Brit Rebecca Lyne?

[BYU grad]

Another case of " what is going on with"...Rebecca Lyne. She was such a sensation last year...I'm assuming something's amiss...anyone know? Maybe this one's for Jon....our GB informant.

[bennyg]

Becky Lyne injured one of her calves in Aussie and therefore has not trained for a considerable period. during this year.

She will not be able to do anything for the rest of the year I imagine and will not be picked for the 800m, for sure. Her attempt at going for the 1500m was a last desperate attempt to go Osaka.
She should spend the next six months at least getting fit, preferably where UKA has some reasonable medical back up, and then next year we will see if she is as good as the fans and media think she is.

[mump boy]

Becky Lyne injured one of her calves in Aussie and therefore has not trained for a considerable period. during this year.

She will not be able to do anything for the rest of the year I imagine and will not be picked for the 800m, for sure. Her attempt at going for the 1500m was a last desperate attempt to go Osaka.
She should spend the next six months at least getting fit, preferably where UKA has some reasonable medical back up, and then next year we will see if she is as good as the fans and media think she is.

she wont be going to osaka unless you get's selcted in 1500 on last years form and they give her time to prove fitness. but i don't think her seaon is over, she is healthy again and just needs more time. i think we'll see her run great before the end of the year

[eldrick]

getting injured is best thing that couda happened to her

rest this year, train hard next & "kelly" the 800/1500 in bejiing

[BYU grad]

Thanks for the info guys...I hope her injury does prove to be a blessing...for Bejing in 2008. Always love to see people with great talent actually realize it in competition...as we are seeing Alan Webb this year. Interesting that he also had a down year the year before a great year.

[pauluk63]

after todays run bec may get the 1500 nod as she is getting better and better! 2nd 800 race was pretty good!

[mump boy]

after todays run bec may get the 1500 nod as she is getting better and better! 2nd 800 race was pretty good!

after today race ahe may get the 800 place in 4 weeks time she'll beat jenny by a mile

[BYU grad]

Yes, and where is our Brit fan, Jon these days...he could be pointing out that 4 GB ladies beat 2:01 in one race!

[Jon]

I'm still here - just a bit busy. And there are plenty other Brits about to answer questions on Lyne.

Lyne might be improving, but she will still lack the fitness required to run three rounds within 4/5 days and then challenge in the final. Her biggest strength last year - her finishing kick - is just not there this year, so I don't know how well she'll fare outside of one-off races.

If she is left off the team, she'll be more hungry for next year. Meadows might not get another chance to compete in the 800m at a Major Champs - she has run the A standard once and the B standard 11 times now. And, of course, she beat Lyne yesterday.

[Matt]

I disgree and feel that Lyne deserves a chance She is the defending Euro bronze medallist and is altogether a stronger athlete than Meadows. Meadows will never be a more than a standard 2:00 athlete that ducks under 2 occasionally but never challenges the big girls. Lyne has challenged and beaten those big girls.

Lyne has improved substantially over the past few weeks. Osaka remains almost three weeks away. She has further chances to improve.

Meadows is one of those athletes that you always fear will not make it through her heat. To bring her and leave an improving Lyne behind would be foolish. Osaka would also help Lyne in her prep for Beijing.

[Justin Clouder]

This sort of debate is where the US and the UK approach differs so wildly. The idea that Becky Lyne 'deserves' a place over an athlete who (i) has run faster this year, (ii) finished 3rd in the trials and (iii) beat her in London is, on one view, absolutely absurd.

If Meadows is bumped to make way for Lyne, I'd say she would have every right to be very, very upset. The fact that Lyne was a superior athlete last year and probably will be next year is, to me, irrelevant - we are supposed to be past the time when it was harder to get dropped from the team than to be picked for it, this is supposed to be the picked-on-merit era.

IMHO!

Justin

[The Captain]

The fact that Lyne was a superior athlete last year and probably will be next year is, to me, irrelevant - we are supposed to be past the time when it was harder to get dropped from the team than to be picked for it, this is supposed to be the picked-on-merit era.

IMHO!

Justin

I suspect Lyne will be a better athlete round about next week, at her present rate of progress. Given UK Athletics aim of selecting athletes who can get to finals, it has to be Lyne. Hard luck on Meadows, but there it is.

[Andrea_T]

I agree with Matt and The Captain. It is really hard on Meadows, but she had the chance to win the nationals and perhaps secure her place but she didnt. Lynne improved by 3 secs in one race and wasnt far behind the other 3 Brits in London. She should definately be under 2mins by Osaka.

[Matt]

Justin - its not like Medows has been burning the tracks up in Europe. indeed - she has allowed another Briton (Simpson) to pass her out this year as well. Lyne has shown enough (IMHO) this year to demonstrate she is improving week by week. JM has not battled injury herself and remains stuck around 2:00.5. Were we dealing with a superior athlete I would agree with your position completely.

[peach]

But will she be able to put three rounds together ? It's very different to run a one off race in 2:00 to run three, potentially all requiring sub 2 minutes...

I think it's unfair to dismiss Meadows as a "2:00 athlete who is in danger of not progressing through the heats". She has only been an 800m runner for a couple of seasons, has progressed nicely to this point, made the final in the only championship she contested at the event and would also benefit greatly from a maiden berth at a Worlds- surely she is just the sort of "development athlete" the UK team is supposedly prepping for Beijing (and London for that matter).

Having said all that, I don't know who I'd pick in this situation. It might be worth the gamble of throwing Lyne in at the deep end...too close to call I guess.