As far as I'm concerned, the women go out too fast in the 400m. They are all dying with 150m to go. Few ran well in that race - including Sydney. When your last 100s are so much slower than your first and second 100s, it negatively affects overall time. Watch Paulino run it; she doesn't split like that. Don't get me started on the women's 800m pacing. Compared to men, the women go out too fast.
Paulino goes out *faster* than that. She went out in 22.81 for 48.17 last year in Paris. She just doesn't do that on the circuit because she aims to peak at the championships.
A rough race model for 48.0 is 23+25. To go out slower than 23 is to acknowledge that you will be slower than 48.
Raced 400m and 400mH at the highest level for over 20 years. You can't equate her hurdle time to the 400m flat, because it is common knowledge that the hurdle level for women is much too low. It will be changed in the future. I predict soon since Sidney just steps over the hurdles and maintains her sprint speed without actually hurdling them.
Based on my experience, she needs to be able to stay relaxed yet fast running the first 200m in under 22.5. 23 is too slow, because women tire a lot more in the last 100m of the race more than men, even remembering that last 200 is with a full running start.
A great workout to get Sydney to be fast enough in the first 200m would be to run 3x200m with lots of rest three times in 2 weeks. #1 Run fast and smooth and time it. #2 Take 20 minutes rest and run #2 in ~ the same time. #3 Take 30m in ~ the same time. Between #1 thru #3 the times should be almost exactly the same time. In between some easy stretching and jogging a bit just to keep from being bored. Sydney is well capable of running 22.5 in this workout to get faster in an actual race and blow them away. This was my trade secret but I'm giving it away because that huge German Druggie Kock has the world record and I was Sydney to crush it legally.
Almost forgot since athletes are most likely to get injured 2 days after a hard workout, before this workouit she needs to have a day off, but still doing easy exercise, etc. then a day of short 100m sprints X 10 with a walk back just to get the muscles loose but not anywhere top speed.
seemed like all 400m times were slower than expected: 400m and 400m hurdles...and yes, SML certainly went out too fast. I muted broadcast...was there any discussion about it being too warm for really fast time?
I did not know that. Thanks, Sydney should be able to do it with the quicker surfaces and the advances if rocket shoes. Gives me a good idea how much she was cheating because we almost measured the shoes weight in pounds, ha ha.....
To me she looked powerful and relaxed and won her 'other' event without much real competition. 6 weeks to Worlds. I'd say she'd be pretty happy with the meet.
Today was about qualifying; it’s more dramatic to run a super-fast time at the World Championships.
But is there a chance she’ll run a 400 on the DL before Tokyo? I imagine there are promoters out there willing to pay a decent fee.
Sydney is really choosy where she races and when. Probably why she is still running after all her success. I did notice on the video replay I took that she seemed very nervous before the start trying to stay loose with those little movements. I wasn't there so it could have been a long time after she stood behind the blocks. I never did understand why starters are supposed to hold longer or shorter just to keep us from guessing when the gun is going off.
She won by a ton - she will peak at worlds and be in the mix for the win. Sure she tied up but nowhere near disappointing
.....
Actually a great performance considering how few 400s she has run this year. Sydney have over 4 weeks to train and improve, she's focused on low 48 or high 47 come World Outdoor Championship. She has never focused solely on the flat 400m for a championship, look for great things 🥇.
She ain't improving that much in 4 weeks without a lot of help.
Actually a great performance considering how few 400s she has run this year. Sydney have over 4 weeks to train and improve, she's focused on low 48 or high 47 come World Outdoor Championship. She has never focused solely on the flat 400m for a championship, look for great things 🥇.
She ain't improving that much in 4 weeks without a lot of help.
Exactly. She ain't going from 48.9 to 47.9 in 4 weeks, for goodness sake. I predict 48.7 in Tokyo, and Paulino for the win. Naser will be around the same as Sydney, it'll come down to who opens the fastest / too fast. But take 47 out your mouth, it ain't (ever) happening.
Just shows what b events the hurdles are. Both short and long, for both men and women. Same with the steeple. And especially for the women with the ridiculously low hurdles compared to the men’s.
Even if she does fade I can't see Sydney not winning bronze at least
She will definitely go sub 49, who else is capable of that besides Paulino and Naser?
Currently Nickisha Pryce (48.57 and 48.89 in 2024) and Natalia Bukowiecka (48.9x 3 times in 2024, previously known as Kaczmarek). Some time ago also Miller-Uibo (48.36 in 2021).
There is no pop in her sprint. You can tell before she gets the 200m that it does not come naturally to run a flat race. Which is weird because a few years ago, she did seem like an all around sprinter. And when she has a baton in her hand, she has looked amazing. That’s the problem when people guesstimate, “imagine how so and so would do if only…” She has specialized in her event, dominates it and she should focus on putting that record well out of reach, cleanly.
Based on what I read in her autobiography, she has worked with a sports psychologist and her faith support network to avoid being disappointed by these types of results where she is running solidly but not breaking records. People expect her to set a PR or even a break a world record every time she toes the line. How many other athletes face the pressure of a huge chunk of people being “disappointed” in them if they win races. I think Sydney used to beat herself up more for races that were good but not great. But that’s a horrible way to have a prolonged running career when anything less than a PR is a disappointment, even if it’s a win.
Syd opened in 23.33 which is quite conservative and she was still tying up in the last 30m. She will have to go around 22.70-22.80 in Tokyo and I am afraid she will fade badly in the home stretch, possibly costing her a medal if Anning/Kaczmarek/Pryce run a smart race and go 48.70-48.80.
Admittedly, she has set a very high bar but I was underwhelmed by that. She'll probably get the AR at Worlds but lose the flat 400.
She's certainly the GOAT 400h of all time. But overall track athlete? Not even close.
Admittedly drugs has ruined that discussion for women (but hey her coach likely had a lot to do with that ruining in the 1980s with flo-jo).
She wasn’t challenged and won by well over half a second. What did you expect? A new WR? No doubt she’ll be using that race as a bit of a tune up for Worlds where I expect she will be all in and pushing it to the wire. I predict she will go sub 48 in the WC final.