Maggie Vessey disappointed after missing the 800m final at the 2009 IAAF World Championships

i dont care of your comments she s need boyfriend hahaha

MV is such an exciting talent and I love her personality. I think that the lack of resources she has had until recently showed. She will benefit from a sports psychologist to help with her confidence. Once she gets that in the bag watchout.

MV-
I showed my 2.9 year old daughter your Pre race, and we followed your races all through July, rooting for you. Thank you for showing us what an awesome and difficult race the 800 is. We hope this season gives you the inspiration and means to continue racing at least until 2012!

Ryan I hope you gave her a hug after this interview.

Maggie is still a world champion and just as human as anyone of us. She needed a hug. All I know is that I wanted to cry with her at that moment she showed her emotion.

Stop shouting Mark S

I THINK OTHER THAN BEING SCARED TO COMPETE PART OF THE PROBLEM WAS THAT SHE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JELIMO WHO DID NOT GO OUT LIKE SHE USUALLY DOES DUE TO INJURY OR ?

I think she got caught in the moment. I still think she has had a good feel of the world stage and will correct all that needs to be corrected for the future. She just has to stay within herself and not lose that confidence from the Prefontaine Meet and Monaco...

It was all mental.Period.She ran 1:57 to get the A standard.She has loads of speed.She ran from the front determined to get the standard and she got it.why did she start off in the back in the biggest race of her life.Who is her coach? When you're racing on a world stage like Berlin,you've got to have a plan from the gun.In Maggie's case she needed to be up front.I watched the whole race.She was never in it at all.She just got psyched out and was running scared.She's young.Hopefuly she"ll be ready for the next big show with different tactics.

The difference between this interview and the one of Jenny B. is staggering. And I would suggest that they are different in more ways than just where they finished. Maggie is obviously very talented, and has had a great season, but needs to figure out a way to become a more confident person and one who no longer races from the back. That just doesn't work in international competition.

Add ditto from me!!! Wish I could write like that!

Maggie- As Ryan said, you had an awesome season and I hope you know that. Like life, your season was filled with ups and downs, highs and lows. It didn't end the way you wanted it to, but as you said, you will learn from it. This experience undoubtably can make you stronger. I can't wait to see you out there again. With your obvious talent and the lessons you've learned, you clearly will be a force to be reckoned with.

Maggie Vessey is a beautiful, generous, insightful, brilliant, thoughtful, sensitive, tough, sweet, self-aware, determined, tenacious, strong, and enormously gifted woman who is now and always will be a success. No, she didn't win the WC, but she is a successful human being. Track is great and it's important and it's a great crucible in which to forge one's will and gain insight into life. But that's all. I love track because it is an arena that DEMANDS that athletes push themselves day in and day out -- when they love it, when they hate it, when they're tired, when they're amped, when they're confident and when they doubt -- and through that process it teaches them, teaches us, what it is to reach, to dream, to try, to face adversity inward and outward and risk -- risk winning, risk losing -- and ultimately makes us grow stronger. Maggie grew so much this year. She is so much stronger for having dared to challenge her own limits and for having smashed so many of them. This will serve her well not only in track, but in life. No athlete runs forever. It is the lessons learned during the years of competition that stay with an athlete when the competitions are over. The courageous, like Maggie Vessey, walk away from the track with hard-earned wisdom that serves them well in whatever they choose to do in years ahead. For Maggie, the journey of discovery that is track is still ongoing. But she has already proven herself to be a warrior who takes her lessons to heart. She will not be a success ... she already is one.

Give it a rest, folks. She's seriously upset. She didn't blame anyone, she didn't curse. She stopped and gave an interview when all she probably wanted to do was go back to the hotel. She knows what went wrong, she's hurting and still gracious enough for an interview, which some of you feel the need to rip on. Sad for ya.

Unbelievable.

