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Mary Cain Updates - IAAF World Outdoor Championships 2013

Published by
DyeStat.com   Aug 10th 2013, 7:28pm
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Mary Cain in MoscowMary Cain, first round at World Champs

The Finals: Cain bolted from the starting line and appeared to slightly bump into Jenny Simpson when they met at the front in the first 60 meters of the race. Simpson dictated the tempo early while Cain found a sweet spot on the rail. But the talented crowd of women in the race slowly began to move past Cain and by 900 meters she was at the tail end of the field. Meanwhile, Simpson showed her championship mettle by fighting for the win against world leader Abebe Aregawi (an Ethiopian who runs for Sweden). Simpson took the silver. Cain sped past two women in the final 200 to nab 10th in 4:07.19. Cain now owns the eight fastest HS 1,500 meter performances of all-time, including three from Moscow.

Jenny Simpson on Mary Cain: "She spoke to me for a couple seconds and I told her to come see me afterwards. Every one keeps asking about me about her of course, of course, but I don't really know her at all. ... I have been told that I can be intimidating, which I don't think that's true, I hope I'm an approachable person. But I haven't really seen her much or or gotten a chance to speak positively into her life. This championships was about me being prepared and I was focused on me. Now that it's over I'd like to see her and make myself available to her as a teammate."

Mary Cain in the mixed zone: "I'm not even, like, sad. I'm just angry. I think that' s a good thing. This was all a learning experience this whole meet and I think this is going to make me super-pissed for Beijing (in 2015) and I'm going to try and go in there and kill as many people as possible. I know I need to put this in perspective. So many kids my age would just die to do this. But I'm a tough person, I expected a lot from myself....

"I don't know what happened, I really don't, but I was in there and I was running to win.  That's crazy, I know. I think a lot of people didn't think I'd get out of the heats, let alone myself....

"I'm going to go home and I'm going to get into this. This is my last race of the season. I think this is going to motivate me so much for next year. There's no worlds (in 2014). It's just me and learning how to race. We've already been talking about excited we are for all the form work we're going to do. ...

"Alberto said to me before this, 'Mary, you could win or you could get 12th. And I got 10th, that's not really halfway (in between). ...

"Jeez, though, I'm not sure what happened but you know what, maybe it's a good thing. Maybe when I get to to Beijing I won't be a terrified 19 year old. ...

"(Simpson) has been awesome. She said come find me after the race. I'm here for you. And by that time I was near tears, you're the silver medalist. I'm so happy for her." ...

"On the line I told myself that all these kids are 16 and there's no way I'm letting 16-year-olds beat me!"...

"I wanted to podium so I could get a toy mascot. I think you can buy them anyway. I was watching (Tirunesh) Dibaba get one after the 10K and I was like 'Jordan' (Hasay), watch out, I'm going to get that mascot.'"

Round Two: Cain stayed in the pack moreso than she has in almost any race this sesaon, absorbing a few elbows along the way. She was about sixth for most of the final lap and then used her speed to move into position to nab fourth in the first of two semifinals (top five advanced). 

After her race, Cain said:

"I felt pretty good. That is my second fastest time ever, 4:05, by about a second, which is pretty crazy as you can imagine for me. My last race was (also) my second fastest, and that didn't really go great. I had a lot more in me. 

"Geez, they made that hard out there. I'm excited to see what the other (U.S.) girls do, but gosh I'm excited to be automatic (into the final). It was pretty close out there and it came down to a dip (at the finish line). You know, when I was younger, like I'm still in high school now but when I was running in high school competitions, a few times I got beaten by a dip. So I try to master that skill and I guess it worked out because out of the three of us (at the line) I think I was the number one person out there with that dip. So, fourth, I'll take it any day at the world championship semifinal. Hopefully I'll do the same thing in the final. That was a pretty hard effort for me, but I remember talking to Nick Symmonds -- he is so nice -- and he was like after the Olympic semifinal there was no way he was running any faster and he went out there and ran two seconds faster, so I look to him as a role model. Even though I'm exhausted hopefully I still have more in the tank. It is definitely a confidence boost."

Round One: Cain wore hip number 11 and eased her way through the first two laps, drifting to the back of the pack and even a meter off the end. She kept her eyes on the lead pack and trusted her kick to work for her at the end. Coming off the final turn, Cain was eighth and running wide in lane 3. But she had enough speed late to move up to sixth (.01 behind fifth) in 4:08.21. (Photo John Nepolitan)

The Storyline: America's sensational 17-year-old from Bronxville NY, who competes alongside the Nike Oregon Project with coach Alberto Salazar, is due to make her World Championships debut on Sunday (early a.m. U.S. time). Cain has set high school national records from 800 meters to 5,000 during a sensational season that made her one of the most talked about track and field athletes in the U.S. She qualified for the IAAF World Championships by placing second at the U.S. Outdoor Championships in the 1,500 meters.  

