oslo subparq

with the exception of the two 5k races and a couple of field events the action in oslo wasn't that great. some of the us athletes did worse than expected. i know they will say jet lag and tiredeness from the trials, but if that is the cause why not wait to go to europe for another week ? or maybe rest for a week and start training and go to europe in early august.
if i was coaching an athlete i would make sure that they did not over race before the worlds chasing money and that they did not make four trips across the atlantic (the last time i went to europe from the west coast i was completely exhausted so i cant figure out why those athletes go back and forth like it is los angeles- san diego)

Re: oslo subparq

the athletes may have to go to europe to compete and earn money, what if they just stay in the united states and train for the world championships and dont win then where would they get their money from? i know maurice greene, tim montgomery, marion jones are set with endorsements and sponsors, but i dont know if they all are, this is their profession, and its an extremely tough profession. if they set world records or win medals they are ok, if they are the 20th best they wont make much.

Re: oslo subparq

Thank you, thanos, this is what I've been saying. There was no mile, fewer events overall and some of the fields were very minor league. There were some other pretty good events, but not typical Golden League. I can only think less $ was available this year.

[Donley]

Re: oslo subparq

While in once since I hate to contribute more to this negative thread, I remember thinking to myself that when the IAAF starts making there press releases about who is in the running for the million dollar golden league prize, that a lot of folks reaction will be "who are these people".

Re: oslo subparq

Am I the only one who thought that Oslo was quite good last night...? A few highlights...

MLF upsetting Chambers in the 100m for the 2nd time in a few weeks.

Mulaudzi beating Bungei, Bucher, and Krummenacker.

Men's 5000m - field of 20 athletes, 9 PBs were set, along with 7 SBs! (Lest we forget the world junior record of 12:52.61 being set too).

Olijars lowering his NR and Wl time yet again this season with a 13.14

Hysong avenging his poor US Champs performance by beating a world-class field.

Just when White was beginning to look invincible, Sturrup put her back in her place. This was probably the biggest surprise for me - after Sturrup's below-par World Indoors performance, I thought maybe she was past it. Now she's put herself right back in the mix.

Adere - great performance. Equal 2nd fastest of all-time and really throwing down the gauntlet for Paula. Of the 17 women in that race, only one athlete (USA's Elva Dryer) failed to set either a PB or SB. 8 PBs were set, along with another 8 SBs. Quite amazingly (just like in the men's race) the 3rd finisher set a world junior record.

The women's 400H saw three of the likely WCh medal contenders all up against each other. Pittman came out on top with 54.42, beating Tirlea (54.47) and Glover (54.80).

More big upsets in the women's HJ! Chicherova, Cloete, Kuptsova and Bergqvist (to name but a few) not going higher than 1.95m. UKR did a 1-2-3, with 36 year old Inga Babakova winning with a 2.01m jump (on her birthday!).

Women's TJ yet again being one of the highest calibre events. The woman with no nationality (Yamile Aldama) further improving on her PB with 15.11m with Mbango jumping 14.88m and Lebedeva jumping 14.86m



All in all, a very good meet! Just because the americans were below par, it doesn't make it a crap meet!

[Powell]

Re: oslo subparq

>While in once since I hate to contribute more to
>this negative thread, I remember thinking to
>myself that when the IAAF starts making there
>press releases about who is in the running for
>the million dollar golden league prize, that a
>lot of folks reaction will be "who are these
>people".

All I can say to that is a lot of folks don't follow T&F closely. There is more to this sport than Alan Webb and a bunch of other NCAA guys.

[jlanza]

Re: oslo subparq

>Am I the only one who thought that Oslo was quite
>good last night...? A few highlights...

>All I can say to that is a lot of folks don't follow T&F closely. There is more to this sport than Alan Webb and a bunch of other NCAA guys.

I agree with what both of you have said here, but I also hate it when there is less than a full slate of events. To me, a track meet is 100,200,400,800,mile or 1500, 5K, 10K, 110/400H, HJ,LJ,TJ,PV,SP,DT,JT,WT,relays.

If I missed an event, it was an accident. Point is, I hate these meets where you get 6 running events and 4 field events. Beyone that, I thought many of the events last night were great and helped build some storylines for later in the summer. Its early yet, still June. The Worlds are 2 months away.

[blacklily]

Re: oslo subparq

>Am I the only one who thought that Oslo was quite
>good last night...? A few highlights...

MLF
>upsetting Chambers in the 100m for the 2nd time
>in a few weeks.

