US Olympic trials

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Looks like Wariner made a big mistake parting ways with Clyde Hart.
 

Poacher

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44.20? WTF Wariner.

He's been jaw-boning about world records all year and now he can't even break 44 seconds. Ughh.
 

white is right

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There is something wrong. Wariner should easily run a 44 flat. I still haven't watched the race, but I think he he is battling a fitness issue. He has clearly lost a gear. Also changing coaches doesn't help. The physical downfall of Mike Tyson began the day he dropped his original team and let other guys train him.Edited by: white is right
 

white lightning

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Wariner doesn't seem to have the closing kick that he usually has. He is losing his form and tightening up. This is very unusual for him. In addition to his lack of endurance, he doesn't seem to be having as much fun. Maybe the pressure of staying on top, trying to break the world record, switching coaches and defending his gold medals is taking their toll. I still would not bet against him in China. He will win gold no matter what.

I do have to give Merrit for running a good race. He has worked hard to be competetive with Wariner and he is for real. To put it in perspective however, he is still only 3-12 against Wariner and one of those wins was when Wariner pulled up with an ankle sprain. I just wish Hart was still coaching Jeremy. Our guys should easily go 1-2 in China. Wariner will win. If you are going to lose a race or two, Wariner knows not to do it in an Olympics or World Championships. Merrit in my honest opinion will have to settle for the silver medal again just like last year.
 

albinosprint

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I think white lighting has it right with the whole picture. the spilt w/ Hart, WR, defending the title. plus now he really has the pressure of proving his decision to split with Hart. but after you take all that into consideration, you have to look at Sandra Richards. last year she didn't make the WC team and she is coached by hart. she just had a bad year. now I wouldn't count him out for the Olympics, but Merrit is definitely a threat. what Wariner needs is to run a really good time somewhere from now and china. a real confidence booster like a 43.7X, because I think Merrit has got to him mentally.
 

Poacher

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I really hope he can get things straightened out before Beijing.

I'm starting to think that either he didn't rest enough after last year and is now fatigued or he hasn't done the brutal workouts necessary this year to stay in form. He can still win gold in Beijing but he's got to get things figured out before then.

Webb looking good. Semis tonight.


Edited by: Poacher
 

GiovaniMarcon

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As long as Wariner makes the team and wins in the Olympics or at the very least medals I'm happy.

The only thing he has to gain by running a shattering time at the trials is to either:

- get more of a psychological edge on his competition
- attempt to break the record right now
- continue to impress people

He's dominated a sprint distance for nearly five years and that's impressive enough; he's done a lot to destroy stereotypes about white runners.

I'm sure the media is praying for him to fall flat on his face though, so that Merrit can be the new #1 and at last the top 400 sprinter in the world can be the right color and they'll stop having to answer weird questions like "why not pursue white sprinter development more"?

He's not over the hill (24?) and I think he's got some years left in him to break the record or at least better his PR. MJ didn't break the record until he was a lot older than JW.
 
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The US sports media does not care about track. Nobody is rooting for Wariner to lose. Nobody is rooting for anything to happen except for maybe the Olympic games to go away. It takes away time from baseball, reporting on fat black guys showing for NFL camp, and daily updates on a particular golfer's injury rehabilitation.
 

white is right

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Track is a dead sport in America. A huge star can make it big for 2 weeks every 4 years. Even if Wariner is off, he and Merritt are so far ahead of their competition that the worse he can do is win silver(short of a major injury). It's just disappointing that Merritt is beating him with times that Wariner easily beat last season.
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Edited by: white is right
 
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Jordan Boase did not run the 200.

Alan Webb is into the 1500 meter final along with several other white runners. The field is strong and there is a real chance Webb might not even make the team.

It would be disgusting if he got bumped out by fellow "Americans" Bernard Lagat and Lopez Lomong.
 

white is right

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nevada said:
Jordan Boase did not run the 200.

Alan Webb is into the 1500 meter final along with several other white runners. The field is strong and there is a real chance Webb might not even make the team.

It would be disgusting if he got bumped out by fellow "Americans" Bernard Lagat and Lopez Lomong.
The best White American is probably Gabe Jennings. Jennings the hippy once wandered off to Mexico only with a bicycle a bong and back pack and I think was robbed on a dusty road...
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He came back a few years ago and looked past it but he has captured the form he had a few years ago.
 

Poacher

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Eventhough Webb is not having a good year there is no way I'm counting him out in the final.Edited by: Poacher
 

white lightning

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Tyson Gay pulled up in the 200. It looked like an injury at first but it is only a serious cramp. He will not be on the team in the 200 meters. I'm sure there are alot of other young american sprinters breathing a sigh of relief. It just got a little easier to make the team.
 

Poacher

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Jesse Williams won the high jump. It would appear that white men can jump.
 

white lightning

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He has a youtube page. It's really cool as it shows him progressing through the different heights. I like going to see S. Holms trainging videos as well. Youtube is great for seeing anything from the training to the actual track competitions. Jesse Williams is one hell of a talent. He may just challenge for the world record by the London Olympics.

I also wanted to say that K.Goucher is as good as they come. If she weren't married, she would be the perfect training partner. She is so beaufiful. Grace Upshaw who made the US Team in the Long Jump isn't bad either.
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Not a single white runner made the team at 1500 meters.

Alan Webb made a huge mistake not running the 800.

And that does it for the 08 US Olympic trials.
 

white lightning

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Maybe that is because white american guys just don't participate in big enough numbers. We did have a few in the finals and they were close but that isn't good enough.

It takes me back to my old argument. Why are white women so much more competetive across the board from the sprints to the distances? Kallur set the indoor hurdle record earlier this year. Paula Radcliffe is the world record holder in the marathon. They are also alot more elite sprinters all over the world. White women have continued to win olympic and world championship medals in all events including the sprints. My biggest conclusion is that white males are into too many different things.

Whether it's books, music, computers or just a vast variety of sports. We need to take as much and if not more pride in athletics. Give the white women of the world strong, fast white athletes that make their hearts race.
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I just want to see more American whites get the drive that the Europeans have. It's happening in Basketball, and slowly in Football. Maybe Track and Boxing will be next for kids from the US.
 

white is right

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nevada said:
Not a single white runner made the team at 1500 meters.

Alan Webb made a huge mistake not running the 800.

And that does it for the 08 US Olympic trials.
Wow was I wrong about Jennings he won the semi he was in and backed up like Big Brown in the final. My handicapping was similar to my pony betting over the years...
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blue_mentos

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"My biggest conclusion is that white males are into too many different things."

I agree with this 100%. I think many white sprinters at the high school level are only there because they play RB, WR, or DB and their football coach wants them to improve their speed. They think of it as training, and when they move on to college, they focus only on football. I know that there are also a lot of fast soccer players that don't get encouraged to sprint either. For example, there are a few guys on our college soccer team that run 4.4 and 4.5 40s without any special training (although some of us sprinted in high school), but nobody comes in and says "hey, we'll give you a track scholarship as well to do sprints".

If you look across the board, you find that white kids participate heavily in football, basketball, soccer, baseball, swimming, track, cross country, lacross, golf, and tennis all from a very young age, while black kids generally participate only in football, track and basketball. the talent is very much more condensed for them. I think the main thing is that track coaches in high school or even middle school should do their best to identify the fastest kids in ALL sports and collaberate them into a team and get them started running early.
 
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