No O'Keeffe in marathon?

Puma is going to pay the bonus because they are contractually obligated to. They are also going to remember this moment. Unless O’Keefe can get healthy and start ruling the US road scene or score high places at Boston, Chicago, or New York, she will be allowed to walk at contract’s end.

Other brands are also watching now. She will need a huge run of success and a thorough PR cleansing if she wishes to remain a sponsored pro. Right now, her reputation is shifty, not forthcoming, and defensive.

1. Fiona has been hurt since June and everyone knew about it. She was cross training but has not had a solid workout in months. She went to the USATF medical staff and acted like it was a recent thing. IT IS NOT. This triggered the call to Jess.

2. Her Coach is her agent. Many of us working in the industry have seen this as a conflict of interest because of situations like this. Alistair is an Agent working for Kimbia. Fiona is represented by Kimbia. The Cragg’s make money off of everyone in Puma Elite as Coaches. They also double dip making money as their Agents.

3. Fiona has some sort of disordered eating that has been largely ignored when she is running well. Take a look at pictures in her Stanford uniform compared with now.
She runs well for 6 months a year and recovers for the other 6 months. She was planning on running the track trials because she had to be in Eugene for processing but much like the NYC Mini she was still hurt. Hasn’t raced since her run at The Night of the 10ks PB in London in May.

4. Des is the worst spokesperson on this issue because she and Hansons made the same selfish choice. She is simply justifying her own decision. Kara backs her because they are financially connected. Remember when Des hated Dathan because he had a past with Alberto? She separated herself from Hansons because she refused to be associated with anyone that had ever been with NOP. She now makes her entire living off of working with Kara. What changed? Dollars spoke. The same reason she made the choice to DNF knowing she was hurt in 2012. It is the best choice financially.

Yes the athlete has every right to make this choice. But we all have every right to judge these decisions as well. This decision in 2012 told me a lot about how Des thinks. I feel the same way about Fiona.

Everything that came out of the Hansons camp in 2012 was just spin to try to save Des’s reputation (and make a few bucks for themselves). The same is true with everything that comes out of the Puma Elite camp now.

There's no conceivable amount of money that could make this decision a good one.

Unless she makes a 2nd Olympics, this is going to follow her for the rest of her life. Let's say she becomes a realtor or whatever, and casually mentions that she was an olympian. Her clients are going to look her up and find... this?

I'd be impressed if someone said they were the National marathon champion and qualified for the olympics but withdrew due to injury. I would think twice about hiring/working with that same person if I knew they went to the olympics, started limping from the gun, and dropped out after three miles. That's nothing to be proud of, that's just embarrassing for the athlete and their country.

I really hope you’re wrong. Athletes are frequently replaced when injured, I think it’s more like about 10% who are selfish asshats that would act the same as Fiona. Most competitive athletes have respect for their teammates and step aside if they are injured. She hurt the team… and just to run 3 miles? Fiona’s actions are unsportsmanlike - especially since the alternate was already in Paris.

Yeah, this is why I said her camp deserves the real criticism here. Whatever short-term benefit O'Keeffe gets from the bonus and the OLY label is outweighed by the damage done to her image and relationship with Puma– look how discussion of this has completely drowned out any talk Dakotah Lindwurm's performance.

It's not just a bad look, it's bad business, especially coming from a promising young athlete who should have another decade as one of the US's long-distance stars. Her coach and agent (apparently the same person? red flag) should've saved her from herself and told her to withdraw

I expect professional runners to act professionally. Fiona did not meet that standard here.

And frankly, I think that this is embarrassing for Puma to have one their runners not bow out and let the alternate run just because of the structure of her contract.

Sinead Diver's going through the exact same thing with the Aussies. She apparently has been hiding long term injury issues that kept her from training and it blew up on her today (it was passed off as sudden cramping in both quads). People there are fuming that she didn't withdraw and let Laura Weightman run in her place.

