V 11 N. 55 Jewett - Amos Collision, an Opinion from Richard Mach, Relay Exchange Issues, and Bob Schul Still the Only Western Hemisphere Runner to Have Won the 5000.

 

Isaiah Jewett and Nigel Amos collided in the semis of the 800 in Tokyo last week.  I've been hard pressed to find a good film of the fall, but the one below does show that Jewett appears to have established a gap ahead of Amos before he went down.  You have to put up with this rather forced narration of the event by someone who is just reading a script.  I've looked at several other tapes but couldn't make a conclusion except from this one.  Our reader  Richard Mach has a strong opinion about this as stated below.  We always look forward to Richard's observations from a highly skilled eye.  

The Collision

Slow mo video shown during prime time clarifies the US runner, Isiah Jewett’s back kick in the midst of the final turn — his heel hitting Botswana’s Nigel Amos’ knee and Jewett now off balance falls to the track and the following too close Amos cannot avoid him and falls too.   The officials — if they follow top racing @ all — know Amos has a checkered reputation when racing causing innumerable problems lurching about on the pack and making sudden untelegraphed moves throwing other competitors off stride and violating —rather severely —-English Rules.  To my knowledge he has never been sanctioned nor called onto account    Jewett was the innocent party here.  Clearly so.  As a racer, you are obliged to give competitors in front of you sufficient room not to get tangled up by your actions and choices.   

The decision on the matter was shocking.  Amos reinstated on into the final: Jewett is not and, by implication, seen as the violator.  I have no information that the US officials ever lodged a protest over this misbegotten decision.  However, it does occur to me that the decision was made on what served NBC.  And since the IOC gets most of its funding from selling the Olympic coverage to NBC, they along w the USOC, brazenly went along and excluded the innocent US runner.  With Jewett already on a tear and the very slow final, he could quite easily won the gold on his finishing kick. A disgusting injustice seen by anyone looking.   The sport of athletics has been so thoroughly invaded by cheesy network politics I hardly recognize it.  NBC has virtually homogenized our sport to fit its pre- and ill conceived notions of what they want it to be.     The only saving grace on the matter was Jewett’s on-track magnanimity that probably ended up working against him. As in he wouldn’t be likely to put up a stink.  And where does Amos end up finishing in the 9 man final: Next to last. 8th.  

What about those 4x100 relay passes?

Jim Metcalf, former member of Oklahoma State's 2 mile world record relay team with the Perry brothers John and David and Tom Von Ruden has sent some comments about our seemingly endless drama with men's relay exchanges.  He has shown us in clips first from  London 1948 and then Tokyo 1964 where the fastest man in the world, Bob Hayes had no trouble taking a pass from his teammate and going on to victory.  Jim makes note that this style of pass is quite simple, but it does require a bit of practice.   

"The US has lost so many 4 x 100's over the past 20 years because of poor passes.   This was used all the way back to 1948, and before.  Every team in the world used it..it is fool proof."

 

 

"Someone needs to tell the US track coaches how to coach passing the baton"

 

 

"Texas Relays (Photo)1965 notice the baton pass takes place 10 yards from begining of zone (ie. the middle)...sometimes we passed half way past the 10 yard marker. We all had an extra 10-15 yard gear to accelerate to the pass..."

 

Jim Metcalf  OSU '63-'67

London 1948 4x100   link

Tokyo 1964 4x100  link  This one has an especially good shot of the final exchange between Hayes and Richard Stebbins.   First two runners on that team were Paul Drayton and Gerald Ashworth.  

Lee Evans and Larry James,  Lake Tahoe '68

Perry to Von Ruden,   Texas Relays

 Amos was clearly at fault since he was behind Jewett and needed to give him space.  However, I am unclear as to why NBC would rather have the Botswana runner in the finals rather than the American, thinking they would rather have Jewett.

   The passes promoted in the blog were 1950s and 60s passes which strangely the Japanese still use.  It is underhanded and forces the runners to be closer together and also passed near the teammates' legs.  The current exchange is about shoulder high with each teammates' hand fully extended, benefiting them about 5 feet in a perfect world.  However, the problem in this Olympics was the takeoff point as well as timing.

   Bill Schnier

Bob Schul, Still the Only American to Win the Olympic 5000

Rich Davis and Bob Schul

Going into this Olympic year it seemed fairly certain that Bob Schul would still be the only western hemisphere runner ever to win the 5000 meters, although I was thinking that Mo Ahmed or Grant Fisher might be an outside shot, but sure enough Bob  is still the man.   Recently I received a note and picture of Bob from Rich Davis, the former men's cross country coach at the University of Dayton.  Rich is a long time runner and disciple of Bob Schul.  For a number of years when I coached the women's XC team, Rich helped me through all the machinations of scheduling and getting buses and hotels for our many trips away from the campus, and Bob was one of our big rivals coaching at Wright State University also near Dayton.   Rich has remained a steadfast friend of Bob.  He informed me recently that Bob soon to be  84 years old is staying in an assisted living facility in Middletown, Ohio.  The staff have to make sure he doesn't run them down in the halls.  If you would like to contact Bob he can be reached at the following address.   Perhaps a birthday  card on September 28th would be nice.

His contact info:

Bickford Assisted Living 

 4375 UNION RD
Middletown , OH 45005
Phone 937.550.4911

I agree 100% that Jewett was the one who should have beenasvanced. I am unclear whether the U.S. coaches filed a protest. If they didn't, I wish someone would explain their decision.

Underhand passes, as the Japanese teams have shown for years, are safer because they are easier. The hand of the outgoing runner is a much steadier target than with the overhand pass plus when the baton hits the Vee of the outgoing runner it is automatic to squeeze it. 

Bob Schul: Do you know more about his health. "Assisted living" seems to suggest he isn't functioning well independently, but I think that in some cases folks just choose it to make life easier. Fewer daily chores to do.

Bob Schul Sept 28th and Buddy Edelen Sept. 22nd and George Young July 24th and Ron Daws June 21st were all born in a roughly three month span in 1937.  As was I. Sept 18th. I was a wee bit slower, of course. But I became very aware of this chronological relationship. 

On Jan 2, 1988 the National Masters 10K was held in Charlotte NC on a very hilly course - and in freezing weather. It attracted pretty strong fields since Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter had turned 40 not long before. Rodgers won.  I ran it and felt like I had run tough. I asked the race announcer who was calling the finishers if he knew how I had done in the 50-54 division. I was a bit disappointed to hear I was second - until I learned that Bob Schul was the guy who beat me. And by "only" 57 sec. I just wish I would have been within 57 seconds of him in a 10k when we were young. Heck, I would have been delighted to be within 57 sec. in a 5K in our younger days.   Geoff Pietsch

Dear George:

I wouldn't jump to conclusions on the Amos/Jewett collision.

If you will look at the YouTube of the race it appears Jewett caused the fall, clipping Amos's foot.   Bad luck or not being one stride clear?

Amos won the 800 silver in the 2012 Olympics and has gone 1:43 a number of times and even sub 1:42.   He may be older but was no slouch.

I was sorry to see Jewett out of the final but a lot of good athletes fell in Toyko.

Take care,

Tom Coyne