jazzcyclist wrote:I'm so relieved that our 4x400 teams have put the earth back on its axis on the final day of this track meet. I don't know what I would have done if they hadn't come through.
Glad you're relieved. But I think the track world has found a different axis, and it isn't "USA". This has been a very disappointing Games for America.
I wouldn´t say very disapointing, the total medal is better than several recent OG and 7 golds is not the worst result of last OGs. I agree there are very upsets, but Jamaica performance in sprint events were not expected (at least for me) and Lagat, Jones, failures wee compensated by Trafton, Harper (unexpected winners). I would say a little disapointing.
What about the long jumpers, the men's triple jumpers, the men's shot putters, the men's pole vaulters, the women's 800 runners, Sanya Richards, and our 4x100 teams?
Sorry for the obsession with Belgium...but seriously
In their heat- Belgium 6 0.264 3:00.67 Q NR
1134 van BRANTEGHEM Cedric 45.52 (3)
1123 BORLEE Jonathan 44.74 (3) 1:30.26 (2)
1133 GHISLAIN Arnaud 46.16 (8) 2:16.42 (5)
1124 BORLEE Kevin44.25 (1
in the Final:
Belgium 8 0.166 2:59.37 NR
1124 BORLEE Kevin 45.43 (2)
1123 BORLEE Jonathan43.62 (1) 1:29.05 (2)
1134 van BRANTEGHEM Cedric 44.44 (5) 2:13.49 (2)
1133 GHISLAIN Arnaud 45.88 (7)
So Kevin was the one who broke the NR in the individual with a 44.8, and then backs that up with a 44.25 split in the relay quals. BUT Jonathan comes along and runs 43.62!! At the age of 20!
EPelle wrote:Where are you guys getting official splits? I know I saw a link in one of these threads, but don:t have the time to look/search for it. Cheers.
If I'm not mistaken, Merritt just ran the fastest opening leg in history. I know Danny Everett ran 44.0 in Seoul as well, but I think the 44.01 (if that's right) would be superior intrinsically.
jazzcyclist wrote:I'm so relieved that our 4x400 teams have put the earth back on its axis on the final day of this track meet. I don't know what I would have done if they hadn't come through.
Glad you're relieved. But I think the track world has found a different axis, and it isn't "USA". This has been a very disappointing Games for America.
I wouldn´t say very disapointing, the total medal is better than several recent OG and 7 golds is not the worst result of last OGs. I agree there are very upsets, but Jamaica performance in sprint events were not expected (at least for me) and Lagat, Jones, failures wee compensated by Trafton, Harper (unexpected winners). I would say a little disapointing.
What about the long jumpers, the men's triple jumpers, the men's shot putters, the men's pole vaulters, the women's 800 runners, Sanya Richards, and our 4x100 teams?
With a large team, it is impossible to have no failures. Russia had it, and China with no gold medals and only a couple medals was also disapointing. Several events you referred were not expect to get medals and some failures were related with injuries (Trammell, Wilson, Nelson). US also has good results in events that were not being strong last majors;
Two finalists in SP female; three finalists in LJ female, a medal in heptathlon, three finalists in 5k female, two finalists in steeplechase female.
US T&F in OG was not good at all but very far from a disaster.
Half Miler wrote:If I'm not mistaken, Merritt just ran the fastest opening leg in history. I know Danny Everett ran 44.0 in Seoul as well, but I think the 44.01 (if that's right) would be superior intrinsically.
Pela?
The official site has the opening leg at 44.35 for Merritt, not 44.00
TV splits: Merritt, 44,01; Taylor, 43,98; Neville, 44,17; Wariner, 43,23
so they stopped the watch too soon (0,34) on Merritt, mainly at the expense of Taylor, but the other two were also slightly quicker
3205 MERRITT LaShawn 44.35 (1)
3239 TAYLOR Angelo 43.70 (2) 1:28.05 (1)
3209 NEVILLE David 44.16 (2) 2:12.21 (1)
3253 WARINER Jeremy 43.18 (1)
Jazz,
US women 800 runners were not expected to do anything. Men's lj has been shakey for a while. Overall the US did about the same as usual. Men's field events were a complete bust.
A 41.5 anchor by Bolt would have secured his 4th gold!
Last edited by Bruce Kritzler on Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The most amazing split is Neville, after serving all the rounds in the 400 and the 4x4 round and being relatively young and inexperienced he comes through big time.
A sign that the US coaching was brilliant on this one is that they put Merritt FIRST. They understood the fundamental importance for the US of getting out in front of the pack and out of harms way.
Im starting to think that the second most important leg is the 2nd leg. With a fast starter in that spot you get away from potential mishaps.
Wariner's leg is astonishing, as much for the questions it raises as for the speed he ran it.
