What world do we live in where a 1:43.82 doesn’t make a final? How is this even possible? Two years ago that time would’ve won gold medals.
This right here. Mid D has become so competitive that making semi's is becoming an accomplishment. There really is no other sport that is s international. Look at the nations repressented.
Then, there are so many running sub 1:45 and 3:32 that making finals is tougher than ever.
I love it. I'm old enough to remember when making finals in the 800 was just coming in the top 4 from 1 of 2 heats and it was almost a foregone conclusion that the favorites were going to make it.
I think we are seeing the effects of peaking for US champs in August in order to make the team and then having to peak again in mid Sept. It is just too long of a season
No, I think we're seeing the effects of bad tactics. All of these race were the Americans getting themselves stuck on the rails and not having any room in the last 200m.
It seems like after the last Olympics everybody think that the Cold Hooker tactics is the best.
Its not a disaster - or the disaster occurred at USAs not Worlds but its hard to call some of the fastest 800s in history a disaster. Lutkenhaus - a teenager shouldn't be expected to make the final. Getting to semis is great - its not his fault only one American could beat a 16 year old. Brazier - coming off injury. No one should be shocked he didn't get to the final. Great to just get so far with how little recent racing he has had.
Hoppell and Brazier came close to qualifying for the final . The US can't be expected to have athletes in the top 8 every time. We could really only say Hoppell underperformed.
Its not a disaster - or the disaster occurred at USAs not Worlds but its hard to call some of the fastest 800s in history a disaster. Lutkenhaus - a teenager shouldn't be expected to make the final. Getting to semis is great - its not his fault only one American could beat a 16 year old. Brazier - coming off injury. No one should be shocked he didn't get to the final. Great to just get so far with how little recent racing he has had.
Hoppell and Brazier came close to qualifying for the final . The US can't be expected to have athletes in the top 8 every time. We could really only say Hoppell underperformed.
Brazier is coming off a PR. He underperformed. Claiming he’s still affected by “injury” is bunk.
Why does it always seem to be the Americans that do this ?
You’re gonna be mind-blown when you find out 3+ athletes “ride the rail” within 100m in every single race 800m+ on the track. I, too, remember being 16 years old and getting to decide at my county meet “Am I gonna jog to the back and kick later or just move straight to the front?” That’s not how it works for the big boys. You play the hand that’s dealt when the gun goes off.
If you don’t get off the line as well as the two guys next to you or the field surges 10m in and you miss the miss by half a second or SOMETHING CAUSES YOU TO NOT BE TRENDING TOWARD THE FRONT IN THE FIRST 50M, you have to get on the rail. Oh just fall back? You now have Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman on your outside shoulder, and they are running together today and aren’t letting you through. The pace is hot now. Sub 3:30. You going to run a 15.5sec 100m to pop out the back? Should you have just run your second 50m in 12.1sec and pushed through to the lead?
These guys are firing bullets at each other. Quit acting like it’s a decision before the race of “Rail or lead or hang in 4th today?” It’s just kill or be killed. And the hunt is different every time. The ones who get to decide how the race goes before it even goes are people who are DOMINANT at that moment. Doesn’t happen at the top level too much anymore.
If you watch Jakob, he is never boxed. Runs lane 1 when possible on the turns, drifts to lane 2 on the straights to make moves. This isn't really that hard, but US runners make it so.
Americans come through the NCAA they have such a race craft/tactics lessons advantage over so many nations yet everyone is placing themselves in the stupidest way.