The 2020 Olympics start 2 years today - Who will make the US team 800 through 10,000? These are our picks

Hgngjvnhgknj wrote:

Women’s marathon. I don’t see Cragg or Linden in the mix.

Thweat will be.

I sort of agree. They raved about 5 women who are the 5 to rave about. But Flanagan likely won't be running. So we're down to 4. One of them has an off day we're down to 3 and someone gets injured and isn't healthy and easily a spot could be open for Thweatt or Taylor. Plus I keep hearing what a great marathoner Huddle is but she still hasn't really proven it. Sure she was 3rd in NY but it was a 2:28 run.

Same. I think Huddle for sure will make the team, but in the 10k.

Considering putting Lagats name in for the marathon is a little odd too, I’m a huge fan of his but his chances of making the team are so slim.... we don’t even know if he’d run a good marathon. I agree though that it’d be sweet to see him make, and run, the trials.

Oh yeah. Overall really good predictions though. Loved reading them!

Jonathan Gault wrote:

Our women's picks are now up. Feel free to tell us what we got wrong.

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2018/08/cancel-trials-u-s-womens-distance-runners-will-going-2020-olympics/

hey look, women's preview up last again.

shocking.

seems like Allie O's best shot is the 10k, any chance she moves up by then?

might be hard to pass up going for the steeple record and getting 4 in a row...

but winning steeple and placing 4th-8th in the 5k every year might get old, would love to see her couch let her run 10k at Peyton Jordan just to test it out.

in reality, probably marathon 2024

Hdhajdhs wrote:

Noteable snub of Gwen Jorgensen for the marathon team.

Jim Walmsley is probably closer to the Men's Marathon Team than Gwen Jorgensen is to the Women's Team. No one is saying Jim was snubbed.

jeff tallon wrote:

wow,the man in that photo is on serious non bulking,cutting steroids.how do i know?because i was a bodybuilder.

What photo?

Phantasy Star wrote:

Also, lol @anyone thinking True can make the men's team. He is beyond DONE. Will run Beach to Beacon annually and cherry-pick additional road races until he completely flames out.

Lagat should give the marathon a go.

Actually, True should. He's in a tricky spot where he knows that he can still compete on the track, but will need his best day and some luck to go top 3.

He's a beast on the road. His HM debut was solid. Would love to see him go all in on becoming a marathoner between now and then. It's an unknown and a big risk, but probably the best chance he's got.

And Isaiah Harris in the 800.

Two solid Maine runners.

So what is she supposed to say she's training for 12th place at the trials? This really pisses me off. You're probably the person who in another post will be say that Galen Rupp isn't speaking up enough and saying he wants to win gold.

Special wrote:

LRC was right not to mention Gwen Jorgensen. She's deluded and quite frankly she was being disrespectful to other athletes who've been training for this their whole lives when she said, like it's no big deal, that she's aiming to win the Olympic marathon.

Wejo what are your thoughts on Allie Kieffer? I think she's probably a lot ahead of Gwen at this point if we're talking long shots at the trials. Will be interesting to see her in NYC again. What if she runs down into the 2:25 range?

wejo wrote:

Hgngjvnhgknj wrote:

Women’s marathon. I don’t see Cragg or Linden in the mix.

Thweat will be.

I sort of agree. They raved about 5 women who are the 5 to rave about. But Flanagan likely won't be running. So we're down to 4. One of them has an off day we're down to 3 and someone gets injured and isn't healthy and easily a spot could be open for Thweatt or Taylor. Plus I keep hearing what a great marathoner Huddle is but she still hasn't really proven it. Sure she was 3rd in NY but it was a 2:28 run.

Track and Field news has an article out where they have their 10 surest gold medal picks for 2020. In an idiotic decision, they have Mondo Duplantis at #1. He may win gold but to say he's the best bet for gold in 2020 of any track athlete is absurd.

Here is there list:

1. Mondo Duplantis (Sweden)—Pole Vault

2. Sandra Perković (Croatia)—Discus

3. Anita Włodarczyk (Poland)—Hammer

4. Mariya Lasitskene (Russia)—High Jump

5. Sydney McLaughlin (USA)—400 Hurdles

6. Noah Lyles (USA)—200

7. Michael Norman (USA)—400

8. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bahamas)—400

9. Kevin Mayer (France)—Decathlon

10. Nafi Thiam (Belgium)—Heptathlon

https://trackandfieldnews.com/tokyo-2020-from-2-years-out-our-10-surest-gold-medal-things/

injuries, sickness, personal problems, car accidents, ability to keep calm under pressure and race when it counts, darkhorses, etc etc....

NO ONE IS A LOCK BECAUSE IT'S ONLY 2018 TODAY.

How is this a snub? Just because someone states something doesn't mean they've earned a spot on the prediction list. I want to win a gold medal. Well would you look at that, now I've been snubbed too.

hope you feel good about yourself, calling other people fat online. Sure, she's not skin and bones but she is far, far, FAR from fat..?

SandDunes wrote:

zeeezezee wrote:

Too busy being "body positive" (aka being fat).

+1

Get borderline aneroxic or be 10 th place. As lance Armstrong said on the joe Rogan podcast," if I wasn't hungry I knew I ate too much."

no wonder our board is full of anti-social sociopaths

LetsRun.com wrote:

Track and Field news has an article out where they have their 10 surest gold medal picks for 2020. In an idiotic decision, they have Mondo Duplantis at #1. He may win gold but to say he's the best bet for gold in 2020 of any track athlete is absurd.

Here is there list:

1. Mondo Duplantis (Sweden)—Pole Vault

2. Sandra Perković (Croatia)—Discus

3. Anita Włodarczyk (Poland)—Hammer

4. Mariya Lasitskene (Russia)—High Jump

5. Sydney McLaughlin (USA)—400 Hurdles

6. Noah Lyles (USA)—200

7. Michael Norman (USA)—400

8. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bahamas)—400

9. Kevin Mayer (France)—Decathlon

10. Nafi Thiam (Belgium)—Heptathlon

https://trackandfieldnews.com/tokyo-2020-from-2-years-out-our-10-surest-gold-medal-things/

Can't pick a pole vaulter first period. Too many things can go wrong in that event.

Perkovic generally wins by 2-3 meters. I think she has all of the top throws this year and still should be in her prime in 2020 at 29. I would place her first, if forced to identify someone.

Thiam is too low on that list, although likewise many things go go wrong over seven events. She should be in her absolute prime in 2020, just at her 26th birthday

Great set of articles overall and some very solid picks, but... no mention of Chris Derrick at all? Not even in three pages of comments?? Sure he's not a favorite at this point, but if he's healthy (big if) he'll be in the marathon mix. Also, how about Izaic Yorks in the 1500??

rojo wrote:

Nor did we mention Gwen Jorgensen. We probably should have mentioned Gwen given how people are obsessed. We've already received a few emails.

the thing about Gwen is she is incredibly strong with a spooky powerful stride but she doesn't have the mechanical smoothness of pure distance runners from years of mega mileage

even if she started doing 100+ mile weeks right now, there likely isn't enough time for her to perfect that smoothness

she is also 5 inches taller at 5'9" than the average top 5 and longer, heavier limbs means overheating

the invention of the vaporflys really made Gwen's marathon running at elite levels possible, her extra frame weight and heavy heal strike really makes them work for her like Camille Herron

Gwen will be a respectable, consistent top 10 performer but rarely podium, she just has top tier marketing so her name is always going to get her placement