US drops stick in 4 x 100 but successfully protests and will get to re-run the race BY THEMSELVES at 7 pm ET

I hope they drop the stick again, bunch of drug cheats.

Rojo, if you are to be taken seriously, I suggest you to keep your comments like a real professional journalist! Ro

rojo wrote:

No shortcuts wrote:

I say we negotiate. USA will drop out of the relay if we can have our swimmers back.

Great post. Rumor is it that Obama is balking at another ransom payment. Now that the precedent was set with Iran it's going to be expected. It's sort of like tipping.

When they haven't dropped the baton, USA have only failed to beat 42.70 in the W4x100m once at major championships in the last fifteen years.

antialy wrote:

Allyson Felix had no business being on that relay in the first place. She did not make the team in the 200, and was not one of the top 100 runners.

The second she got into the exchange zone she started to panic and just tripped and dropped the baton. They were still in the beginning of the exchange and had more than enough room for Gardner to adjust her speed if she felt she was going out too fast. The simple truth is Felix just did not have the top speed or legs left in her to do a good exchange.

Guys, this was a heat, you can use any runners from the 4 x 1 pool in any race. So if they make it through the re-run, Felix will probably be gone.

Another thing - don't know if anyone else has any thoughts on this -- as a coach I always wonder why the receiving runners' hand comes up so high. Unless research shows it to be more effective, holding the arm/hand lower is easier on this runner - less forward lean, better posture, requires less flexibility at the shoulder joint - and also make it easier and more fluid for the incoming runner to hand off; having to reach up as well as out is more work than just reaching out to deliver the stick. I've experimented both ways with my teams and every single athlete (HS and college) says it's easier with a lower arm. Of course this is only 'anecdotal' evidence. Just sayin'.

Selling the call wrote:

Allyson did exactly what Manu Ginobili and Vlade Divac made a living doing in the NBA. She sold the call by tossing the baton. If she fights through the chicken wing but hands off beyond the end line, then the referee might not give that call. But throwing the baton and flailing is exactly what James Harden would've done. Two free throws and a re-run. Well played Allyson.

I'll agree she was selling but throwing the baton was a very dangerous way to do it. That in itself could have been DQable and not excused by the impeding.

Flailing and diving to the track while clutching the baton might have been a safer bet.

Do they have to run in lane 2 again?

I have my receiving runner hold their hands at shoulder height so they incoming runner is in a natural arm swing when handing the baton off. This also allows for the hand to be held flat(parallel to the ground) so the baton may be placed in the hand at 90 degrees, which makes grabbing it very easy. When the outgoing runner holds there hand low with the overhand technique, it requires the incoming runner, who is fatigued and slowing down, to have to lean over and change their center of gravity. Unless using the upsweep while beside the outgoing runner, it is very difficult to maintain momentum when leaning forward and placing the baton at waist or below waist level. Also, an out going runner should be driving both arms at takeoff to a complete motion; holding the hand at less than that impedes acceleration.

Mitchell, you disgusting, pond weed, incompetent poo head. Will someone please vice up his head before he leave Rio.

*Their

Hate when people misspell There/their/they're and I went and did it myself!

The rerun is unfair to China because the US will be running in the evening when everyone naturally runs faster.

Given that the first section was OK they should have negociated a 3x100 instead as they seem to be allowed whatever they ask for.

China should be allowed to position themselves around the track and hurl epithets as the Americans go by. Some suggestions:

"Caster is your dad!"

"Benabad Mekhissi is your lover!"

"Your poop has destroyed the entire Rio sewer system!"

"Dennis Mitchell is your coach!"

(OK, I know that last one is a low blow, but...)

By almost a second!

Will it come down to Bowie v. SFP?

China....devastated

They ran - They beat China's time - and now they have the fastest time going into the finals. (41.77)

amen, Coach.

and...

Felix is tired. She's run a bunch of heats, and she's at the end of her career.

Remember Angelo in the 2012 IH? He faded in the homestretch. So what do the coaches do? They made him the anchor for the 4 x4...and he faded in the homestretch.

Forget history, forget all the medals in the past. Who has the fresh legs RIGHT NOW? And isn't the relay pool made up of 1 thru 6 in the Trials final? No Felix, and a couple recent college runners who run relays in their sleep.

looks like they qualified in the re-run. Here comes the protest from China.

Throughclicks wrote:

China should be allowed to position themselves around the track and hurl epithets as the Americans go by. Some suggestions:

"Caster is your dad!"

"Benabad Mekhissi is your lover!"

"Your poop has destroyed the entire Rio sewer system!"

"Dennis Mitchell is your coach!"

(OK, I know that last one is a low blow, but...)

"You suck at negotiating trade deals!"

"We made your shoes!"

NickBC wrote:

amen, Coach.

and...

Felix is tired. She's run a bunch of heats, and she's at the end of her career.

Remember Angelo in the 2012 IH? He faded in the homestretch. So what do the coaches do? They made him the anchor for the 4 x4...and he faded in the homestretch.

Forget history, forget all the medals in the past. Who has the fresh legs RIGHT NOW? And isn't the relay pool made up of 1 thru 6 in the Trials final? No Felix, and a couple recent college runners who run relays in their sleep.

looks like they qualified in the re-run. Here comes the protest from China.

apparently the relay time was changed. It already happened at 6 pmET. We missed it.