Women’s Least Surprising: Dibaba Destroys the Mile WR

No outcome was more predictable last week than Dibaba-Mania firing up in Stockholm with a mile World record. Oh, and fire up the Ethiopian did, chopping a gargantuan 3.83 seconds off a two-and-a-half decades old mark, a margin that proved just how foreseeable her sixth World record truly was.

Even though no woman had come within four seconds of Doina Melinte’s 4:17.14 in over 16 years, Dibaba’s 3:50.07 1500 World record from last July— plus her ability to close a 1500 in a coffee-spewing 1:57—not only guaranteed that she would break it, but that she would send it home with tail tucked between legs.



While the 25-year-old didn’t catch me off guard with her 4:13.31, or even with her encore 8:22 3k, it was her words that did the trick with a statement that— if true— would completely alter the event for which Dibaba is most famous. 

Women’s Most Surprising: After spectacular week, Genzebe Dibaba announces she will run only the 5k in Rio

Here’s a quote from the greatest female 1500m runner in history after she ran the second-fastest indoor 3k of all-time, two days removed from shattering the indoor mile World record:

“In Rio I will not compete in the 1,500, I will in 5000, where I try to improve my mark and, of course, fight for the gold,” she told the Spanish site, Marca. 

Um… WHAT.

This is a translation from the always-accurate* Google translate, where the 25-year-old Ethiopian claims that she’s gonna skip the event she was put on this Earth to run— at the freakin Olympic Games no less— so that she can, I guess, attempt to set the 5k World record in Rio. This isn’t me saying she couldn’t do it— Dibaba’s only four seconds away from her sister’s 14:11 record after all— but why the heck would you risk not winning gold instead of locking up the sure thing in the 1500m? 

A rested Dibaba would probably still be the favorite over Almaz Ayana (2015 5k World champ) in the 5k, but c’mon Genzebe, you’re gonna skip the 1500m? I understand the schedule isn’t favorable for a 1500-5k double in Rio (Round 1 of the 5k is 13 hours before the 1500 final), but it would be a minor tragedy for the GOAT to skip her best event on the grandest stage at the peak of her career.

Perhaps Dibaba was, in fact, tired after running two incredibly fast races within 48 hours of each other and was out of her mind when she said this. Because otherwise, this choice is hot garbage. 

Men’s Least Surprising: Centro, Ryan Hill Crush Last Laps At Millrose

 
While the two most exciting distance races at the Armory on Saturday were no less spectacular for it, watching Matt Centrowitz and Ryan Hill save their best work for last in the mile and 3k, respectively, felt like a broken record. Centro’s holding off of Nick Willis was like a reflection from the last 150m of the Wanamaker mile a year ago, while Hill’s mow down of Hassan Mead from Lane 2 sent me right back to last year’s Payton Jordan 1500 and of course, the 2015 USA Outdoor 5k, where he performed similar crimes to other victims.

Having Ryan Hill deja vu?:

 
Centro’s remarkable 3:50.63 (#4 all-time, while sick no less) came with a 26.45 last circuit, while Hill’s 7:38.82 victory was punctuated with a wicked 26.36 that just barely swallowed up Mead. Expect plenty more of such shenanigans to come in 2016. 

Men’s Most Surprising: There Were No Surprises...?

The saying goes “expect the unexpected,” but sometimes expectation delivers on its promise like it did this past week, leaving me to scramble to find something to call “surprising.” But after such a predictable slate of racing on the men’s side, I gave up searching. The biggest shocker was that nothing shocking really happened in a busy slate of races.  

Ayanleh Souleiman’s 2:14.20 1k World record— He’s run 1:42 in the 800 and 3:47 for the mile, so not exactly a stunner. Impressive, but not a surprise.

Abdalelah Haroun’s 59.83 500m World record— I refuse to be surprised by off-distance records. The 500m isn’t a thing, sorry.

Anything from Millrose— Exciting and awesome, but no, nothing surprising. 

Mo Farah— He won a 3k. Snooze.

Oh wait! I’ve got it! Who the F thought Mark Wieczorek could do this:

So @wizzo800 is currently pacing the men's 1500m at #GlasgowGP

He can also do that!! @BBCSport pic.twitter.com/N1EZmLrXqk

— SPIKES (@spikesmag) February 20, 2016