¶ '21 mOT 1500: Cole Hocker 3:35.28

[Steele]

there's a financial aspect to having more rounds; if you're going to sell 8 days worth of tickets, you better have 8 days worth of "entertainment"

Why does it have to be an eight day meet? I hesitate to use the term bloated, but...

[ubiQuitous1]

with a 3:34 to his name he will be a factor if it's slow or fast.

He's had a tendency to hang in the back. He finished 5th in his 3:34 record. Yesterday, he was boxed but his superior speed erased that deficit easily in the last 75 meters.
Hocker and Nuguse should both know if they are to have a chance, they'll need to take it fast from the gun. Engels too and maybe Josh Thompson. Centro looked impressive and the field is probably giving him a spot and vying for 2nd and 3rd.
If the pace is fast, Kessler will need to be closer to the front than he has shown to be in his previous efforts. I'm not sure if he's learned that yet or confident enough to run near the front. All his interviews seem to point to doubt about trusting his fitness to run with the leaders.
I would love to see a fast race. Doha showed that fast paces wins a place on the podium.
Here hoping the field channels their inner Paula Ivan.

[Atticus]

Exactly. Some people think that it is important to have three heats to simulate the Olympics. Do you think the top athletes from other countries have difficulty navigating the rounds? Hell no.

I thought the only purpose of 3 rounds here (simuating the OG) was to make sure you could run fast in the final after 2 rounds of prelims. If you are going to have the cut-throat system we have, you better make sure that the first-3-past-the-post have demonstrated their ability to do what will be asked of them.

[Conor Dary]

I thought the only purpose of 3 rounds here (simuating the OG) was to make sure you could run fast in the final after 2 rounds of prelims. If you are going to have the cut-throat system we have, you better make sure that the first-3-past-the-post have demonstrated their ability to do what will be asked of them.

That pile of nonsense went out the window years ago. No other country does what we do and their top athletes generally don't have problems doing multiple rounds. While it doesn't take much to find US Olympians who don't do well..... and the WC Trials are shorter and yet US athletes don't do worse. The 10 day Trials is a money maker for USATF, though I doubt that will be true this time around, but not their fault.

The 10 day affair is fine. I'm having a good time. And leave it at that.

[Atticus]

No other country does what we do

And there you have it. Ours is do-or-die, no second chance. No medical exemption, no guaranteed passes. If you're going to be that way, you have to do everything you can to simulate the end-goal. If we going to have our system (which I do NOT think is the best way), then the OT, as they are, are the way to do it.

[Conor Dary]

Meanwhile...the Euro football tournament just played 10 days and 32 games to eliminate 8 teams out of 24...and no one seemed to care.

Anyways my original post on this topic wasn't meant as a criticism...just a statement of fact.

[booond]

I like watching track and field... more is better than less.

[Conor Dary]

And there you have it. Ours is do-or-die, no second chance. No medical exemption, no guaranteed passes. If you're going to be that way, you have to do everything you can to simulate the end-goal. If we going to have our system (which I do NOT think is the best way), then the OT, as they are, are the way to do it.

Then why don't we do it for the WCs.... because it would be a financial sinkhole.

The Trials are for the money. Which is fine...

Our selection system is the fairest which is what only really matters. Whether it is 3 rounds or just finals for everything, takes 10 days or 4, takes the best or not, the first 3 past the post is only way.

[Steele]

...you have to do everything you can to simulate the end-goal.

Not necessarily. Just because you managed to wring all there was to give out of an athlete in June doesn't mean they can do it again in July.

[Conor Dary]

Not necessarily. Just because you managed to wring all there was to give out of an athlete in June doesn't mean they can do it again in July.

Yeah...for the US athletes who can actually do things at the Olympics the Trials is counterproductive...

[Atticus]

Not necessarily. Just because you managed to wring all there was to give out of an athlete in June doesn't mean they can do it again in July.

Just the opposite is true. Just because an athlete excels in abbreviated Trials doesn't mean s/he will do well under the pressure of full rounds.
Histrory is replete with Trials' heroes who fizzled at the Games, and people who just eked through and then excelled in the Games (Fosbury!)

[TN1965]

Hocker and Nuguse should both know if they are to have a chance, they'll need to take it fast from the gun.

Given the way he outkicked everyone in NCAA (both indoor and outdoor), I don't think there are three people in this field who will outkick Hocker.
He will, of course, benefit from a fast pace which will give him the automatic standard.

[TN1965]

And there you have it. Ours is do-or-die, no second chance. No medical exemption, no guaranteed passes. If you're going to be that way, you have to do everything you can to simulate the end-goal. If we going to have our system (which I do NOT think is the best way), then the OT, as they are, are the way to do it.

Then why don't we have the identical schedule to the event itself? Some of the doubles possible at the Olympics are impossible at the Trial, and vice versa.

[steve]

He's had a tendency to hang in the back. He finished 5th in his 3:34 record. Yesterday, he was boxed but his superior speed erased that deficit easily in the last 75 meters.
Hocker and Nuguse should both know if they are to have a chance, they'll need to take it fast from the gun. Engels too and maybe Josh Thompson. Centro looked impressive and the field is probably giving him a spot and vying for 2nd and 3rd.
If the pace is fast, Kessler will need to be closer to the front than he has shown to be in his previous efforts. I'm not sure if he's learned that yet or confident enough to run near the front. All his interviews seem to point to doubt about trusting his fitness to run with the leaders.
I would love to see a fast race. Doha showed that fast paces wins a place on the podium.
Here hoping the field channels their inner Paula Ivan.

Definitely he’s still learning. But surviving a tactical race like he did yesterday in which I’m sure none of them wanted to lose to a high schooler, and having demonstrated the fitness to run 3:34, he seems to be a quick learner with the ability to make the team whether it’s fast or slow. I get that he was fifth in his fast race, but that was his first race with that level of professional competition.

I’m guessing/hoping he learned a lot from that. His training partners and coach are very experienced and he seems to listen to them closely. It’s definitely a difficult team to make, but not unreasonable to think he could make it.

[gh]

Then why don't we have the identical schedule to the event itself? Some of the doubles possible at the Olympics are impossible at the Trial, and vice versa.

TV demands certain premium events for its weekend OT shows