Good interviews with Teg and Solinsky after their heats

[Zat0pek]

Good comments by these guys. Thoughtful comments the last :45 or so of Teg's interview about the importance of positioning. Good stuff by Solinsky explaining how he "gambled a little bit" knowing he would get in on time even if he wasn't top five.

These guys ran with their heads. This is the difference between running rabbited time trials in Europe and championship racing. GH, these should be okay to link because they were posted directly to YouTube by the creator (letsrun guys, I think).

Teg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMPMdHQgsFo

Solinsky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZAa5Lz33AU

[gh]

anything posted to YouTube by the creator is just fine by us. (and I was indeed impressed by the racing savvy that both displayed; probably a nice luck of the draw that they were placed together and Lagat got the solo U.S. spot in the other heat)

[lovetorun]

It's going to be a tough final but I think Lagat and Tegenkamp will be in the running i.e. with the top 5-6 kicking at the end...hope there is at least one medal from these 3 guys. Solinsky impresses me with his guts, and he will be up near the front in the final 600, but don't think he has shown the kick speed in the final 150m that Lagat and Tegenkamp have.

[Zat0pek]

(and I was indeed impressed by the racing savvy that both displayed; probably a nice luck of the draw that they were placed together and Lagat got the solo U.S. spot in the other heat)

Just one more reason why I like non-rabbited racing just as much if not more than follow-the-bunny drag races.

I was quite impressed with how thoughtful these guys were about strategy and tactics, especially Teg's comments about positioning, something we rarely hear discussed anymore.

[gh]

don't let Kuha hear you blaspheme like that! :-)

[Zat0pek]

don't let Kuha hear you blaspheme like that! :-)

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." Albert Einstein

:wink:

[kuha]

don't let Kuha hear you blaspheme like that! :-)

I've heard way worse. I'm pretty tough.

[kuha]

don't let Kuha hear you blaspheme like that! :-)

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." Albert Einstein

:wink:

That, however, I honestly don't find funny. F- you.

[Zat0pek]

don't let Kuha hear you blaspheme like that! :-)

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." Albert Einstein

:wink:

That, however, I honestly don't find funny. F- you.

Wow, even with the little smiley thingamabob winking at you in my earlier post...

[Marlow]

Wow, even with the little smiley thingamabob winking at you in my earlier post...

I'm as guilty of this as the next guy, but even cute little emoticons don't change the rudeness of insults.

[Zat0pek]

Looked like Teg didn't (or wasn't able to) follow his own plan. He 4-6 places back from where he said he wanted to be once the shooting started. He may just not have had it today.

[Pego]

The slow pace doomed the Badgers. Neither one of them has a kick like the east Africans. I was hoping for a sub13 pace.

[KevinM]

The slow pace doomed the Badgers. Neither one of them has a kick like the east Africans. I was hoping for a sub13 pace.

In which case Solinsky would have been a good 10 seconds back when the shooting started, no? Teg's lifetime and seasonal bests wouldn't necessarily show that he would have been in any better position, either. I do think a bit more of a prolonged drive that shook things up before the bell could have benefitted Tegenkamp (as in Osaka, iirc).

[26mi235]

It was never going to be a sub-13 pace for the first part even if they get to sub-13 by burying the last 1000m. There is nobody that is going to make that sacrifice. I heard someone say (Lagat) that the races had the least (team) strategy and it was more everyone for themselves.

I did think that Lagat might take him, but when it equilibrated side by side without Lagat getting ahead it seemed that Bekele's strength would make the difference and it did.

I was disappointed in the race for Teg and Solinsky but I think everything has to work right for them at this point, including having their A++ game; and A- does not make it. However, look at how many Americans where in the finals and some of those are clearly still on the way up.

[Zat0pek]

The slow pace doomed the Badgers. Neither one of them has a kick like the east Africans. I was hoping for a sub13 pace.

In which case Solinsky would have been a good 10 seconds back when the shooting started, no? Teg's lifetime and seasonal bests wouldn't necessarily show that he would have been in any better position, either. I do think a bit more of a prolonged drive that shook things up before the bell could have benefitted Tegenkamp (as in Osaka, iirc).

Agree, although I was little surprised that, based on his comments in the linked interview, Teg didn't work his way closer to the front of the pack somewhere around 800-1200 out. The pace at that point should have prevented him being near the front of the pack instead of 4-5 place further back. Could very well be he just didn't have it, but I thought we'd see him work up to the front, then get gapped in the last lap. But he never got much closer than 6th-8th position (best I can recall without watching the race again).