Gatlin 9.87 in Doha 2012

Nice useless post, "Moo".

I admitted the single minor error already.

Why don't you post something useful?

TrackCoach--I think that Dix doesn't control the c-forces well at the end of the turn because he squares his shoulders too soon...he is making the mistake of running TO the transition, not THROUGH the transition...like you have to run OVER a hill rather than UP a hill.

Dix was waxing about his new form somewhere on the web. Judging by results, his speed endurance has always been really good. I think that in addition to the obvious improvements he can make in the first 15m, he can also increase his max speed envelope a bit, unless it comes at the expense of the speed endurance.

I wonder how much of Dix's deficit relative to Bolt and Blake in the 200 is attributable to form, and how much is attributable to pacing within the race. Dix's fitness always seems good, I don't ever remember him fatiguing massively at the end of a 200. And his performance last year was terrific, he could have taken off maybe another .02-.03 if he had run harder through the line with a good lean.

His form looks wonky, but every sprinter has a particular form that is best for them personally. If I were him I'd probably focus on the 200, notwithstanding his result in the 200 at WC's last year. All the 100 big guns are in good form, and Dix is only a minor gun, and I think will only have a decent chance at a medal if one of the big guns goes down, or if Powell flakes either in London or at the Jamaican trials.

Who is with him in the 200? Nobody. Bolt and Blake could be better, but nobody else is around 19.4-19.5.

The closest guys this year might be guys like Lemaitre and Spearmon, Spearmon especially, but I don't think they're likely to get to 19.4-high or 19.5-low.

Watching vid of Blake's 9.84 in Cayman, I have to say that Gatlin still has a long way to go.

Blake seems to have reserves that he can tap into...watch as he goes Hayes-esque on the rest of the field in Cayman. He just seems to open a valve, and the speed flows however much he wants it to.

Gatlin's style is interesting, but I still think that he tends to swing a bit too much. I know what he is doing, and hopefully he is not past the optimum point of balance between stride length/extension and turnover. If he can increase his turnover and maintain that range, then he will be up there with Blake/Bolt.

I know he has the ability, I think we saw a flash of it when he turned on the jets indoors, but only he knows if it actually results in a faster 100m time.

For those runners who run with a style like Gatlin, hip flexor strains are more common when going at or near 100%, so I actually hope that he doesn't race too much. I don't actually recall him complaining of any such injury, so maybe it is very natural for him, and not over-extended.

Blake is unbelievable. Last year in JUNE he ran 9.95 (+0.9), 9.97 (+0.6), and 9.98 (+0.5). Let's say that he's a full .10 ahead of where he was last year.

All things being equal, that would give him 9.72 under still conditions this year, which is 9.6x with some wind, and 9.60 with a really good wind and a bit of altitude.

That would be WR territory, a place that Gatlin has never demonstrated (also not Powell). Blake's only competition is Bolt, who looks good but not great so far, opening in a 9.90 corrected. For Bolt that should be an "easy" run, but it actually looked a bit strained to me, although his start and drive phase looked really good.

Blake, holy crap.

I would be not at all surprised if Blake set new 100m and 200m world records this year. He could already have the 200m WR, and based on the admittedly simplistic projection above, he is in even better shape this year than last.

So, I guess we are back in the era of the 5'10", 180-lb champion sprinter.

I know I'm jumping the gun, but he really is amazing, and a cut above. I now think that, head-to-head, he would beat anybody currently competing in the 100m. Bolt used to be that guy, the terminator in the blocks, the guy who everybody knew had something, they just didn't know how much of it he had. That is now Blake.

He has to be all juiced up again.

Powell > Blake

Def 9.6x ability, only one man can do this to Bolt and it's Powell not Blake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLsLT-Yi5gg

and come on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NybfaxDq_wU

9.72 with +0.2 with the same usual mechanical flaw arm swing thing he does at the end that makes him fade sooner. Powell is going to run under 9.7 dont doubt it.

Now in Daegu Iaaf report it says champion twice and I don't know, Dwain Chambers was getting booed and Gatlin comes back and is the champ? I don't like it when he beats Powell or other athletes.

I agree that that 9.72 could have easily been a 9.6x with either some wind, or a good lean.

And, he did run 9.78 last year, which is totally solid.

But this year, I think that Blake will be as fast as Powell has ever been. Powell will have to be in his absolute top form to match Blake, who is almost certain to deliver.

There is just something about Blake.