Bol running 500 at NBGP - shame Sydney is ducking her

Wtf. Didn’t even know 500m was an event

I doubt that Syd is ducking her. 500 is just a bit far for her. I could see her going down to the 200 or 300 but not up to the 500.

Syd was announced to run the 60m before this announcement was made. 500m is a stupid distance anyway.

That’s McLaughable - she would be one of the best 500m runners in the world. She ran the 500 at the NBIGP 4 years ago at 19 and won in 1:09.46, not a great time, but I think she’d run ~1:07.low indoors now. That said, as much as I’d like to see her in this race, her absence doesn’t mean she’s ducking Bol.

Sydney has already run a 500.

To be fair to Sydney, she was announced for the 60m first, and in addition, these are both New Balance sponsored athletes, so I imagine they were intentionally kept apart. They want to keep their big stars winning where they can, not put them up against each other.

This is the first time Bol will be opening her indoor season outside of Europe, I imagine there was some negotiation re fees too.

If this weren't her opening race I would say the World Best was under threat, but not so sure. Under 1:08 would be good.

500m is such an odd distance. I also imagine it's very painful, like the 600m.

she is ducking someone she has consistently beaten to challenge elite runners in their specialty event that is far from hers. Ya that makes a lot of sense...

So you title says Syd IS ducking. Then in the body you say she COULD BE ducking. So which is it? If you’re gonna trash talk her, maybe you should go to her next meet and let her know.

I think that Bol is ducking Sydney. Why isn't Bol running the 60?

In the 1920s and 30s there apparently were a considerable number of 500m tracks in Europe, so the likes of Rudolf Harbig ran it once in a while.

It certainly does not look like an appealing distance on a 200m indoor track

Queen Femke never backs down. Syd hides all season and then somehow "peaks" at just the right time. Very sus.

Mark my words: if Femke decides to run the 400 flat this summer at Worlds Syd will just stick to hurdles.

1600 is not an event. Neither is 3200. WA does not recognize records for those, nor does USATF. Yet, the MB is plastered with references to those distances. I can honestly say I have never competed over either distance. Can you make that claim? Honestly? Make sure you have your own situation in order before talking smack about someone else for something you're guilty of. If you spent several years of your life obsessed with non-standard non-events, you're way out of line hassling someone for running a 500.

You, pictures of “Queen Femke,” and Rosie Palmer. Sounds like a menage a trois or, if Rosie’s 5 sisters are there, a menage a huit…

LOLOLOLOL you can't "duck" an absurd made-up distance. It's not like McLaughlin isn't racing; she's just racing legitimate distances.

It is more like Bol is ducking McLaughlin, running in this garbage instead of real races where real competition shows up.

For the record, McLaughlin has run exactly one 500m race in her life, winning the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix BY THREE SECONDS... in 1:09.4... 4 years ago... at 19... in her first ever race as a pro.

Now. When will Bol be racing an indoor 200m? 60H? 100H? Her 200i PR is a weak 23.37 (2022) to McLaughlin's 22.68 (2018). ROTFLMAO.

Unlike Sydney who tried the 500m, Bol has never even raced a 60H or 100H... maybe because she isn't athletic enough to get over the high hurdles? DUCKING.

Both Bol and McLaughlin can run 1:05. That’s like 48 400m speed, which they both have.

What have you been watching the last 4 years? You must be blind and dumb.

This doesn't need to be a Bol v McLaughlin pissing match.

I think over the flat, they are much more closely matched than over the hurdles, I think we can all agree.

As McLaughlin has had such a restricted racing schedule these last couple of seasons, there's no real open 400s to compare, but if we look at their relay legs from 2022, McLaughlin ran 47.9 on leg 4 in Oregon (lane 1 all the way) whilst Bol ran 48.5 on leg 4 in Munich (initially started in lane 3, then on the 2nd bend ran wide in lane 2 from halfway). With the extra distance considered, I would say they were pretty evenly matched, but I would give it to McLaughlin as Bol was spurred on by chasing, whilst McLaughlin had no one to push her.

Either way, it's clear both women could have medaled on the flat last season.

As for the hurdles, McLaughlin's superior technique and ability to hurdle off either leg has allowed her to run a more natural stride pattern, with little adaption to hurdle. On the other hand, in 2022 in particular, Bol's speed was such that she was struggling to stick to her regimented stride pattern, and was having to reduce her natural stride length on too many early hurdles. She tries to lead with the same leg the whole way round due to lack of technical ability like McLaughlin. Hence her coaches decision to work on that over the winter. If there were no McLaughlin, they probably wouldn't have bothered. But to get close, they need to change her 15 stride pattern.

500m is a half kilometer. It makes all the sense in the world