Wariner at 800m

noone thinks he can coast a 140. Its just that if you can run 44sec, then you have the capacity/capability for sub 145 with the right training.

Didn't we do this thread already?

runmad wrote:

Didn't we do this thread already?

no way, nobody ever brings this up.

American Hero wrote:

I have heard this mentioned before, and again recently after his horrible failure at the Pre 200m,

How on earth could Wariner's Pre result possibly be considered a failure?

I disagree with a lot of your points here. Most world class 800 guys can run 46, 45, or possibly even 44 (Wilson Kipketer might be the only one) in the 400. Maybe college guys who run 1:49 top out at 49 in the 400, but certainly world class 800 guys do not.

Yes the training is different for 800 vs. 400. However, Michael Johnson, who has close ties to Wariner (they share the same coach, he is his agent, etc.) did a lot of overdistance training, and considering Wariner's failure in the 200, it seems like Wariner's training leans to that direction as well.

As an above poster said, no one thinks he can coast a 1:41. However, the fact that he can run 43.mid for 400 means that he has more than enough speed to run 1:40. He is a very skinny guy (eg, the body of a distance runner), and his 400m ability does not seem to rely in large part on fantastic 100m/200m speed... all of these things put together are why people want to see him try an 800.

Bekele can run 26 mins for 10k imagine what he could do if he just ran 400 meters! It's like 1/25 the distance!

The funnest part of a 400M (for a distance runner) by FAR, is the 3rd 100M portion on the curve, if you're on one of the inside lanes. That's where the strength comes into play, and all-at-once, you're picking people off.

What I really don't understand is why people think that he should try it just because he might be good at it. He's the best in the world at his event. Why switch to an event that he MIGHT be good at? He has nothing to gain from it. At best he could go from being the best at one event to being the best at a different event. Why risk it to gain nothing?

I am positive that this subject has already been presented here...however if Wariner ever did run an 800, I wouldn't bet against him.

malmo, I'm actually shocked that you would click on another one of these silly threads.

Mark Everett could run under 45 i think...

and Wariner didn't fail in the 200 for gods sake...

you could make an argument for that race being the strongest 200m field EVER assembled...

i would also as yourself what Wariner could run in the Mile, because all world class 800m runners can drop solid mile times right? sure he could train for longer races but then he would lose some of his speed...

He had a bad run. So did several other guys. He hasn't run enough 200's this year to be able to pop a good one. He's probably capable of 19.9 based on his PR. He's more likely to be able to go under 20 than under 1:43.

The whole 'Wariner at 800m' thing is based solely on the fact that he's skinny.mIt's ridiculous.

It's plain for all to see that he's a speed-oriented 400m runner. He's very close to being a sub-20 200m man (ok, so yesterday wasn't the greatest example), and that in itself should tell anyone that he will NEVER have the aerobic capacity to run in the 1.40/1.41 region. If you have that degree of fast-twich muscle fibres, it will just never happen. End of.

My point, basically, is that him being skinny is not a deciding factor in his 800m potential. Quincy Watts ran faster at 400m but slower at 200m than Wariner. I don't recall anyone ever suggesting he might be effective over 800m, much less break the WR.

The thought that the 400m and 800m is different is true but not vastly, the reason there aren't many 400m/800m runners because if they can run 45.9 or faster they stick with the 400m. If they run 46 or above they go to the 400H and some have become decathletes. The fact is there aren't many world class 400m runners willing to try the 800m because the training is different from what they are accustomed and the 800m is far more grueling.

Some runners who were world-class 400m runners and ran the 800m:

Athlete, 400m, 800m

Mark Everett...44.5 (open)....1:43 med

Tony Parilla...44.8 r.........1:43 high

Danny Everett..43.8 (open)....1:47 low (one season, 2 races)

Kevin Young....46.7 WR in hurdles...1:48 (1 season, 2 races)

the speed of Warnier isn't so unbelievable that he would never try the 800m. Danny Everett was at least a 20.08 (if not faster in the open 200m). Does it means Warnier could do it...MAYBE if he focused on the 800m event!

test?

Okay, I'll say it: If Wariner were exactly the same build but black, no one would be talking about him trying the 800. It's only because he's white that there's speculation.

Training differences aside, another reason for him not running the 800 is, unless he were instantly as successful as he was in the 400, no one would pay him to run the event. What meet promoter would pay for the 30th best 800 runner as opposed to the best 400 man? Nobody.

Do you know anything about the 800m? Wilson Kipketer's best 400m was 46.85. Today was no "failure"; did you expect him to beat the best 200m runners and PR in 62F weather and rain? He is the best 400m runner in the world; who is also good at 200m. He races 200m to imporve his 400m ability. Just becuse he took 6th in one of the best 200m races assembled doesn't mean shit about his 400m ability.

And successful 400/800 runners are rare. Most (Kipketer, Coe, Cruz, Koskei, Gray, Bucher, Cram, Elliott, Bungei, etc) come from an endurance background. And what's more, why on earth of Wariner think of running 800m at all? Olympic gold medal, world champ, and coming within meters of Johnson's WR: what more do you want? IF he weren't white, nobody would be suggesting it at all.

Vipam wrote:

Athlete, 400m, 800m

Mark Everett...44.5 (open)....1:43 med

Tony Parilla...44.8 r.........1:43 high

Danny Everett..43.8 (open)....1:47 low (one season, 2 races)

Kevin Young....46.7 WR in hurdles...1:48 (1 season, 2 races)

A few facts, Vipam. Mark Everett and JOSE Parilla (best 400 45.76) were 800m speialists who also dabbled in the 400, but their success was limited to the 800m. Danny Everett never ran 1:47 low in the 800.

Les wrote:

Okay, I'll say it: If Wariner were exactly the same build but black, no one would be talking about him trying the 800. It's only because he's white that there's speculation.

This really is the heart of the issue. End of story.