Haylom is a wildcard/gamble for sure. However, 3:53 this spring (and 14:23 5k) aint to shabby for this 18 year old. It seems to me Haylom is really attached to Tsegay and does well keying off of her. Sometimes seems off without that dynamic.
I don’t think she’s 18, but somewhat irrelevant to this. It seems to me most of all the less going on in a race the better she’ll do. If she’s able to follow and just hang on as long as she can (eg any race with Tsegay) she’s got a great engine. But in races with any tough decisions/tactics she struggles.
She's listed as 18 but I know ages are hard to know 100% for east Africans. I agree with the rest of what you said. She is not quite there yet in tactics etc.
To the Bol critics, as mentioned, this is her fastest ever opener, and was a good rust buster.
There is no point comparing her run here to McLaughlin's: Sydney has been in a competition/racing period for the last 6 weeks, competing every two weeks in different events. She is race sharp, even if she hasn't run a 400mh in 22 months. This is effectively the opening race of Bol's summer season. Her World Relays appearance was literally a 'come out of training camp for one week' to get the QT for the team, then it was right back into training camp.
On top of that, McLaughlin has the US Trials in just over a couple of weeks, a hugely critical meet, so she is coming into form. Bol has no similar event two weeks away, the Europeans next week is not comparable hence literally one run out before.
They are at different stages in their seasons. Let's see how they are in Paris.
How do you know McLaughlin is also not just training through racing?
Sydney can basically walk the 400h and win the US trials now that Daliliah is past her peak and Britton Wilson has disappeared this year. Is she injured? Or someone please correct me if she raced.
Syd is entered in multiple races at the Trials. TBD if she runs more than one, but I assume she is preparing for a double and probably is working through these meets.
Surprised Kiprotich was in it, few Kenyans competing overseas this close to Trials. That being said she looks a pretty strong #2 to Moraa.
Amazed no one noticed the back end of the w800, but just realized that Wilma Nielsen was eighth in the race, just behind twin sister Julia. Isn't she supposed to run NCAAs this week?