2022 women's AOY

[CD203]

If there are any outstanding performances by marathoners this fall does it at all complicate AOY for anyone?

For example, say Brigid Kosgei breaks the WR (or another athlete who has had a strong season so far like Yehualew, Gidey, or Chepngetich) does that out her in serious contention? Or also if Jepchirchir absolutely destroys the field in New York and sets a course record does that put her name in the field? Gotyom Gebrslase is in a similar boat to Jepchirchir I think because of her WC win, but alongside her 3rd in Tokyo and the fact that both of those results were in the low 2:18s I feel like if she wins New York she probably deserves to be ranked top 10 at the very least

[berkeley]

There may well be more recent examples, but Steve Lewis's 44.11 in the 1988 OT semis was # 3 ever at the time (Evans 43.86A, Reynolds 44.10). Indoors, Wilson Kipketer set a WR in the 800 heats at the 1997 WIC.

Watts in Barcelona, # 3 all time in the semi and then # 2 in the final.

[Flumpy]

Mike Marsh missed the 200m WR by .01 slowing up in the Barcelona semi.

[Wiederganger]

I would venture to say injuries and financial pressure to "get a job in the real world." Like you said competing tired or not is part of T&F. I admire Sydney for her "long game" approach to the sport, especially if she adds the open 400. The rewards of the sport, financially, have always been of the "make hay while the sun shines" type... often ending careers way too early. Sydney has the potential to be a 4 or 5 time Olympian with medals in more than one event. Going to Europe to run in some (for her) mediocre races probably doesn't make any sense.

Do you really think she will stay in the sport for another 4 or 5 Olympic Games? Judging by her Instagram meltdown last year, I see her hanging up her spikes sometime after Paris 2024, possibly before 2028, although a bow out in LA would make sense.

As for 'going to Europe to run in some mediocre races'...this is the bit I don't get. As an athlete, surely you want to compete? You want to run. You don't just train for nothing, you should be enjoying the sport enough to want to compete in races, not just championships. To restrict your season so much...I don't get it. To me, this is someone who either is not truly in love with the sport, or is being controlled by their coach too much. She had the opportunity to run more races in Europe - she travelled there to run in Hungary! Why do that one race, and be a spectator in Monaco. Why not at least run in Monaco or somewhere else, do a couple of races, you know, for the thrill or racing, for the love of racing? I just don't think she is enjoying her sport, and so this is why I cannot see her having a long career at all.

[DET59]

Do you really think she will stay in the sport for another 4 or 5 Olympic Games? Judging by her Instagram meltdown last year, I see her hanging up her spikes sometime after Paris 2024, possibly before 2028, although a bow out in LA would make sense.
l.

She already been in 2 Olympics. There are 3 Olympics in the next 9.5 years, she will be 32 at her 5th if she goes that long (and still be 3 years younger than SAFP is today).

[Wiederganger]

She already been in 2 Olympics. There are 3 Olympics in the next 9.5 years, she will be 32 at her 5th if she goes that long (and still be 3 years younger than SAFP is today).

Ah, ok, you include Rio & Tokyo in her 4/5 Olympics. I get you (I thought you meant another 4/5 in the future...)

Still, I don't see her competing past LA 2028, and that's nothing to do with ability or age. I think a combination of pressure, other interests & opportunities, and Kersee's controlling/restrictive style, will see her retire waaay before the 2032 Games.

[18.99s]

Syd's going to retire from T&F before 2025. If she competes professionally in a sport after 2024 it will be something different like bobsled or Crossfit.

[Atticus]

As for 'going to Europe to run in some mediocre races'...this is the bit I don't get. As an athlete, surely you want to compete? You want to run.

That's a very Euro-centric view. We have an excellent domestic season that suits 99% of our athletes. Plus, she doesn't need the money, which is a force that sometimes sends our best over there. She met the rest of the world's best in Tokyo and Eugene and soundly beat them. Nothing more to prove.

[TN1965]

She had the opportunity to run more races in Europe - she travelled there to run in Hungary! Why do that one race, and be a spectator in Monaco. Why not at least run in Monaco or somewhere else, do a couple of races, you know, for the thrill or racing, for the love of racing? I just don't think she is enjoying her sport, and so this is why I cannot see her having a long career at all.

But Bobby saw something, and he is a man of mystery.

[Atticus]

I just don't think she is enjoying her sport, and so this is why I cannot see her having a long career at all.

