Kirani James IS BACK!!! Runs 44.47 in 1st race of year (and just 6th race since 2016 Olympics) in Spain

rojo wrote:

Since winning Olympic silver in 2016 (after winning gold in 2012), James has raced just 5 times. He raced twice in 2017 (45.44 sb) and three times in 2018 (44.35 sb). It's worth noting that in each of the last two years his first race of the year was his best according to tilastopaja.

https://trackalerts.com/Articles/kirani-james-returns-with-sub-45-in-spain/114324

> MIA AF

> Spain

I’d love to see those whereabouts and test results.

rojo wrote:

Since winning Olympic silver in 2016 (after winning gold in 2012), James has raced just 5 times. He raced twice in 2017 (45.44 sb) and three times in 2018 (44.35 sb). It's worth noting that in each of the last two years his first race of the year was his best according to tilastopaja.

https://trackalerts.com/Articles/kirani-james-returns-with-sub-45-in-spain/114324

Wow. I thought he had retired.

That time is the 3rd best result by a non american athlete and makes him a dark horse for a medal at Doha.

MostSurprisingResultOfTheDay wrote:

rojo wrote:

Since winning Olympic silver in 2016 (after winning gold in 2012), James has raced just 5 times. He raced twice in 2017 (45.44 sb) and three times in 2018 (44.35 sb). It's worth noting that in each of the last two years his first race of the year was his best according to tilastopaja.

https://trackalerts.com/Articles/kirani-james-returns-with-sub-45-in-spain/114324

Wow. I thought he had retired.

That time is the 3rd best result by a non american athlete and makes him a dark horse for a medal at Doha.

He and Cedenio for me are definite finalists. Is Makwala competing?

Here's a YT archive version of the meet. Kirani James hits the track at -2:49:00 or so. Jr High boys 500m an hour before that. You can toggle through three different camera streams. Yulimar Rojas in wTJ. Churandy Martina still grinding it out.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zjKivBbURU

rfealiveDOTcom/schedule/ANDU2019

Norman and Kerly better watch TF out.

...still waiting on Van Niekerk to make a return, he is still only 27 and has lost the prime of his career due to silly indulgence in touch rugby...who knows if he would have broken 43, but he still has those ambitions.

good to see him back in action-I thought that he was retired--that Rio final was insane-Merritt was 3rd in 43.8!.... James should be a medal threat in Doha

I am Sam wrote:

...still waiting on Van Niekerk to make a return, he is still only 27 and has lost the prime of his career due to silly indulgence in touch rugby...who knows if he would have broken 43, but he still has those ambitions.

I have a feeling Niekerk isn't coming back. He was out for a long time. He had a terrible race, by his standards, this year and is out again. ACLs can be like Solinskys injury...you don't always come back from them.

It would be super cool if he proves me wrong, but it's not looking positive at this time. On the plus side he should have at least a decent 2-3 year window where if he gets healthy he still has some near peak years.

LM wrote:

I am Sam wrote:

...still waiting on Van Niekerk to make a return, he is still only 27 and has lost the prime of his career due to silly indulgence in touch rugby...who knows if he would have broken 43, but he still has those ambitions.

I have a feeling Niekerk isn't coming back. He was out for a long time. He had a terrible race, by his standards, this year and is out again. ACLs can be like Solinskys injury...you don't always come back from them.

It would be super cool if he proves me wrong, but it's not looking positive at this time. On the plus side he should have at least a decent 2-3 year window where if he gets healthy he still has some near peak years.

Yes, that would be a pity....he had a race early this year, not sure if they were unhappy about result, but from what I have read, he had some bone bruising again, which kept him out of DL

If he was in a team sport, he would never have been allowed to participate in any equivalent of touch football

As it stands, he has missed a certain Gold at Commonwealth, probable gold at Doha, great possibility of being the first sub 43.

He already is the only one to concurrently (if not ever) have sub 10, sub 20, sub 44 and a sub 43 would have put him on another planet

I am Sam wrote:

LM wrote:

[quote]I am Sam wrote:

...still waiting on Van Niekerk to make a return, he is still only 27 and has lost the prime of his career due to silly indulgence in touch rugby...who knows if he would have broken 43, but he still has those ambitions.

If he was in a team sport, he would never have been allowed to participate in any equivalent of touch football

Not true. Nice try tho. He'll be fine by the Olympics next year. Easily be back in the 44s. Will he ever break 43? Who knows. ACL's are so common now it's no big thing unless there was nerve damage, I haven't heard there was with his injury, but I have no clue if he did or not.

If James is running that fast then yeah I'm sure he's on the podium.

Norman hasn't looked unbeatable since his first race. He's the only other guy that could do the sub 10, 20, 45 other than lyles with some training. Lol maybe Boling in a few years? Haha jk.

I want to see Norman win badly tho. I think he would of beat lyles on the 200m today but st their best no.

We should have the Olympic gold and maybe silver in the 100m. Could have gold and silver in the 200m and a shot at two medals in the 400 next year. If everyone stays healthy.

Still in Doha we should have gold in the 1.2, and 4. Descent chance at gold in the two hurdle sprints.

Wth has happened to our woman in the short sprints? Terrible.

VroomVroom wrote:

I am Sam wrote:

If he was in a team sport, he would never have been allowed to participate in any equivalent of touch football

Not true. Nice try tho. He'll be fine by the Olympics next year. Easily be back in the 44s. Will he ever break 43? Who knows. ACL's are so common now it's no big thing unless there was nerve damage, I haven't heard there was with his injury, but I have no clue if he did or not.

Or if doc used his hammy for the acl reconstruction. If he's missing one or two hammy tendons, then he's done.

Lorenzo diCenzo wrote:

Here's a YT archive version of the meet. Kirani James hits the track at -2:49:00 or so. Jr High boys 500m an hour before that. You can toggle through three different camera streams. Yulimar Rojas in wTJ. Churandy Martina still grinding it out.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zjKivBbURU

rfealiveDOTcom/schedule/ANDU2019

It's at 1:39:30. He rolls up the field @250m from lane 2.

BTW Osika is having a great Eurotour, winning a bunch of these B-level races.

OrThis wrote:

VroomVroom wrote:

Not true. Nice try tho. He'll be fine by the Olympics next year. Easily be back in the 44s. Will he ever break 43? Who knows. ACL's are so common now it's no big thing unless there was nerve damage, I haven't heard there was with his injury, but I have no clue if he did or not.

Or if doc used his hammy for the acl reconstruction. If he's missing one or two hammy tendons, then he's done.

Don't know the surgery, but especially for a sprinter that scenario certainly doesn't sound good. Hamstring is pretty crucial. Is it probable doc would use part of hamstring for that? Seems like WvN or his handles would understand that's a risky career move and not undergo such a procedure...but perhaps it's medically necessary depending on scope of ACL damage?

Also, to guy above you, I wouldn't call being in the 44s "fine". Might make the final with that. Probably won't medal against current crop of talent.