Yes, but if the B team doesn't qualify, we don't make the final. Remember last year with Quincy Wilson? A heroic performance by Vernon Norwood saved the USA's spot in the final. Vernon could have run the qualifier this year.
Carl Lewis criticized the coaches who choose the relay team. If they're friends with an individual athlete's coach, that athlete has a better chance of being chosen for a relay.
Yes, I understand your point. It was definitely a gamble. But now that I've thought it about it some more, I think it's a gamble worth making. Botswana went 1-3-8 in the individual 400m, plus they have Tebogo. We have little to no chance of beating that squad with tired legs. But if we have 4 fresh legs and 3 of theirs are tired from running the qualifying round? Our chances improve significantly.
It's basically a question of do you play it safe by devising a strategy that gives you an excellent chance of making the podium but only a small chance of beating Botswana for gold (which would be running one or two of our best guys in the qualifying round and running them again in the final), or do you take a calculated risk that has a small but non-zero chance of failing in the qualifying round but maximizes your opportunity for gold? The decision-maker(s) opted to go for the latter, and I like it.
Now Botswana has 3 tired legs, and we're set up to have these four guys all fresh and ready for the final:
Jacory Patterson Khaleb McRae Vernon Norwood Rai Benjamin
Suddenly, I like our chances. Botswana should still be favored, but it's not inconceivable that we could win.
The men's 4x400m relay plan came sooo close to working! The team got the baton to Rai on anchor with the lead, which is exactly what they wanted. He just didn't have enough to close it out like he did in Paris last year. After running 43.18 on his anchor leg last year, he split 44.40 this year. He mentioned he was mentally done when he thought the team wouldn't be in the final, and he was out late last night.
It was a thrilling race, and we now have an exciting rivalry with Botswana that is likely to continue. We beat them by .10 last year, and they got us by .07 this year. Looking forward to future clashes!
Time for Kenny to move up and lead the 4x400 crew with Rai and Quincy. He'd be our best 400man. Headbands look better on a full lap too. )
Lyles can keep winning some tight ones in the 100m and 200m Younger guns are coming in the 100m 200m . Now is the time.
Props to Coleman in the 4x100 for the past years. He's a good starter/corner man. Maybe USATF can give him the job as sprint coach. Our sprinters have all experienced running 4th leg through their college years (which is easy), and need to do some work on actual exchanges. Dudes are bigger - and it makes the corner handoffs hyper tough.
Waiting for video on handoff between Bednarek and Lindsay. My impression was both runners shared mistake of simply being on wrong side of the lane given which hand the baton was in. Things happen so fast, it's a common mistake. One of them shifted to the wrong side. (Or -- being the USA, they both did , lol ) Need repetition to get discipline on all those little things. That seemed to be Jamaica's problem on last handoff in Round 1. 3rd runner was reaching across his own body when trying to get it to Thompson.
I wonder if there's a Canada DQ coming on exchange one. Looks to me like Brown's in contact with baton with his first step past the line (unless I'm looking at wrong line?).
I wonder if there's a Canada DQ coming on exchange one. Looks to me like Brown's in contact with baton with his first step past the line (unless I'm looking at wrong line?).
Okay, I think I was looking at a 300m start line, now the exchange zone end line.
great point about Carl. In his book, he ripped the 1988 coaches, one of who managed a kid who didn't make the top 4 at Trials but was put on the relay...that team blew the race.
Zero accountability from cole about his dq as expected
Cole is so deeply unlikable on a personal level. Great championship racer that you can never count out, but I can’t think of any interviewee I’d rather watch less.