Flo shoud've edited this out. or some parts of it to minimize the drama. ;)

i don't really know whats really gotten into her.

i mean i know shes lost a chance @ the final, but shes Like
this in PRACTICALLY Every interview shes done with interview.
kinda nutsy i would say.

how do people keep writing these essay comments??

i wish i had so much to tell... ;)
keep doing what you've been doing Mags!!! Keep ya'll head up high!!!

Fight on, Maggie! Have fun. Race fast and hard. Good luck.

The first heat came thru in 58 flat, the second heat in 58.1
She had to have known that 61.2 was incredibly slow and running from the back was not gonna cut it. It's obvious that she was not mentally prepared for this level of competition.

Still a great season for Maggie!.
Just time to figure out the mental aspect and execute a solid race plan.
Take it easy on yourself. Go out and have some fun. You'll be back again for another chance. Remember this interview and how horrible you felt. Let that be your motivation . . . And don't be afraid to change things up a bit.

A refreshingly honest interview . . . but man, what an emotional roller-coaster for this young woman. The lack of a solid race plan was astounding to me.

I'm absolutely blown away by the fact that there appeared to be very little pre-race strategy on her part. I mean, what was she thinking when the pack came through the first lap in 61.2 for crying out loud and she wasn't even in the same race? She's at World's and she's just "winging" it???
Like someone posted earlier, this isn't Eugene!
And it isn't Aptos High either.
I'm sorry, but it's clearly time for a new coach than can help put you into a better frame of mind and develop a solid race plan. Running from the back at World's and "winging-it" just isn't gonna be real constructive or productive at this level.
Get someone into your camp that understands the Big Stage and is able to help you develop the mental tools that will help you EXECUTE a solid race plan! You've obviously got the physical tools. You've had a breakout season for sure in that regard. But time for someone that understands the mental aspects of competing at the highest level, otherwise you're gonna be at a key disadvantage every time you step onto the track.

Ryan you are a freaking pro. You turned a almost disaster of her breaking down into a meaningful interview and realy helped her out. Flo track rocks. Ryan is the man. Great season to Maggie. Even though she didn't have the end result she wanted her she still ran 1:57!!!

Bless her heart. She is learning the hard way which will make it that much sweeter when she succeeds. Kudos to the interviewer for picking her up when it styarted to get tough for her.

still easily the hottest trackster!

Her honesty is so refreshing. She speaks from the heart and wears her emotions on her sleeve. I'm glad to see this resonates so well with so many people here. BTW Frank, you can learn something from her.

she just succinctly described the mental aspects of running a race so well. she can learn from the experience, and i hope a lot of runners watching this interview do as well

Dear Maggie,
I know how you feel. I understand that sounds kind of corny, but I have run that exact same race before. When I watched your race, I noticed that you were almost hyperventilating on the line before the start. That is clearly a sign of being to nervous. You need to relax and not worry so much about things that are out of your control. Things like what meet it is, who is in the race, whether your gonna qualify or not. You should not be focused on the outcome! You should be totally focused on the process of success!!!!!! Our sport is very simple. There are not many rules and there is no playbook. The only thing you need to do is run straight turn left and always always do your best!!!!!! ALL the rest is B.S and dosen't matter.

she's awesome and i loved watching her races and following her dramatic chase of the standard and getting to know her via flotrack. I hope she does some more races this year.

Girls!!! I have four myself and their emotions before, during, and after competitions are like a huge roller coaster. Maggie spent so much energy getting in that it was hard to sustain it at worlds. I like the agresseive take charge I know I can kick ass Maggie from Monaco. The one we were cheering for as she charged down the back stretch on the second lap. The Maggie we saw today was the Maggie from 2 months ago who wasn't sure she belonged with the Chelimo's of the world. You belong in the top teir and there were people afraid of you because you were hitting your stride at the right time. Had you attacked the first 200 some of the people would have freaked and said crap there goes Vessie.

Practice the decisive moves you will make in your races so they happen without thinking. Do it over and over and over so it is automatic. You had a wonderful season. Now build off of it and learn.

