People throw around "hot take" a lot these days before saying something that almost everyone agrees with but I think I might set some folks off with this one so here is a hot take.
I'm underwhelmed by OAC at USAs.
That's not to say they had a bad meet, it was still fine, but it definitely fell below my expectations. Perhaps that is a greater reflection of my expectations/how high in regard we now hold OAC more than it is a reflection of their performances but still:
1) Nuguse. Obviously big congrats, it's hard being a clear favourite when you actually have never won a senior title. That's a ton of pressure. But with his performances at Millrose then at Oslo the chat around Nuguse was about world medal potential and whether he could challenge Ingebrigtsen. Watching him getting passed at 200m to go by Joe Waskom - a guy who is a massive world finals longshot, and having to grind right to the last 20m wasn't what I expected/hoped for. It certainly won't have any of the big guns like Jakob or Katir losing any sleep.
2) Monson. A little over a month ago, Elise Cranny was crawling to a 15:16 while Monson was in Europe throwing down 8:29 and 14:34 marks as she went head to head with the best in the world.
What a difference a month makes.
Monson looked tired and the attempts to draw the sting out of Cranny's kicks tonight were barely even attempts. Tonight, her last mile was 71.2, 72.4, 73.8, 67.3 (4:44.7). In Paris, where she ran 14:34, her last mile was 71.1, 71.3, 69.3, 66.7 (4:38.3).
Yes she had tired legs from the 10 but she went through 3k in 8:43 in Paris vs 9:00 today. It was also actually hotter in Paris (81 at gun time per world athletics vs 75 in Eugene). And also if she is doubling in Budapest she is going to have to race a much harder 10k, turn around 4 days later to run the heats of the 5k under a near midday Budapest sun, then gather again 2 days later for the final. There is real work to be done in the next 6 weeks - if she shows up in this form I worry about her making the 5k final which isn't something I should be saying about an 8:25/14:34 woman.
3) Klecker. Was always going to be tough to beat Kincaid so no shame there and honestly can't fault that 10k. Little surprised he let himself be so far back in the 5k. He still finished stronglyband actually was half a second faster than McGorty on the last lap despite dealing with heavy traffic, but he was hanging out in 8th at the bell and that cost him. Could have been on the 5k team if executed a cleaner.
4) Hurta-Klecker. Man, this one stings a bit. A golden opportunity - no Athing Mu, Ajee Wilson way off the boil - the two women who have dominated in the US since forever. Sage had the fastest SB in the country after those two.
Sage basically acted as a rabbit for the field going out and taking them through in 27s and 58 - splits not dissimilar to what she hit en route to her SB. While I think the tactics were reckless, front running an all out championship 800 is something you usually only try when you know you're comfortably the class of the field, if she had just had a 61s last lap that would have been enough to see her onto the plane to Budapest.
The main theme is that I think almost all of them (maybe Klecker aside) looked stronger a month ago than they did this weekend.
Is it a blip? Did Ritz not taper them that much with all eyes on Budapest and have it cost Monson a title and Sage a spot on the team?