SYMMONDS 1:43.56 FTW in Zurich, out in 50.52.

It's a new tactic for him in non-WC/OG finals you idiot. Wow, somebody give this guy a cookie for being a moron imbecile.[/quote]

Um, no. Daegu 2011. I believe that it was a WC race. No??? Rudisha led the first lap in 51.33. Nick ran the first 300 in last place and was fifth at the bell.

Nick has time and again run in the back in hopes of closing fast. This bit him at the Olympics and at Nationals as Solomon created such a huge gap that Nick could not come back. He has adjusted his tactics to slot into second because he has confidence that his fitness allows running faster without blowing up. Tactics and fitness have changed. He is not trying to read the pace/splits. He's running the race.

Symmonds ran as fast as he possibly could in London and it was a great performance. Nothing "bit" him there except the greatest 800 runner of all time.

Nick has changed wrote:

It's a new tactic for him in non-WC/OG finals you idiot. Wow, somebody give this guy a cookie for being a moron imbecile.

Um, no. Daegu 2011. I believe that it was a WC race. No??? Rudisha led the first lap in 51.33. Nick ran the first 300 in last place and was fifth at the bell.

Nick has time and again run in the back in hopes of closing fast. This bit him at the Olympics and at Nationals as Solomon created such a huge gap that Nick could not come back. He has adjusted his tactics to slot into second because he has confidence that his fitness allows running faster without blowing up. Tactics and fitness have changed. He is not trying to read the pace/splits. He's running the race.[/quote]

Nick has changed wrote:

Nick has time and again run in the back in hopes of closing fast. This bit him at the Olympics

Here are the results from the London 800:

1 David RUDISHA KEN 1:40.91

2 Nijel AMOS BOT 1:41.73

3 Timothy KITUM KEN 1:42.53

4 Duane SOLOMON USA 1:42.82

5 Nick SYMMONDS USA 1:42.95

6 Mohammed Aman GELETO ET 1:43.20

7 Abubaker KAKI SUD 1:43.32

8 Andrew OSAGIE GBR 1:43.77

1. Rudisha PR's and sets world record

2. Amos PRs, runs fastest 2nd place finish ever and ties Coe for 3rd fastest ever

3. Kitum PRs, runs fastest 3rd place finish ever and becomes 10 fastest ever (tied later in the month by Aman)

4. Solomon PRs, runs fastest 4th place finish ever

5. Symmonds PRs, runs fastest 5th place ever

6. Aman PRs, runs fastest 6th place ever (would PR again at Zurich in 2012)

7. Kaki, only one in final who doesn't PR, fastest 7th place ever

8. Osagie PRs, runs fastest 8th place ever

And you think Symmonds problem in this race was tactics? His real problem was that this was by far the best 800 race ever run.

Nick split exactly 50.44 in the Olympics. It is a gross assumption to state that he could not have run faster. Starting in 50.5 fated him to 1:42 high. To run into the medals he had to be close to the front with the same positive split he has run time and again (about 2 to 2.5). I am fairly certain that if he PRs it will be off of a faster first 400.

Tailgunning is a tactical choice not a physical limitation at 50.5. If he had been sub 50 I would agree that maybe he couldnt run faster 400 split.

Assuming that folks will come back to you does not work well. In fact when was the last OC/WC won from further than 4th or 5th with 200 to go?

Nick has changed wrote:

Nick split exactly 50.44 in the Olympics. It is a gross assumption to state that he could not have run faster. Starting in 50.5 fated him to 1:42 high. To run into the medals he had to be close to the front with the same positive split he has run time and again (about 2 to 2.5). I am fairly certain that if he PRs it will be off of a faster first 400.

Tailgunning is a tactical choice not a physical limitation at 50.5. If he had been sub 50 I would agree that maybe he couldnt run faster 400 split.

Assuming that folks will come back to you does not work well. In fact when was the last OC/WC won from further than 4th or 5th with 200 to go?

Are you being serious? People like you dumbfound me. There's a reason why people further than 4th or 5th out don't win the Olympics with 200 to go, it's because the worlds best aren't that far back and are usually in the lead or making their move. Nick being back there gave him the best chance to win, 0% (unless rudisha tripped). Being that far back isn't a reason for losing, not being good enough was. Rudisha could have won from 6th place with 200 to go but the best don't want to be back there. Nick didn't assume it would get him the win, he assumed it would give him the best placing he could get with his fitness.

How many guys have led at 400 only to be crushed in races?

Oy vey. I did not say he could win. I said chance to medal in case you miss details in conversation.

Nick being there gave him 0% chance of winning a medal. I agree that he neither had the fitness to go dep sub-50 nor had ANY chance of medaling from the back in that field, but who cares about a PR in 5th? This is the Olympics, not a Eurpopean time trial with rabbits. Put yourself in the mix. Which is exactly what he does now.

LOL!!! I would never have guessed this to be such a combative and angry thread. Good stuff.

What are you talking about? He PRed in the greatest race of all time, beating far better runners in Aman and Kaki to do that. There's nothing more he could have done, which is why that time will be his lifetime PR.

Aman and Kaki made the mistake of trying to go with Rudisha for the first 500m and both paid dearly on the home stretch. Amos made his move from about 250 to go, as did Kitum who had insider info from the King himself not to follow him. If those two had been smarter, they'd have challenged for the bronze and bumped Solomon and Symmonds even further down the rankings.

[quote]Nick has changed wrote:

Um, no. Daegu 2011. I believe that it was a WC race. No??? Rudisha led the first lap in 51.33. Nick ran the first 300 in last place and was fifth at the bell.

Nick has time and again run in the back in hopes of closing fast. This bit him at the Olympics and at Nationals as Solomon created such a huge gap that Nick could not come back. He has adjusted his tactics to slot into second

His 400m split in Moscow in 2013 -- where he was on the leader's shoulder -- was virtually identical to his 400m split in the London 2012 OG -- where he was well off the pace.

Changing tactics by running the same time for the first 400m? Not in this universe