Isn't JH the #1 ranked high jumper in the world? The one who placed first at Doha and Florence? He's a disaster because he doesn't have the mechanics you prefer?
I used to think his mechanics were terrible. The more I watch him, they make a lot of sense. Everyone else robotically uses the same method. They throw their legs back over their head based on timing.
Meanwhile if they launched too close or too far from the bar, the standard timing is not ideal. I can't count how many jumps I've seen that had plenty of height but the legs were thrown back a split second too soon or too late.
Harrison has basically a cheat code with the more horizontal style and then watching the bar in relationship to his lower legs. He knows exactly when to fire the legs. Consequently he rescues more shaky attempts than anyone else, and he's a far greater threat to have a couple of poor attempts followed by a successful one.
Granted, you have to be extremely athletic to apply that style.
The 800m is certainly in a downswing, no question about that.
But my point is that the 400m is actively hemorrhaging talent. They come with huge promise and blazing times and then disappear. To say they don't develop is an understatement. They get injured, mysteriously go AWOL, or leave the event entirely.
It's not the case in the 800m that you've got a bunch of 1:41, 1:42 guys that just come out guns blazing and then proceed to fall off the face of the Earth, or decide they are going to become 1500m runners instead.
The 800m is just in a bit of a lull follhe Brazier situation is disappointing for sure, but barring a few other steady declines (Emmanuel Korir, Ferguson Rotich).
This makes me wonder "why do we keep losing talent in the 400m?"
Norman wins WC in Eugene, then doesn't run the event anymore to move down to 100 like Kerley? Doesnt make sense to me.
Is it possible that the 400m is so much more demanding and difficult than the 100/200 in training that guys just don't want to run it? Does anyone have experience with this? How difficult is training for the 400 compared to 100/200?
Probably a reason. This is the cited reason as to why Bolt wanted to do 100/200 instead of 400, where he probably could have been the first man under 43
That guy from China, Wang Jianan, is one of the furthest jumpers in history and the co-national record holder. He's equal 35th on the all-time list.
So, there's not one modern American that cant beat the 35th all-timer? Greek? Brit?, Cuban? Sheesh, that's what Im talking about youngster. I was spoiled watching, Myricks, Lewis, Powell, Walder, Connely etc.... Check their names in the top 34. Probably have room to spare before worrying about 35.
Used to be as tough to make the American Olympic team as the current women's 100 hurdles has been the last 10+ years.
When the mountain disappears its noticeable.
Ok,I looked at the list. 27ft+ is good but I still cant believe there isnt 1 American that can jump close to that after witnessing so many 28 footers. Emmiyan was a hanger which looked like 30 feet.
As far as 400 goes...Anyone remember the debacle in 92 New Orleans. O ly the men's 400 1st round on the rest night.
Evans, Lewis, Watts, Reynolds kept one upping each other. All I remembet is the announcer kept saying...And thats a new World Record for a first round effort after each heat. That was a salty group on a salty night.
Alberto Juantorena won the Olympics in 1976 running a then-WR 1:43.50. Sadly, that time would have won last year's WC. Men's 800 has been stagnant for decades. The event at the top has progressed due to a few standout individuals like Coe, Kipketer, Rudisha, but as far as depth goes the event hasn't moved forward.
Decades? Didn't we have the greatest 800m race in history in 2012? That was 11 years ago.
In 1976 the ave of the top 10 performance was 1.44.74 compared to the best year in 2012 when the ave was 1.42.69 (big improvement)
In terms of depth 1976 50th 1.47.1 and 100th 1.48.0 with the best year being 2021 were 50th was 1.44.91 and 100th was 1.45.87
So while the pointy end as remained somewhat stagnant since 1984, the over all depth of the 800 has improved. No sure what this says for the super spikes argument.
Top 10 average perform in Olympic Years 2021 1.43.43 2016 1.43.09 2012 1.42.69 2008 1.43.38 2004 1.43.62 2000 1.43.72 1996 1.43.01 1992 1.43.73 1988 1.43.66 1984 1.43.38 1980 1.45.11 1976 1.44.74
Alberto Juantorena won the Olympics in 1976 running a then-WR 1:43.50. Sadly, that time would have won last year's WC. Men's 800 has been stagnant for decades. The event at the top has progressed due to a few standout individuals like Coe, Kipketer, Rudisha, but as far as depth goes the event hasn't moved forward.
I beg to differ. The men's 800m is deeper than ever, but not as top heavy as it used to be. For example, 6 men have already run under Juantorena's 1:43.5 this year, compared to 2 in all of last year.
Year / Sub 1:44 performers (since 2012)
2023 / 11+
2022 / 8
2021 / 14
2020 / 2
2019 / 13
2018 / 10
2017 / 5
2016 / 14
2015 / 13
2014 / 12
2013 / 11
2012 / 16
Since the best year for the 800m, the depth has been a mixed bag, but this year is already above the average for the last 10 years, and it is still July. So no, the men's 800m has not imploded and this year should be one of the deepest in history.
In 1976 the ave of the top 10 performance was 1.44.74 compared to the best year in 2012 when the ave was 1.42.69 (big improvement)
In terms of depth 1976 50th 1.47.1 and 100th 1.48.0 with the best year being 2021 were 50th was 1.44.91 and 100th was 1.45.87
So while the pointy end as remained somewhat stagnant since 1984, the over all depth of the 800 has improved. No sure what this says for the super spikes argument.
Top 10 average perform in Olympic Years 2021 1.43.43 2016 1.43.09 2012 1.42.69 2008 1.43.38 2004 1.43.62 2000 1.43.72 1996 1.43.01 1992 1.43.73 1988 1.43.66 1984 1.43.38 1980 1.45.11 1976 1.44.74
Thanks for putting this together, I see this as an argument that average times have plateaued since 84.
That 2012 number comes from Rudisha pacing the London final to phenomenal times. Aside from that year, it's really striking how the world top-10s have consistently stayed around 1:43 for almost 40 years now. I would expect you'd see much larger changes in average top-10 times in both the sprints and longer distances, where it's easier to max out one end of the power/fitness spectrum.
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