Hope for US RWing?

[26mi235]

I had this general impression but to see the comments of people that are more informed (even if they do not know 'for certain') certainly backs up my impression. With systematic positives at the most elite level, what is the IAAF going to do and is WADA going to start pushing for a different approach? WADA, presumably, is not at worried about hosting a costly championship event as much as the IAAF is.

[Mighty Favog]

we shoud start a campaign :

find a regular poster/reader here who has 1y to start from scratch to enter next year's 50k & break 7"00 for 3rd !!!

where's Taffy !!!

( actually i bet MJR coud cross the divide from judge to competitor & beat that )

I'd have to periodically go down to Dayton for some coaching and competition, but I'm quite certain I could do that. I don't think sub-5 would be impossible if I could learn good technique. But I'd rather break my PR at my small local marathon than take 3rd at a meaningless national championship.

You racewalk in the country or the 'burbs and young men will give you trouble. My experience is if you do pretty much any training in the city, the locals will leave you alone. It stands the "safe neighborhood" idea on its head.

[lonewolf]

I do not disparage race walkers. I don't know the technique, except by observation, but I tried it to grocery store one evening, about .75 mile, and it was damned exhausing.. I rested by jogging home.

[MJR]

But I'd rather break my PR at my small local marathon than take 3rd at a meaningless national championship.

Even if that 3rd place got you a free trip to Berlin, Mexico, South Korea or London? Along with that, you'd get more Team USA gear than you could ever possibly wear. Seems like small thinking...but its not uncommon in this sport. Just look at Alan Webb. His best event is probably the 5000 or 10000 (yes, I know he's got the Mile AR) internationally, but he won't move up and he continues to have a frustrating and inconsistent career as a result.

This nation has way too many above average runners whose talents would be better suited to race walking, but they'd rather be mediocre than excel at something. You'd rather look good than win, to quote White Men Can't Jump. Its a pretty systematic illness in these US of America now.

[Mighty Favog]

I'd rather naturally assume that being the #3 guy at an international competition would require some sort of qualifying time, which I'd literally never get. Let's put it this way: there is no shortage of short, pudgy, distracted, short-on-talent 37-year-old men in this country, and if a free overseas trip were upo for grabs, I'd be beaten by someone else with marginally more time and talent and, most importantly, interest.

But if I could be reasonably certain that I could get such trips by walking 13:30 miles, yeah I'd take them. Fat chance, though.

[MJR]

more good news

Americas Cup US Trials winners (formerly Pan Am RW Cup)

Open Men
Patrick Stroupe 1:27:34 (big PR and he's still young)

Junior Men
Trevor Barron 44:26 (big PR, he qualified for World Jrs)
top 5 finishers under 50:00

Open Women
Maria Michta 1:46:03 (good return from major injury)

Junior Women
Allison Chin 54:29 (3:00 PR)

Americas Cup in El Salvador May 1 & 2

[Powell]

Re: more good news

Open Men
Patrick Stroupe 1:27:34 (big PR and he's still young)

Young or not, this time would have given him 6th place in the women's 20k race in Beijing.

[MJR]

Re: more good news

Open Men
Patrick Stroupe 1:27:34 (big PR and he's still young)

Young or not, this time would have given him 6th place in the women's 20k race in Beijing.

2 entirely separate and different scenarios, plus he's only been doing this for about 3 years. I won't even get into the Russian doping again.

[eldrick]

but russians only allowed 3 in the race & i don't recall all 3 being in top 6

[MJR]

Wow you both missed the point, big time.

Patrick was doing a glorified early season workout in a domestic race & you're comparing it to the Olympic final. He dropped almost 2:00 in the process in an event that he's been doing for about 3-4 years and he's only 24. He'll hit a B standard this year & an A in a year or two after it. USATF will ignore him, offer no support and wonder why he fails to go further than that to become a medal contender just like they have for every other RWer since 2001 including medalists in the Pan Am Jr T&F Champs.

[eldrick]

Patrick was doing a glorified early season workout in a domestic race & you're comparing it to the Olympic final

womens final

[Marlow]

Patrick was doing a glorified early season workout in a domestic race & you're comparing it to the Olympic final

womens final

In re: the thread's title - not so much

[rasb]

Everytime I see this thread title, I am thinking.....Dick Cheney? Rush Limbaugh? Sarah Palin?

[Powell]

but russians only allowed 3 in the race & i don't recall all 3 being in top 6

There was only one. The other 4 who walked faster than Stroupe came from China, Norway, Spain and Italy. And four more went under 1:28 in that race.

[MJR]

How is this any different than Wejo from Letsrun being hired to pace Paula to a Marathon WR? He was a member of the Pan Am 10000m team and certainly could not beat her at the Marathon. Does he officially suck? I think not. So, 6 women had better times in the OG than 1 guy who is a relative beginner in a very technical event and only doing a workout. Big deal. Its only that way because literally dozens of members of this board have been actively anti-walks for years. Its insanely childish. Imagine where we'd be if the reaction was the same for the 400H. We'd be having problems there too. Get over yourselves already. This guy is a developing talent who should be toeing the line in London. Its clear that he won't get any support here.