Last edited by paulthefan on Sat Aug 23, 2008 4:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.
pela2 wrote:Fastest recorded split times in 4x400m
electronic timing
Michael Johnson (42.91) Stuttgart WC Jeremy Wariner (43.10) Osaka WC Jeremy Wariner (43.18) Beijing OG Harry Reynolds (43.36) Stuttgart WC Christopher Brown (43.42) Helsinki WC Jeremy Wariner (43.49) Helsinki WC Darold Williamson (43.49) Sacramento 2005 Davian Clarke (43.51) Athínai WC Denis Alekseyev (43.56) Beijing OG
manual times Quincy Watts (43.1) Barcelona OG Ronald Freeman (43.2) Ciudad de México OG Jeremy Wariner (43.2) Austin 2006
can we give some more props to the last russian leg??? that was freakin' incredible. some guy i've never heard of giving chris brown 5m start and almost running him down ....
Regarding the splits of USA men and women: Men averaged 43.82 and the women averaged 49.64...both averaged just a few hundreths slower the open 400m winning time.....even considering running starts on 3 of the legs, that's pretty impressive!
elcaballo wrote:can we give some more props to the last russian leg??? that was freakin' incredible. some guy i've never heard of giving chris brown 5m start and almost running him down ....
somewhere on another thread Eldy and myself called attention to the russian. We also suggested that this fellow seems odd only because russians have been such underperformers lately. Beijing's 4x4 is probably closer to where they should be year in and year out.
I think it is also the case that many of the poor performances in the semis and final of the open 400 are calculated. These guys all know that they have a good chance to medal in the 4x4 if they dont blow a fuse in a round of the 400. Alexseyev probably could have made it to the final of the 400, but having done so might have forfeited 6 bronze medals for the Rus!
That Beijing 4x4 makes me wonder when will we start recognizing the 4th through 8th places on the podium. Just seems ludicrous that we have a beach volley ball medal in the olympics and Belgium goes home with no hardware for their 4x4 shock and awe campaign... The world is an unfair and cruel place.
paulthefan wrote: That Beijing 4x4 makes me wonder when will we start recognizing the 4th through 8th places on the podium. Just seems ludicrous that we have a beach volley ball medal in the olympics and Belgium goes home with no hardware for their 4x4 shock and awe campaign... The world is an unfair and cruel place.
paulthefan wrote: That Beijing 4x4 makes me wonder when will we start recognizing the 4th through 8th places on the podium. Just seems ludicrous that we have a beach volley ball medal in the olympics and Belgium goes home with no hardware for their 4x4 shock and awe campaign... The world is an unfair and cruel place.
:? Lets just give them all medals then... :?:
exactly, if you make it to the final and finish the race you are in the top8 in the world, you deserve a medal as much as an equestrian "athlete" does.
That Beijing 4x4 makes me wonder when will we start recognizing the 4th through 8th places on the podium. Just seems ludicrous that we have a beach volley ball medal in the olympics and Belgium goes home with no hardware for their 4x4 shock and awe campaign... The world is an unfair and cruel place. Lets just give them all medals then...
exactly, if you make it to the final and finish the race you are in the top8 in the world, you deserve a medal as much as an equestrian "athlete" does.
Participation Trophies and a trip to Dairy Queen for all!!!!!
paulthefan wrote: That Beijing 4x4 makes me wonder when will we start recognizing the 4th through 8th places on the podium. Just seems ludicrous that we have a beach volley ball medal in the olympics and Belgium goes home with no hardware for their 4x4 shock and awe campaign... The world is an unfair and cruel place.
Sorry for the obsession with Belgium...but seriously
In their heat- Belgium 6 0.264 3:00.67 Q NR 1134 van BRANTEGHEM Cedric 45.52 (3) 1123 BORLEE Jonathan 44.74 (3) 1:30.26 (2) 1133 GHISLAIN Arnaud 46.16 (8) 2:16.42 (5) 1124 BORLEE Kevin44.25 (1
in the Final:
Belgium 8 0.166 2:59.37 NR 1124 BORLEE Kevin 45.43 (2) 1123 BORLEE Jonathan43.62 (1) 1:29.05 (2) 1134 van BRANTEGHEM Cedric 44.44 (5) 2:13.49 (2) 1133 GHISLAIN Arnaud 45.88 (7)
So Kevin was the one who broke the NR in the individual with a 44.8, and then backs that up with a 44.25 split in the relay quals. BUT Jonathan comes along and runs 43.62!! At the age of 20!
I knew those boys were good, but my word!
Agreed. A great performance. Welcome to the sub-3 club, Belgium.
Now go and get yourself an anchor proper! 45.88, frankly, is horrendous.
Lets just give them all medals then... 
