Jeremy Wariner: NOT a 200 runner

It seems to be hurting his 400 as well since he can't even get out of the blocks now.

The likelihood of running a faster 200M in the execution of a 400M record may start with a few to several 200M races prior. The fact that 20.X has been the average time in the 200M races bodes well for a 400M world record and just maybe we'll see some lactic.

This is not a prediction but merely an observation.

Running 20.57 makes a sprinter "not a 200 runner"? I guess the best sprinters on my team aren't even close to being 200 runners.

i agree. he doesn't have a prayer against the current crop of 200m runners

it's all relative. I'm guessing the 'sprinters on your team' also aren't existing World and Olympic Champions.

20.57 isn't even close to where he needs to be if he has any serious designs on MJ's 400m WR

Oh ok. I didn't realize that being a 200 runner meant that you have a serious shot at the WR. The 200 isn't his best event and he isn't the best in the world at it by any means, but I wouldn't say that he's not a 200 runner.

so what.

He wins his 400s on great endurance and strength. He's not an explosive runner. He's not MJ.

i think when you're running a full second slower than the current world leader, it's time to get back to your better event

Saying that JW is not a 200 runner is like saying that a guy that runs 27:00 for 10000 is not a 10000 meter runner.

Wariner is not going to win any World or Olympic medals at 200m any time soon, but this race is hardly the best evidence of this fact. He was running into a head wind, in conditions in which Spearmon (19.82 earlier this year) could run only 20.24 and Rodney Martin (20.18 earlier this year) could run only 20.53.

Also, even though Wariner is not nearly as good at 200m as he is at 400m, he is no slouch at the shorter distance. He ran 20.19 last year, making him the 10th fastest man in the world at 200m in 2006. (In fact, if Wariner were from any country other than the U.S., he would have a decent shot at making the finals at the WC--making the U.S. team is harder than that.)

Claymore wrote:

Saying that JW is not a 200 runner is like saying that a guy that runs 27:00 for 10000 is not a 10000 meter runner.

That is dumb logic, how many people have broke 20.57 this year alone, how many people have broke 27:00 ever? 20.57 sucks, its not even the fastest hs time this year, and its not even as fast as his hs PR of 20.42, which he has only improved upon by .23 running 20.19. Running 20.57 is like running 28:30 for 10k. Its a good time but for a U-19 age group.

I would say he is not a 200 runner because if you compare his 400 to 200, the 400 is way ahead. He is a 400 runner. I would say that even though guys like KB and Geb could run fantastic 1500 times, they are not 1500 runners because they are so much better at the 5 and 10k.

"have broke" is more stupid than "have ran". 'Have brokeN' and 'have rUn' is how the language works.

Anyway, distance guys have 1500, mile, 3000, s/c (for some), 2-mile, and 5000m to chose from for variety. Out of sheer boredom, I'm sure he wants to run a few 200m's. And I think Clyde Hart has proven his genius. With overdistance intervals being the backbone of Clyde Hart training, some shorter tune-ups make sense.

Johnson and Wariner are different athletes. However I beleive that Wariner is trying to work on his speed to make running a fast 400 a little easier he has always been in great shape. To say he is not a 200 runner when he was ranked 7th in the US last year is just silly it just so happens that he is far better in the 400. Ability wise he probably has more in common with Butch Reynolds (who never ranked in the top 10 in the US in the 200)than with MJ as far as pure speed is concerned. You will also notice that MJ who was the best at 400 meters didn't really make a run at the 400 WR until after his times really started dropping in the 200 around 1995 and 1996. He didn't break the 400 record until 3 years after he broke the 200 record. Give Wariner a little time to work on his speed and we will see what happens to his 400 time between now and 2012. Remember he is still very young and is only going to get better.

Also if the US didn't have the number 2,3, and 4 200 meter runners in history right now in Gay, Carter and Spearman, Wariner might look a little better in that event.

marijuologist wrote:

i think when you're running a full second slower than the current world leader, it's time to get back to your better event

You may not have noticed, but Clyde Hart is the greatest 400m coach of his era. He knows what he's doing. You also may not recall that Wariner posted his big PB in Rome last year after he started running more 200s.

Wariner was three tenths behind a guy who has run 19.6. He is doing fine.

Isn't a Juantorena double (400/800) ultimately a more realistic one for Wariner?

if he wants to improve his speed, why not just do that in training???