OFFICAL Zurich 800m Thread

I just watched Coe's world record 800m and timed it in 1:41.68. Of course, it is not that easy to see exactly when he finished and this is hand timing but he's clearly under 1:42 with the performance, so no reason whatsoever to doubt the record.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0e1yaMIM08

Nobody is going to set a PR in this race and Rudisha won't set the world record. I don't think this board yet realizes the amazingness (yea, I just made that word up) of that Olympic 800m and how difficult it will be to duplicate that race. Everybody was so hyped up, the emotions were high, Rudisha did a great job of pacemaking for everybody else, and they all desperately wanted a medal. To duplicate that atmosphere and emotion and pacemaking will be very difficult.

mpxcrunner wrote:

It Has to be said. wrote:

Wasn't it in Zurich 1997 that one Kipketer came through the 400 in under 49 ...on his way to 1:41.xx?

Nahh it was August 24th, 1997 in Cologne, Germany.

Yes, he did break it for a 2nd time in Cologne on the 24th, but in that run he went through 400 in 49.3.

The previous poster was correct, it was in Zurich on the 13th August '97, in which he first broke the WR that year (1:41.24) and went through 400m in 48.4!!

jjjjjjj wrote:

I just watched Coe's world record 800m and timed it in 1:41.68. Of course, it is not that easy to see exactly when he finished and this is hand timing but he's clearly under 1:42 with the performance, so no reason whatsoever to doubt the record.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0e1yaMIM08

He was hand timed by 3 timers on the track, and they got 1:41.5 & 1:41.6. There is a version of the race (Italian I think) where he goes through the finish in 1:41.4*. If Konchellah had dropped out or moved wide at the bell, Coe wouldn't have had to run around him on the bend, which probably cost him 0.2.

And if he'd been able to run that night on the new super fast London 2012 track rather than a very old looking Firenze track, I'm sure he'd have been close to 1:41 flat. And this was 31 years ago!

Btw, there is a much better quality version of the race here:-

deanouk wrote:

mpxcrunner wrote:

Nahh it was August 24th, 1997 in Cologne, Germany.

Yes, he did break it for a 2nd time in Cologne on the 24th, but in that run he went through 400 in 49.3.

The previous poster was correct, it was in Zurich on the 13th August '97, in which he first broke the WR that year (1:41.24) and went through 400m in 48.4!!

You are correct, my bad

BUMPing this thread one last time so people can put in any last minute predictions, I'll post results sometime after the race tomorrow.

the london race wasn't ideal, even without a wabbit, which lost him ~ 0.5s

he expended too much energy in 1st 200, again to fend off the ridiculous kaki ( he's not in 1'42 shape anymore, so why keep charging off like an idiot from the gun ?! )

that cost him some tenths in excess lactate, so more like a mid/high-1'40 with a more conservative opening 200

i still doubt he will get any drafting here ( within 2m of tangui ), so providing no kaki to screw the 1st 200, i'd expect

~ 1'40.5/1'40.7

if in london shape & not surprised if he gets 1'40.2/1'40.3 which his manager has vaguely indicated

i still doubt he will get any drafting here ( within 2m of tangui ), so providing no kaki to screw the 1st 200, i'd expect

~ 1'40.5/1'40.7

if in london shape & not surprised if he gets 1'40.2/1'40.3 which his manager has vaguely indicated

Why do you all insist on ignoring the cold, rainy weather in Zurich? I predict somewhere around 1'42.0, and I'll be pleasantly surprised if he runs faster than 1'41.5.

I like the way you back up your predictions with very little.

Solomon, who knows, all he has done is bring improved performances every step of the way this year. Is he fit enough for this long of a season?

We'll see.

Symmonds - is done. I'll wager he's unlkely to ever sniff 1:42 again in his life.

Trading in staying in Europe a few more weeks and getting in this race...he chose to go home and run a beer mile.

A lot of people have lost respect for Nick Symmonds.

He could have stuck around Europe, pressed his agent to get him in some more races, so that he could continue his development of expanding his racing acumen and strategies...

Instead it was off to Lane blue track Community College to run a beer mile and be on TMZ.

Truly Olympian.

A Duck wrote:

Symmonds - is done. I'll wager he's unlkely to ever sniff 1:42 again in his life.

Trading in staying in Europe a few more weeks and getting in this race...he chose to go home and run a beer mile.

A lot of people have lost respect for Nick Symmonds.

Truly Olympian.

Oh please. Even if you are right, and you might be..Symmonds got himself further than anyone probably ever thought he could. Maybe even himself.

He is, imo, a first rate example of hard work and heart making up for shortcomings in talent and physical tools. Relative to the other top 800m runners in the world of course.

As far as his future...depends on his motivation. Having been in a race like that, he might feel that will be hard to top and lose motivation or it might empower him to try to run that kind of race more often.

Whatever he does though..its fine with me.

As far as this race...I'll stick with my prediction although I am not optimistic given the sketchy looking weather. Might be in the 50s by race time...

A Duck wrote:

I like the way you back up your predictions with very little.

Solomon, who knows, all he has done is bring improved performances every step of the way this year.

You insult this guy's knowledge, but then you make no sense at all yourself. Do you even follow the sport?

Let me enlighten you: 8 SOLOMON Duane USA 1:46.80

Look familiar? Think...think...two weeks ago...

Since you obviously have no clue, I will mention the source of those letters and numbers:

Not sure in what sprot slowing down by four seconds is an "improved performance," but sure as hell not in track. Solomon had a great season, but to say he has improved at every single step is simply incorrect.

Moron.

Rudisha will already lead at 400m in around 49,0s (600m in 1:14,8), but will lose a little bit in the last 200m. Finishing time around 1:41,5. The next (Kitum, Aman) will finish in around 1:43,0.

Rudisha 1:40.7

No one else under 1:43

Solomon 1:45+

mpxcrunner wrote:

It Has to be said. wrote:

Wasn't it in Zurich 1997 that one Kipketer came through the 400 in under 49 ...on his way to 1:41.xx?

Nahh it was August 24th, 1997 in Cologne, Germany.

No you are mistaken.

When Kipketer first broke the WR (not tying it) Joseph Teneglei was the pacemaker and took him through in 48.10 (48.4 for Kipketer) - that was Zürich 1997 - final time 1.41.24

When he ran 1.41.11 this was in Köln 1997 at he was 49.2 at the bell - Kiptoo leading in 49.00 - final time 1.41.11

I may be wrong but I believ 800m is scheduled for 2:40 EST. Anyone got any links to any good live feeds??

Jurgis Rudkus wrote:

My prediction:

Rudisha barely breaks the WR in 1:40.87 or something close to that. Tangui will do a horrible job pacing and everybody on LetsRun will wonder why Rudisha doesn't use Scherer. Ventolin will come up with some out-there reasoning to show that Rudisha can break 1:40, but it won't matter because Jim Ryun could have beaten him anyways. Finally, somebody will claim that Rudisha is the greatest 800 runner of all time, to which all the white guys will claim that a guy who never won gold and ran his world record in a race with a timing malfunction is better. Have a great day.

haha, this is brilliant!

58 light rain at 1830 local time. Yuck.

A Duck wrote:

Symmonds - is done. I'll wager he's unlkely to ever sniff 1:42 again in his life.

Trading in staying in Europe a few more weeks and getting in this race...he chose to go home and run a beer mile.

Face it, Nick has a full calendar. He just couldn't fit Rusisha, Kitum, and Solomon at Zurich in with the big beer mile.

You have to keep your priorities straight, you know.

So has Nick now become one of those "drinkers with a running problem?"