¶2012 OG: w1500–Aslı Çakır (Turkey) 4:10.23

[lapsus]

Gamze Bulut just turned 20 a few days ago. Somehow that fact seems to get left out when her progression from 4:18 to 4:01 in one year is mentioned.

[Alan Shank]

Sixteen year old High School Sophomore Mary Cain could have WON this "race"!!

Actually, in all probability she would have finished last. You can't get comparing times in totally different races out of your head, can you?

"Hey, girls! Let's split!"
"Who's leading?"
"Not me!"
"Not me!"
"Whaddaya mean, not you?"
Ba-ba-ba-ba, badababababa (How many remember that?)

Can't wait for the replay to see what actually happened to Uceny.

Did Randy Treadway's head blow up? >:-)
As usual, the first 100 was fast, then when they had their positions, everybody put on the breaks. I thought a couple of them in front were going to stop. You know, I'd actually rather see them run fast, but it's still interesting. I got them at 56.7 -- for 300! In fact, the finish-line splits look pretty good: 56.7, 2:06.8, 3:11.9 - if they were lap splits. Last 300 about 43.7, last lap 58.12 (leader to winner).

It seems like Arigawi suffered the most from the race being so slow, perhaps Tomoshova profited the most, damn near coming up for a medal.

Wonder how Uceny would have come out?
Cheers,
Alan Shank

[Grazerism]

I can't find video for race (link didn't work) but this is what I saw live on TV: Uceny was well on the outside. Kenyan Helen Obiri came up behind her. Obiri was involved in last year's accident as well. I said, "Uh-oh, Obiri and Uceny again." And immediately Uceny went down. I feel sure that she was clipped from behind.

In driving, it is the driver who is behind who is always responsible for the accident. After what happened last year, I don't blame Uceny at all for pounding on the track and quitting the race. We all know how hard these athletes work. What is the point of some symbolic lonely run around the oval when you've been robbed of your goal again?

[lovetorun]

Well, I looked. Here's my math, based on reported lap times and kilometers in the 5000 meter race:

(9:27.75 at 3000 meters)
unknown lap time
68.95 lap (Dibaba)
(12.24.81 at 4000 meters)
68.56 lap (Dibaba)
65.12 lap (Dibaba)
60.20 (Defar)
(2:39.45 last km)
so the last four laps were 262.83 seconds = 4:22.83

So Defar was able to close in a bit better than 60.20 last lap. At least it is about 1.5 seconds slower than the 1500 meter winner - she would "only" have been maybe 8th in the 1500 meter race, beating the likes of Kostetskaya, if she had jumped in to the final 400 meters of that 1500m race after running 4600 meters in 14:04, with the last 1100 meters of that several seconds faster than the first 1100 meters of the 1500m race

A 4:22.83 4 laps i.e. 1600m would give her at least a 4:07-8 1500m...easily faster than the open race.

[Master Po]

Didn't see any of this or have a chance to follow it here til now. First looked at the results. It was odd to look at a list of results and not see even one SB or PB in the margin, and of course nothing that could possibly be an NR, etc. After all the great performances we've seen so far in these events -- not just talking about WR & OR -- but there have also been lots of PB, SB, NR performances -- just odd to see a plain list of times. Even the results list looks uninspired. (Same goes for 5k.) Oh well.

[Alan Shank]

What happened to Uceny? Couldn't tell if she tripped on her own or if she was clipped from behind.

Best guess without seeing the feet is she was clipped by the Ethiopian behind her. Not certain which one it was. But it also appears the Uceny fall was the final result of a 4-5 person chain reaction from the inside.

Looked to me almost exactly like what happened to El Guerrouj in Atlanta.

And in almost the same spot on the track, if I remember correctly.

No, last year it was on the curve a bit after 600 to go.

I don't see why people are thinking Uceny would have won that race. I think she would have had a better chance in a ~4:00 race.
Cheers,
Alan Shank

[Dutra5]

No, last year it was on the curve a bit after 600 to go.

I don't see why people are thinking Uceny would have won that race. I think she would have had a better chance in a ~4:00 race.
Cheers,
Alan Shank

Cooky means where El G fell in Atlanta. That was right at the bell.