If bonuses are the anchor behind these runners going to the start line and starting against their better judgment, I think the clauses in these contracts need to be amended accordingly. Otherwise this is unfortunately going to happen again in 2028 with others.

And Des was only able to rehabilitate her image by getting a lucky weather break that she was prepared for and the Kenyans weren’t, which allowed her to win Boston. If Des had never won Boston, she would still be hated for what she did at the London Olympics.

Easy to say from your keyboard. If you got a work promotion that wasn’t deserved you would turn it down and give it to someone else?

oh how everyone loves to be outraged and superior. 🙄 not your experience, not your dilemma. wish this girl the best. she’s a gutsy runner and I hope to see her back out there.

I don't like Fiona's decision either and I don't particularly remember the circumstances around Des' decision in 2012, but I'll quibble with one thing you said: fair or unfair on her part, Des refusing to be associated with Ritz is a terrible analogy to this situation. Being disgusted by doping/dopers vs an injured Olympic athlete (maybe selfishly) not giving up her spot are not in the same stratosphere.

Btw, I'm not sure what photos of Fiona at Stanford you're referring to because she looked like this at Stanford too. I say that not to say that's her healthy look. I too think she has an ED issue but it isn't new. Sadly, six months on and six months off has been true for a number of years now.

It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and claim moral superiority. But let's be real—when faced with the pressure and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, most people would struggle to make a different choice.

You say you'd have done the noble thing and stepped aside? I don't buy it. As the saying goes, “The louder the virtue, the weaker the character.” Those who shout the loudest about their so-called integrity are often the ones compensating for their own insecurities.

Fiona made a tough decision, and it’s a decision that many of you — if you’re being honest — would have made yourselves. So before you pass judgment, remember this: it's easy to preach virtue when you're not the one with everything on the line. Until you’ve run in her shoes, don’t pretend you’re better.

I don’t understand how this can even happen. I would think someone from team USA would just make the call to use the available, healthy alternate. Easy

Fiona’s side of the story

too late to sub in an alternate is sus and if true just so so sloppy

Too late? They had already flown in Jess McClain days before! Why are you flying someone in if you're not fairly sure she's going to have to sub in?

More likely Fiona lobbied hard to stay in and they caved, even though she was objectively in no condition to run the distance.

I think you all just need to chill out. She was the trials champ, she should have the right to step on the line and do it what she wanted. She was the US best shot at a medal and it sucks she wasn’t able to run.

Have you guys ever limped around the week before your big race (including a Marathon) and pulled it off anyway on that day? I have. I was even limping around one morning with a calf strain the day of and nearly ran my pr. Another time I placed better than I could have expected with a really bad case of the peroneal tendonitis.

She earned her spot. It was hers to burn and nobody else's.

Spot on post. But, nbc sports will NEVER hire you as a reporter because you tell the truth!!

Remember, "journalism" has turned into the story the news organization wants all to know. It does not make NBC look good to shred Fiona when one of their reporters (des), Salazar slayer (kara), and everyone loves MN (carrie) are part of the crew telling the "story" they wish to tell. I get it....it does not play well when the day before they herald the Ethiopian for dedicating his win to a TEAMMATE who gave up his olympics spot.

Sadly, for American athletes they lie. They are running for themselves first and USA second. So, USATF needs to step in to fix this. I am perfectly fine with usatf picking up the tab for bonus money owed if athlete qualifies but cannot go due to injury. In fact, I want bonuses given to athletes who are honest and keep usatf aware of such issues.

We need to incentivize self report of fitness to compete. Folks, this is a WORLD championship. I know it is pinnacle of sport. But, clearly it is about the money. Otherwise, usa would have some quality table tennis players. We all know there is no money in that sport.

By the way, we need Vince Vaughn, willFerrell, and ben stiller to put out a call for college frat boys to switch from beer pong to table tennis. We need to beat the Chinese in that event! Badminton too!!!