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Pro Track and Field Buffs (& current Buffs in pro races)- 2020 news and highlights

AztecBuff

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I will be adding more detail for all the great racing that will be occurring in this biggest of years (Tokyo Olympics!) for the top Buffs, but wanted to quickly start this thread now, as I just noticed #ForeverBuff great Emma Coburn has her 1st race of the year this evening in Boston-


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Edit - Here are the minimum performance standards to qualify for the U.S. Olympic trials and Tokyo Olympics:

U.S. Olympic Trials (being held June 19-28) - https://www.usatf.org/events/2020/2020-u-s-olympic-team-trials-track-field/qualifying-standards
Olympics - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_2020_Summer_Olympics_–_Qualification
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Information for this summer's U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials -

Home page - https://www.usatf.org/events/2020/2020-u-s-olympic-team-trials-track-field

Schedule - https://www.usatf.org/news/2019/competition-schedule-updated-for-2020-u-s-olympic-
 
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Buff great (and currently also Assistant Coach) Jenny Simpson, after last week helping pace Buffs to what could be TWO NCAA Championship qualifying times (Distance Medley Relay and Makena Morley in the 3000M), starts her own racing season this Saturday (2/8) at the Camel City Invite, which I believe is held in Winston-Salem NC. Her race is scheduled at 3:10 PM, which I believe is their local time, so probably at 1:10 PM MT.

Video - Looks to only be available for those who have a RunnerSpace +PLUS (PREMIUM) subscription - https://www.jdlfasttrack.com/gprofi...164&year=2020&mgroup_id=46093&video_id=292575

Schedule - file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/https___www.runnerspace.com_fs20200207camelcity.pdf

Live Results - http://jdl.liveresults.io/tf/2020-camel-city/index
 
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Congrats to Buff alum Nick Harris for I believe (???) his highest finish in a big race!



(Another CU connection - believe he's part of a training group in Boulder coached by former Buff runner Joe Bosshard, who also coaches his wife Emma Coburn along with quite a few other pros.)
 
Wanted to mention there are a couple races involving #ForeverBuffs this Saturday:

  • Also Saturday is the 2020 Pan Am Cross Country Cup, being held in Langford, Greater Victoria, Canada. After earning her spot on the U.S. team with a 3rd place finish at the U.S. Cross Country Championships, Alum Carrie Verdon will be competing. From the schedule at https://panamxccup2020.com/events/schedule/, looks like her race is scheduled to start at noon (assume local time, so 1:00 MT). Not sure, but it looks like results may be accessible via https://www.trackie.com/track-and-field/Results/ .
 
Ritzehnhein slowed way down after mile 20 and DNF'd after 22 mi.
Thompson 163rd
Thweatt 5th place, 16 seconds short of qualifying
Johansen 258th
Severy 65th
Viger 284th
Caldwell 58th

 
Just wanted to say congrats to Buff great Kara Goucher for (finally) receiving her silver medal for her 2007 World Championships 10000M performance! (The original silver medalist was subsequently found to have been doping, so per Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_World_Championships_in_Athletics) her performance was invalidated in 2017.)

 
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The USATF (the main U.S. track and field governing body) asking/ recommending that the U.S. Olympic Committee push ("advocate") for postponing the Olympics. (Edit- have also just read (2nd hand) that U.S. Swimming has also asked for this.)

 
The USATF (the main U.S. track and field governing body) asking/ recommending that the U.S. Olympic Committee push ("advocate") for postponing the Olympics. (Edit- have also just read (2nd hand) that U.S. Swimming has also asked for this.)


I'd really like to see them postpone by a year. Some impact on athletes, but safer for participants and spectators (obviously). I'd hate to see them cancel outright. The US boycotting the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow cost many athletes their moment as 4 years later, their window was gone.
 
An ESPN article with more on the possible postponement of the Olympics- https://www.espn.com/olympics/track...a-track-field-joins-swimming-push-games-delay
(Sounds like, at minimum, swimming and Brazil are asking for a 1 year postponement.)

