August 20, 2004
Not one to watch the pros, but it is the Olympics
Not one to usually comb the news for the latest developments in what is happening in the professional running world, it's tough not to get into it during the Olympics. And being a runner, you couldn't help get pumped up about the hype around Alan Webb. This guy was a high school phenom and seems to have the future of American running resting firmly on his shoulders.
That's a lot to handle, and he seemed to be doing OK. Until the 1st round of the 1500. The NYTimes put it nicely, by saying that he lost by '0.11' of a second.
The problem with that figure is that it sounds close, and it wasn't.
It was a blowout and really hard to watch. He was 25th overall, 9th in his heat. NINTH.
Now mind you, if average Joe who runs a 5:40 mile was out there, Alan Webb would have almost lapped you twice, but it was such a disappointment.
But don't worry, he'll be back.