Does the fact that Khalid Khannouchi have committed to run the 2003 London Marathon, strengthen or weaken his chances at making the 10000m World Team. At this point I think he will run the 10000m to see if he can make the team and wait
and see if he is selected for the marathon squad!
Vipam
"The triple jump is an olympic . . .
Ah forget it. You can't understnd rational thinking nor are you able to argue outside of fantasy."
Curling is an Olympic Sport. Modern Pentathlon is an Olympic sport. Skeleton is an Olympic sport. Freestyle aerial snowboarding is an Olympic sport. The 1900 Paris Summer Olympics featured live-pigeon shooting, a one-time appearance of the alleged sport.There was club swinging (1904), stone throwing (1906), tug-of-war (1900 to 1920) and 16-man naval rowboat racing (1906).
Lots of nonsense has been included in the Olympics.....ah forget it...what was it you said earlier....
T&FNews cannot follow the political dumdrum of the IAAF and
agree Hicham had the best season in 2002! There are two male athletes: R Korzeniowski (Pol) 50k walk: 3:36.39 (WR)
and R. Fazekas (Hun) who had an equally impressive season as Hicham! One individual had a far better season: Khalid Khannouchi.
In 1998 Hicham El Guerrouj ran a 1500m WR, 2nd fastest mile ever, and 2nd fastest 2000m ever, and lost out to Geb. In that year noone but individuals who set a World Record recieved 1st place votes. In a non Olympic/World Championship year world records are important against great fields. Ronaldo da Costa (Bra) ran ONE marathon and set a
WR of 2:06:05 against a very medicore field in Berlin and garnered enough votes to be ranked 16th (in a year were records fell often). Now fastforward to 2002, no World Record for Hicham and a marathoner set a World Record against a very deep and loaded London field and backed it up with another STERLING time and victory against a loaded Chicago field.
The IAAF apparently already decided at last year banquet that they needed a back to back AOY (NO WAY HICHAM was the best this year). T&FNEWS do the right thing and awarded your AOY to the male who had the best season: KHALID KHANNOUCHI!
Vipam
Vipam
Very interesting information concerning 1998 AOY outcome and based upon Khalid's accomplishments versus Hicham I agree Khalid had the better season in 2002. The problem is that organizations that decide such honors do not always take in account the athletes races, sometimes they may decide who best to represent them as their Athlete of the Year for that year. Vipam you are correct in assuming Politics play a huge part in the AOY selection process so don't be upset if T&FNews also award the male AOY award to someone other than the 2002 best male athlete Mr. Khalid Khannouchi.
PeterT
Maybe if Khalid had ever completed an IAAF event he may be considered, but the IAAf should support those who compete in World champs, not those who fake injuries to avoid them
for better paydays.Paula makes it a point to do Euro Champs, World champs, Olympics etc, Khalid did not plain and simple.
I agree with mile high,a t least an occasional world half
championships or something. Medals matter.
OK. So Khannouchi faked an injury in the World Champs to to avoid them for a better payday? Let's look at KK's 2001 year so we can judge. Scheduled to run London for a reported $200,000-$250,000 appearance fee. Decides he doesn't need the money so "fakes" an injury and doesn't run, instead stating that he wants the time to prepare for Edmonton. Sounds like someone who cares only about paydays.
Prepares for Edmonton but (reportedly) is still struggling with an injury. His shorter races are average to poor. What does he do? Pull out of Edmonton and take the safe payday at Chicago? No, he decides he wants to represent his country, has a disaster and drops out.
Now that he has "faked" the injury in Edmonton he can go and make some money in Chicago or NY. That's what everyone is saying on the board. After all, he is driven by the payday. So what happens? No Chicago. No NY. That's another, say, $200,000 appearance fee lost.
By my calculations that's no London, no Chicago, no NY, and no better payday in 2001. That's one costly "faked" injury.
What does the guy have to do?
Bill and PeterT
I agree with your remarks! As for the individual stating Khalid doesn't run in any IAAF events and medals matter! Khalid has been an American for a little over a year and competed in the one Championship race with an injury as soon as he was able to represent U.S.
The 2002 Athlete of the Year award has nothing to do with World Championships last year or Olympics it is based on the 2002 season! Give Khalid time to represent his new country but at the same time give the man his props-he dominated the 2002 Marathon scene!
