RunningAHEAD - Topic: Olympic Marathon

mb1973

posted: 3/27/2008 at 8:42 AM

Which of the three USA men has the best chance of medaling in Beijing? I give the edge to Hall, followed by Sell, then Ritz.

HuskerB

posted: 3/27/2008 at 8:45 AM

I don't know much about marathoning at that level, but Hall looked like he was out for an easy jog at the trials. If he can get to the line healthy, I'm excited to see what he can do.

Mr R

posted: 3/27/2008 at 2:36 PM

I think Ritz has a much better chance of medaling (if he runs it, which he may not), but Sell has a good chance of beating Ritz. Sell is extraordinarily consistent, but I don't think he has the talent to medal. Ritz is extraordinarily talented, but is always something of a question mark. Hall is in another league. Some of his splits were just unreal. He even claims that he wasn't going all out (which I would take with a grain of salt from anyone BUT Hall).

What was the secret, they wanted to know; in a thousand different ways they wanted to know The Secret. And not one of them was prepared, truly prepared to believe that it had not so much to do with chemicals and zippy mental tricks as with that most unprofound and sometimes heart-rending process of removing, molecule by molecule, the very tough rubber that comprised the bottoms of his training shoes. The Trial of Miles, Miles of Trials. How could they be expected to understand that? -John Parker

mb1973

posted: 3/27/2008 at 2:55 PM

Did I hear that he (Hall) is running London?

jhorner

posted: 3/27/2008 at 3:35 PM

I can't stop thinking about one HUGE X factor... the Beijing smog and weather. I don't think we'll be seeing our olympic hopefuls posting times anywhere near their trials times. Having said that, I think Hall has the best shot at winning out of our three, don't know about the rest of the field.

awaiting assimilation

PacerChris

posted: 3/27/2008 at 4:08 PM

I think it pretty much goes in order of finish from the Trials...Hall has the skillz to win it no matter what kind of race, and I don't think Ritz is that far behind if he's fully committed to the marathon (as opposed to trying the 10,000 either in addition or in place of the marathon). I was in Central Park and he looked smooth and steady the whole way - a lot of upside to Ritz as a marathoner. I would love to see Sell do really well but I think it has to be a certain kind of race. The Olympics will probably be THAT kind of race so I don't fully count him out for a top 10 or better finish. I would LOVE to see as good a performance as the American men did last time - a medal for Meb, a top 15 smart race by Culpeper, and a gutsy finish by Browne. And if Ritz goes for the 10,000, Khannouchi could be a fantastic X factor with the ability to win it all. All I can say is that I cannot wait - it would be extraordinarily tough to top the drama of the 2 Athens marathons, but the men's race is shaping up to be really something (from an American perspective). I'm curious to watch the women's Trials...you pretty much have to concede a slot to Deena, Kate O'Neill is really strong, and who knows who some of the other favorites are? I would love to see Marla Runyan run well, Elva Dryer is a strong possibility...should be good stuff!

mb1973

posted: 3/27/2008 at 4:13 PM

Did Joanie Benoit qualify for the trials?

PacerChris

posted: 3/27/2008 at 4:25 PM

Quote from mb1973 on 3/27/2008 at 4:13 PM:

Did Joanie Benoit qualify for the trials?

She did - I believe she's said it's going to be her last go at a competitive marathon (not that she expects to win, but I thin more in her approach to training hard for it)

Marcus L S

The Greatest of All Time

posted: 3/27/2008 at 4:32 PM
modified: 3/27/2008 at 4:35 PM

Quote from mb1973 on 3/27/2008 at 8:42 AM:

Which of the three USA men has the best chance of medaling in Beijing? I give the edge to Hall, followed by Sell, then Ritz.

None of the above. Wasn't the last American born medalist Frank Shorter in '76?

all you touch and all you see, is all your life will ever be

Obesity is a disease. Yes, a disease where nothing tastes bad...except salads.

PacerChris

posted: 3/27/2008 at 5:10 PM

Quote from Marcus L S on 3/27/2008 at 4:32 PM:

None of the above. Wasn't the last American born medalist Frank Shorter in '76?

I sure hope you're wrong, Captain Negativity! Big grin

Mr R

posted: 3/27/2008 at 8:27 PM

Shorter was born in Munich.

What was the secret, they wanted to know; in a thousand different ways they wanted to know The Secret. And not one of them was prepared, truly prepared to believe that it had not so much to do with chemicals and zippy mental tricks as with that most unprofound and sometimes heart-rending process of removing, molecule by molecule, the very tough rubber that comprised the bottoms of his training shoes. The Trial of Miles, Miles of Trials. How could they be expected to understand that? -John Parker

Marcus L S

The Greatest of All Time

posted: 3/27/2008 at 8:46 PM

Quote from Mr R on 3/27/2008 at 8:27 PM:

Shorter was born in Munich.

It's worse than I thought.

all you touch and all you see, is all your life will ever be

Obesity is a disease. Yes, a disease where nothing tastes bad...except salads.

jEfFgObLuE

I've got a fever...

posted: 3/27/2008 at 8:55 PM
modified: 3/27/2008 at 8:56 PM

Quote from Mr R on 3/27/2008 at 8:27 PM:

Shorter was born in Munich.

But was born a citizen (army brat, I think). He's certainly the last American medalist to grow up in the U.S. and entirely within the U.S. system (as opposed to Meb, who didn't come over here until college). MTA: speaking of which, how come Meb wasn't at the trials this year?

On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will wish that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

PacerChris

posted: 3/27/2008 at 9:15 PM

Quote from jEfFgObLuE on 3/27/2008 at 8:55 PM:

But was born a citizen (army brat, I think). He's certainly the last American medalist to grow up in the U.S. and entirely within the U.S. system (as opposed to Meb, who didn't come over here until college). MTA: speaking of which, how come Meb wasn't at the trials this year?

Wrong on two counts...Meb attended high school in San Diego, moving to the US when he was 11 or 12 so I'd say his formative running years were spent in the US. And he was at the Trials this year - he placed 8th.

Marcus L S

The Greatest of All Time

posted: 3/27/2008 at 9:19 PM
modified: 3/27/2008 at 9:56 PM

Quote from jEfFgObLuE on 3/27/2008 at 8:55 PM:

He's certainly the last American medalist to grow up in the U.S. and entirely within the U.S. system

That was really what my point was. Thanks Globule. The chances of the US breeding an olympic marathon gold medalist are not as good as Korea winning the gold in basketball or Cuba winning the gold in ski jumping. MTCT

all you touch and all you see, is all your life will ever be

Obesity is a disease. Yes, a disease where nothing tastes bad...except salads.

Olympic Marathon (Read 1594 times)