[Alan Shank]

I've said it before.......MANY times!!

If I want to watch a 400 meter race.....
I will WATCH a 400 meter race!!!

Wasn't this one called a 1500??

I have a suggestion: don't watch the men's 5000 live; wait for the result and only watch it if they run fast. >:-)
Cheers,
Alan Shank

[Half Miler]

Everyone making the Mary Slaney comparisons, please stop!

[Alan Shank]

No, last year it was on the curve a bit after 600 to go.

I don't see why people are thinking Uceny would have won that race. I think she would have had a better chance in a ~4:00 race.
Cheers,
Alan Shank

Cooky means where El G fell in Atlanta. That was right at the bell.

Oh, right. My mistake.
I've probably told this story before, but I was down in Georgia in 1996 working for Powertel, a local mobile phone provider. We went to a restaurant one night and saw several Moroccan athletes. I went over and asked if one of them was Salah Hissou; they said, "No, but this is Hicham El Guerrouj". I told him, "Good luck in your race with Morceli!" The whole thing was probably my fault! >:-)
Cheers,
Alan Shank

[DrJay]

Everyone making the Mary Slaney comparisons, please stop!

Second.

[Half Miler]

It seems like Arigawi suffered the most from the race being so slow

I still say Aregawi mistook the finish line (?) and leaned about 10m too early, losing bronze in the process. I need to find a good video...

[mcgato]

I thought that Arigawi was breaking down and did one slight overstride which killed her momentum. She seemed to be barely holding it together just before she stumbled a bit.

[Weights&Shoes]

Had to go back to the DVR and watch the race. Probably the worst Women's 1500 final I've seen in recent major championship history (on short memory). And as for Uceny, tough luck. I thought they were race walking that first 300.

[Conor Dary]

Everyone making the Mary Slaney comparisons, please stop!

That is what Decker did.

[8aldP|23]

Looks pretty obvious to me that there was contact with the Russian lady ahead of her that knocked her left leg slightly which then collided with her other leg through her normal running gate and that was the end of that. Bad luck for her. Real bad considering last year she likely would have won and this year had a hell of a chance. Life is painfully cruel sometimes. But she can only blame herself on this one. She was too close to the other runner and could have been somewhere else.

Watch the video again and her left leg hits the Ethiopian behind her and knocks her left leg into her right calf.

I was looking closely not at the contact but of the runners reactions and the ethiopian was reacting at or just before the moment morgan went down as if there had been contact. Very hard to tell. Very unfortunate for Morgan.

[Half Miler]

Everyone making the Mary Slaney comparisons, please stop!

That is what Decker did.

Slaney fell, as did El Guerrouj and a host of other fantastic athletes over the years. When Uceny was tripped last year, I don't recall her whining on and on about it and blaming everyone else. I think I may have perceived a bit of that comparison from some posters, as did others.

[Half Miler]

Conor, I just re-read your initial post. Do you really think Uceny should have gotten up and continued running at that point? She would have been at best, 5 meters behind the back of the pack, with a sprint remaining. Zero chance for a medal.

Or were you upset that she pounded the track in frustration? I don't get it.

[Master Po]

Uceny has always impressed me as a smart, level-headed athlete. That said, I cannot see how this will not weigh on her as she looks ahead. Some of the "great falls" have been noted. I am trying to think of two consecutive in championship finals (e.g., WC, OG, Euro, etc.), and I can't come up with any. I wish her well and wish much, much better for her in the future, of course.

[BillVol]

Wow, two Turkish athletes finish one and two. I don't recall Turkey doing anything in the OGs except for the weightlifter a few years ago. Now, with my luck, Turkey probably swept the men's 100 in some OGs. Anyhow, congrats to Turkey.

It was shocking to watch Morgan's fall. All the miles and miles of work up in smoke. Just terrible to watch. But thanks to Morgan for the hard work and for representing us so well. I hope she keeps on running.

[Alan Shank]

Wow, two Turkish athletes finish one and two. I don't recall Turkey doing anything in the OGs except for the weightlifter a few years ago. Now, with my luck, Turkey probably swept the men's 100 in some OGs. Anyhow, congrats to Turkey.

