More event analyses given towards the bottom of the page.
http://berlin.iaaf.org/records/biomechanics/index.html
Enjoy 
The following exchange has been copied across from Race Results because it is a topic specifically about the 400m race, its evolution through the tighter tournament format (reduction from 4 to 3 rounds) at World & Olympics and possible implications for coaching/training, kk:
From Robin1:
[b]8th fastest 400m time in the world by year:
2009: 44.78 (as of today)
2008: 44.63
2007: 44:56
2006: 44.71
2005: 44.60
2004: 44.64
2003: 44.75
2002: 44.84
2001: 44.70
2000: 44.66
1999: 44.59[/b]
I can’t see any trend here.
**
From Kitkat1:
Interesting though. It suggests the event has not progressed, despite no shortage of quality at the medals end of this spectrum.
More relevant would be figures for the last time needed to enter an Olympic or World Championship 400m final (as distinct from time of the eighth-placed finisher in finals). I suspect often the time of the last guy to qualify (out of the semis) will be faster than the eighth-placed time in the subsequent final.
But the observation is more relevant now since the Tournament structure has changed in recent years, within this decade for certain: World and Olympic Championships have been reduced to three rounds, instead of the traditional four rounds.
In Commonwealth Games, the rounds (not sure about the 2006 Games, sorry) have stayed at four, but since Vancouver Island 1994 finalists have been given a full day’s rest before racing for the medals.
They used to run four rounds over a roughly 28hrs period (across two successive days) with the semis only four hours or so before the final. That’s why the Com Games record set in 1970 at 45.0 lasted 20 years until the Aussie Darren Clark led two Kenyans into the 44s in Auckland.
Clark’s time of 44.60 then lasted only until the next Games in Canada because the Welsh winner may have been better prepared or more talented, but certainly the day’s rest before the final helped him to shave 0.02 off the record which still stands coming into India 2010.
The transformed competition format has created the potential for faster times in the preliminary rounds at all of the above tournaments.
One assumes the high performance managers for every national federation would have the figures to hand.
But the big question is, what are they going to do about it? These stats are all after the fact. How athletes and coaches should prepare to face the challenge remains paramount.
**
From Robin1:
[b]Here are the times needed to qualify for each WC final:
'09: 44.97
'07: 44.86
'05: 46.03 (John Steffenson, BTW)
'03: 45.03
'01: 45.10
'99: 45.24
'97: 44.69
'95: 45.47
'93: 45.01
'91: 45.53
'87: 45.21
'93: 45.83
Last three Olympics:
'08: 44.91
'04: 45.27
'00: 45.53[/b]
If anything, there seems to be a trend towards faster times needed for qualification.
Interestingly, the times in the final clearly suffered after the tough semifinals of 2009, 2008 and 2007 (three rounds with two days between semifinals and final), but not in 1997 (four rounds with one day between semifinals and final). I have previously suggested on this forum that the 48h rest between semifinal and final now in place may allow for the onset of DOMS thus limiting performance in the final.
**
From Kitkat:
You’ve got my rep pts, thanks Robin1, this is valuable information and we appreciate you putting in the time to research the data. I’m also going to copy it across to the lactate threshhold thread which has de facto been the receptical of all matters 400m.
Yes, many athletes have run slower in the final than the semis and I’m with you on the reasons which appear obvious, but then someone will come along and smash the final as Merritt did in Beijing. The only thing I can think of is that his speed reserve has become more significant than his aerobic power (think huge tempo base)in coping with the constricted format which emphasises speed from the first round. At Beijing we saw quarter-milers running sub-45 in their first-round heats because these now are akin to the quarter-finals of the defunct 4-round tournament format.
I suspect therefore the obvious implication for training/coaching for this event in a tournament situation is that the development or at least emphasis on the speed-power thread not be left until late in the preparation period, but rather emphasised virtually from Day-1 and pursued carefully but continuously.
Obviously how we do that is the trick and my colours are well and truly pinned to the mast of the so-called “concurrent” program model.
**
What would now be most useful would be to collate the statistics on the slowest and the average times(s) needed to advance from the first-round heats at the last three majors (Osaka, Beijing & Berlin) for men and women 400m runners and perhaps even compare that back to the last fair-weather major conducted under the 4-round format.
