WTF is wrong with the USA mixed 4x4 relay?

Where was Shae? wrote:

Shae Anderson posted a story on her instagram with the 4x400 mixed team heading to the stadium but then she did not end up running the final.

Was wondering the same. Is Shea going to run the prelims of 4x4?

The mixed relay coached by the same relay coordinator,Orin Richburg in the 2019 World's in Doha not only set the world record twice in this new event, but won the gold! The US won every relay,but the women's 4X100mr which took bronze and the men's 4X100mr set a new American Record!

Officials Error:

Why was Team USA reinstated in the mixed 4x400 relay?

Following Team USA's disqualification, the team filed a formal appeal to the IOC; the team argued that Irby was told where to line up by an official, absolving the team of the penalty.

As discussed by four-time Olympic gold winner Michael Johnson:

Irby's track and field coach, Lance Brauman, said as much in an interview with the IndyStar, blaming an official mistake for the penalty. It appeared the IOC agreed with the United States' opinion, reinstating the team after it was initially disqualified.

Team USA will run in the mixed 4x400 relay on Saturday at 8:35 a.m. ET. That also leaves open the possibility that Allyson Felix — who could run in Saturday's final — will win yet another Olympic medal. A medal in any of her three potential Tokyo Games events would give her an 11th Olympic medal, making her the most-decorated woman in Olympic track and field history. Carl Lewis (11) is the only other U.S. track and field Olympian to have more than Felix.

Indoor?? wrote:

AnimeLoverBoy27 wrote:

Who the hell cares about a mixed 4x400 😂😂😂 I for one didn’t want to see any of our top runners on it when they all have individual events to worry about. Lastly, the stupid people asking for Shamier recall she didn’t run the individual 400m at trials and failed to make the 400m hurdle team, so she can’t be at the Olympics sadly.

You are incorrect here.

We will see if USATF relay selection is absolutely terrible when we see who runs the real 4x4s. As of now Mu is not listed in the relay pool…

Why would we run our fastest 400m runner in the 4x4?

In that 2019 World's Coach Richburg ran the 400m Intermediate Hurdlers in both the winning 4X400 meter relays. Rae Benjamin in place of Michael Norman who faltered in the open 400m and Sydney Mclaughlin and D. Muhammed in place of S. Wembly who also bombed in the open 400m.

This time It let the others concentrate on their individual open events.

USATF Official wrote:

This time It let the others concentrate on their individual open events.

USA missed gold by 0.35 and were 0.01 from silver

Poland won gold splitting 45.1, 49.9, 50.47, and 44.38.

USA could have jogged to a victory and it wouldn't have affected any of them. The heats for their individual events are going to be extremely easy anyway.

bad news bear wrote:

USATF Official wrote:

This time It let the others concentrate on their individual open events.

USA missed gold by 0.35 and were 0.01 from silver

Poland won gold splitting 45.1, 49.9, 50.47, and 44.38.

USA could have jogged to a victory and it wouldn't have affected any of them. The heats for their individual events are going to be extremely easy anyway.

They could have jogged to victory but yet it it's a legit medal?

Yes. Men's 4x4 can jog and win if they load it.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

bad news bear wrote:

USA missed gold by 0.35 and were 0.01 from silver

Poland won gold splitting 45.1, 49.9, 50.47, and 44.38.

USA could have jogged to a victory and it wouldn't have affected any of them. The heats for their individual events are going to be extremely easy anyway.

They could have jogged to victory but yet it it's a legit medal?

Jamaica can coast the womens 4x1 and win gold, is that a legit medal?

Athing Mu can jog and win the 800, is that a legit medal?

The USA women can jog the 4x4 and win, is that a legit medal?

bad news bear wrote:

SDSU Aztec wrote:

They could have jogged to victory but yet it it's a legit medal?

Jamaica can coast the womens 4x1 and win gold, is that a legit medal?

Athing Mu can jog and win the 800, is that a legit medal?

The USA women can jog the 4x4 and win, is that a legit medal?

Those examples are not even remotely the same thing and no teams jog to a win in a real relay. If I was the U.S. T&F coach, I would consider it good etiquette to let a country with less talented athletes to have a shot at a "medal" in a mixed relay.

high school xc coach wrote:

bad news bear wrote:

You'd think they'd be begging to run on it, it should be an easy gold. Was it the coach's decision or the athlete's decision?

would love to know for sure. Felix 100% should have been on this team with her schedule.

Same thing with our male 400 runners.

Bottom line, athletes are not respecting the event. The poles respected it, and were rewarded.

Syd, Mu, and Delilah for the womens 4x400 when their schedule is cleared.

Not sure why Felix would pass. She isn’t going to medal in the 400 so this would be her best shot. Those in individual events that will get eliminated in the first round should be the ones that are really looking at a medal in the mixed relay. I guess they don’t want the extra income with Olympic medal on their resume.

by 2040, the mixed relay will be the marquee event of t&f if they force an order to your leg gender choices (either always MFFM or randomly picked before each race)

sammysarcasm wrote:

Indoor?? wrote:

...

You are incorrect here.

We will see if USATF relay selection is absolutely terrible when we see who runs the real 4x4s. As of now Mu is not listed in the relay pool…

Why would we run our fastest 400m runner in the 4x4?

Good point.

Clearly we wouldn't run our fastest 400m runner, or second fastest, etc, in the 4x4mr.

I remember wondering if Felix was too old to run well in the 4x4 in the Worlds in Russia, and then being astounded by her leg.

You say that being able to jog means that it isn't a legit event. Then you are given a bunch of examples in which people are able to jog and get gold in legit events and you say that thise events don't count. You lost all credibility.

Under Arm wrote:

You say that being able to jog means that it isn't a legit event. Then you are given a bunch of examples in which people are able to jog and get gold in legit events and you say that thise events don't count. You lost all credibility.

Huh? We've gone off on some tangent but regardless, the mixed relay is not a legitimate Olympic event. It's no more relevant than if there was a 4 on 4 mixed basketball event.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Under Arm wrote:

You say that being able to jog means that it isn't a legit event. Then you are given a bunch of examples in which people are able to jog and get gold in legit events and you say that thise events don't count. You lost all credibility.

Huh? We've gone off on some tangent but regardless, the mixed relay is not a legitimate Olympic event. It's no more relevant than if there was a 4 on 4 mixed basketball event.

It is legitimate and it's also a very popular event. Swimming now has a mixed relay even too. It's more exciting when teams mix it up however, otherwise it's just male vs male or female vs female on each leg.

Keep Waiting wrote:

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Huh? We've gone off on some tangent but regardless, the mixed relay is not a legitimate Olympic event. It's no more relevant than if there was a 4 on 4 mixed basketball event.

It is legitimate and it's also a very popular event. Swimming now has a mixed relay even too. It's more exciting when teams mix it up however, otherwise it's just male vs male or female vs female on each leg.

Why isn't run at any other level of track? On a 1-10 and assuming the traditional relays are a 10, what would you grade the mixed relay? Is a medal in skateboarding and in the 1500, pretty much the same thing?

Our 400 runners are all a bunch of self absorbed babies. We would have won if we put four of our top 10 400 runners out there instead of the sad team we had.