The Olympics

[froot loops]

[Mainevent]

Wow, men's 400M and Steeplechase. Everyday we are just getting barn burners on the track.

[chemiclord]

There have been a ton of very, very competitive events across the Olympics this time around, seems like far more than usual.

[froot loops]

Having a fast track is good. The next Olympics need to make sure the pool at SoFi is fast like this track.

Just saw the 400 race, great comeback by Hall, the form in the last 100 was similar to something you might see in high school where the guy is giving all effort. It's a national disgrace when we don't win the 400.

The steeplechase is crazy, who the fuck thought of that race? Pure bedlam.

[El Axe]

I love this quote from reddit on the 400 final

That must be so intimidating for the leaders. You're running at what feels like the fastest that the human body can possibly go. Your form is perfect. And then this guy who looks like he's being chased by bees just blows right by you.

edit: I did call it, sort of, during the race. Quincy was clearly planning to go hard in the last stretch as he ran conservatively in the first 200. I thought he might have left too much distance to make up though at the end.

[El Axe]

There was an interesting tweet that I can't find at the moment about the start gun for the 100m

Apparently, at some point in the past they changed out a start gun for electronic speakers positioned behind the runners. Because of this, runners now all hear the start gun at the same instant. According to the tweet, if they had used the old-style starting pistol for the 100m race, Lyles would have heard the gun .008 seconds after his competitor because the sound would have had to travel that much further and would have lost the race by .003 seconds.

[froot loops]

It kind of looked like Hall didn't have it in the first 200.

[Mainevent]

Yeah, it was crazy because Hall looked totally cooked on the last turn, especially after he had looked super smooth in the first 2 rounds.

And it is a bit embarrassing that the US hadn’t won gold in this event 2008 and only had 1 medal total.

it’s also a tad annoying that they didn’t win the mixed relay. Bol ran an amazing leg, but the US rolled out the C team for that. Yeah they broke the very young world record in the semifinals, but come on, not a single athlete from the actual 400 team or 400 hurdles team were on that relay.

[DanO]

Yeah, it was crazy because Hall looked totally cooked on the last turn, especially after he had looked super smooth in the first 2 rounds.

And it is a bit embarrassing that the US hadn’t won gold in this event 2008 and only had 1 medal total.

it’s also a tad annoying that they didn’t win the mixed relay. Bol ran an amazing leg, but the US rolled out the C team for that. Yeah they broke the very young world record in the semifinals, but come on, not a single athlete from the actual 400 team or 400 hurdles team were on that relay.

That SUCKED!!!

[chemiclord]

Yeah, it was crazy because Hall looked totally cooked on the last turn, especially after he had looked super smooth in the first 2 rounds.

And it is a bit embarrassing that the US hadn’t won gold in this event 2008 and only had 1 medal total.

it’s also a tad annoying that they didn’t win the mixed relay. Bol ran an amazing leg, but the US rolled out the C team for that. Yeah they broke the very young world record in the semifinals, but come on, not a single athlete from the actual 400 team or 400 hurdles team were on that relay.

I'm guessing it was a matter of who was willing to run that event that day, and a lot of the usual players that you would think should be there declined.

[froot loops]

Yeah, it was crazy because Hall looked totally cooked on the last turn, especially after he had looked super smooth in the first 2 rounds.

And it is a bit embarrassing that the US hadn’t won gold in this event 2008 and only had 1 medal total.

it’s also a tad annoying that they didn’t win the mixed relay. Bol ran an amazing leg, but the US rolled out the C team for that. Yeah they broke the very young world record in the semifinals, but come on, not a single athlete from the actual 400 team or 400 hurdles team were on that relay.

Yeah, any version of the 400 relays we don't win, there should be an bi-partisan Congressional inquiry into the matter. If anything we are a nation of quarter milers, that's our thing.

[El Axe]

Yeah, it was crazy because Hall looked totally cooked on the last turn, especially after he had looked super smooth in the first 2 rounds.

And it is a bit embarrassing that the US hadn’t won gold in this event 2008 and only had 1 medal total.

it’s also a tad annoying that they didn’t win the mixed relay. Bol ran an amazing leg, but the US rolled out the C team for that. Yeah they broke the very young world record in the semifinals, but come on, not a single athlete from the actual 400 team or 400 hurdles team were on that relay.

EXACTLY!!

I was soo frustrated when I saw they rolled out the C team, I wanted to slap the coach in charge. I hope they are never in charge of a track decision for the rest of their career.

[El Axe]

I'm guessing it was a matter of who was willing to run that event that day, and a lot of the usual players that you would think should be there declined.

That's unlikely. We take 6 male and 6 female 400m runners from the trials -- and we also have access to an additional 3 400m hurdlers and the 200m runners are often also very good at the 400. The relay was several days before any of those races run. If they had run even the B team, it would have been a guaranteed gold medal. I doubt many of those B-team runners would have turned down a gold medal.

[Mainevent]

I'm guessing it was a matter of who was willing to run that event that day, and a lot of the usual players that you would think should be there declined.

Well yeah. If the issue was US Track didn't ask the top athletes, then we've got a whole other problem. But when you see Femke Bol out there chasing everybody down, it kind of sucks that SML or Rai Benjamin or Quincy Hall chose to sit it out even if it's because they are focused on their primary event.

Will be interesting to see to see who shows up on the 4x400 men's and women's team on Saturday. It's two days after the women's 400 hurdles, so I expect SML will run (and Bol), and probably be the anchor. But it's only a day after the women's 400 final and the men's 400 hurdles final, so that could make for some interesting choices.

[chemiclord]

That's unlikely. We take 6 male and 6 female 400m runners from the trials -- and we also have access to an additional 3 400m hurdlers and the 200m runners are often also very good at the 400. The relay was several days before any of those races run. If they had run even the B team, it would have been a guaranteed gold medal. I doubt many of those B-team runners would have turned down a gold medal.

I think if anyone on the B or A team had wanted to run, and weren't asked, they'd have said something about it by now. That everyone is mum on the issue suggests to me that the B and A team for whatever reason said, "Nah."