Headcase!!!!

Thanks Maggie! I like to watch track races and your races were some of the best of not thee best for me to watch.

yea, ryan. i was like "dude give her a hug. she's upset."

she mentally didn't show up. hopefully, she uses this as a building experience. she's upset and that's a hell of lot better than if she didn't care.

With the improvement she has made this year and the lessons she has learned, she's going to be hard to beat next year! It has been a treat to watch her blossom this year.

She's got a long way to go. Running from the back ain't going to work for her.
This is a long way from Poly.

That's incredibly dissapointing. Good luck next time!

I watched the race and she did what worked for her in the past, jump to the backa and hope for the best. When racing at this level, with her ability, she needs a good coach who understands emotional runners.
I've been in those situations where you can turn into a spectator which can happen at any level.
She has the tools, she'll learn from her failure and will be an outsatnding competitor

Have been following MV for a long time, and what she did [or did not do] does not make sense to me. Hope next time the big stage does not scare her.

Good job, nothing to be ashamed of in your first world champs!

She was trailing the entire race. So, what happened? Do I have to be able to break two minutes in the half to make that assessment?

it always cracks me up when people come on here and act like they would do it differently if they were in maggie shoes. the truth is you probably are a male that cant run as fast as her anyways. regardless, we all have off days in all aspects of life. Ive always known she has had it in her, its not gone either. she will continue to shock the world.

the first time i saw Maggie run was at the Pre classic. She inspired me then and there with her kick. i also got to see her run at usas where im pretty sure she split like 24 sec. the last 200. it stinks that she had a crappy race today but i can tell from this race it'll only make her kick even more at the end. Mags you are young and you have SO much potential.. i can't wait to watch you run these next few years. keep kicking ass.

all the nice sentiment is great, but come on, this woman should have medalled at this champtionship meet.
in the first 100 meters she decided, consciously or subconsciously, not to compete. watch the race, my jaw hit the floor when i saw her essentially give up in the first 200 meters.
From her interview, it sounded like there was no solid race plan. She should never step on the track without a solid, iron clad, race plan. She is not a "think on your feet", react to the pack, go with the flo(no pun intended), type of runner. Had she been committed to putting herself in the top 4 at 200 meters, and holding that spot through 500, she would be in the finals easily.
i don't really fault her for this abysmal effort, she was obviously under confident and over excited, that's where a coach should have laid out a simple, easy to follow, hopefully impossible to not follow, plan.
Also, a coach should have been there to read her nervous / self doubt / negative thought process, and tried to correct it.
In the end, maybe none of that would have helped, as she exhibited classic "choke" syndrome. She did not have a bad day, she mentally checked out the second the gun sounded.
But it would have been nice to at least hear her say, "this was the solid plan, and i didn't follow it, i screwed that up". then we would have known that everything that could and should have been done for her at that level had been done.
she's a great talent, but until the mental game is mastered, being a presence in championship races will elude her.

Hey Frank, you must have been the guy that kept getting B-Slapped in every sport you tried out for. Apparently you don't have the faintest clue of what you're talking about. Obviously you have not taken the time to really see what Maggie is made of. From your comments, I'd have to say she's way out of your league.

Maggie, Learn to block everything else out when you run. Its your race to run. Do not let the pressure get to you, because you have the talent to be better. Focus on you, and nobody else. Yes, you could have won this race, but thats the past. Think ahead.

Actually, I happen to agree with Quinn. I thought Maggie, you had stopped running from the back of the pack. cannot beat the best that way. anyway, impressive season and best of luck in the future. The talent is there!

cheer up maggie, you had an awesome season!! :D there is a bright future ahead!

Man, how sad to see Maggie cry, don't despair Maggie you'll be back, every athlete has one of those days, even Lightning Bolt false started, next time run your race, we love you.

you are doing great, Maggie. Don't despair. This is your best year ever. Get back on the circuit and run a couple more races and finish the season strong. You have what it takes to make the next WC final. Chalk it up to experience.

