The mens 400m world record is a joke

If you get someone who is actually a gold medal contender in lane 8, it may happen

It doesn't happen because the best athletes run in lanes 4-6 99% of the time. How many times in his whole career did MJ run in lane 8?

80s kid wrote:

inability to see your competitors?

Van Niekerk credited that as one of the big reasons why he broke the record. He couldn't see where he was compared to Merritt and James so he had to push as hard as he could. If he could see them and knew he had a healthy lead, he might have taken it easier.

another 400m olympic final, world record from the outside lane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYNUxdoIacA

are you trying to say wayde van niekerk is doping?

I think that's what you are implying....

Zlatan wrote:

It doesn't happen because the best athletes run in lanes 4-6 99% of the time. How many times in his whole career did MJ run in lane 8?

This is correct. If the seeding convention put the fastest teams in lanes 1, 2 and 8, you'd find that the fastest lanes would be 1, 2 and 8.

1968 Olympic 4 x 100m relay

TAA wrote:

80s kid wrote:

inability to see your competitors?

Van Niekerk credited that as one of the big reasons why he broke the record. He couldn't see where he was compared to Merritt and James so he had to push as hard as he could. If he could see them and knew he had a healthy lead, he might have taken it easier.

run the 800 on pure hate, and run the 400 on pure fear

I remember seeing his face after he saw the time. It was as if he was thinking "oops, I ran too fast and now I will get caught." That says it all.

no way nope wrote:

are you trying to say wayde van niekerk is doping?

I think that's what you are implying....

I think he is saying that, sadly this is track and field, so it's probably true. But I would say that he is more credible that Reynolds or MJ by appearances alone.

Nice running style.

sbeefyk1 wrote:

I remember seeing his face after he saw the time. It was as if he was thinking "oops, I ran too fast and now I will get caught." That says it all.

That's not really how drug testing works, but ok.

Apart from the "blind" factor, the greater the speed, the smaller the turning radius. Bolt in lane eight a few years ago would've been a sight to behold.

Metric Miler wrote:

sbeefyk1 wrote:

I remember seeing his face after he saw the time. It was as if he was thinking "oops, I ran too fast and now I will get caught." That says it all.

That's not really how drug testing works, but ok.

No, I peered into his mind using telepathic powers through the television and saw what he was thinking. He was thinking, "oops, I ran too fast and now I will get caught." No joke. That's exactly what he was thinking, except in his own language.

malmo wrote:

Zlatan wrote:

It doesn't happen because the best athletes run in lanes 4-6 99% of the time. How many times in his whole career did MJ run in lane 8?

This is correct. If the seeding convention put the fastest teams in lanes 1, 2 and 8, you'd find that the fastest lanes would be 1, 2 and 8.

Red herring. Zlatan is pointing out that athletes prefer 4-6 because it confers an advantage, not merely that they perform better there.

If lane 8 really make a record more likely, then athletes capable of records would want to choose it. They don't.

chimichelanga wrote:

TAA wrote:

Van Niekerk credited that as one of the big reasons why he broke the record. He couldn't see where he was compared to Merritt and James so he had to push as hard as he could. If he could see them and knew he had a healthy lead, he might have taken it easier.

run the 800 on pure hate, and run the 400 on pure fear

This. In a laned event, 200M, 300M (when it's run), and 400M massive PR's/performances can be achieved from the outside lanes because the athlete is running scared. Van Niekirk knew he had to beat Merritt and James to the home stretch or he was doomed so he ran the first 300M terrified. When he came off the turn first that just propelled him to the finish as he most likely still couldn't see either of them.

People watch the sprints?

malmo:

How do you link that long (the entire Olympics) film and make it start in the middle like you did?

Also, after the men's 4 x 100, they show women's legs as a prelude to the women's relay. Amazing how undefined the legs looked in 1968!

no way nope wrote:

are you trying to say wayde van niekerk is doping?

I think that's what you are implying....

Yes, every world record is doped. If you think any of them are clean then you are extremely naive. Michael Johnson was an obvious doper and his record got crushed. Just like how Lance destroyed his opponents who were doped to the gills. I believe his "closest" rival died of doping.

80s kid wrote:

no way nope wrote:

are you trying to say wayde van niekerk is doping?

I think that's what you are implying....

Yes, every world record is doped. If you think any of them are clean then you are extremely naive. Michael Johnson was an obvious doper and his record got crushed. Just like how Lance destroyed his opponents who were doped to the gills. I believe his "closest" rival died of doping.

Greg Lemond is still alive.

Bad Wigins wrote:

malmo wrote:

This is correct. If the seeding convention put the fastest teams in lanes 1, 2 and 8, you'd find that the fastest lanes would be 1, 2 and 8.

Red herring. Zlatan is pointing out that athletes prefer 4-6 because it confers an advantage, not merely that they perform better there.

If lane 8 really make a record more likely, then athletes capable of records would want to choose it. They don't.

Not a red herring at all. The reason why athletes "prefer" lanes 4-6 is because that's the way it always has been. It also makes sense that they would want to be close to their best competition I can guarantee you is the seeding convention put the fastesrt runner in lane 8 and all the other runners get to chose their lane, the other runners would want 7, 6, 5, 4 in that order.

Nowhere do I say that lane 8 is preferable over any other lane.