Friday, January 13, 2012

2012 USA Olympic Marathon Trials Women's Predictions

The Olympic Marathon Trials are tomorrow morning, but I want to make my late picks for who will make the Women's Olympic Team. The real question for me is who will win out of Shalane Flanagan and Desiree Davila. I think Davilla will be the ultimate champion. She is more experienced at the marathon and keeps getting faster. Who can forget her heart as she almost won the Boston Marathon last April.



Pure guts and confidence will win it for the Hanson star. Shalane has more raw talent, speed, and those Olympic and World Cross-Country Championship medals. She may someday get the American record in the marathon, but this is only her second marathon and sometimes Shalane has had off days when going for it in a race. I see both of these women making the team and being potential medal threats in London.

My Predictions (just for fun)
1st Desiree Davila 2:25:17
2nd Shalane Flanagan 2:25:32
3rd Amy Hastings 2:27:11- just short of her 2:27:03PR and joining the Olympic team with her former college teammate Desiree Davila
4th Deena Kastor 2:28:40 gives it a great shot -but falls apart in the final miles
5th Magdalena Lewy Boulet is the only other runner under 2:30 in 2:29:12
6th Kara Goucher
7th Dot McMahan
8th Jennifer Rhines
9th Janet Cherobon-Bawcom this new American citizen will be an early leader until tying up in her first marathon
10th Clara Grandt

It will be fun to see what really happens tomorrow. I hope both races are much faster, more competitive, and more surprising than my predictions.

No comments: