Angelo Taylor cost us the Gold Medal.

Flipping McQuay and Taylor could have produced a better result, with Taylor potentially just cruising behind the leader, handing off in a close 2nd and letting McQuay make an attempt to pass the Bahamas at the end. Verburg would not have been the difference; he ran 45.0 in May, 45.3 at the Trials. I could see a case for Tinsley, but is there any record of his times or splits in the flat 400 that would have pointed to a switch ? Taylor ran 44.9 at Doha this year.

We're just Tuesday morning quarterbacking (copyright, Greg Easterbrook and ESPN) at this point. Congrats to the Bahamas for their unreal performance.

BillCarr wrote:

Flipping McQuay and Taylor could have produced a better result, with Taylor potentially just cruising behind the leader, handing off in a close 2nd and letting McQuay make an attempt to pass the Bahamas at the end. Verburg would not have been the difference; he ran 45.0 in May, 45.3 at the Trials. I could see a case for Tinsley, but is there any record of his times or splits in the flat 400 that would have pointed to a switch ? Taylor ran 44.9 at Doha this year.

We're just Tuesday morning quarterbacking (copyright, Greg Easterbrook and ESPN) at this point. Congrats to the Bahamas for their unreal performance.

I agree. Why wasn't Taylor run in the leadoff position, which was the same position that Mitchell ran during the prelims? Even though Mitchell was injured and handed off in last in the prelims, the other legs almost completely made up for it and barely finished in second.

Verburg was not in the relay pool so was not an option. The running order is what cost the U.S. Interestingly, some of the other teams did not place their fastest runners on the anchor (Belgium, Bahamas). McQuay should have anchored.

I guess they felt Taylor was the most experienced runner left so they used him as the anchor. He ran it well but Father Time is a beyotch, lol.

Big up the Bahamians. They did a great job. Silver last time but gold now. Progress has been made for them.

You're probably right about Verburg, I'm just super pissed.

Including Tinsley or changing the order would have been best.

Taylor was the best option for the relay having run 44.9 already this year in an open. For a 400h guy he has never had a great finish. It HAD to be McQuay on the anchor. Plain and simple. Should have gone Nellum to an experiences Taylor to navigate the break intelligently to Mance to McQuay. That order wins gold.

Before folks get too negative on the US relay team, be aware that that race was the #10 all time us performance and 14th fastest 4x400 relay of all time.

The Bahamanians just ran the #11 all time 4x400 today. Hats off to the champions, they are the best in the world.

No shame in the US performance. We ran damn fast, faster than we've run since 2008. We just got beat. Considering we left two sub 44 open runners home w/ injury, I'm not going to complain. We just got beat this time.

Bahamas must be one of the smallest nations competing at the Olympics - population of only 350,000!

What does that have to do with running a 43 split on the anchor leg? If the IAAF and IOC allowed him in, let him run.

yyy wrote:

Merritt is unfortunately tainted.

What does that have to do with running a 43 split on the anchor leg? If the IAAF and IOC allowed him in, let him run.

Who are they? wrote:

Bahamas must be one of the smallest nations competing at the Olympics - population of only 350,000!

They send the majority of their guys to college in the US, take advantage of our collegiate farm system and voila.

College coaches are not patriotic

flavio wrote:

It's not just that we lost. We lost to The Bahamas, with a population of 350,000.

Good lord thats only 1/10 of our population.

Proclaimation wrote:

The USA are done as a power in male sprints

Because 1 country took away the 100/200 for a small span of two Olympics?

Hell, we still managed to place 3rd and 4th in the Olympic 100. Spearmon is past his prime and it was unfortunate that someone like Dix didn't show up to place in the final. Gay will never be that great in the 200, its just unfortunate that Carter and so many other 200m talents we have always run into trouble and never develop.

Fluffy wrote:

flavio wrote:

It's not just that we lost. We lost to The Bahamas, with a population of 350,000.

Good lord thats only 1/10 of our population.

Check your math Flavor Flave... it's even worse. If it's any consolation, all 4 Bahamians went to US colleges: Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Norfolk, and Dickinson State(North Dakota!)

What were the splits for each US and Bahamama runner?

Taylor's eyes showed he knew he didn't have anything left the last 100 and knew he was going to lose. That must have been a bad feeling.

nikeman wrote:

should have put McQuay on anchor instead.

I agree with this. McQuay ran great in his relay leg and can run faster right now.

Bahamas should petition the IOC to allow them to form a 4x400 team with Grenada (another 100K or so population sized country.

The Bahamas-Grenada 4x4 (anchored by you know who - Kirani James).

I agree with those arguing that McQuay and Taylor's legs should have been switched. But what's done is done. All things considered with Merritt and Wariner injured this was one of the weakest U.S. teams in decades, so to manage second against Bahamas' best-ever team isn't too bad.

Typical letsrun moron wrote:

Give him a break, he's been partying with the underaged Chinese woman's gymnastic team for the last week and they called him up at the last minute to run the 4x400 and he did the best he could.

Are you serious??