RunnerSpace's IAAF World Championships hub.

Talk about Cain on the Message Board here.

A couple of links:

The Oregonian: Is Alexa Efraimson the next Mary Cain?

WSJ: New York Teen Takes on the World

NPR: Teenage phenom advances to final

USA Today: Cain qualifies for finals

Photo below: Jordan Hasay (left) and Mary Cain relax together at the Roughrider Twilight Meet in Portland in July. (Parker Logan Media)  

 

Jordan Hasay, left, and Mary Cain relax at the Roughrider Twilight Meet in Portland in July.



More news

33 comment(s)
DrBob
I'm hoping someone is really able to capture these moments from Salazar's perspective. What was the game plan in the first round, 2nd round, Finals? What would be his teaching points going forward?

Again, heedy stuff from Mary the likes we've never seen before. If Mary can perform on the world stage, will this moment be a harbinger and inspiration for those with the desire to follow in her footsteps.
Joe Lanzalotto

DougB, on , said:

You're right Joe, it wasn't the wisest of moves. But what I think was impressive -- even if naive, perhaps -- was that it demonstrated her belief. I think if she goes to the back from the start, it indicates her mind is made up to pick people off at the end and concede that she probably won't catch everybody, which was a-OK in the rounds. But for a lap, it was like ... Where Jenny goes, I go. .... But, getting caught behind Zoe Buckman, and then boxed, unraveled it.

But three sub-4:10s in five days? Until this spring no HSer had ever done it once. History-making stuff. I hope that thousands of kids all over the country were tuned in to see it.


Doug, I totally agree with everything you've said here. The scary thing is that she is going to get BETTER.
dkap
It was smart in that it showed her competitive instincts. If you want to run on the inside, you either go to the front or the back. She made the choice that gave her the best chance to compete for a medal, whether or not that was a foolish goal. The problem is, she didn't recognize the need to move out slightly when things bunched up. It's fairly easy to not get boxed if you're prepared for it, and I'm guessing she won't make that mistake again. How it unfolded doesn't change the fact that she made a good move early.

Dan
DougB
You're right Joe, it wasn't the wisest of moves. But what I think was impressive -- even if naive, perhaps -- was that it demonstrated her belief. I think if she goes to the back from the start, it indicates her mind is made up to pick people off at the end and concede that she probably won't catch everybody, which was a-OK in the rounds. But for a lap, it was like ... Where Jenny goes, I go. .... But, getting caught behind Zoe Buckman, and then boxed, unraveled it.

But three sub-4:10s in five days? Until this spring no HSer had ever done it once. History-making stuff. I hope that thousands of kids all over the country were tuned in to see it.
Joe Lanzalotto

dkap, on , said:

Love it!

I thought Cain ran a very smart race early, then made one [big] tactical mistake that cost her the rest of the way. She knew she had to get on the rail and not waste energy running wide against that field, and she did a great job of getting out fast on the outside and tucking in perfectly. The problem is, she didn't recognize the nature of the tactical pack. If you stay on the rail, there's nowhere to go but back when people start moving up... That one split-second decision decides the rest of the race (unless your speed is so superior to everyone else's that you can drop to the back and bounce back on the outside, or you can just muscle your way out like Symmonds). I can't really fault her for that, though, as it was her first time being in that situation. I figure the intentions were a bigger pro than the slip up was a con.

Dan


Smart? Where? She went to the front and then spent the rest of the race fading through the field. You go to the front when you can do something with it. She didn't do a thing with it and she really had no chcoie but to stick to the rail through the race because she allowed herself to get boxed.

She's not that experienced running at this level so she'll learn and I would bet learn quickly but I don't think there was anything smart about the way she ran that race.
dkap

Quote

"On the line I told myself that all these kids are 16 and there's no way I'm letting 16-year-olds beat me!"...

Love it!

I thought Cain ran a very smart race early, then made one [big] tactical mistake that cost her the rest of the way. She knew she had to get on the rail and not waste energy running wide against that field, and she did a great job of getting out fast on the outside and tucking in perfectly. The problem is, she didn't recognize the nature of the tactical pack. If you stay on the rail, there's nowhere to go but back when people start moving up... That one split-second decision decides the rest of the race (unless your speed is so superior to everyone else's that you can drop to the back and bounce back on the outside, or you can just muscle your way out like Symmonds). I can't really fault her for that, though, as it was her first time being in that situation. I figure the intentions were a bigger pro than the slip up was a con.

