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Olympic Games Update

Yep a massive shame really as without Covid Tokyo would have been one of the best games.
 
Watch out for the USA track and field team in Tokyo. The standards from their trials were insane, including two world records and several second best all time marks.

Also keep an eye on a 17 year old sprinter called Erriyon Knighton who's heading for Tokyo. He's battered Bolt's 200m u18 WR by 0.29 of a second and taken down his junior (u20) WR by 0.09 of a second…..and still has 2 full seasons left as a junior! This is unreal - Bolt was no late bloomer, he was a stellar junior who was on the radar from age 15.

www.google.com

17-year-old US star smashes epic Bolt record in stunning Olympics show

17-year-old US star smashes epic Bolt record in stunning Olympics show
www.google.com www.google.com
 
Bolt's 19.19secs is insane time to beat though. Although I thought I would never see MJ's 19.32 secs beat. Both assumed to be legal until proven otherwise and even this current crop still to be believed after so many doping scandals affecting the sprinters.
 
There's also the super shoe effect albeit distance runners are benefiting more from that at the moment.

Bolt and Johnson were once in a generation type talents who were excellent over long periods. I've never really had any doubts about either - plenty about some of those trying to catch them though!

I actually thought Bolt had it in him to go even quicker over the 200. Tokyo will be too early for Knighton but he's definitely one to watch.

You're right to be sceptical about some performances given the sport's previous. But the American system is geared up for success and they have an amazing pool of talent to choose from.
 
Old Hooker said:
There's also the super shoe effect albeit distance runners are benefiting more from that at the moment.

Bolt and Johnson were once in a generation type talents who were excellent over long periods. I've never really had any doubts about either - plenty about some of those trying to catch them though!

I actually thought Bolt had it in him to go even quicker over the 200. Tokyo will be too early for Knighton but he's definitely one to watch.

You're right to be sceptical about some performances given the sport's previous. But the American system is geared up for success and they have an amazing pool of talent to choose from.
Click to expand...

Bolt's sprinting technique wasn't that efficient either. Had he managed to clean that up it is even more insane to think he could have gone under 19 secs. But yeh he is missed as a personality and that 2008/09 two years were unforgettable.

MJ with his upright running style ala Jesse Owens will always be a favorite of mine, especially over 400m.
 
Old Hooker said:
There's also the super shoe effect albeit distance runners are benefiting more from that at the moment.
Click to expand...
Yeah those shoes whilst great (especially for complete amateurs like me) the general thinking is even at middle distances the gains are marginal, I don't think sprinters are even using the key part of technology which is the carbons fibre plates which probably add too much weight to their shoes for something that is about reducing fatigues over a of length of time.

The authorities have got it right though unlike swimming costumes, the cats out the bag they are being highly regulated now in terms of what is allowed now.



Still wouldn't buy a pair though they have half the lifespan and twice the price of a shoe without the plates.
 
The_Blindside said:
Bolt's sprinting technique wasn't that efficient either. Had he managed to clean that up it is even more insane to think he could have gone under 19 secs. But yeh he is missed as a personality and that 2008/09 two years were unforgettable.
Click to expand...
It's a mad thing to say about someone who tore up the record books, but it would be interesting to see a documentary about how good he could have been. Not just from a technique point of view, but there's the question of whether he applied himself as well as he could. It's hard to imagine that he didn't have a nutrition plan by 2008 and hard to imagine that that plan said "live on McNuggets", what other corners was he cutting at a time when he was around his peak?

That said, rather than going quicker, I'd have liked him to move up to the 400m and tear up the record books there too. The fact that he shied away because the training is hard hints to me that his peak could have been higher.
 
The_Blindside said:
Sad to see Mo fail to qualify,
Click to expand...

I was more sad to see him try TBH. There was no way that he was going to be in the mix for the main medals, but still shocked that he couldn't even make the qualification time. The roads didn't work out for him so its chapter closed, which is fair enough as he's 38. Father Time sometimes plays the long game but always wins in the end.

RedruthRFC said:
It's a mad thing to say about someone who tore up the record books, but it would be interesting to see a documentary about how good he could have been. Not just from a technique point of view, but there's the question of whether he applied himself as well as he could. It's hard to imagine that he didn't have a nutrition plan by 2008 and hard to imagine that that plan said "live on McNuggets", what other corners was he cutting at a time when he was around his peak?

That said, rather than going quicker, I'd have liked him to move up to the 400m and tear up the record books there too. The fact that he shied away because the training is hard hints to me that his peak could have been higher.
Click to expand...

Interesting question. I definitely think he left something out there on the track in the 200m. Apart from anything else he didn't have anything like the maximum permissible wind in either WR.....in fact his 19.19 was actually run into a light headwind of -0.3 m/s (max permissible is + 2.0). There's no precise way of saying what Bolt would have run with a perfect tail wind, but he may have been close to sub 19 quite apart from everything else you mention.

Not sure on 400m. There aren't many of his build successful over that distance (nor were there over 100 tbf). Might have been interesting to see him try, but probably wise not to as its the track event that breaks runners most regularly.
 
Old Hooker said:
Not sure on 400m. There aren't many of his build successful over that distance (nor were there over 100 tbf). Might have been interesting to see him try, but probably wise not to as its the track event that breaks runners most regularly.
Click to expand...
Body type wise, I don't know how much you can learn from comparisons given that he's such an outlier. My thinking is just that it would suit his long, languid stride and makes his difficulty getting up and out of the blocks less of a factor. I think his father (who coached him early on) always wanted him to run 400m.
 
RedruthRFC said:
It's a mad thing to say about someone who tore up the record books, but it would be interesting to see a documentary about how good he could have been. Not just from a technique point of view, but there's the question of whether he applied himself as well as he could. It's hard to imagine that he didn't have a nutrition plan by 2008 and hard to imagine that that plan said "live on McNuggets", what other corners was he cutting at a time when he was around his peak?

That said, rather than going quicker, I'd have liked him to move up to the 400m and tear up the record books there too. The fact that he shied away because the training is hard hints to me that his peak could have been higher.
Click to expand...

I recall watching one documentary of MJ analysing Bolt's running style and how when he runs he rocks from side to side at his top speed, which makes him a little inefficient. But yeh will see if I can find it on YouTube and post up.

Found it:

 
Last edited:
The_Blindside said:
www.bbc.co.uk

Karsten Warholm breaks Kevin Young's 29-year-old 400m hurdles world record

Norway's Karsten Warholm runs 46.70 to set a new world record in the 400m hurdles in front of his home crowd at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo.
www.bbc.co.uk

And the 400m hurdles record has finally gone.
Click to expand...
Yep. Great run from Warholm in front of his home crowd. It had been coming and may well have to go again to win in Tokyo. Rai won the US trials the other week in what was then the 2nd fastest all time just 0.05 off Young's WR. One to look forward to for sure.

The women's version was one of the WRs that went in the US trials. 51.90 to Sydney McLaughlin….a time that would have been good enough for 4th in the men's event in the UK Championships!
 
Read on twitter earlier than Japan have essentially run dry on vaccines, as well
Seen some people on twitter having theirs cancelled because there's just not enough to go around

Think about 15% of the population have had their 1st jab
 

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