Coaches: Could Sydney M.L. run 1:49.99/800 with specific training for 12-18 months?

Ah yes, a 22.0/47.7 woman should immediately move to the 800

She could not run under 1:50, so let’s table that. Who is Alberto Cruz? Do you mean Joaquim Cruz?

Wouldn't Sydney be more suited to attacking the 200 rather than the 800?

Yeah. She's too big for an 800m runner. She's built like a power sprinter.

Are you kidding me

Tons of threads about Jimmy Kimmel and yet something about running is the stupidest of them all.

You're correct she's big, but with more endurance training she would lose 10-20 pounds. Kratichvilova had a similar physique. It's not unheard of for 800 specialists to be bulky.

Training to run 2 laps in 55 seconds should be physically possible for a 47+ 400 runner.

We here this silly argument often here. It popped up frequently when jeremy Wariner was the best in the world: "He can run 43. Running 400 in 50 seconds would be like jogging for him. It shouldn´t be a problem to keep the same pace for one more lap." Well, that is not how physiology works.

55 for one lap wouldn´t be a problem for SML, but she would bonk completely on the second lap, and if she started to do a lot of 800m specific training she would no longer be a 47s 400 runner.

bulky Kelly Holmes, who was also a very good 1500m runner.

With Bobby Kersee as her coach, she'd be lucky to break 2:05 in the 800.

2:05

We aren't dicussing what she can do now at 800m. It is about what should be possible at 800m if she trained for it 18 months .....

Hypothetically coached by me I can see a possible 1:46 !! 😮😎🤠🇸🇪

She’s not going to lose 10-20 pounds of muscle.

I don't think she could run 1:49.00 but I DO think she should move up and try it.

Take the off season to add mileage and then give it a go.

Her 400 pr is obviously incredible and a lot of people think she could extend her range by dropping down to the 200. ...But she is still fundamentally a 400h runner. From an aerobic standpoint that event is often compared to a 600m effort. With that in mind, SML would probably be at least a sub 2 or maybe 1:58 at 800. With a couple years of specific training she could possibly even scratch at 1:56ish.

Winning a third Gold in the 400H in the L.A. Olympics, is far more important than pursuing the 800m.

If Sydney started training for the 800, what event would Athing run? They can't be racing the same event

The fact that no woman has run under 1:53 suggests she would probably not. For what it's worth, Kratochvilova ran 47.99 and 1:53.3 as a 400/800 specialist.