Duane Solomon 1:43.88 Opener!! Bang Bang!

Solomon ran more than 2 seconds slower in the finals in Moscow than in the finals in London 1 year earlier. That is clearly a red flag that something was wrong. You might claim that the month Symmonds spent with Leo at altitude at La Loma helped him get his silver medal...except that Solomon was the T&FN favorite to win a medal going in off his win in Monaco and performance elsewhere, but he just ran slower.

In 2012, Solomon only finished 3rd at the OT and didn't show much at all until Monaco, much like Jenny did when she won her gold.

In 2013, Solomon was winning things early (including Nationals) but seemed to run out of gas at the WC. And somebody needs to tell him that he doesn't need to win each qualifying heat: That takes too much out of you, unless you're as dominant as Rudisha. You only need to run in front and win the final.

Peak when it counts. I think they're trying for too much, too early.

Flo'da boy wrote:

I think that Solomon might be more suited to record running than championship running, though, given he is a speed runner. I was not surprised to see Nick ahead of him in the WC last year because of his strength, but I think Solomon has more in the tank when it comes to a single supreme effort

I don't know about that. In their top two singular efforts last year Solomon ran 1:43.72 in Monaco and 1:44.12 in London.

Meanwhile Symmonds ran 1:43.03 in Bruxelles and 1:43.56 in Zurich. He also finished ahead of Solomon in London in 1:43.67. Nick is clearly faster than Solomon in any way you cut it and is currently the 2nd best 800m runner in the world after Aman.

Those results do throw a wrench into my theory, but then again maybe Solomon was training for strength to get through the rounds last year, which might have been necessary though less than ideal for him when dealing with singular efforts, while Symmonds of course seems to thrive off strength work

Symmonds has a PR of 1:42.95. Solomon has a PR of 1:42.82, both from 2012. Symmonds seemed to have adjusted his race strategy to run close(er) to the front starting last summer.

It could be that Solomon got sick or something after Monaco and they've never talked about it.

coach d wrote:

Solomon ran more than 2 seconds slower in the finals in Moscow than in the finals in London 1 year earlier. That is clearly a red flag that something was wrong.

Peak when it counts. I think they're trying for too much, too early.

He ran slower in Moscow because he wasn't chasing someone trying to set a world record. The time difference isn't a sign of anything. If Solomon's goal is to set American record, then it doesn't matter when he peaks since there's no championship this year.

Facts: Duane Solomon once again ran fast very, very early in the season. Duane Solomon is coached by Johnny Gray. Duane Solomon will be toast when most of the top international runners are ready to race the Diamond League circuit this Summer. Duane Solomon is one more in the long series of "peak too early" Southern Calif. 800 meter runners coached by Johnny Gray. Don't get too excited we've all seen this picture show before.

coach d wrote:

Symmonds has a PR of 1:42.95. Solomon has a PR of 1:42.82, both from 2012. Symmonds seemed to have adjusted his race strategy to run close(er) to the front starting last summer.

No, the packs have just gone out slower without Rudisha. Symmonds does the same thing as always.

Atrocious Racing wrote:

Facts: Duane Solomon once again ran fast very, very early in the season. Duane Solomon is coached by Johnny Gray. Duane Solomon will be toast when most of the top international runners are ready to race the Diamond League circuit this Summer. Duane Solomon is one more in the long series of "peak too early" Southern Calif. 800 meter runners coached by Johnny Gray. Don't get too excited we've all seen this picture show before.

This is so true

HardLoper wrote:

coach d wrote:

Symmonds has a PR of 1:42.95. Solomon has a PR of 1:42.82, both from 2012. Symmonds seemed to have adjusted his race strategy to run close(er) to the front starting last summer.

No, the packs have just gone out slower without Rudisha. Symmonds does the same thing as always.

Wrong. Take a look at the video of last year's USA nationals. Symmonds was last at the bell, very typical of his career. David Rudisha doesn't run USAs as far as I know.

Symmonds had to pass the entire field on lap 2 and came up just short of catching DS, breaking his USA champs streak.

That was the wake up call. The Diamond League races are always fast but Symmonds was putting himself right on the lead at the bell. And he carried that approach through WCs.

Whether he continues that approach this year and next remains to be seen. Old habits die hard and if he isn't in quite the same form, there will be temptation to hope the race comes back to him.

Track Historian wrote:

Atrocious Racing wrote:

Facts: Duane Solomon once again ran fast very, very early in the season. Duane Solomon is coached by Johnny Gray. Duane Solomon will be toast when most of the top international runners are ready to race the Diamond League circuit this Summer. Duane Solomon is one more in the long series of "peak too early" Southern Calif. 800 meter runners coached by Johnny Gray. Don't get too excited we've all seen this picture show before.

This is so true

Unless "track historian" has heard of the 2012 Olympic Games.

solomon is in the grey zone no doubt.

i'd have solomon doing 400m repeats behind a pacer cutting in the same way you do in an actual race.

because.

if he runs against rudisha there is every chance he'd get a free ride for as long as he could follow.

and that means and american record or a 141.

3 Wesley Vasquez Puerto Rico 1:44.64$

There was a post about this pr and nr on page 1, but because this guy has gotten almost zero press here, despite having run 1:45 at 18 in 2012, I have to mention that according to brojos, he was born in June 1994 (nine months before Andres Arroyo), meaning that he just ran 1:44.64 at age 19! That's Jim Ryun territory, but he's only an 800m runner.

Typical Igloi system early season result. Fast. The knock on Igloi is that you can't control your peak. Let's wait and see how Duane does.

might be rcs wrote:

Track Historian wrote:

This is so true

Unless "track historian" has heard of the 2012 Olympic Games.

When you can't control your peak, sometimes you'll hit it and sometimes you won't. This was Johnny Gray's career in a nutshell. Every 5th year or so, he'd hit it right. Symmonds hits it right every year. At least he did with OTC.

Who was that UCLA kid Gray coached a few years back? Always seemed to blow his wad early in the year also.

Symmonds seems to be taking things super chill in 2014 so far. Methinks he has a rude surprise for Solomon come August.

dotdotdot wrote:

Who was that UCLA kid Gray coached a few years back? Always seemed to blow his wad early in the year also.

Symmonds seems to be taking things super chill in 2014 so far. Methinks he has a rude surprise for Solomon come August.

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Corey Primm

jjjjjjjjj wrote:

3 Wesley Vasquez Puerto Rico 1:44.64$

There was a post about this pr and nr on page 1, but because this guy has gotten almost zero press here, despite having run 1:45 at 18 in 2012, I have to mention that according to brojos, he was born in June 1994 (nine months before Andres Arroyo), meaning that he just ran 1:44.64 at age 19! That's Jim Ryun territory, but he's only an 800m runner.

He was born March 27 1994. He's 20.

See Wikipedia.

way over the line wrote:

jjjjjjjjj wrote:

3 Wesley Vasquez Puerto Rico 1:44.64$

There was a post about this pr and nr on page 1, but because this guy has gotten almost zero press here, despite having run 1:45 at 18 in 2012, I have to mention that according to brojos, he was born in June 1994 (nine months before Andres Arroyo), meaning that he just ran 1:44.64 at age 19! That's Jim Ryun territory, but he's only an 800m runner.

He was born March 27 1994. He's 20.

See Wikipedia.

Okay, serves me right for relying on a post from brojos for information.