We are finishing up the Week That Was weekly recap (should be out tmw) and have a section where we compare the three studly winners on the women's side at World Juniors.
1500 - Dawit Seyaum - 1500 3:59 pb - Turned 18 day of final.
3000 - Mary Cain - 3000 - 4:04 pb - Turned 18 2 months ago.
5000 - Alemitu Haroye - 14:52 pb. 19 years old.
It made us think, "If there was a draft in track and field like there is in say the NFL, it would be very hard to decide who deserved the #1 pick."
Cain, with her proven 1:59 speed, would be very hard to not to pick. However, Dawit is younger than Cain and has run 3:59 without having the resources of Alberto Salazar behind her. Moreover, the coaches in her country have been much better, working at altitude, at producing 5000 and 10,000 runners so that makes her 3:59 even more impressive in our minds. It's like running 3:59 while growing up in Boulder. Haroye is a year older than Cain and Seyaum so that goes against her.
Who would you pick #1 and why?