Derrick, Rupp and Lagat Will Represent the US in the Olympic 5K

Come on man.....You even pointed out he was never in top 10 in XC. How can you say he is the top talent in the NCAA?

You are seriously picking Derrick to make an Olympic team? How stupid are you?

Is Chelenga gonna have citizenship in time for the olympics? ... he'd certainly make the short list of top contenders

Well, obviously Lalang is the top talent. I'm looking at Americans. Levins a great talent but probably closer to his max potential due to the 150 mile weeks. Derrick is a bigger talent than Hill, given his strength at both cross and track. GF is a headcase who's done nothing. Hill is better than Colby Lowe at track (and pros don't care about cross country). Same is true for most of the other cross country runners that beat Hill. Puskedra might be a bigger talent for longer distances down the line, but he's not going to make a 5000 or 10,000 team probably ever. Not saying Hill will, but 7:43 is FAST.

SYL wrote:

...How stupid are you?

Hey, wait a minute. That's my line.

come on brah wrote:

Well, obviously Lalang is the top talent. I'm looking at Americans. Levins a great talent but probably closer to his max potential due to the 150 mile weeks...

Levins is also not an American.

Derrick should apply for a Canadian citizenship he'd be guaranteed to make the 5k and 10k every year

Derrick has an outside shot if both rupp and ritz decide to run only the 10k. a little less of an outside shot if teg goes that route again as well.

Guys like Curtis, Derrick, Hill etc. have yet to prove they can race with the Schumacher/Salazar guys at USATF in the 5k or 10k. Bumbalough, Teg, Rupp, Lagat, Jager, and Solinsky are all favored over Derrick, Hill, Estrada, Heath, Bayer etc. The OTC guys will be peaked perfectly. Them and Bobby Curtis are the only ones with a shot on those teams.

Lagat needs to stop being a wuss and start going from further out! If he had pushed that entire last mile he was looking at ~13:03-4!

As professionals:

Lagat achieved his goals a long time ago

Webb achieved his goal as an American mile record holder and international competitor

Ryan Hall achieved his goal as an American marathon record holder and international competitor

Ritz achieved his goal as an American 5k record holder and perhaps international marathon competitor

Solinsky achieved his goal as an American 10k record holder and perhaps international distance competitor

Rupp achieved his goals in the 5k-10k and may become the greatest American long distance runner ever

They have blown away the dust of 30+ years.

Ok. Reasonable assessment. But is it related to the OP or in response to some post? I don't get it.

Maybe I have had too many beers, but DaveW's post seems very informed and have a degree of respect for competing on an elite level. Any chance that it is the man himself?

America could use more guys with perfect pacing and baseball cap's.

Is Rupp even going to run the OT 5000m?

ohio_miler wrote:

Maybe I have had too many beers, but DaveW's post seems very informed and have a degree of respect for competing on an elite level. Any chance that it is the man himself?

America could use more guys with perfect pacing and baseball cap's.

No idea who DaveW really is. And the man himself (and his '72 Olympic final) is the reason that I got into running in the first place. Best race of all time.

I was just asking about the post. Seemed quite reasonable, just not that directly related to what was being discussed.

oldoldrunner wrote:

It is an Olympic year...runners who have not run well or have been hurt seem to be able to get it together in the Olympic year.

Look back in time and see what Lassen Viren did between the 1972 Olympics and the 1976 Olympics. You'll find he did nothing, yet he has 4 gold medals.

Can you give another example of Viren like ability to be invincible during Olympics and be mediocre to bad the rest of the time? Because, I've seen strong cases made that Viren was one of the first distance dopers, who only doped during Olympics.

fghrunner wrote:

Derrick has an outside shot if both rupp and ritz decide to run only the 10k. a little less of an outside shot if teg goes that route again as well.

Rupp at least will definitely double at the USOT; wheather he doubles at the Olympics is another story, but he will put himself in position to do both and probably make a decision only weeks before the games. I would not be surprised to see Ritz and Sol double of trials as well, which is certainly doable since the trails race will be a sit and kick affair.

oldoldrunner wrote:

It is an Olympic year...runners who have not run well or have been hurt seem to be able to get it together in the Olympic year.

oijkdjkdjfhj wrote:

Look back in time and see what Lassen Viren did between the 1972 Olympics and the 1976 Olympics. You'll find he did nothing, yet he has 4 gold medals.

Can you give another example of Viren like ability to be invincible during Olympics and be mediocre to bad the rest of the time? Because, I've seen strong cases made that Viren was one of the first distance dopers, who only doped during Olympics.

Kipchoge lost to a bunch of his countrymen between 2004 and 2008, but was the top Kenyan in both Olympics.

I'll put my money on Rupp for the 5k and 10k just because he has the most attractive ladyfriend