Mulaudzi beating Bungei,
>Bucher, and Krummenacker.

Men's 5000m - field
>of 20 athletes, 9 PBs were set, along with 7 SBs!
>(Lest we forget the world junior record of
>12:52.61 being set too).

Olijars lowering his
>NR and Wl time yet again this season with a
>13.14

Hysong avenging his poor US Champs
>performance by beating a world-class
>field.

Just when White was beginning to look
>invincible, Sturrup put her back in her place.
>This was probably the biggest surprise for me -
>after Sturrup's below-par World Indoors
>performance, I thought maybe she was past it. Now
>she's put herself right back in the mix.

Adere
>- great performance. Equal 2nd fastest of
>all-time and really throwing down the gauntlet
>for Paula. Of the 17 women in that race, only one
>athlete (USA's Elva Dryer) failed to set either a
>PB or SB. 8 PBs were set, along with another 8
>SBs. Quite amazingly (just like in the men's
>race) the 3rd finisher set a world junior
>record.

The women's 400H saw three of the
>likely WCh medal contenders all up against each
>other. Pittman came out on top with 54.42,
>beating Tirlea (54.47) and Glover
>(54.80).

More big upsets in the women's HJ!
>Chicherova, Cloete, Kuptsova and Bergqvist (to
>name but a few) not going higher than 1.95m. UKR
>did a 1-2-3, with 36 year old Inga Babakova
>winning with a 2.01m jump (on her birthday!).
>

Women's TJ yet again being one of the highest
>calibre events. The woman with no nationality
>(Yamile Aldama) further improving on her PB with
>15.11m with Mbango jumping 14.88m and Lebedeva
>jumping 14.86m

All in all, a very good
>meet! Just because the americans were below par,
>it doesn't make it a crap meet!

No, you're not. Oslo had good performances, which you illustrate.

I agree with some folks here that it was probably unwise for the Americans to show up in Europe so soon after USA champs (e.g., the Athens meet that was a few days before Oslo). Nevertheless, I wouldn't argue that our athletes were overall subpar...or at least our **sprinters & field athletes**. Kelli White lost to Chandra Sturrup, but still ran 10.97. That's only .04 off her personal best! USA men had 4 of the Top 5 placements in the men's pole vault. I can't remember when Coby Miller beat Ato Boldon. Stanislav Olijars won the 110H & is world leader, yet newly pro Ron Bramlett (4th place, 13.45) is coming up nicely & has threatened his 13.35 PB in a few other races. Our distance athletes came up quite short though.

I'm not even a distance nut. Yet why aren't you distance nuts lighting up this board about Adere's almost-world record?! Yet Alan Webb -- a young guy who DID NOT make our Worlds team, unlike the also youthful Sanya Richards & Allyson Felix -- gets talked about like he's actually doing something?! Please.

Re: oslo subparq

Euro meets have to pay for their elite fields, and most can only afford to stage 1/3 of the events because of that. The glass is 1/3 full - not 2/3 empty! There ARE usually more events that we don't see in the results, but they are home-grown fields that are on a par with some of our better collegiate meets.

Re: oslo subparq

wowza when i saw the fields and the results i wasn't that mad that espn did not show the meet. no monty, no mo, no marion, no dragila, no allen johnson, no dream mile etc i think it is impossible to market and televise a meet without stars and events people can indentify with.
and i agree with your assessment about the money. economics are important, if you cant pay huge appearance fees you will not get mo, tim, el g and geb. i think the olso people are putting their money on reconstruction of the track and looking into the future...

[Powell]

Re: oslo subparq

>wowza when i saw the fields and the results i
>wasn't that mad that espn did not show the meet.
>no monty, no mo, no marion, no dragila, no allen
>johnson, no dream mile etc i think it is
>impossible to market and televise a meet without
>stars and events people can indentify with.

Sorry to say that, but it looks to me like your knowledge of international athletics is limited to around 10 names... and they are not the ones who are actually doing much at the moment: Marion is having a baby, Mo and Monty have both been subpar this year, as has Dragila (apparently she's decided to take time off competition to get back into shape). Allen Johnson ran well at the US champs, but still he's only the 10th fastest in the world so far this year. I fail to see how the addition of these 5 to the field would have made the meet significantly better - only much more expensive for the organizers.
As for the mile: it is just one of two dozen or so events to choose from. Just like any other event, it will be staged at some meets and not others. And no, I don't believe the general public really 'identifies' with any event.