Anna Willard: mistake to double?

[lovetorun]

I realize that Anna Willard is experimenting with which event is her best, and the 1500 is an easier race than the 3000m SC, but I think she would have been better off concentrating on the SC. The SC final was nothing like it could have been if Willard hadn't already run 3 races in the 3 days before the final.


Who would have thought she would run 9:35.01 and get beat? She made it easy for Barringer. I think Barringer still might have won, but the winning time would have been MUCH faster.

I hope she concentrates on one event (I'd like to see her in the SC) in Berlin.

[knite]

Re: Anna Willard: mistake to double?

I realize that Anna Willard is experimenting with which event is her best, and the 1500 is an easier race than the 3000m SC, but I think she would have been better off concentrating on the SC. The SC final was nothing like it could have been if Willard hadn't already run 3 races in the 3 days before the final.


Who would have thought she would run 9:35.01 and get beat? She made it easy for Barringer. I think Barringer still might have won, but the winning time would have been MUCH faster.

I hope she concentrates on one event (I'd like to see her in the SC) in Berlin.

I actually made a similar statement in another thread as I don't see a benefit of her doubling. Whichever is her 2nd event will suffer.

[guruof track]

had she been fresh and not had to run a prelim at 36 inches (which is higher than womens hurdles now), the finals probably would have been ran in 9:21ish terriority.

[knite]

The competition is certainly NOT getting easier when they go across season. She will be hard pressed to find prelim rounds as light as the US nationals in the 1500/SC IMO. I say whichever seems to be your most likely chance at getting a medal, then chace that seen.

[guruof track]

The competition is certainly NOT getting easier when they go across season. She will be hard pressed to find prelim rounds as light as the US nationals in the 1500/SC IMO. I say whichever seems to be your most likely chance at getting a medal, then chace that seen.

More likely to medal in the SC than the 1500, IMO.

[Gleason]

Re: Anna Willard: mistake to double?

I realize that Anna Willard is experimenting with which event is her best, and the 1500 is an easier race than the 3000m SC, but I think she would have been better off concentrating on the SC. The SC final was nothing like it could have been if Willard hadn't already run 3 races in the 3 days before the final.
Who would have thought she would run 9:35.01 and get beat? She made it easy for Barringer. I think Barringer still might have won, but the winning time would have been MUCH faster.
I hope she concentrates on one event (I'd like to see her in the SC) in Berlin.

What is the problem? I assume that fans in Eugene would have enjoyed a faster, closer race, but attendance was a record, so the bottom line wasn't affected. Heats for 1500 are the day after Steeplechase final at WCh--no problem again. In fact, if no other woman earns the 5000 "A" standard, Barringer has made the "A" standard for 5000. Heats for 5000 are two days after 5000 final--a good way to begin cross-country :P

[Gleason]

The competition is certainly NOT getting easier when they go across season. She will be hard pressed to find prelim rounds as light as the US nationals in the 1500/SC IMO. I say whichever seems to be your most likely chance at getting a medal, then chace that seen.

More likely to medal in the SC than the 1500, IMO.

Because 1500 is usually tactical and because of her sub-2:00 800 time, she may do better at 1500.

[knite]

The competition is certainly NOT getting easier when they go across season. She will be hard pressed to find prelim rounds as light as the US nationals in the 1500/SC IMO. I say whichever seems to be your most likely chance at getting a medal, then chace that seen.

More likely to medal in the SC than the 1500, IMO.

Because 1500 is usually tactical and because of her sub-2:00 800 time, she may do better at 1500.

Fresh I would say yes, but she hasn't shown to do better against world competition running 1500m's. Add to the fact that she will be going all out in the SC. Though she CAN do it, not so sure if it will be advantageous.

[Gleason]

[quote="knite"
Fresh I would say yes, but she hasn't shown to do better against world competition running 1500m's. Add to the fact that she will be going all out in the SC. Though she CAN do it, not so sure if it will be advantageous.[/quote]
That is why races are run on the track--not on message boards. Because Coe was an 800/1500 runner and because he had run four 800s and two 1500s before the 1984 OG 1500 final, his winning in an OG record of 3:32.53 was a surprise.

