He's BACK BABY!!! Nick Symmonds goes sub-1:48 in Beijing.

Wow if he keeps improving half a second every 4 days he'll be in world record shape by July!

bigtool05 wrote:

Wow if he keeps improving half a second every 4 days he'll be in world record shape by July!

I just recalled memories of Rudisha's graceful azz setting that WR and then laughed at the notion of Symmonds ever coming close to it.

and cam levins just ran 1.49... nick should probably hammer a 10k now right?

So I'll grant the 0.57 improvement.

Sowinski: 1:47.22 in Shanghai -> 1:45.80 in Beijing

Last time I checked, that's a 1.42 second improvement. Nick needs more gum.

Maybe NS eats more RunGum at the trials and busts out, but right now there are several high school studs who look like they might give him a run at the trials.

Let's not forget that Boris Berian, Clayton Murphy and a bunch of other guys have put down times way ahead of Symmonds.

Mark my words. He won't make the team to Rio.

webb fan wrote:

Ok, I'll admit the headline was just having some fun but I wanted people to click on this so they'd listen to my argument. He's at least on his way back.

1:48.39 on may 14

1:47.82 on may 18

Well if he keeps improving at that rate, he'll be under 1:40 inside of two months.

oh come on wrote:

So I'll grant the 0.57 improvement.

Sowinski: 1:47.22 in Shanghai -> 1:45.80 in Beijing

Last time I checked, that's a 1.42 second improvement. Nick needs more gum.

Maybe NS eats more RunGum at the trials and busts out, but right now there are several high school studs who look like they might give him a run at the trials.

Let's not forget that Boris Berian, Clayton Murphy and a bunch of other guys have put down times way ahead of Symmonds.

Mark my words. He won't make the team to Rio.

What a bold claim from an anonymous user who will never post under that username again!

To make the team you have to survive the rounds. Running multiple fast races over several day is key.

Sowinski can't run much faster than where he's at now so you need to adjust your scale (1:44.6 PB) .

I think he's running too many races, and probably too fast too early for his (unless he has some huge 1:43 break-out race soon). he hasn't exactly been stepping down incrementally this season. he's closer to his best than symmonds and the trials are in early July. I hope he makes it.....but it's a long way to the trials

symmonds will make the team. he has like 6-7 weeks. eternity

mark my words.

btw - where the eff is Duane Solomon?!

you don't know it wrote:

btw - where the eff is Duane Solomon?!

Asking the important questions.

2 time Olympian, 5th in London Olympic Games, Silver at WCs, 6 time US outdoor champion. He appears to be struggling, maybe distracted with political causes and off track activities, but don't count him out just yet.

Hogback ecotone wrote:

He appears to be struggling, maybe distracted with political causes and off track activities,

Or maybe the injury he's just coming back from...

Agreed! Once a star always a threat

Survive the rounds wrote:

To make the team you have to survive the rounds. Running multiple fast races over several day is key.

Considering he's running slow over several days that doesn't bode well

Hogback ecotone wrote:

2 time Olympian, 5th in London Olympic Games, Silver at WCs, 6 time US outdoor champion. He appears to be struggling, maybe distracted with political causes and off track activities, but don't count him out just yet.

People on here LOVE to doubt KD, Manzano and Symmonds - but they tend to always prove the doubters wrong MANY times.

Definitely a step in the right direction.

Dr. Steve Brule wrote:

Hogback ecotone wrote:

2 time Olympian, 5th in London Olympic Games, Silver at WCs, 6 time US outdoor champion. He appears to be struggling, maybe distracted with political causes and off track activities, but don't count him out just yet.

People on here LOVE to doubt KD, Manzano and Symmonds - but they tend to always prove the doubters wrong MANY times.

I predict Nick bonks and doesn't make the team. This should give him plenty of time to bitch about uniforms or endorsements or something along those lines to keep himself "relevant."

Shanghai was an odd race. Confusion at the start and with the pacer.

Shirt happens and pros should be able to react and adjust but the bunny races lull runners into doing the first part of the race on autopilot leaving them a shorter period to correct mistakes.

I am not a Symmonds fan but as much as I'd enjoy counting him out I cant do it with any certainly.

The Trials 800 should be a very interesting series of races and seeding in rounds will certainly impact who we see in the finals.

I believe the pick four to advance with no time qualifiers is the best way to pick who moves thru the rounds even if it makes the time needed to get into the trials meet shorter than it currently is. Modifying the rounds to insure 1:48 guys are around may not be the way to select a team that needs to be populated by at minimum 1:44 xx or better to be taken seriously

There will be at minimum a dozen guys in the Rio 800 that are sub 1:44 . Hell there will be close to half a dozen 1:44 guys watching the rounds from Kenya alone and close to 30 guys with in window marks under 1:46 doing the same worldwide.

In related news, Clayton Murphy scratched out of NCAAs today. Considering his favored status for the 800 title, that indicates a serious injury. He has been considered a serious contender for the team.

YMMV wrote:

IClayton Murphy scratched out of NCAAs today.

thanks

Wonder what is wrong,