syd will be fine
- her 500m really wasn't that awful - 2 seconds off Okolo's world record and actually a top 10 all time us women's indoor performance (yes it's not run often!)
it's really easy to blame her for things that really are not in her control
- the NB meet was a sponsor obligation, which she fulfilled with a credible performance and no incidents. she actually gave a nice candid interview response to a LR interview ? where she explained that she is not sharp, therefore selected a longer distance, and had no idea of the entry list. (Rather than - heh it was nice of an athlete to actual give some real answers in an interview , she gets beat up for her race selection)
- well now her indoor season is over - she can focus on a slow build up to what actually matters - the US trials and World's - staying healthy (again the usual critics here should be cheering that rather than burning out, she has a great plan in place to basically avoid indoor and peak intelligently for world's)
- Kentucky/turning pro/Floreal move - her decision to turn pro and Floreal's move to Texas basically happened at the same time. A lot of folks assumed she would move with him to Texas, but there was never any commitment or requirement for her to do that. If she turned pro, she would have to find a coach and a training base. If she remained at Kentucky, she would have had to get used to a new coach. In her case, obviously together with her family and advisors, she made the choice to go pro. Given her value was at a high, she had nothing to prove anymore in NCAA, and the calendar of World's '19 and Olympics '20, she 99% likely made the right decision. With that decision made, then heading to the nice climate of LA, with easy access to marketing/Hollywood and a coach she is comfortable with makes perfect sense.
- dealing with pressure - while it's apparent she stressed at Rio 2016, and now made a comfortable move to a new coach this has nothing to do with how she performs on the track. On the track in high school and at Kentucky she has always been an absolute beast in even the most competitive high stress situations. What she hates is all the hype and hoopla that goes along with it. There was never a peep that she was unhappy at Kentucky, or didn't get along with her teammates - in fact I believe it was actually just the opposite. She was happy at UK and well liked on the team. Her point was "if I am going pro, and if I get to choose a training situation - then I'll go with what is best for me. If you practice every day with elites, it can push you to new heights, but it can also tempt you to push even the easy days, just leading to injury. The proof will be how she performs on race day - at US Trials.
- personality for advertisers - Syd is still 18 I think, 19 at oldest and like most teenagers she wears her emotions on her face and posture, so it's easy to tell when she doesn't like what goes on around her. She'll grow out of that as she faces it more and simply matures. None of that changes that she is highly marketable for her sponsors and TV...as long as she keeps winning.
So no, career will not be a flop!