Progress is only important when you consistent race your main event throughout the year. Stepping off the track in the middle of a whatever race is not helpful in measuring progress.
Wanna see progression! Ajee just ran 1:59 in her first race of the season, in two weeks 1:56-1:57 can definitely put her on the team! Is she eligible? If she is my money is on her rather than on Athing😉
I don’t think three weeks is enough time even for the most talented runner to be in peak form.
She doesn’t need to be in peak form, because she is the most talented runner. Athing is going to make the US team, and then she has more time of course.
Positives and negatives from that one for Athing Mu-Nikolayev.
I'll start with the negatives: She's not in shape right now. When Maloney separated on the second lap, that is a move that prime Athing Mu would have closed with ease. She's just not fit enough to do so right now.
2:00.42 three weeks out from USAs is not good. Losing to Rachel Gearing, McKenna Keegan, Veronica Hargrave, and three weeks out from USAs is not good. She didn't have anything in the last 100.
The positives: She wasn't afraid to go out near the front this time. Actually put herself in the race. She's still running extra distance on the turns but this was an improvement from Pre.
She beat Nia Akins and Michaela Rose. Mu-Nikolayev is a complete wildcard right now, but so are some of her biggest rivals at USAs.
She ran three seconds faster than at the Pre Classic. Could she improve by another 2-3 seconds by USAs? Absolutely. And that might be enough to put her on the team.
My other thought is that it's wild that a 23-year-old Olympic/World champion with a 1:54 pb is only running 2:00 right now. I know she had an injury last season, but from what she has said, she is healthy right now and has been training for a while. I don't expect her to run 1:54 every time out but if there haven't been any injuries this year, it's stunning that she is so far off her best.
She beat Nia Akins because Akins is a total head case (or, wait for it - god's will).
She beat Michaela Rose because Rose runs every 800 like it's her first time, either the first lap 2 seconds too fast or 2 seconds too slow.
Perhaps the women's 800 is just attracting the crazies in the US right now...
She ran 2:03 a week ago. 2:00 is much better than 2:03.
Obviously you didn't watch the 800 at Pre. Athing Mu ran 2:03 at Pre because she ran a lot of the race in lane 2 and then jogged the last 50 meters. She did NOT improve 3 seconds in fitness from last week to this week. She barely improved her fitness at all.
I watched Pre in person. As Gault explained, she put herself in much better position today on the first lap than she did at Pre. She actually competed today, showing improvement in her mental state, which is just as important as her fitness.
I don’t think three weeks is enough time even for the most talented runner to be in peak form.
She doesn’t need to be in peak form, because she is the most talented runner. Athing is going to make the US team, and then she has more time of course.
The issue is she’s out of shape and has to run rounds plus the final at USAs. I could see her failing to make the final
After what I just saw, Ajee ran smart today for a first race! Definitely someone that can make the team as she is fresh both mentally after the break and hungry too! She seems unsponsored though she ran with adidas spikes. I wouldn’t count her out!
Obviously you didn't watch the 800 at Pre. Athing Mu ran 2:03 at Pre because she ran a lot of the race in lane 2 and then jogged the last 50 meters. She did NOT improve 3 seconds in fitness from last week to this week. She barely improved her fitness at all.
I watched Pre in person. As Gault explained, she put herself in much better position today on the first lap than she did at Pre. She actually competed today, showing improvement in her mental state, which is just as important as her fitness.
Going into this year I would have thought her mental focus was just as important as her fitness, but her actual fitness seems to be severely lacking right now. I’m not sure she can make the team even with the perfect race strategy.
Going into this year I would have thought her mental focus was just as important as her fitness, but her actual fitness seems to be severely lacking right now. I’m not sure she can make the team even with the perfect race strategy.
Her lack of fitness is because of her weak mental state. She's not mentally strong enough to work hard in practice.
After watching the two races, her making the final should be a concern. That last 100 after an honest first 700 is textbook get bounced in the semis.
You may be correct, but ask yourself if a 23 year old David Rudisha ran 1:46 3 weeks before the Kenya Trials, not looking great, would it be wise to bet against him?
The only difference from Pre was she went out faster but the second half of the race shows lack of fitness - flat with no speed endurance. It also shows the 400m speed she had in the past is long gone and has not been maintained.