"
USA Track & Field is joining USA Swimming in calling for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to push for a postponement of the Tokyo Olympics.

In a letter tweeted by the USATF on Saturday, CEO Max Siegel wrote that it would be challenging for athletes to "properly train in a safe and adequate environment" amid the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

"We acknowledge that there are no perfect answers, and that this is a very complex and difficult decision," Siegel wrote, "but this position at least provides our athletes with the comfort of knowing that they will have adequate time to properly prepare themselves physically, mentally and emotionally to be able to participate in a safe and successful Olympic Games."

USA Track did not provide a timeline for a postponement, unlike USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey, who wrote to the USOPC on Friday asking it to pursue a one-year Games postponement.
...

On Thursday, IOC president Thomas Bach told The New York Times that the committee was "considering different scenarios" amid the pandemic. The USOPC echoed those sentiments Friday, with Lyons saying the organization is planning for a variety of outcomes regarding the coronavirus and the Games.

Also Saturday, Brazil's Olympic Committee said in a statement that the Games should be pushed back to 2021. The committee said the decision was a necessity due to the seriousness of the pandemic and "the consequent difficulty for athletes to keep their best competitive level." Norway has also gone public with a request to postpone.
"
 
Article from a couple days ago about Kara Goucher receiving her upgraded silver medal (also see post #9 above) from the 2007 World Championships.



"
BOULDER – During the summer of 2007, former University of Colorado standout and two-time Olympian Kara Goucher earned her first medal at an IAAF World Track & Field Championship, placing third in the 10,000-meter run.

Not only was it her first medal, but she became the first American woman to medal in the event, paving the way for other Americans, and coincidentally Buffs, like Jenny Simpson and Emma Coburn, who have medaled in the 1,500-meter run and 3,000-meter steeplechase, respectively.

Goucher finished her race in 32 minutes, 2.05 seconds. Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba, who was the defending world champion at the time, won in 31:55.41, while Turkey's Elvan Abeylegesse took silver in 31:59.40.

Eight years later in 2015, Goucher found out her 2007 medal was going to be upgraded to silver as Abeylegesse tested positive for steroids, disqualifying her for the podium. Goucher was shocked when she heard the news.

"There had been a lot of suspicion around her, but so much time had gone by; I figured we'd never know," she said. "It was confusing at first because it made me look back at a race that I remembered so fondly and question what really happened that day. Had I been second in the world, with only one person better than me, maybe I would have believed I could win, instead of feeling so lucky that I had been third. There was a lot of emotion, but in the end, I felt grateful that they retested our stored samples and that they were able to give the proper results to us athletes."

The IAAF started inviting athletes to world championships to retroactively receive their medals. Goucher participated in a medal ceremony at the 2017 World Championships in London, which also saw Great Britain's Jo Pavey upgraded to the bronze medal. Unfortunately the medals were not actually given to the athletes since the ceremony had been put together so quickly, which meant Goucher and Pavey had to wait even longer to receive the medals they earned in 2007.

"When I went to London in 2017, I assumed I'd be given a medal then," Goucher said. "I even brought my bronze medal thinking I'd have to turn it in. After the ceremony, they told us that they had put the ceremony together so quickly that they hadn't had a chance to make the medals yet, but that we'd get them in the next few months or so. I'm not sure why it took two and a half years."

Her day finally came last week when a surprise package came in the mail.

"I didn't know that the medal was coming," Goucher said. "Friday morning flowers were delivered to my home from USATF, our governing body. There was a note that said, 'Sorry this took so long. I told my husband Adam, 'I think my medal is coming today!'."

Later that afternoon, the medal arrived just before Goucher was about to go on a little run. She was not ready to open it and Adam said they could do a little ceremony after her run.

Since group gatherings are not currently allowed, Goucher, along with her husband and son, Colt, had a ceremony in their living room. Without Goucher's knowledge, Adam had emailed her friends and family and set up a Zoom conference so they could watch her "receive" her medal. It was a complete surprise for her.

