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A Longhorn, Ducks, And A Mustache: A Wide Open Men’s 1500 Meters

Sam Juliano — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:22:10 +0000

Jul 1, 2012; Eugene, OR, USA; Leonel Manzano (left) defeats Matthew Centrowitz (center) and Andrew Wheating to win the 1,500m in 3:35.75 during the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Hayward Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

This year’s IAAF World Championships will be held in Moscow, Russia, a place once forbidden for American athletes to travel to during the bellicose days of the Cold War but now is the goal for competitors. Out of the events which will occupy the attention of the crowds at Drake will be the men’s 1500 which is sure to be contentious and open to unexpected qualifiers.

Matt Centrowitz is the closest thing to a lock there is in this field. He can run a race in any manner – fast or slow – and has the rare talent of impeccable racing tactics as he’s shown every time he is placed in major competitions.

Last year’s Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano has not been stellar thus far in 2013, but watch for his wise tactics and superior finishing moves which have earned him qualifying spots in each of the last five major championships.

My last pick to make the team is another Oregon alum Andrew Wheating whose move from the 800 to the 1500 has seen glimpses of excellent races but also those of a man who is learning an event that he is comparatively unaccustomed to.

Then there is Will Leer who has been running a career season and has beaten the best competition. He has had no compunction about racing against the elite of the U.S., not to mention his mustache of unequaled style that is difficult not to respect.

A possible surprise qualifier may be the recent NCAA champion from Oregon Mac Fleet whose full potential is yet to be beheld. Remember that the San Diego native captured the national title after nearly two year of injury. With the momentum of his victory and continued upward progression, he could add himself onto a plane ride to Russia.

Some see the wide open nature of the 1500 as a negative, but the fact that the event is so wide open is a testament to the competitiveness of the United States. This contingent of athletes symbolizes an emerging force in American track that has not been content with merely qualifying to international competitions but instead is focused on challenging the rest of the world’s finest middle distance athletes for places on the podium.

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Chasing For The Truth

Kevin Liao — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:01:30 +0000

I was casually browsing the USA Track & Field website on Tuesday evening (as one does) when I stumbled upon the selection procedures for the World Championships this summer in Moscow. Unlike qualifying last year when athletes needed ‘A’ standards by the conclusion of the Olympic Trials, USATF allows for the “chasing” of standards post-USA Championships in World Championship years. This year, the cutoff date is July 20.

These guidelines are especially prevalent in events like the men’s 1500 meters where none of the likely contestants have yet achieved the ‘A’ standard. Without this flexibility, athletes overexert themselves in time trials the weeks leading up to the championship meet rather than focusing on performing their best at the championship itself.

Without reading the guidelines particularly carefully, I just assumed the top three placers in each event would have the privilege of chasing for the standard if they didn’t already have it. I was soon corrected by UC Davis head track and field coach Drew Wartenburg that the top FOUR actually get to chase.

Confusing? Consider this case study.

Heading into the women’s 5000 meters at the 2011 USATF Championships, only one women starting the race, American record holder Molly Huddle, had the ‘A’ standard.

Huddle won the race handily, but the drama came in the next two slots, where Mammoth Track Club teammates Amy Hastings and Angela Bizzarri finished second and third, respectively. Since neither had the ‘A’ standard of 15:14.00, both headed to Europe in pursuit of the mark. If either hit it, the other would also go to Daegu. But after extensive chasing – and arguably but understandably over-racing – neither was able to dip under the standard.

Huddle and Hastings were on the team. Since the U.S. is allowed to take up to two ‘A’ and one ‘B’ qualifier, USATF expanded its scope beyond just the top four at nationals, thus technically violating its own rules. Going down the order of finishers at USA’s, the next person with an ‘A’ qualifier was Desi Davila in sixth place, but since she already started fall marathon preparation, the Hansons-Brooks team member passed on the opportunity. Next in line was Lauren Fleshman, who despite finishing just eighth at USA’s looked impressive in winning a Diamond League race at Crystal Palace with an ‘A’ standard time.

In this case, reaching down to select Fleshman was clearly a wise decision as the Stanford grad went on to finish seventh at the World Championships, one spot higher than she placed at USA’s. I do not blame USATF was what they did in the Fleshman case. However, I do fault the organization for having a lack of clarity about the rules. If more than just the top four are allowed to chase for standards, then that must be explicitly stated in the guidelines. All I’m asking for clarity so that sthletes outside the top four at U.S. championships can plan their European seasons according to whether they have a real hope of being selected for the U.S. team.

Then again, the bottom line may lie in a tweet from agent Dan Lilot: “The simple answer is that USATF reserves the right to decide what to do on the fly.”