200m

[Charlie_Francis]

@lkh

This is Gay and Bolt in the 2007 Final in Osaka:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwYyswXNabQ

See where in the lane, they (particularly Gay) are running coming out of the blocks. See where they are running in the lane around the curve. There’s a point at 8.8 seconds on the embedded clock on the display (115-120m from the finish) where everybody is more or less hugging the inside of the lane EXCEPT Gay and Bolt, who are running on the OUTSIDE of the lane.

This is Bolt at Lausanne 2008:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQwF-IqtUZY

See the block setup at about 2:50 into the video. See Bolt’s blocks NOT canted inward (and how far back his back block is!). Notice where on the track he’s running (once again, there’s an interesting frame about 9 seconds in).

It certainly looks like the faster times being run in the last 2-3 years may be accompanied by more s-l emphasis, but also carrying a lot more speed around the curve. The holding back methods like Wallace Spearmon won’t cut it any more.

You saw in Beijing what happened later in the race when Shawn Crawford (the best turn runner in the US) tried to hang with Bolt all the way around the curve. From what I can see, there are really only two ways of actually doing what you see here:

(1) A LOT more conditioning allowing one to run closer to MaxV for a longer period (and of course we know about all those 300s and 400s the Jamaicans are doing).

(2) Running the curve more efficiently–not holding back and not slower, but saving energy–which would be an extended drive phase, and which also happens to be how Gay was running the 100 last year before the Eugene injury (there were some public comments from Jon Drummond to this effect, i.e., staying down longer, and he got his 9.68w running this way).

The concept of an extended drive phase or, in other words, a slightly delayed accel needs to be looked at, but, from my understanding, doesn’t fit with the models we’ve seen so far. The opening 50m splits registered by MJ, Flo-Jo, Bolt etc don’t indicate any reduced accel there.
We already recognize from the 100m muscular work changes determined by body position and how it affects overall output capacity. It would seem from that model that there is little to be gained by economy here vs efficiencies that might be gained elsewhere.
Also, consider the efficiencies inherent in tendon stiffness that may be enhanced by prolonged periods of grass work, which we’ve discussed before. Those effects would be seen primarily once the full upright position has been reached.