Mark Rowland - 3:52 miler moved to the steeple and won a silver in '88 in Seoul. He had to work "bloody" hard on drills and flexibility to make the transition, but he proved that it can be done if one applies oneself to the task at hand.
Mcewen, Brian T wrote: ><<< One potential solution for US 1500m elites who can't get to 3:34... > >Move to the steeple. >>> > > >I doubt a miler who didn't have a decent shot at 3:34.90 would be good >enough to make our team in the Steeplechase, much less make the Olympic >Final or win a medal. > >One of our better Steeplers (Olympic caliber) Tony Famiglietti has PR's of >3:40.xx and 4:00.xx. He would almost certainly be faster, but has >concentrated on the Steeple for years. > >I don't know Tim Broe or Tom Chorny's PR's, or those of the other top >American Steeplers, but Broe is certainly well below 3:41/3:59y ability. I >know he has run at that level in relay 1500s/Miles. > >It takes that kind of ability just to make the team. Croghan may be >retiring, but we have the three guys above and Dobert and about 5 other guys >who are competent steeplers and at least 3:40-level in the 1500. They may >not have actually run it, but they could. > >If you have no shot at 3:34.89, and you know it, you are probably a 3:38-39 >level guy with enough years at or near that level to know you are NOT going >to be struck by lightning and suddenly rip a 3:34. If you have run 3:37, >you would believe a 3:34.89 would be possible. But this should not lead you >to believe you can suddenly become an 8:15 Steepler. > >Even if I am COMPLETELY wrong and a 3:38 guy could just jump into the >Steeple and somehow come up with an 8:15-17 and win the US Trials, then go >on to a championship meet and make the final, he would find it tougher than >the 1500 final. > >The Steeple has alleged teenagers running sub-8:00 and a bunch from Morocco >and Kenya that make a white guy in the top-ten (in any race) a rare >occurrence. > > >/Brian McEwen > >-----Original Message----- >From: Chapman, Robert [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] >Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2002 11:28 AM >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: t-and-f: RE: Solution for 1500m standard problem? > > >One potential solution for US 1500m elites who can't get to 3:34... > >Move to the steeple. > >We've had 3 (or more) athletes run the A standard ***at the US champs/Oly >Trials*** for as long as I can remember. > >Some may think that is a cop-out, but the last time I checked, an Oly medal >in the SC is worth just as much as a medal in the 1500m. Brian Diemer told >me so, so it has to be true!!! > >RC > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] >Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2002 11:00 AM >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: t-and-f: 1500 meter standards for IAAF Worlds > > >Lowering the standard may encourage athletes to strive higher, but the >problem since 1989 has usually been that we have not been able to produce >three athletes to run under the standard. Thus at the Nationals, the winner > >may or may not have the standard, and someone in 4th or higher is waiting to > >see if they get to go. > >Bottom line: With the standard so stiff, why try and peak for the USATF >championships, when the people who will go to the Worlds are those that race > >in Europe? Make the final, jog around the track at 64 pace, and run 3:45. >Peak to run fast in mid-July to get the standard. > >Other thought: With the 1500m standard so strong, what is the 5k and 10k >standards? They have to be as stiff (13:15? 27:45?). > >I benefited both ways from someone not running the A standard. But it was >difficult to stay focused when I did not know for sure if I was going. Can >this lead to some pre-selections being made in the future? I have always >thought that if you showed fitness, and had the A standard in the time frame > >allocated by the IAAF, you should be preselected with the understanding that > >you would race in the USATF meet. Then, you could train to peak at the >correct time, which is what was most important to me. > >Jim Spivey >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Vanderbilt Women's cross-country >& assistant track coach >