[knite]

[quote=Gleason]

That is why races are run on the track--not on message boards. Because Coe was an 800/1500 runner and because he had run four 800s and two 1500s before the 1984 OG 1500 final, his winning in an OG record of 3:32.53 was a surprise.

I am a fan of this sport, not some fly by night spectator. The women she will be competing against have as much spped in a slow tactical race, she doesn't bring any more standout ability than the others, which is why my assessment is such. Now that doesn't mean she cannot do well, just that, she will have her hands full.

Comparing Coe to Willard is just.............................................. .............

:? :roll:


Well, you get the point!

[K.I.R.]

As good as Willard is relative to the rest of the American steeplers, USAs was the perfect place to try the double. There was no way she wasn't going to make the team in the steeple.
Now, hopefully, they know she isn't strong enough (15:53 5K PB attests to that) to double effectively and they can figure out which event would suit her best in Berlin.
As much as all the hype-monkeys in Eugene and elsewhere want every race to be some kind of Prefontaine-esque suicide mission, in the grand scheme of things USAs isn't that big a deal.
Fans are nice, but the sport is about the athletes.

[Jnathletics]

... The women she will be competing against have as much spped in a slow tactical race, she doesn't bring any more standout ability than the others, which is why my assessment is such. Now that doesn't mean she cannot do well, just that, she will have her hands full. ...

and the Steeple she won't? I have to agree with Gleason on this. As the Women's 1500 is more wide open since a lot can run 3:58-4:02 and it will all depend on the pace and who comes home with the best kick.

While the Steeple Willard's PB is 9:22 and that was 9th place last year.

1 Gulnara Galkina RUS 8:58.81 (WR)
2 Eunice Jepkorir KEN 9:07.41 (AR)
3 Yekaterina Volkova RUS 9:07.64 (SB)
4 Tatyana Petrova RUS 9:12.33 (SB)
5 Cristina Casandra ROU 9:16.85 (NR)
6 Ruth Bisibori Nyangau KEN 9:17.35 (PB)
7 Zemzem Ahmed ETH 9:17.85 (NR)
8 Wioletta Frankiewicz POL 9:21.76 (SB)
9 Jennifer Barringer USA 9:22.26 (AR)
10 Anna Willard USA 9:25.63

Unlike other distance events the Ladies steeple hasn't turned into a tactical type of race. With Galkina and Jepkorir willing to run from the front, she's going to need a huge PB to medal. As I would be surprised if anything slower than 9:10 is Bronze.

[knite]

... The women she will be competing against have as much spped in a slow tactical race, she doesn't bring any more standout ability than the others, which is why my assessment is such. Now that doesn't mean she cannot do well, just that, she will have her hands full. ...

and the Steeple she won't? I have to agree with Gleason on this. As the Women's 1500 is more wide open since a lot can run 3:58-4:02 and it will all depend on the pace and who comes home with the best kick.

While the Steeple Willard's PB is 9:22 and that was 9th place last year.

1 Gulnara Galkina RUS 8:58.81 (WR)
2 Eunice Jepkorir KEN 9:07.41 (AR)
3 Yekaterina Volkova RUS 9:07.64 (SB)
4 Tatyana Petrova RUS 9:12.33 (SB)
5 Cristina Casandra ROU 9:16.85 (NR)
6 Ruth Bisibori Nyangau KEN 9:17.35 (PB)
7 Zemzem Ahmed ETH 9:17.85 (NR)
8 Wioletta Frankiewicz POL 9:21.76 (SB)
9 Jennifer Barringer USA 9:22.26 (AR)
10 Anna Willard USA 9:25.63

Unlike other distance events the Ladies steeple hasn't turned into a tactical type of race. With Galkina and Jepkorir willing to run from the front, she's going to need a huge PB to medal. As I would be surprised if anything slower than 9:10 is Bronze.

While I have stated that running the 1500m's AFTER the SC will not give her the best of routes of being at her best, I did not say she could;t do ti, jsut that her task is that much more difficult.

[guruof track]

Jn, those stats you posted are for Barringer, with that said..........Willard is in MUCH better shape than she was last year.

[Dutra]

I thought she ran both events at the trials to ensure she made the team rather than to win either event outright. So I'm not sure we can draw any conclusion from her performance last weekend.