We recap the men's 1500 semis here:
http://www.letsrun.com/?p=118943
The big news in our mind is the idiotic decision by the officials to put 13 in the final which makes ZERO sense. Watch it for yourself and decide at the 3:09 mark here:
http://www.dartfish.tv/Player.aspx?CR=p99450c172143m3198775&CL=1
LRC wrote:Quick Take #1: It’s a COMPLETE joke that USATF has put 13 people in the final.
After the race was over, Jordan McNamara was initially DQd for making contact with Andrew Wheating when McNamara busted out from the rail with 300 to go. Upon review, the DQ was reversed which was the correct call in our opinion (The contact only briefly slowed Wheating down and since Wheating made the final on time, there was no need to DQ McNamara as the foul was far from egregious. In the NFL, you pick up the flag on uncatchable balls, in track, you should do the same when fouls don’t impact the outcome of the race).
However, in a decision that makes ZERO sense, the officials decided to let the guy who had moved up to the final time qualifying spot with McNamara’s DQ, John Gregorek, stay in the final even though Gregorek was nowhere near Wheating or McNamara when the contact occurred and in no way was impacted by McNamara’s action.
This is idiotic. Putting 13 runners in the final hurts people who like to come from behind and increases the likelihood of falls. Either DQ McNamara and let Gregoek run or don’t DQ McNamaraand tell Gregorek he's out. You can’t not DQ McNamara and then let Gregorek get in to the final when Gregorek was in no way at all impacted by the incident in question.
Watch the foul for yourself below. It happens at the 3:09 mark here:
http://www.dartfish.tv/Player.aspx?CR=p99450c172143m3198775&CL=1