Dan
Joe Lanzalotto

DistancePreps.com, on , said:

Mega mega kudos to Mary ! Without a doubt, an outstanding performance and season. I really only watched the tactics of 2 in the race. Mary and Jenny. I just wish they would have run a little different tactically. I think the adrenaline rush pushed Mary to the front whereas I really wished she would have slipped to the very back, out of trouble and able to move at her will. Going backwards the whole race and then coming on strong at the end was amazing to see. Kudos to Jenny for jumping out with 220 to go and hanging tough. Ideally the races draw up differently from a pure tactical viewpoint. Making it so is a different story.


Very well said but questionable tactics when you are still new to this level aren't the end of the world. The key thing in that stream of consciousness statement above was her saying that she will learn from this. You can't ask for more than that. As it is you would be hard pressed to find a season where a prep ran better than this. An absolutely stupendous season.
DrBob
Mega mega kudos to Mary ! Without a doubt, an outstanding performance and season. I really only watched the tactics of 2 in the race. Mary and Jenny. I just wish they would have run a little different tactically. I think the adrenaline rush pushed Mary to the front whereas I really wished she would have slipped to the very back, out of trouble and able to move at her will. Going backwards the whole race and then coming on strong at the end was amazing to see. Kudos to Jenny for jumping out with 220 to go and hanging tough. Ideally the races draw up differently from a pure tactical viewpoint. Making it so is a different story.
DougB
Here's what Mary said after the race, holding court in her typical stream-of-consciousness fashion .... cobbled together from the media mixed zone:

"I'm not even, like, sad. I'm just angry. I think that' s a good thing. This was all a learning experience this whole meet and I think this is going to make me super-pissed for Beijing (in 2015) and I'm going to try and go in there and kill as many people as possible. I know I need to put this in perspective. So many kids my age would just die to do this. But I'm a tough person, I expected a lot from myself....

"I don't know what happened, I really don't, but I was in there and I was running to win. That's crazy, I know. I think a lot of people didn't think I'd get out of the heats, let alone myself....

"I'm going to go home and I'm going to get into this. This is my last race of the season. I think this is going to motivate me so much for next year. There's no worlds (in 2014). It's just me and learning how to race. We've already been talking about excited we are for all the form work we're going to do. ...

"Alberto said to me before this, 'Mary, you could win or you could get 12th. And I got 10th, that's not really halfway (in between). ...
"Jeez, though, I'm not sure what happened but you know what, maybe it's a good thing. Maybe when I get to to Beijing I won't be a terrified 19 year old. ...

"(Simpson) has been awesome. She said come find me after the race. I'm here for you. And by that time I was near tears, you're the silver medalist. I'm so happy for her." ...

"On the line I told myself that all these kids are 16 and there's no way I'm letting 16-year-olds beat me!"...

"I wanted to podium so I could get a toy mascot. I think you can buy them anyway. I was watching (Tirunesh) Dibaba get one after the 10K and I was like 'Jordan' (Hasay), watch out, I'm going to get that mascot.'"
Chris Nickinson

Joe Lanzalotto, on , said:

You can't seriously be comparing the competition and racing at the Youth and Junior Championships to what she is going to be facing tomorrow. There are two women in there with season and personal bests that are 8 seconds better than Cain's and two others at 7 and 6 seconds better. If its a fast race she could run a huge PR and not sniff a medal. If its a slow race as these things can be, her ability to race in close quarters and take every advantage of tight lines (as in not running in lane 3 around turns) will be tested. That's not to say she has no chance; she has a chance because she's in the race, is tough and can close. But with that crowd she could run very well and not get near a medal and there will certainly be no shame in it. The meet and season are already roaring successes.

I do NOT think she will collapse as some have inferred. She's in high school but has not run the typical high school 4 - 6 races a week. She's got a coach who knows how to prepare his athletes. She will handle herself well tomorrow and place and time may not be indicative of how well she does.


Well I did compare the events :)

One of those athletes with an 8 second better PR was Faith Kipyegon - the 2012 World Junior Champ. Mary wasn't a stranger to all of these athletes. She'd seen some in competition before and had raced meets with multiple rounds prior.

You're right, it's not apples to apples but it's not apples to oranges, either.

For the record, I think she had a hell of a meet and season. 10th in that race is nothing to to cry about.
SteveU
It was odd to see her get out fast and to the front, and I hoped as she slipped back that maybe she was going to rewind for a big kick. Not a great race by her lofty standards, but still an amazing, amazing week to make the final as a prep junior. Wonder if she'll do one more international race, after some rest, and try and get another PR in a paced race. Or maybe it's finally time to shut it down.

Congrats on the greatest distance year ever by a high-schooler, Mary!