Vipam
I think the U.S. will finally have a finalist in every male running event from the 100m to the Marathon(a medalist) at the 2003 World Outdoor Championships!
khalid missed the following:
2000 US Olympic Trials, he was a US Citizen went for the payday at London, and Chicago instead of the Olympics for his supoposed country.
2000 World Half-marathon champs went to Chicago instead
2001, dnf at World champs, knew he would not win, no blisters, it was on tv,his wife was waiting with a driver for him, or was that not on US television? It was in Canada. He did not want to reduce his market value, a 2:05 followed by an 11th at the World Champs = less value.
AOY is for medalists, not road whores. DNFing in a World Championship is a huge scar.
One more time.
We are talking about the year 2002.
For argument's sake, lets imagine that Paula Radcliffe didn't run any track or XC this year at all...just London and Chicago and her other road races....much the same as Khalid Khannouchi. Two great races and a WR.
Would she still have won AOY honors even with a record almost identical to the non-winner KK?
I ran across an interesting article at
relating to the exact topic I started! Here is a selection of the article:
**(START)**
HERE'S A STAT THAT MIGHT AMAZE YOU: No. 1-ranked marathoner has ever earned Athlete of the Year honors from T&FN. No, we don't have any bias against the master of the macadam-its just hard for someboy who only races once or twice ayear to put up a season that matches what track racers, jumpers, and throwers usually do.
But fastforward to 2002 and a pair of scintillating 26M
runs by Paula Radcliffe and Khalid Khannouchi. Suddenly
each is a very big player in the AOY game.
Will either/both emerge from the pack to rate as an overall
No. 1?
**(END of selection)**
Now in reply to PA Runner if Paula had not ran here 3 track race would she still recieve AOY-YES! The point most people are missing is that 2002 had no major INTERNATIONAL
Track competitions, no track athlete had a breathtaking and
mindboggling season, went undeafeated and WR, and no marathoners have ever had a season like PAULA AND KHALID.
No with all those factors they should easily win any AOY.
IAAF did not do the right thing; however, hopefully and it appears T&FNews will!
Vipam
vipam who are you to say the IAAf did not do the right thing? It is their award, they can give it to whover they want, Whoever competed in their IAAf Grand Prix Circuit and IAAf events have value. I would not give an award to someone who never ran my events, and it may be for 2002, however it is the overall picture as well. So unless it is the Vipam award, the IAAf made the right decision, it is their award.
Mr John Koskei
The Athlete of the Year (AOY) award is given to the athlete
who had the best year, regardless of the organization. In 2002 Hicham El Guerrouj didn't even have the best season
by an individual who competed in IAAF events. The stats
of 2002 and other facts clearly points that Khalid Khannouchi had the best season. Maybe instead of Athlete of the Year the award should be called Our Favorite Athlete
of the Year (OFAOY).
Vipam
After my initial research of the top male contenders for T&FN Athlete Of the Year I concluded that Khalid was a for sure winner. After MORE studying Khalid's and Hicham's season without bias both athletes had a superb season. Hicham domination over the 1500 was great (six sub 3:30); however, I still think Khalid's two 2:05 marathons was slightly better.
Congratulations to all ten male and female athletes that were up for Athlete Of The Year!
Vipam
Vipam
You have to agree with Koskei that IAAF has to award athletes that compete in IAAF events as evidenced by the fact that Khannouchi was not even a finalist. The NFL would not give their MVP to a player in the Canadian Football League.
Track and Field News is all inclusive of running and may be more likely to award Khannouchi especially because of the sentiment that a marathoner has never received that honor. Statistically, El Guerrouj has had a better season than any 1500 runner in history but the lack of World Record may keep him of of the cover.
I agree with your logic, however, Khannouchi was a finalist in the IAAF AOY.
First IAAF give the AOY award to Hicham and then Track and Field News follows suit and now they both have gall to print stories relating:
IAAF-2002 the best marathon season EVER, and Khalid Khannouchi the best marathoner in 2002. The 2002 was almost exactly to the ALL-TIME LIST!!!
Track and Field News- readers poll say we picked wrong Athlete of the Year Men.
How can they print that an individual who was no 1 in the best marathon season EVER be voted 2nd to Hicham who season was not the best 1500m season ever?
Jonathan Edwards was raped and robbed--not even making the top ten.
Jonathan had a nice Triple Jump season; however, nothing in comparison to Khalid! Oh I should have read who this was from before answering: Catman or Jonathan Edwards no more responses until you go get a cat scan!!!
Vipam