I have a database with all the top-8 results in the "world-championship era", and an application I wrote to pull out data in various ways, one of which is by country. Turkey has (not counting 2012):
W 5000 5 top 8's
W 1500 4 " "
W 10000 2
W LJ 2
W SC 1
M SC 1
M HT 1
M JT 1

It was shocking to watch Morgan's fall. All the miles and miles of work up in smoke.

It a very sad thing, especially twice; however, all the miles are not up in smoke, IMO. She came back last year and won a DL with the best time of the year and got ranked 1st. She is still in excellent shape and will have several opportunities to use that shape.

I'll bet she is really glad that they now have World Championships every two years. Those poor athletes in the bad old days, pre-'83, really had it tough.
Cheers,
Alan Shank

[uakari]

a whole bunch of turkey's women are imported though: ethiopian, kenyan, eastern european, and a south african. and now a few kenyan men too.

[TN1965]

Some of the "great falls" have been noted. I am trying to think of two consecutive in championship finals (e.g., WC, OG, Euro, etc.), and I can't come up with any.

Maybe Gelete Burka decided to move up to 5000m so that she wouldn't have to see Natalia Rodriguez again...

[TN1965]

Wow, two Turkish athletes finish one and two. I don't recall Turkey doing anything in the OGs except for the weightlifter a few years ago. Now, with my luck, Turkey probably swept the men's 100 in some OGs. Anyhow, congrats to Turkey.

Elvan Abeylegesse.

[uakari]

how do you pronounce her name? ashli jakeer? shakeer?

[BillVol]

Wow, two Turkish athletes finish one and two. I don't recall Turkey doing anything in the OGs except for the weightlifter a few years ago. Now, with my luck, Turkey probably swept the men's 100 in some OGs. Anyhow, congrats to Turkey.

I have a database with all the top-8 results in the "world-championship era", and an application I wrote to pull out data in various ways, one of which is by country. Turkey has (not counting 2012):
W 5000 5 top 8's
W 1500 4 " "
W 10000 2
W LJ 2
W SC 1
M SC 1
M HT 1
M JT 1

It was shocking to watch Morgan's fall. All the miles and miles of work up in smoke.

It a very sad thing, especially twice; however, all the miles are not up in smoke, IMO. She came back last year and won a DL with the best time of the year and got ranked 1st. She is still in excellent shape and will have several opportunities to use that shape.

I'll bet she is really glad that they now have World Championships every two years. Those poor athletes in the bad old days, pre-'83, really had it tough.
Cheers,
Alan Shank

Great point, Alan. We in athletics put way too much emphasis on the OGs. Maybe we should follow football and try to detract attention from the OGs.

[gibson]

GH - think about deleting this - still we're thinking that this is inside the rules!

WOMEN'S AND MEN'S 1500 RACE SAME-SAME

in the words of steve cram - brendan foster - seb coe - nick willis ...

"i'm not sure what i was watching there"
which means,
"i am god damn sure what i was watching there".

me too, i had both turks picked based on a 30 second pre-heat visual.
or in the stye of manzanzo, i fell like someone else won.

at the end of the day, the real discussion is in the bar afterward - of which GH is probably privy to the very juicy but confidential news.

i'd like to see certain experts (not me) as established by GH be given immunity to say whatever they want. and to have village idiots (as voted by the masses here) be given holidays as required.

on this note, i do notice that there are a lot of good track experts that post on other sites, crappy sites, but not here.

WHY?

i'd like to see those experts post here, as i don't like having to go through a mountain of garbage (village idiots) to get to the goods (experts).

[Daisy]

i'd like to see those experts post here, as i don't like having to go through a mountain of garbage (village idiots) to get to the goods (experts).

How about this from AW?
http://www.athleticsweekly.com/blog/lon ... -or-doubt/

[Yifter]

As for Uceny. If you don't want to fall, take the pace out. That race was a complete embarrassment, 75 in an Olympic final? Given her history how can Uceny risk running in a phone booth pack yet again?