DougB, on , said:

Sensational race ... Jenny Simpson takes silver and was closing fast on gold medalist Aregawi. Mary Cain was out aggressively but then cycled back to the end of the pack and couldn't get re-established. She kicked past a couple of women from last place with 200 to go but in a field full of kickers that wasn't enough to get into contention. An amazing finish, with room left to improve, for high school senior Mary Cain.
DougB
From Twitter:

Philip Hersh ‏@olyphil 6m
Mary Cain via @universalsports "I thought I could have won a medal. I'm definitely little upset. I've got to rally, get out of this funk."

Wow... she thinks she's in a "funk." Tenth in the world at 17.
DougB
Sensational race ... Jenny Simpson takes silver and was closing fast on gold medalist Aregawi. Mary Cain was out aggressively but then cycled back to the end of the pack and couldn't get re-established. She kicked past a couple of women from last place with 200 to go but in a field full of kickers that wasn't enough to get into contention. An amazing finish, with room left to improve, for high school senior Mary Cain.
DougB
Cain looks pretty relaxed on the starting line, even more so than the first two rounds, as she smiles for the cameras. Not sure if that's going to mean anything just yet.
DougB
My BBC feed stopped working today. Did that happen to anybody else?
DougB
Brief delay in the race so that the last few high jumpers can take stabs at the WR height. But the 1500 meter final is right around the corner. It might just be the most anticipated moment of these championships for many American viewers.
Joe Lanzalotto

Chris Nickinson, on , said:

I think a lot of people forget that she's run at World Youth and Juniors in the past. This "new to the world stage" schtick doesn't really apply to her. I know it gets more difficult as you go up in level but she's certainly no noob like many (not you) think she is. It's like people forgetting how big of a deal Tim Tebow was in college and acting like Tebow mania was something new when he got to the NFL.


You can't seriously be comparing the competition and racing at the Youth and Junior Championships to what she is going to be facing tomorrow. There are two women in there with season and personal bests that are 8 seconds better than Cain's and two others at 7 and 6 seconds better. If its a fast race she could run a huge PR and not sniff a medal. If its a slow race as these things can be, her ability to race in close quarters and take every advantage of tight lines (as in not running in lane 3 around turns) will be tested. That's not to say she has no chance; she has a chance because she's in the race, is tough and can close. But with that crowd she could run very well and not get near a medal and there will certainly be no shame in it. The meet and season are already roaring successes.

I do NOT think she will collapse as some have inferred. She's in high school but has not run the typical high school 4 - 6 races a week. She's got a coach who knows how to prepare his athletes. She will handle herself well tomorrow and place and time may not be indicative of how well she does.
Chris Nickinson

dkap, on , said:

I totally disagree with that sentiment. (I realize it's not your's, Chris.) Cain has yet to have a bad race yet this entire year. Why would she suddenly run out of gas in her biggest race yet? She's obviously quite good at managing all the little details that go into performing well, at least comparable to the best in the business.

Dan


I think a lot of people forget that she's run at World Youth and Juniors in the past. This "new to the world stage" schtick doesn't really apply to her. I know it gets more difficult as you go up in level but she's certainly no noob like many (not you) think she is. It's like people forgetting how big of a deal Tim Tebow was in college and acting like Tebow mania was something new when he got to the NFL.
Bsarno1
New to the world stage, Mary still is a smart kid...how she does in the final will testify to her acumen and the value of her coaching. If she races to the front she may not have the strength to sustain and could fade to,seventh or eighth. If she keeps her cool and sits quietly off the pace, down the stretch she will pass backing up runners and should place at least third or fourth and hit about 4:03.
dkap
I totally disagree with that sentiment. (I realize it's not your's, Chris.) Cain has yet to have a bad race yet this entire year. Why would she suddenly run out of gas in her biggest race yet? She's obviously quite good at managing all the little details that go into performing well, at least comparable to the best in the business.

Dan
Chris Nickinson
http://olympictalk.n...ps-1500-meters/

Quote

It’s hard to predict, but Cain may very well have to repeat her semifinal performance to contend for a medal. That’s a lot to ask of a 17-year-old at the biggest meet of her life, to put together back-to-back near-personal best times. That Cain has already made it this far is certainly accomplishment enough.
DougB
Very savvy racing by Mary that time. She kept herself in very good position on the final lap and even in a desperate last 100 seemed like she was in control. The greatest season in HS history continues.
SteveU
Damn, girl gets it done! Intense, crazy race and she ran outside quite a bit (but a lot of others did, too). She really mixed it up and came through!
Chris Lotsbom
Getting closer and closer! Predictions?
DrBob
On the World Stage with rounds, I'm ok with her keeping her head, adrenaline and expectations low. This was a great move IMO as there is so much hype and a whole lot of business to take care of. This from a guy who would normally shun the idea of not building a brand and inspiring others along the way !

DB
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