After so many years, Goucher finally has the proper medal she earned in 2007. While it might not have been the ceremony she should have had originally, it's a moment she will never forget.

"It felt really good! It was a bit surreal after so many years to get it," she said. "I was very happy and proud to finally have it and it was special because my son was able to be the one to place it around my neck."

Thirteen years later, a wrong has been righted. Goucher acknowledged her appreciation to the IAAF and the USATF.

"They knew it was important to get the right medals to their rightful owners," Goucher said. We also used it as a lesson with our son, it's never too late to do the right thing."
"
 


Direct link to the voting page (the actual voting section for women is near the bottom of the page.) - https://www.letsrun.com/news/2020/04/american-distance-goat-vote-in-the-final-four/
(As I type this, Ms. Simpson was slightly down with 48% of the vote. Edit - per the page linked to above, voting closes at 10:00 PM MT on Wednesday, 4/22. Voting is still going on as of April 23rd; I don't see an end date for final's voting listed at this point. (The 4/22 end date I listed earlier, afterre-reading the article, referred to the semi-finals, not finals.))
 
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Just wanted to mention that, as would be expected, the 2 top Buff running stars, Joe Klecker (~ a week ago) and Dani Jones (today) have given their thanks to the Buffs, with I assume both going pro.

Hope they (and any other seniors planning on turning pro) get kick-A big contracts (in these unusual times)!


 
Looks like Dani Jones will continue to be Buff-connected, as she's chosen to begin her pro career by joining the training group coached by #ForeverBuff Joe Bosshard, and will, I assume, still be living in the Boulder area.

Congrats to her!

 
Best wishes to #ForeverBuff great Dathan Ritzenhein, who has just announced his retirement as a competitive runner!
(I believe he has already been coaching some other runners, so hopefully he will be remaining active in the sport if that's what he wants to do.)





More on Mr. Ritzenhein (who left CU after his sophomore year in 2004 to turn pro) - https://cubuffs.com/sports/2012/7/27/205534711.aspx
 
Wish only the best to #ForeverBuff Makena Morley, who joins Dani Jones and Joe Klecker in turning pro.

Official cubuffs.com article-


Full article

"
By: Shaun Wicen, Assistant SID
Release: May 08, 2020


BOULDER – Colorado track stars and redshirt seniors Dani Jones, Joe Klecker and Makena Morley are all heading pro after the cancelation of the NCAA Indoor Championships and outdoor season, the individuals announced this week.

"Dani, Joe and Makena have been important contributors to the CU program, and to our lasting legacy," said head coach Mark Wetmore. "It will be impossible to replace them. The problem with saying 'Go Buffs' is that, eventually, they have to go. They are now heading off in varying directions, but we will proudly watch them excel in their coming adventures."

The three combined for 19 First Team All-American finishes, including a top-eight finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships for each and a school record by each.

Jones concludes her career at Colorado as just the third Buffalo runner to capture four national titles, joining Jenny Simpson and Adam Goucher. She was a two-time National Athlete of the Year, earning her final one this winter with two NCAA top-10 times and a school record in the indoor 800.

"I'm thrilled to be on a team with such driven, successful women," said Jones on turning pro. "That's what I had at CU and what made me successful there. At Colorado I was surrounded by people with high goals and expectations, and who worked extremely hard to reach them. I know Colorado made me the athlete I am today and is the reason I have a great opportunity to continue my running career."

Klecker concludes his career as an 11-time NCAA qualifier and seven-time First Team All-American. He put together three top-three finishes at NCAA Championships, including scoring 14 points at the 2019 Indoor Championships, the most by a CU male runner at either indoors or outdoors. He is the school record holder in the indoor 5,000 and the 2019 NCAA Cross Runner-Up.

"Although I feel there is a chapter left unfinished at CU I am very excited for my next step in the sport and finishing my degree," said Klecker. "I'm forever grateful for the coaches that turned me into the best runner I could be."

