Blake 9.95 (-1.6)! Rodgers 10.04 Bledman is a fake

It was really nice. If blake's race in london is indicative of what is going on in the Mills camp in general, then we should expect some fireworks from bolt at the world championships.

Geezer do you think the jamaican 4x1 team this year has a chance at the wr, they seem to have all the pieces even though bolt is a step slower, others are a step faster

He looked good and is a definite medal threat

Keep up the posts, good to have some actual running talk

It's not Bledman that is a fake; the ratification of anything that's being run in that Clermont venue is a fake. How many of the guys running fast there backed that up in a place that is NOT Eugene?

Kabayo, right, that is what I meant.

I'm adding Clermont to my 2012 meet schedule, along with Rieti and Eugene, and maybe Lignano Sabbiadoro!

The...best...year...EVER!

Latrell--

Regarding the relays, let's do some theorizing:

The 2008 team of Carter, Frater, Bolt, and Powell, in that order, had corrected straight 100m SB's that year of:

9.69 (9.69, 0.0) Bolt

9.74 (9.72, +0.2) Powell

10.01 (10.04, -0.5) Carter

9.97 (9.97, 0.0) Frater

for a total of 39.41

The 2011 likely team of Carter, Blake, Bolt, and Powell, in that order, has corrected straight 100m SB's so far this year of:

9.90 (9.91, -0.2) Bolt

9.84 (9.78, +1.0) Powell

9.91 (10.01, -1.6) Carter

9.85 (9.95, -1.6) Blake

for a total of 39.50

So at first glance it seems that the 2008 team was better...

BUT Bolt's 2008 time was obviously not as fast as he could go, so the 2008 combined time of 39.41 probably needs to be lowered to, realistically, 39.30, a full 0.2 better than this year...

BUT I don't think the difference in the relay will be as dramatic, as it is the curve that Bolt runs, and it is run slower than the straight, meaning that the difference between the years is probably not as great as all that, maybe putting the 2008 combined time up to 39.40, 0.1 better than this year...

So, because Carter is a realistic 0.10 better this year than in 2008, and because Blake is realistically .12 faster this year than was Frater in 2008, the essential difference will come down to whether or not Powell has run as fast as he can this year, or not--and I don't think that he has.

Remember, the best times from 2008 included an opportunity to run in the Olympics, so in order to be properly comparable, the best times from this year should include times run at the WC's, which haven't yet happened, so the 2011 combined time may well be legitimately lowered by the time the relays come around, if either Blake, Powell, or Bolt improve at the WC's, which is likely IMHO for Bolt and Powell.

So it's pretty much even between the 2008 and 2011 teams, based on corrected straight 100m SB's.

But I don't think they'll come close, as there was a special atmosphere at the Olympics, with WR's being set in the sprints. I think Bolt ran out of his mind on the curve, I think Powell ran out of his mind on the home leg. Those were 2 of the most devastating relay legs EVER, IMHO. Carter and Frater were credible on legs 1 and 2, but not outstanding.

In fact, that was the BEST curve I've ever seen Bolt run, and by far the BEST straight I've ever seen Powell run...by FAR!!

So even though they seem comparable on paper this year, unless they improve their handoffs (2/3 and 3/4 could use some work) I don't think they'll get it, because I think the 3rd and 4th legs of the 2008 relay were significantly faster than their 100m straight SB's would suggest.

But hey, it could be close, especially depending on what Bolt does at WC's!