The point is that she’s 22 and still improving. She hasn’t reached her athletic peak, probably not for a few more years. These people who think she couldn’t run low 48 or even break 48 in the 400 (or break the world record) with proper focus on the event are clueless.
She turns 23 in two weeks.
This was her seasonal peak, not her career peak.
She can do what she wants to. I wonder, however, how long she'll remain motivated. At some point she'll want to start a family.
Her coach says she is going for the world outdoor 400m record meaning full-time focus. The different in training for flat 400m compared to 100h)400h is significant. Don't know if she can get the world record but an American Record at 400m next year would not surprise me!
Just to be clear, Sydney's coach never said Sydney was going to "full time focus" on the flat 400.
What he said was that after the World Championships Sydney was going to try to break the 400 flat record. He never said anything about giving up the 400h as her main event.
In any case, even Sydney's coach doesn't really believe that Sydney can actually run 47.60. She might break the American Record, but not the world record.
The point is that she’s 22 and still improving. She hasn’t reached her athletic peak, probably not for a few more years. These people who think she couldn’t run low 48 or even break 48 in the 400 (or break the world record) with proper focus on the event are clueless.
She turns 23 in two weeks.
This was her seasonal peak, not her career peak.
She can do what she wants to. I wonder, however, how long she'll remain motivated. At some point she'll want to start a family.
She is going to be a mom? We will have another one?!
Glad to see Michael Norman finally win a global title. The kid is simply just way too talented to constantly shît the bed at major championships like he consistently has in the past. I think tonight got the monkey off his back and we will see a different Michael Norman. One who will threaten MJ’s American record and win more global titles!
Her coach says she is going for the world outdoor 400m record meaning full-time focus. The different in training for flat 400m compared to 100h)400h is significant. Don't know if she can get the world record but an American Record at 400m next year would not surprise me!
Just to be clear, Sydney's coach never said Sydney was going to "full time focus" on the flat 400.
What he said was that after the World Championships Sydney was going to try to break the 400 flat record. He never said anything about giving up the 400h as her main event.
In any case, even Sydney's coach doesn't really believe that Sydney can actually run 47.60. She might break the American Record, but not the world record.
Breaking Sandra Richards Ross’s 48.70 NR seems like a perfect goal for her. Interesting to note that SRR ran that time when she was only 21.
The point is that she’s 22 and still improving. She hasn’t reached her athletic peak, probably not for a few more years. These people who think she couldn’t run low 48 or even break 48 in the 400 (or break the world record) with proper focus on the event are clueless.
She's in her career peak years right now. She doesn't have the speed to break 48, no chance. Sub 49 would be a good target.
she would run a flat 400 in close to 49 seconds,perhaps 49.2 at her best.i remember she ran her leg in the 4X 400 relay in 49.9 last year in the olympics,and that was the first leg.
Sydney is most certainly capable of running 48.5-49.0 open right now over 400m. She's about to break sub 51 in 400h at worlds.
With some proper speed training she can dip under 48.5. 47.6 is a stretch but it will be fun watching her go for it.
A few stats for helpful context....
- 4 years ago when she was running almost 1.5-2 seconds slower over 400h, she ran 50.07 in the open 400m in MARCH as a Freshman at Kentucky to open her outdoor collegiate season. She ran this in the pouring ran, btw.
- In the same meet, she ran 22.39 over 200m (not a bad double)
- She ran 50.38 indoor that same year as a freshman at Kentucky
- She ran 2 sub 50.0 splits FAT in HS
- She ran 48.8 split on the 4x4 at 2019 worlds
- She was the lead-off lead at Tokyo which is why she didn't dip below (she looked way too comfortable and didn't go out hard enough as she clearly needs more reps in the event)
I strongly believe she has 50.6-8 400h potential this year. Once she gets that 400h record in a place that won't be touched for a few decades, she will move over to the open 400. Throw in some speed training with Bobby over 100 and 200, she will be ready to challenge the 400m WR.
If she makes the pivot this summer after Eugene to the open 400, I bet we see 48.9-49.1 open and 21.7-9 over 200m
Jesus, nice call, man. Bravo. (It's always nice to see that not *everybody* making bold declarations on LR is an idiot.)
You really think her differential would only be ~1.7 secs??
There are too many idiots here, none of you understand the hurdles. Your stride pattern is locked in, the only way to get faster is to take faster steps, not longer steps. Her stride would be much longer in a flat 400. She was very conservative in her most recent record, she was even with the field 200m in. She can run 50.5 in the 400h and sub 48 open 400 with just a year of training exclusively on the flat 400.
Called it, 50.68. I am the smartest.
Arguing with yourself? You should see a doctor. I truly admire S.M. as a hurdler but S.M. is not racing F.A.T. sub-48 400m.
There are too many idiots here, none of you understand the hurdles. Your stride pattern is locked in, the only way to get faster is to take faster steps, not longer steps. Her stride would be much longer in a flat 400. She was very conservative in her most recent record, she was even with the field 200m in. She can run 50.5 in the 400h and sub 48 open 400 with just a year of training exclusively on the flat 400.
doesn't have the foot speed lol. She would win the 400 open going away if she decided she wanted it. There is a much more than a non-zero chance she could get the WR as well. In other words, the woman you are suggesting lacks the foot speed to win the 400 would have qualified for the open 400 final with her 50.68 and likely would run 48 right now, and perhaps could be the fastest ever... lack of foot speed lololol
The point is that she’s 22 and still improving. She hasn’t reached her athletic peak, probably not for a few more years. These people who think she couldn’t run low 48 or even break 48 in the 400 (or break the world record) with proper focus on the event are clueless.
She's in her career peak years right now. She doesn't have the speed to break 48, no chance. Sub 49 would be a good target.
Says who? Professional track athletes typically peak around age 26. As long as she remains motivated I would expect her to continue to improve her times until around the 2025 world championships.
She goes over the hurdles so effortlessly, do they even add much time to her regular 400m time at this point? The Mu vs Syd in an open 400m got me thinking about this. At first I thought McLaughlin would definitely win but after watching SM effortlessly go over the hurdles when setting the WR, I don’t know how much time the hurdles even add for her compared to a regular 400
I would argue with such short hurdles that they add some kind of advantage in terms of how to pace yourself and hold back energy at the start of the race. It’s a mastery in the event because it’s so technical. So you can time your steps and glide over each hurdle and know how much gas is left in the tank at each phase of the race (in between hurdles). now obviously syd is an exceptional athlete and has also been conditioned her whole life to master the hurdles and rhythm. I don’t consider track a sport, simply a competition, but yes the more barriers and technical challenges there are then it becomes closer to a sport. is her flat 400 any quicker than her 400h times? I doubt it. she just has a well attuned and aligned machine that has enabled her to dominate her event. Same with the men’s
If she makes the pivot this summer after Eugene to the open 400, I bet we see 48.9-49.1 open and 21.7-9 over 200m
You really think her differential would only be ~1.7 secs??
I agree with sp2 that her differential will be less than 2.0 seconds.
Sydney's coach has said that she will run a flat 400 this summer at some point, and I think that Sydney will try to break the American record of 48.70. I don't think that she will break it this year, but I think she will get pretty close.
You really think her differential would only be ~1.7 secs??
I agree with sp2 that her differential will be less than 2.0 seconds.
Sydney's coach has said that she will run a flat 400 this summer at some point, and I think that Sydney will try to break the American record of 48.70. I don't think that she will break it this year, but I think she will get pretty close.
The last time she raced both seriously was 2018, when her differential was 2.75. She has become a more proficient hurdler since then, but also stronger overall, and in a year would be under 48.0.