Killa Mike wrote:
I was with you until you said "Biggest talent in America"
That statement just isn't true. I would call him maybe, "The most trained/developed 20 year old of all time."
His lack of anything resembling foot speed disqualifies him from the "biggest talent in America." I'll go as far as to say it disqualifies him from ever being an international elite. Well, maybe at the marathon.
If he could break the AR and run 27:0something and get top 6 in an olympic or world champs final would you consider him an international elite? I think those are certainly within his reach. Perhaps not this year but he's got time still, probably a lot. If he runs at Hengelo he may just get that much closer to the AR. One thing he has done over the last year is learn how to race much better. He does not have the foot speed to win at the olympics, but he may have enough to have a shot at a medal. Didn't he run around 2:00 for his last 800 in his 27:33?
What would be interesting is too know out of the last decade of world champs and olympics, what have the prs been (as of the respective championships) for the bronze medalists and what kind of last lap were those guys running. That is probably impossible to know, but it would be very helpful. If I were rupp I'd definitely want to know that.