Isn't this a Letsrun dream scenario? For years Letsrunners dreamt Jeremy Wariner would make a serious attempt in his prime and many here are often obsessed with the idea of a runner in their prime "moving up". Well now they finally have their wish!
Wow! This must be the the most significant change of event that a top tier athlete has ever done. Has any other world or Olympic champion so drastically changed event while still at their peak?
This is much ado about NOTHING. Several prominent 400m hurdlers have dabbled in the 800m. So nothing new to see here.
Wow, it's certainly a massive and kind of unprecedented move at her level. Very old school - good for her. Of course we have seen legit 400/800 dual exponents of the past - the two most famous of course are Kratochvilova and Juantorena - WR holders at both distances and both did doubles at major events (JK the Worlds and AJ the Olympics).
More recently we have seen runners with great ability over both (anyone remember that runner from the US, what was her name - Athing Mu?), but not a scenario like this where you have an established multiple year top world performer (World/Olympic medallist, 2AT) making such a move. How many world champions over the 400/400mH disciplines ever made a mid-career move up to an event twice the distance? Honestly can't think of any but maybe someone has a name.
There is the well known link between 400m hurdlers and their energy systems and the similarity to the 800. The small bursts of energy needed to jump the hurdles while maintaining not quite full speed create a profile where the runner is running close to their threshold for 65-70% of the race before crossing it - similar to the 800. It's probably a move closer to the SML move to the 400m flat than it appears on the surface.
Speaking of SML, surely she has had an impact on this. She was essentially like "I've almost done everything I can in this discipline (except break 50.0 but the 400m WR is a way bigger deal), it's almost boring for me now", so she's moved on. Bol clearly can't beat her over the hurdles but is dominant when Sydney isn't there - she's almost reached a similar situation. Wouldn't say it's the most glowing endorsement of the womens 400H event as a whole that the two best runners in history in the event both appear to have bailed on the event at the age of 25, but it's good for someone out there
Wow! This must be the the most significant change of event that a top tier athlete has ever done. Has any other world or Olympic champion so drastically changed event while still at their peak?
This is much ado about NOTHING. Several prominent 400m hurdlers have dabbled in the 800m. So nothing new to see here.
Interesting move. In my opinion, Bol has always been someone who needs a plan, and deviating from it will mess with her head. Since the 800 has so many variables and other runners ruining what you had planned, I wonder if she can adapt quickly enough. But maybe that's also part of the challenge she's looking for.
Mess with her head? She's won 30 DL races in a row. I think her head is just fine.
Obviously running a race that doesn't stay in lanes versus one that does is totally different but let's don't act like it's rocket science. But the vast majority of the races are rabbitted on the DL circuit.
Exactly. It's not rocket science. Yet you have all the LR geniuses here with their calculus telling us exactly what's going to happen. I suspect the 3 or 4 posters here really geeking out are one in the same, overhyping way prior to evidence of facts.
4
2
Promoting Excellence in Running, Integrity of Character, Clarity of Mind, Sublime Humor.