Morley was a huge part of capturing the 2018 women's NCAA Cross Country Championships with an eighth-place finish. She also holds the school record in the 10,000 and a pair of top-three times in school history in the indoor 3,000 and 5,000. In just four championships on the track, Morley was a three-time First Team All-American.

"Thank you to my teammates, coaches and fellow Buffs for pushing me to be my best and for showing me the power of teamwork and teammates," said Morley. "Go Buffs forever!"
"
 
Of course any plans involving social interaction nowadays come with a BIG ?, but wanted to mention the main pro international running series (the Diamond League) has released a revised schedule, with the 1st meet scheduled for August 14th in Monaco.

Per the below article, it sounds like, due to different circumstances among different athletes, there isn't going to be a Diamond League Championship competition this year, and no event champions will be named. It's just going to be individual meets.



Direct link to article - https://www.diamondleague.com/news/...ague-announces-new-provisional-2020-calendar/

"
The Wanda Diamond League today announces a shortened, provisional calendar for late summer and autumn 2020. Several events will be re-scheduled, others cancelled as organisers continue to adapt the season in the face of the coronavirus crisis.
...

This provisional calendar will see a number of Wanda Diamond League meetings go ahead as one-off, exhibition events, while others will be staged as adapted Wanda Diamond League meetings. There will be no events in July and the first half of August (other than National Championships where possible), and the season will instead be extended into October.

The 2020 Wanda Diamond League will not be a structured series of events leading to a final as is usually the case. Given the current discrepancies in training and travel opportunities, it would be impossible to ensure a level playing field and a fair qualification system during 2020. Athletes will therefore not earn Diamond League points this season, and there will not be a single, 24-discipline final in Zurich as originally planned.
...

The new provisional dates for Wanda Diamond League events in 2020 are as follows:

In August: Monaco (14th), Gateshead (16th) and Stockholm (23rd).
In September: Lausanne (2nd), Brussels (4th), Paris (6th tbc), (Rome/Naples (17th), Shanghai (19th)
In October: Eugene (4th), Doha (9th), a second meeting in China (17th, venue tba).
...
"
 
Going to be fun to see how this affects various teams and runners as to where they try to find and make their own races (I'd guess all at or near sea level).

 
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Congrats to #ForeverBuffs Dani Jones, Emma Coburn and Nick Harris, along with some other athletes coached by #ForeverBuff Joe Bosshard, for running what sounds like very nice miles yesterday evening!
(If I'm not missing something (and it's VERY possible I could), it's possible Ms. Jones' and Coburn's times give them qualifying times for next year's U.S. Olympic Trials in the 1500M. Per https://www.usatf.org/events/2021/p...-team-trials-track-field/qualifying-standards, it sounds like mile times run by women under 4:28.43 may qualify, and I THINK I saw a tweet awhile ago where the U.S. Track and Field said times after early April will count for qualifying purposes.

I assume this doesn't mean much to Ms. Coburn since the steeplechase is her main event, but assume IF I'm correct about this race counting it is a nice goal for Ms. Jones to be able to check off in her list of objectives.)



Direct link to article - https://www.dyestat.com/gprofile.ph...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

"
Cory McGee, Dani Jones and Emma Coburn took advantage of racing at sea level for the first time outdoors this year and achieved history by becoming the first American trio to all run under 4 minutes, 24 seconds in the same race Saturday at the Team Boss Indiana Mile at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion.

McGee, a New Balance professional, surged with 250 meters remaining and never relinquished control, clocking a lifetime-best 4:21.81 to elevate to the No. 8 all-time American outdoor performer.

Jones (4:23.33), a first-year professional, and Coburn (4:23.65), also a New Balance athlete, achieved significant personal bests to ascend to the Nos. 10 and 11 outdoor performers in U.S. history.

Tripp Hurt won the men’s mile in a world-leading 3:56.18, just off his 3:56.02 lifetime best, with Nick Harris running a personal-best 3:57.11 and Mason Ferlic achieving a sub-4 clocking for the first time in his career to place third in 3:58.87.
...
"


 
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