1/10
>the talented runners, in fact it could probably
>produce many top challengers. The fact is that
>there is very little interest in distance running
>in the US. It's been that way here for ...
>forever.

The U.S. does have talented athletes but we are talking about distance runners. And the U.S. doesn't have 1/10 the talented distance runners that Kenya does. Do you really think there are many potential sub 27 guys in the U.S. who just aren't running or who are doing another sport? Maybe, but I doubt it. Those who are talented in an area usually gravitate toward that talent.

But even if we do have hundreds of young gentically gifted potentially world class distance runners sitting on the couch playing Nintendo we still don't have 1/10 the talent running distance that Kenya does.

So whether its nature or nurture - genetics or environment - the US is in the pitts and Kenya is still a world power.