1:44.70
We merged two threads on Brazier's amazing return to the sport into 1 and combined the titles.
1:44.70
He's back!
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Nice rust buster!
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First performnance that made me say "wow" in a while. Wow!
Love to see him thrash Hoppel again
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Wow, I was not expecting that. He won by 2.5 seconds too, he really can be right in the mix at USATF champs as long as he stays healthy
Also what's up with Will Sumner? Had some good results at 400/600 to open his season but his returns to the 800 haven't been great, 1:49.8 today
xcr wrote:
He's back!
Holy cow. 1:44.7 is far beyond what I ever thought he was gonna run today. He's making the US team this year. I don't care. I've seen enough.
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Moran
Robert just texted me: "Brazier's back!!! Guess the time."
And then he said 1:44.
I thought he was joking. He's been known to call me with a fake race result every now and then. I thought I was being clever by telling him that the Portland Track Festival was next week.
Then I saw this result...holy shit.
His last race was July 20, 2022. He had not broken 1:45 since February 2021. Obviously we are talking about one of the great 800m talents this country has ever produced -- perhaps the greatest -- but I did not expect a 1:44 right out of the gate.
Brazier has had no fewer than four surgeries on his left leg since the 2021 Olympic Trials. He hasn't raced in almost three years, and for a significant amount of that time, he wasn't running at all. I am stunned he ran this fast.
He's 28 years old. Let's hope he stays healthy...if he can, he could do some special things this year.
If you're curious about his injury history, here is the most recent Brazier update article I wrote in January 2024:
Koech and Hoppel are locks. I've got Hoey getting that 3rd spot. Only reason he kind of looked bad in the GST 800 was because he tried to go with Arop, who is just at a different level right now. But the dude still even-split a 1:44 and has a 1:43 in his legs from earlier this season
This is great, and it looks like he went wire-to-wire too pretty even splits. Ready to roll. .2 away from standard but that will take care of itself at Trials if necessary.
Hoey/Hoppel/Koech/Miller have all run 1:43 already in 2025. Now Brazier's back in the mix. Maybe Sam Whitmarsh or Tinoda Matsatsa makes a jump at NCAAs next week?
Men's 800 getting really interesting in the US this year!
Wilt Chamberlain wrote:
Koech and Hoppel are locks. I've got Hoey getting that 3rd spot. Only reason he kind of looked bad in the GST 800 was because he tried to go with Arop, who is just at a different level right now. But the dude still even-split a 1:44 and has a 1:43 in his legs from earlier this season
Koech is not a lock. Only Hoppel is.
Does anyone know who is coaching him now? It looks like he was hopping in with Craig Engels and other Flagstaff runner's workouts on strava
I’m not ruling out Shane Cohen yet either. 1:45.1 recently, and I wonder if he’s just getting sharp with speedwork.