Is Rudisha the only non-sprinter in the world with the intestinal fortitude and confidence to dare to take the pace out? I was hoping that comfortable temps and low humidity would lead to OR races in London instead of jog and kick. Terribly disappointing.

[Jackaloupe]

Is Rudisha the only non-sprinter in the world with the intestinal fortitude and confidence to dare to take the pace out? I was hoping that comfortable temps and low humidity would lead to OR races in London instead of jog and kick. Terribly disappointing.

Thank you, Gracias y Muito Obrigado (Dem's all the languishes I know). 'Bout time someone called out this disgraceful, disrespectful of Olympics, approach where Gold (in both senses) is all that matters. I still resent Carl Lewis passing all his jumps (after securing Gold on his 1st jump) in '84 as he pursued Jesse Owens's record 4 Golds. Maybe it's cuz I'd paid an extra $80 (I had SkySeats, which I never had to use) to see a 28' jump.

At this level of "pay", something is owed to the fans, and a 5 minute mile pace is simply disgraceful. What goes around (slowly) comes around, eh? That said, Uceny belonged at least one lane out from Lane 2 where she was so poorly positioned for the bell lap.

[aaronk]

Sad sad sad about Uceny!!
I hope she doesn't quit.
Would be great if she ran the rest of the DL's and hit a 3:56 AR!!

But I fully agree with those who said (or implied) that running a 1st lap in 75 (!!!!) or a 1st 800 in 2:23 (!!!!) is BEGGING for trouble!!!

Just more reason to STOP the INSANITY of "strategic" races!!!!

If you have the tools......USE THEM!!!!!

[EPelle]

Code: Select all

1   3084   Asli Çakir Alptekin    TUR   4:10.23
2   3083   Gamze Bulut    TUR   4:10.40
3   1259   Maryam Yusuf Jamal    BRN   4:10.74
4   2899   Tatyana Tomashova    RUS   4:10.90
5   1697   Abeba Aregawi    ETH   4:11.03
6   3314   Shannon Rowbury    USA   4:11.26
7   1181   Natallia Kareiva    BLR   4:11.58
8   2995   Lucia Klocová    SVK   4:12.64
9   2872   Ekaterina Kostetskaya    RUS   4:12.90
10   1854   Lisa Dobriskey    GBR   4:13.02
11   1879   Laura Weightman    GBR   4:15.60
12   2341   Hellen Onsando Obiri    KEN   4:16.57
--   3322   Morgan Uceny    USA   DNF

[gibson]

the double edged sword, sit and kick.
get in the draft or risk crashing / boxed in.

guys like centro, ovett are gifted in this category. it seems like this is a learn-able skill, however there is much evidence to the contrary. i suppose people don't really practice this.

other guys like coe never trusted the pack, you saw him running wide ALL the time.

guys like coe and rushida can get away with wasting a drafting second or so in exchange for position and the much lesser possibility of crashing. coe too won and lost on his anti-ovett methods, he blew his second or so advantage in many an eight by failing to draft and covering more ground, while he capitalized in the 1500. of course there is good / bad fate going on here too that has nothing to do with tactics...

other people on the bubble, like a symmonds, have to draft and pace to perfection if the want that medal.

BUT if you don't run confidently, you deserve your fate, no?

you will notice that the confident guys that win will draft most of the race but ditch the sit and kick for the position as soon as they notice (or initiate) crunch time coming.

the medals always go the the brave of heart.... or bravery induced...

this is the game.

[gibson]

i'd like to see those experts post here, as i don't like having to go through a mountain of garbage (village idiots) to get to the goods (experts).

How about this from AW?
http://www.athleticsweekly.com/blog/lon ... -or-doubt/

CHEERS to Daisy for putting us onto the REAL NEWS

raised a giant proverbial eyebrow in cyberspace as athletes and fans viewed the action with a dubious cynicism.

Athletics Weekly = thumbs up.

[fourjz]

One more thing...everytime there is a "tactical" race you are running this risk...get out and run for Christ's sake...prove you are the best!!!!

What amazes me is that at the WC's and the Olympic Games athletes&coaches get sucked into the slow tactical race to there detriment.Run with everything that you've got especially if you are a fast Metric Miler.