Thompson 9.85 (+1.0) !!!!!!!

Wait for the drug test results.

In 2009 he was involved in a car crash and he has had a lot of trouble recovering from it since then. His technique has been off so has his speed.

He never talks about the crash for whatever reason.

http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,92686.html

Thompson's 9.85 (+1.0) corrects to a 9.90, which is about the same as his 9.89 (0.0) from 2008 in Beijing.

Both times, he was thrilled with, and surprised at, his own run--totally unlike, say, Nesta Carter after his huge 9.78 PR in Rieti.

Thompson is a taller, skinnier guy who has been consistent, not only in his physiognomy and times, but in his running style.

The only real anomaly I can see with him is that this 9.90 corrected is a fair bit better than anything else he has done so far this season, as his previous season's best was a 10.06 (-0.7) which corrects to about a 10.02

But, he did it on home soil, with home cooking, maybe having slept in his own bed, on a probably familiar track--all things conducive to laying down a PR. Plus, it is less than 2 weeks to WC's, so if his trajectory has been well-planned, he is just about peaking--or maybe he did peak for trials.

Good for him. I didn't know what had happened to him after the promise he showed in 2008. If the wind had been a max allowable +2.0, this run would have been around 9.81, again around what I consider to be the general clean 100m limit--and his 9.89 with a max allowable +2.0 wind would have been 9.80, so about the same. Both races were essentially perfect runs from Thompson.

Good for him--although Boldon was still faster by a fair bit!

Also, this is potentially bad news for medal longshots like Dix, Lemaitre, and Gatlin, as Thompson has proven that he can perform in big meets in Asia late in the season.

"General clean limit of 9.81"

So Bolt and Gay are dirty?

Moreover, SprintG do you think Richard Thompson is the most naturally talented sprinter in history? Seems unlikely. Doping or your limits are wrong (perhaps both).

No, I think that based on his 2 best performances he's definitely in the second-tier, though, very close to those who would have run a 9.7x but for the wind not being +2.0, (e.g. Fredericks, Boldon, Surin, Blake) and the absolute top 2--Bailey and Lewis--who would have run 9.7x but for the wind not being +2.0, and who could have run 9.6x if the possible 9.7x would have been run with a start at least equal to the fields with which they ran.

Based on his two great times, that is. His meet record leaves something to be desired. What these 2 times shows is that he has been able to perform to at or very near his maximum potential on 2 separate occasions, once with no wind, once with +1.0 wind.

That is awesome, and he is just outside the very top tier, based only on an arbitrary base-10 timing division between 9.7x and 9.8x.

I exclude Bolt and Powell from this discussion because I am very curious to see what they do at World's this year, if anything.

I believe there is a fair chance that Bolt is clean this year. If he pulls off a 9.88 corrected, and has a crappy start to boot, he'll have to go in the absolute top tier with Bailey and Lewis. Powell has almost gotten there with his 9.84 corrected this season, but he had a great start in that race.

I'm unconvinced about Bolt's cleanliness in 08 and 09, and Powell's cleanliness throughout 05 to 09. In Powell's case I could be convinced that he is the absolute best ever, if he somehow manages to stay clean for the rest of his career.

As for Bolt, I totally disregard a goofed and negative-leaned 9.69, and 9.58. Totally disregard, as if they never happened. He's put up some really decent numbers this year, almost good enough to put him with Bailey and Lewis notwithstanding the fact that he is possibly clean, which is of course amazing.

Well, since Carl Lewis tested positive and was given a warning, that leaves like Burrell or Donovan Bailey, right?

You're an old fool, buddy. Frankie Fredericks.. the cleanest athlete ever.

Lewis was basically clean, most agree.

Is there something I don't know about Fredericks??

Carl tested positive for Contac. Not aware of anything about Fredericks.

Thompson is great.

He'd be an Olympic champion were it not for Bolt's doped-up, showboated 9.69.

And he would have won in fine fashion, in one of the best times ever.

You could put that race of his up against any other historically great races run cleanly, and it would stack up favorably.

