Let's pretend the Olympics are postponed. The following athletes would benefit the most from it:

Surely it depends under what circumstances the Olympics are delayed?

If they are delayed a year because sports events aren't able to resume until after the summer, or even until next year?

Mo Farah will be 38 next year. The idea that he can spend a year getting back into sub 3:30 1500 shape and such is ridiculous, but given that he will be spending it in Ethiopia, then at the same time quite plausible.

Although I'm sure he'd just like to get his career over with right now and not face another year of press scrutiny.

It will benefit the likes of Jakob if they are delayed by a few months, but if the whole season is wiped out then surely it's hampering his momentum? Missing a whole year is surely never good for a young athlete.

Norway is suffering among the worse with the coronavirus. If there is a lockdown there I don't know if they will make exceptions for elite athletes like him to continue to be able to train as they want.

For someone Mo's age, nothing good comes from being a year older. Jacob will be able to train and a year of no racing will have no effect on his career.

Most of those guys would be fine by a hypothetical July Olympics. If Rudisha isn't ready by summer then I would assume he has lost all motivation and will never come back.

Semenya has no chance at 200 to begin with. If she had gone all in on 5k should could at least qualify but she has never seemed interested in that and probably never will.

Rudisha could really use that time.

I think that Bekele come up short for something like 2-3 weeks from top shape in 2012. Rudisha probably needs more time to get back to his most elite level, if that's possible.

Rudisha is the answer.

If he can regain 85-90% of fitness he can medal.

[quote]dunkingnotheard wrote:

David Rudisha- Clearly not in shape at the moment, but another year might give him the necessary time to drop weight and gain the speed endurance to get through multiple 800 rounds.

Galen Rupp- Gets another year of building back from his surgery.

Elijah Manango- Same as Rupp

Jakob Ingebrigtsen- Can build back from injury

Castor Semenya- Needs as much time as possible if she wants to build strength and speed for 200.

Nick Willis- This one's a bit tricky. He's 36 so the clock is ticking, but clearly needs to improve his fitness at the moment.

Mo Farah- Can focus on building finishing speed for 10km (although it sounds like the race would be anything but a sick and kick).

Rudisha. I do not think so. Rupp. Rupp is naturally a 10000m man but I do not think he has it in him to race final 800m sub-1:54 anymore. Jakob Ing. Maybe. Semenya. Sprinting is like ballet and hitting a baseball. The necessary neuromuscular coordination to sprint fast must be started very young. Semenya has been doing a lot of 200m, 300m & 400m repeats over the past ten to fifteen years. It's not the same as doing 50s & 150s, working on start, sprint coordination drills and film study (studying one's sprinting form in super slow mo). Semenya possibly could have been a sub-22 200m athlete if Semenya started sprint training very young. No sub-22 200m this year or next year for Semenya. If Semenya thought Semenya was ever a sub-22 200m athlete, Semenya would have focused on 200m a long time ago.

You may have missed the news that Rupp is on the U.S. Marathon team. I think he benefits most from a year delay, not only for injury recovery but for adjusting to a new coach.

Parker Stinson - it would give him a chance to run the trials & olympics itself.

If the Olympics is delay a year, does the US have a redo for the Olympic marathon trials?

I'm not sure any of these answers are the best, though they could possibly be.

Jakob I guess I completely agree with, can get healthy.

The older ones while yes it gives more time to build back fitness, it's also more time to get hurt being old.

Likely there are college kids or kids of that age who maybe will be hitting their prime in that season if the games move to 2021.

Side note: No chance they happen this summer. Not sure why the IOC is even still entertaining it.

You might be only thinking about distance runners, but Wayde van Niekerk would probably benefit from another year of training.

Jakob Inge

He’s so young that he will just get faster from just getting older all things else equal.

The rest are old. Every year decreases their chances. Even with injury Rupp needs to stay as close to the machine Salazar has built him into. Another year and I suspect he only slows. 2:06 will be is pr

HOpefully the olympics aren't banned. That would suck.

It's bad for Semenya.

The authorities will have an extra year to gather data to prove that there is a benefit in the 200m too.

They didn't have any data previously because no Semenya types had attempted to ruin that event yet.

dunkingnotheard wrote:

David Rudisha- Clearly not in shape at the moment, but another year might give him the necessary time to drop weight and gain the speed endurance to get through multiple 800 rounds.

Galen Rupp- Gets another year of building back from his surgery.

Elijah Manango- Same as Rupp

Jakob Ingebrigtsen- Can build back from injury

Castor Semenya- Needs as much time as possible if she wants to build strength and speed for 200.

Nick Willis- This one's a bit tricky. He's 36 so the clock is ticking, but clearly needs to improve his fitness at the moment.

Mo Farah- Can focus on building finishing speed for 10km (although it sounds like the race would be anything but a sick and kick).

Who am I missing?

You’ve got it completely wrong. Another year is exponential for this gang. It’s now or never for the group you listed. Bet on youth.

That’s only true for Farah and Rupp. Jacob and Rudisha desperately need the extra time. And it WOULD have helped Semenya, had she chosen steeple or 5k instead of the 200.

This thread is beyond valid - I bet we hear of Olympic cancellation within a month.

The answer to this thread is Jim Walmsley.

When does Kiprop's doping ban expire?