You could be our coach knowing that experience. I needed that sense of reality because I make the same mistakes in my marathon training. Making plans to stay on pace and then the gun goes off. I immediately forget what I need to do. You could be one of the speakers at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon with your experience.

Ryan give her a hug!

This year has been great for me as a fan....just when I though the season could not get any better than watching Jennyb, shannon, Ann W, etc....a long comes Maggie Vessey!...WOW....your career isn't over...it's just starting!

Maggie... great honesty in your thoughts and reflection on your race, now you will improve from here....you will be back and make the final...you have the ablity to run with the world best!... look how far you have come and how much you accomplished this season....the next step realy is not that far!

Yep no worries remember shed been under 200 one time ever and 12 weeks ago very few people even knew who she was. In 1-2 years if she can keep plugging away she will be way more ready to medal. Plus hopefully a couple more 158-9s in the upcoming races. great year!!

Where are the stinking US distance coaches to help athletes pull a strategy together BEFORE the race. Look at the africans dogonit. I was looking at the race and wondering what Maggie was doing...wondering if she didn't learn from her best race in Monaco. You just don't cut these African and russian runners that much slack thinking that you're going to just outkick them. This is not Eugene, Oregon. The kinda race that will get you to the next round is from the center of the pack or from the lead, like LEO, Like Bernard, Like Lopez. My goodness. Hope you've learned Maggie. I wish you would've been in the final. Hope this motivates you to take a serious look at your race strategy. Wish you the best.

Maggie, don't doubt yourself or your abilities. Especially not after one race! You seem like a great girl and deserve the fruits all your hard work has and will continue to produce. I am a fan!

Man, it takes some serious strength of character to stand there and give an interview like that. Much respect and best wishes to her. I think everybody knows she'll be back w/ a vengeance.

Maggie will be back! As she was in victory, she is in defeat: honest, open and willing to accept responsibility for her own race. Maggie, this has been an incredible season, in fact, an overwhelming season. You have every right to be overwhelmed. 2 more summer races to reinforce what you've already accomplished, a great off season training program and you'll be back stronger because of the year you've had, including the ups and downs. Great job! Ryan: way to go dude. My Masters degree in guidance and counseling salute you

Maggie,

Look at your entire season! You have just done a great job and it is unfortunate the timing of a bad race. But all of us will be cheering for you!

HEY SCREW YOU FRANK! stupid jerk. maggie you are like freaking amazingggg..you ran 1:57 this season!!!! thats freaking legit. just come back and wreck shoppppppppp

Thanks for sharing your experience with us this summer. You have made it real and that is something few can do. Your highlights and drive has been inspiring and what a classy way to end, rooting on a teammate. This fan thanks you for allowing us to be part of this adventure and knows that you will continue to see much more success on many other fronts.
M.V. ROCKS!!

I'm a bigger fan of Maggie now and again reminded of how incredible the Flotrack coverage is.
Frank, she's not the 1st person to cry a little after a race and won't be the last but this is one of few times I've seen it up close thru the media and the only time it didn't at least a little voyeuristic. After the Flotrack summer I could really appreciate where she's coming from.

Great season Maggie!

Don't let this define your season Maggie! You still inspire me. Take this experience and use it in the future!

needs a hug

You had a great season Maggie. Just take all the good n the bad of this season and build off of it for the next year.

thanks Maggie and Ryan--showing real character to face up to the disappointment.

get over it and stop crying! it's pat of the sport! geeeez! Not a fan anymore!

Nice job, Maggie, and nice work, Ryan. My eyes were welling up watching it...you kept it together.

Hang in there, Maggie!

Great job helping her through that, Ryan. She has had an incredible breakout season. Maggie, stay strong and stay cool! You have so many who wish you all the best now and in the future!

Keep at it - your confidence will come! You've got a great future ahead of you and lots of people rooting for you!