The very top sprinters, historically in the FAT era, have all been capable of essentially the same level of performance, with only MAYBE Bailey and Lewis slightly ahead.

Thompson has to be included in the very elite group following these 2. He's done that time more than once, and has done it in the biggest meet on earth.

He has obviously worked very hard on technique, and it shows.

There is no reason to think that he would NOT be among the very best, clean, of all-time.

Body master posted a link to a better youtube video on another thread:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G6KW0AgZXk

Thanks master.

I love the fact that the "unofficial time" was 9.46!

How the heck did that happen? Even if the clock stopped when his hand cut the plane that wouldn't have been the time.

Even though he didn't get an amazing start, he did get a very good start, and wasn't down on the field.

Master was right when he said that Thompson held his form very well to pull away from the field--incredibly well, I would say...better than I've EVER seen him hold it before, and that includes his 9.89 in Beijing, where he got out to a fantastic start but didn't seem to have the complete mastery of full-speed sprinting that he exhibited in this run.

Holy crap, that makes it even better than I thought. In this race, he has demonstrated improvement in an area in which I thought he was weak--now if he can put that together with an amazing start like the one in Beijing, look out.

Thompson has shown glimpses of this second-half ability in a few of his races in the past 2 years, like the 100m in Oslo in 2010 for instance, but this one really looked great. I mean, really GREAT. Everything. GREAT!

F-ing A, this guy has me jacked.

Check out the guys we have at WC's now, who have exhibited great top-end:

Powell, Bolt, Blake, Dix, Thompson, maybe even Lemaitre. Lemaitre I don't think will be a factor, but the second half of the race will be very exciting if a bunch of those other guys are in the final to run against each other.

Powell still looks amazing, Blake is raw desire, Dix always reels everybody in, Thompson can now be amazing, and you can never, ever count out Bolt.

I think that because the top-ends are so good, it will come down to who is leading after 50m, and who panics between 50-100m.

But Thompson, man--if he combines this finish with his Beijing start, he will win WC's, or be neck-in-neck with Blake if Blake manages to get a good start.

The plot thickens.

My prediction is that Thompson will go mid-9.8x this season, with a decent shot at making the 100m final in London.

Check out his form at around 2:53 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE4DH427NsU

Check out the lift, the contact time, the easy crispness of the stride. He looked GREAT.

I want to see him open the 2012 season sub-10!

He should be in the 9.7's this summer.

And that may not be good enough to get a medal.

If everything turns out the way its looking:

Bolt 9.65

Gay 9.70

Blake 9.70

Powell 9.75

Thompson 9.75-9.80

Gatlin/Kimmons 9.85?

Thats going to be one wild final. Does Dix even go in the 100, Does Lemaitre even make the final?

LOL, .27 seconds till he is on Bolt's level.

does anybody really believe they are clean?

If you believe everybody is not clean, why bother paying attention and posting? Oh, you could be the standard doping troll.

Berlin was insane enough.

That projection you posted seems optimistic.

Thompson would need to cut .10 to .15, which I think unlikely.

Kimmons 9.85? IDK, people who run that need a finish, which he hasn't yet demonstrated that he has.

Powell will flake out, and there is little chance that he will run a time so close to his PR.

Gay won't run so close to his PR, either, given his rehab.

And all this needs to be done while running rounds.

Blake I could see going 9.7x, and Bolt, well, who cares.

I also could see Gatlin going 9.85 again.

I don't see Gay touching 9.87 or lower this year. Why? Rehab! and I know my number is arbitrary, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt due to his talent.

I don't see Gatlin touching his previous best either. I know he has a good indoor 60 to his credit already, but I don't see him reaching his all time PR's ever again

Of course, the right race and EVERYTHING goes perfectly and a wind of +2.0...who knows?

I have a feeling Gay will not be an OG finalist and frankly with the injury level and rehab needed if he makes the final at The Trials it will be a major victory for him,his doctors and the rehab team..

I'd love to see him wearing Olympic hardware in London but...

Gay already has said he is not going to go 200 at the trials.