The hyper compressed timeline of this year’s USA’s forced her to make a choice. I think choosing the 400m over the hurdles this year is the right call.
It makes sense because while she can theoretically go faster than 50.3x in the hurdles, she's extremely close to her limit in that event while she (on paper) hasn't fully explored her limit in the flat 400 (48 low).
However, I'm surprised her and Kersee are taking this risk bc there's no guarantee she is even going to podium in the flat 400. She is probably the favorite for bronze behind Paulino and Naser but the truth is that Bukowiecka, Pryce, Butler, Whittaker, etc. are all capable of running sub-49 on a good day and Sydney will need to be in perfect shape to compete with that as her pacing in the flat 400 is extremely volatile.
OTOH, this is great news for Muhammad in her final season. Only has to beat one of Cockrell, Little, and Jones to make the team, whereas before she'd have to beat two of them. Also has a good chance of medalling in her final season as well, she's the fourth fastest this year behind Bol, SML, and Sutherland and it's unlikely Sutherland will hold her form from NCAAs until Tokyo
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Doesn't she get a pass for being the current champ at the 400m hurdles?
Only the reigning world champion and reigning Diamond League champion get a bye. She could theoretically get a bye if she wins the DL final but she'd have to qualify first which seems unlikely since she hasn't run a 400m hurdles in the DL since 2019
Doesn't she get a pass for being the current champ at the 400m hurdles?
No pass to worlds for winning Olympics. I believe she missed 23 worlds, so no pass.
yeah someone kept saying she had a pass and that this was just a way to stay busy without having to run her event, but the list i saw said 23 world champions and 25 diamond league leader are the wild cards.
however, technically the deadline is midnight tonight (7/22). so some of these runners people are talking about could still manifest.
I don't know a lot about sprinting, even though I've been a track fan for over 50 years, so please correct me or reply with technical knowledge. It looks to me like when SML is running 49 for 400m, she's running with the form you use for the step pattern of the 400 hurdles, different from 'normal sprinting.' Is there any truth to this, or is that just her way of running? Do you think she can drop a lot of time by focusing on sprint technique for the next 2 months? Is there a difference between the robotic step pattern running in the hurdles vs the 'unfettered' natural sprint style, or am I just seeing her distinctive form? Thank you.
re the DL wild card, the 2025 season (early september) finishes before (late september) worlds this year, so the wild card, goofy or not, goes to 2025 champions rather than 2024. be curious how many actual new wild cards come out of that. the usual suspects in diamond league would already know if they have their national route sorted. and some regulars may be running meets in early september as prep. diamond league finals can get squirrely but enough for (m)any fresh faces to get tickers? you have to be top 8 in league to make the finals usually.
There are 3 diamond leagues after USAs…if she’d fail I’m sure she could qualify for the final and then win
Only Silesia and Brussels have the 400 hurdles; Lausanne does not.
Current standings for 400m Hurdles
Bol 32
Knight 25
Muhammad 22
Folorunso 22
Woodruff 18
Zapletalova 16
Clayton 11
van der Walt 9
Nielsen 8
Jones 7
Iuel 7
Top-8 make it to the Finals. If SML would enter and win both Silesia and Brussels, she would have 16 points, putting her in 6th place right now. Whether or not she finishes in the top-8 will depend upon how well van der Walt, Nielsen, Jones, and Iuel fair. If two of them can get to 17 points, SML will be out. Point ties are broken by best performance of the year so if there is a tie for 8th, SML will certainly get in.