Angelo Taylor 44.35

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Taylor’s return continues with 44.35sec flat 400m
Sunday 13 May 2007
Continuing his notable comeback, 2000 Olympic 400m Hurdles champion Angelo Taylor produced a sizzling 44.35 victory in the 400m at the Georgia Tech Invitational on Saturday (12) in Atlanta, USA.

Despite rainy conditions that delayed much of the competition, the 28-year-old nonetheless smashed his previous career best of 44.68 set in 2001, and it was his first sub-45 performance since 2002. At the moment, Taylor trails only Jeremy Wariner’s 44.02 from Osaka on the early-season world list.

Since his near-legendary 47.50 victory in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney from the narrow confines of lane one, Taylor has taken a back seat in the 400m Hurdles event to two-time World champion Felix Sanchez, who succeeded him as the Olympic champion, and a slew of young American challengers, including 2005 World champion Bershawn Jackson. After finishing second at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials, Taylor failed to reach the final in Athens, and hasn’t been considered a major force in the event since.

But after abbreviated 2005 and 2006 seasons, Taylor has come back with a pair of wins this spring in his specialty, winning both at the Mt. Sac Relays and at the Dakar Grand Prix. Including the two victories in his specialty, Taylor is thus far undefeated in seven races outdoors.

In Atlanta, he was pushed to the finish by Florida State’s Ricardo Chambers who also produced a personal best of 44.62. Chambers, the reigning Jamaican champion over the distance, had a previous best of 44.71 set at last year’s NCAA Championships where he finished second to Xavier Carter.

Dix – 20.13 PB

Other notable performances at the Georgia Tech Invitational included Walter Dix’s personal best 20.13, currently the second fastest in the world behind Tyson Gay’s 19.97 from Kingston. In March, the 21-year-old won the NCAA indoor title in 20.32, the year’s fastest mark indoors. Finishing a well-beaten second and third were Jordan Vaden (20.55) and Dwight Thomas (20.64).

Two-time World championships 400m Hurdles medallist Sandra Glover, now 38, has shown no signs of slowing down. She made her season’s debut a notable one with her 54.70 victory, the season’s first sub-55 second performance.

Elsewhere, Briton Tom Lancashire won the 1500m in 3:43.39 on Friday (11), Treniere Clement took the 800m (2:01.50) and Kieth Moffatt, last year’s surprise runner-up at the U.S. Championships, took the High Jump with a 2.25 clearance.

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

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If he’s improved his hurdling skills, Taylor could be someone to approach Young’s mark. Mental focus was also a problem that I hope has matured.

And then there is always the open 400!

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Who coached Angelo Taylor in 2000? Who coaches him now please? Just interested.

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I believe his coach is Grover Hinsdale. His head and event coach at Georgia Tech-one of the few ncaa schools to have gone under 3:00 for the 4 x 4-GT, UCLA, and possibly Baylor(?). He(GH) has also coached 400h gold medalist Derek Adkins, Octavius Terry(ncaa champion at 400h?), and Derek Mills(400m)-world champs. placer(?) and definitely won, at least a 4 x 4 gold in 1995 at Goteborg.

Next year Hinsdale gets Antonio McKay jr.(I know that name is familiar for some) who has run a mid to high 46 in just his second(and senior) year of running high school track. McKay sr. is his high school coach in Atlanta. Hinsdale has been a coach at Tech since 1979 and I have wondered if he was McKay sr.'s coach.

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By the way, more on Hinsdale-Taylor’s coach. I believe he was Antonio McKay’s sr. coach at Georgia Tech when he was an assistant there to head coach Buddy Fowlkes in the early to mid 80’s. McKay sr. won a bronze at the 84 olympics in the 400m-Alonzo Babers U.S.-gold, Gabriel Tiacoh(I believe he has passed) -Ivory Coast silver. McKay sr. also won gold in the 4 x 4 in L.A.

Hinsdale has obviously had real success training 400 and 400h guys. One of his other(besides his sub 3:00 team) 4 x 4 teams were NCAA champs a few years back with a guy on the team named Michael Johnson-that usually helps, though he is of no relation to the one most of us know.

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Antonio McKay, jr. is now at 46.28 for 400m in only his second year of h.s. track. He is a senior and will attend Ga. Tech next year. His high school coach, as noted above, is his dad Antonio McKay, sr.

His time is second nationally to Bryshon Nellum of Long Beach(Ca)Poly h.s. who has a 46.02.

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I know he would like another opportunity to race Sean Holston. That young man is talent as well.

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Hinsdale must be a hell of a good coach and I’ve never heard of him, shows how big a place the world is.

Mills was a member of the Atlanta 4x4 squad, pretty sure. Pound for pound he was a fabulous quartermiler.

Some folks thought McKay would win in LA. Babers much too good on the day though. Did McKay draw lane 1 or 2, I can vaguely remember him charging through inside to grab bronze in the last couple of strides ahead of the Aussie Darren Clark (4th).

thanks Pioneer

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Lane 1 with a 22.9 final half. That was a fun race to watch live.

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Yeah, with his lack of experience, have to believe that jr. has a big upside. Likely just scratching the surface of his potential. That said, I’d like to know if he has registered any significant times at 200m or even 100m.

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No problem KK. Hinsdale has gone somewhat unnoticed over the years despite very good 400/400h results over the years.

Just as your comment implies, Mills was one of the shortest world class 400m guys I can ever recall.( I think you are right, he was on the ATL. U.S. 4 x 4 squad) He might have been 5’7" to 5’8".

Yes, some had McKay sr. as the favorite for the gold. Was it 84 or 88 where Bert Cameron came in as a favorite but a ham. injury held him down?

RE Clark, I think you know his career very well, don’t you? :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

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:wink: moving right along then…Bert’s hammy blew out in LA semi, early in the race and he still finished and qualified for the final. I was in the mixed zone and heard one of the golden oldies from Jamaica telling Bertland it was still his race. BUt sadly he couldn’t back it up. He actually ran his lifetime best in the Seoul Olympics but couldn’t reach the final.

Last time I saw big Bert was at the world’s in Stuttgart (or was it Goteborg) and he told me he was the masseur for Merlene Ottey; nice work if you can get it :stuck_out_tongue:

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Thanks KitKat. I seem to remember that at one time, Cameron was considered “the guy” at 400m. Maybe I’m just recalling his college days-at UTEP?

He seemed to be stuck with some bad luck in the big meets though I don’t recall his world championships performances, if any.

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OOOOOH!!! how could you forget: He won gold at the inaugural World Championships 400m in Helsinki. He was completely dominant in that meet.

He was (presumably still remains) a fun-loving, carefree guy who was a tonne of fun to be with - though I suspect he was a bit of an nightmare to race against. Very big and fast and courageous.

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I was still in h.s. so I was only semi-aware of what even the top guys were doing on the world scene :slight_smile: .

I seem to remember, just as you say, that he was quite big. Seemed heavier, thicker than most quarter guys.

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Does somebody knows who coached Tiacoh?

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John Chaplin and another coach whose name escapes me at the moment. Interesting that he placed 7th at NCs from lane 1 and 2nd at Olys from lane 7.

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Tiacoh was a lovely guy. He did some training in Seoul, a set of fast tempo 150s, with my guy there and we were shocked when Gabriel passed away. The rumours on the tour at the time was that it was AIDS but I did hear from someone who purportedly knew the real facts that it was Not. It was some kind of blood infection but not any kind of sexually transmitted disease. In 84 at the Games he was an awesome competitor. He was even finishing over Babers, unless my memory betrays …

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He died of viral meningitis.

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thanks Charlie for setting the record straight