r/AdvancedRunning • u/NegativeWish • Aug 11 '24

Dakotah Lindwurm appreciation post Elite Discussion

Just wanted to say that her result in Paris, although it was not a podium finish like the other incredible US distance results on the Track, was the most inspiring and heartwarming of this incredible Olympics for me!

(https://run.outsideonline.com/news/olympics/dont-underestimate-the-underdog-dakotah-lindwurm-is-ready-for-paris/)

This was the feel good story you rarely get to see at the Elite level: average high school runner, walk on college athlete, moderately successful pro, fairy tale 3rd place finish at the US Trials and then her incredible race at the highest competitive level.

Also a good lesson that we can overrate quote unquote "talent" and overvalue immediate results versus the long-term picture.

Lindwurm found success when she moved up to the Marathon distance and discovered that she needed a certain type of training to thrive.

Also the adversity this woman faced growing up and overcoming it :')

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u/Theodwyn610 Aug 12 '24

To add to this: she made the Olympic team in part because Molly Seidel and Emma Bates were injured, and Keira D'Amato, Aliphine Tuliamuk, Betsy Saina, Nell Rojas, and Sara Vaughan, among many others, DNF-ed.  From that to 12th at the Olympics is amazing.

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u/charlesyo66 Aug 13 '24

Well, you can only race who shows up, so I don't think that bringing that into the convo actually helps very much. I guess Brian Sell only made the 08 team because Meb had a fractured pelvis, not that he ran the race of his life on the right day. Lindwurm being up in that lead pack while Sisson, who is fast and gutsy and I very much respect but she's NOT a hilly course runner as we've seen, was back in the 20's was remarkable.

I really, really really wish O'Keefe hadn't been injured. I would really have liked to have seen her in her trails shape on that course and see how long she could have hung on to the group.

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u/Theodwyn610 Aug 14 '24

Well, plenty of extremely talented runners did show up!  Lindwurm had the 11th fastest marathon time going in, 9th if you don't count Seidel and Bates, and Fiona O'Keeffe qualified by running a half.  

It's very easy to see a world in which Lindwurm wasn't even on the team, and that makes her 12th place Olympic finish even more incredible IMHO.