Although she has no competition on the track, she has spoken often of her love of challenges, and specifically doing what others say she can not. It will take her a while to break the 400 WR and then come back and duck under 50 in the 400H. So she should be around that long. Tell her she can't do that.

[DET59]

Although she has no competition on the track, she has spoken often of her love of challenges, and specifically doing what others say she can not. It will take her a while to break the 400 WR and then come back and duck under 50 in the 400H. So she should be around that long. Tell her she can't do that.

Someone mention her "Instagram Meltdown" so I checked her Instagram. While we are planning her future, she is in Bora Bora now at the Four Seasons with her husband, enjoying the fruits of their labor at their delayed honeymoon.

Though Weiderganger, 18.99, etc have different views of her future than I (retirements 24,28,32), I may tend to agree that at some point she may have "nothing left to prove" in Track and Field and may move on to other ventures/athletic endeavors/etc that pay better. I hope she goes on to 32, though the odds are with the Games in LA and the whole world, and Hollywood, closely watching what could be the storybook ending; possibly with mom, dad, husband and maybe even a baby cheering on her sub 48 4x400 anchor leg.

I don't think Sydney is immune from what I might call "Jim Thorpism".... JTism is when someone who is hugely successful in another pro sport/endeavor speaks of their track and field experiences as some of their greatest life moments, but they went for where the money was better or where they more more talented (and got paid way way better... or at all)

Who are the greatest examples of this? Obvious ones (Michael Carter, Skeets, Walker, many other NFL and some MLB players), heck even Tiger Woods has talked about how he would have been a "440 Runner" if he wasn't a golfer. Whatever comes next in the "made for TV/Internet" world of athletic competition would probably pay her an incredbile amount of money to be its first Crossfit/Peleton/WWE/Ninja Warrior or whatever champion.

Meanwhile, I just became her 1.5th million Instagram follower so I can see her wedding dress, buff shirtless husband, and fun times at the beach : ) Somebody smart is running the show there.

[Wiederganger]

That's a very Euro-centric view. We have an excellent domestic season that suits 99% of our athletes. Plus, she doesn't need the money, which is a force that sometimes sends our best over there. She met the rest of the world's best in Tokyo and Eugene and soundly beat them. Nothing more to prove.

That's a very isolationist view. And when the rest of the world's elite are racing overseas, an excellent international season, not at small domestic meetings, surely you want to race against them? This isn't just about money too (I don't know why people keep mentioning money..) this is about enjoying the sport you train hard for. And the enjoyment part is the racing.

Oh, the DL isn't just in Europe too 😉 Europe was only mentioned as DET59 said they were European 'mediocre races' (and as I said, she did actually fly out there anyway). She could fly to other continents and compete.

When she was trained by Hayes she successfully competed outside the US and on the DL outside Championships (China, Norway, France, Monaco, Switzerland...) Since 2020 when she was coached by Kersee, she has competed outside the USA ONCE. I've yet to meet any athlete that does not enjoy racing. Maybe she has developed a sudden fear of flying. Or maybe her coach is just doing his thing, but I don't think she will be enjoying that thing for long.

[18.99s]

Someone mention her "Instagram Meltdown" so I checked her Instagram. While we are planning her future, she is in Bora Bora now at the Four Seasons with her husband, enjoying the fruits of their labor at their delayed honeymoon.

Her meltdown was last year, shortly after her 400mh gold medal, so you might have to scroll a while to find it (if it's even still there).

[Wiederganger]

Her meltdown was last year, shortly after her 400mh gold medal, so you might have to scroll a while to find it (if it's even still there).

You can still find it on YouTube, if you search for "Sydney McLaughlin Mental Heath" (the latter two words came up automatically as I was searching as an option, not my choice of phrase...)

unacceptable religious comment removed by mods....

[CD203]

To be honest, I think we all may have been overlooking a pretty solid choice for AOY: Kimberly Garcia Leon. She won the race walk double in Eugene, and while the race walks aren't especially glamorous or ones that most of us here focus on, the fact remains that she is the only athlete, male or female, to win 2 individual golds at worlds. Outside of Eugene she also had a really solid season too. Individual bronze at the team championships in Muscat, silver at the South American championships, and a win at one of the top circuit races for the event. Obviously she does have some losses and doesn't have a WR to balance that out, but she is the single most decorated athlete this year, which I think should count for something at the very least.