That would obviously have implications for training as it should be designed around racing requirements, and would probably also therefore have implications for National Federation team selection criteria.
But I have neither the time nor am I sufficiently demented to undertake the task
Al of this begs the question of: Why? (although, I have run it so I have a pretty damn good idea why)
Why will all those women running sub 11s and close to 22 flat allow medals in the 400 to go for the asking when they have no chance in the event they’re in now?
Will Bolt drive significant numbers into the 400m for men?
LaShawn Merritt - progression:
(Courtesy Boldwarrior)
2009: World Champs gold medalist (44.06WL), 1st at USA Outdoors (44.50)…1st at Baie Mahault (44.50)…1st at Reebok Grand Prix (44.75)…1st in 300m at Nike Prefontaine Classic (31.30)
2008: Olympic Games gold medalist (43.75, WL & PR)…Olympic Trials champion (44.001st at World Athletics Final (44.50)…1st at Nike Prefontaine Classic (44.65)…1st at Berlin (44.03)…1st at Baie Mahault (44.34)…1st in 200m at Doha (20.08)…1st in Greensboro (19.80w)…ranked #1 in world by T&FN…bests of 43.75 & 20.08.
2007: World Outdoor 4x400m gold medalist (2:55.56)…World Outdoor 400m silver medalist (43.96PR)…USA Outdoor runner-up (44.06)…Tyson Invitational Indoor champion (45.51)…2nd at Reebok Grand Prix (45.09)…2nd at Nike Prefontaine Classic (45.17)…1st at Kingston (44.95)…1st at Paris (44.62)…1st at Rome (44.44)…1st at Monaco (44.38)…1st in 200m at Thessaloniki (20.02)…2nd at London (44.23)…ranked #2 in world, #2 U.S. by T&FN…bests of 43.96 and 19.98.
2006: USA Outdoor runner-up (44.50)…1st at World Cup (44.54)…3rd at World Athletics Final (44.14PR)…runner-up at USA Indoor Champs (46.17)…1st at Nike Prefontaine Classic (44.88)…4th at Rome (44.77)…5th at Lausanne (20.10)…2nd at Stockholm (20.25)…ranked #3 in world (#2 U.S.) by T&FN…best of 44.14.
2005: 4th at USA Outdoor Champs (44.73)…2nd in 400m at Nike Prefontaine Classic (45.57)…1st at Powered by Tyson Invitational (44.93i), the 3rd fastest indoor time in history…1st at Kingston, Jamaica (44.66PR)…ranked #10 in the world (#5 U.S. by T&FN)…best of 44.93i.
2004: 2004 World Junior 400m ( 45.25), 4x100m (38.66WJR) & (3:01.09WJR) gold medalist…USA Junior champion (200m-20.72), (400m-46.80)…ranked #9 in U.S. by T&FN…best of 45.25.
2003: Virginia State HS 100m (10.47), 200m (21.13) & 400m (47.69) champion…best of 47.69.
Link to PDF of Dwayne Miller’s 2008 presentation detailing his 400m preparation, said to be broadly what he prescribed for LaShawn Merritt.
Sadly my attempts to lift the actual cycles of training within the graphic framework has been totally unsuccessful (so far).
To witness: …
2008 USATF SuperClinic
Dwayne Miller
From prep to pro: the 400 meters
FALL SEASON
Week#1
Week#2
Week#3
Week#4
M: 1 mile/ weights
1.5 mile/ weights
2 mile/ weights
2 mile/ weights
T: 1 mile/ weights
1.5 mile/ weights
2 mile/ weights
2 mile/ weights
W: Drill outs
Drill outs
Drill outs
Drill outs/strides
Th:1 mile/ weights
1.5 mile/ weights
Maybe I can get the ‘Fundementals’-thread alive again!!
Some athletes and well known National coaches visit our country at the moment - to train in warm weather. One of my athletes met them last week - and an interesting conversation took place. The one coach is known for VERY large volumes of training in his weekly programme (in ALL phases) - therefore, LOTS of his athletes either quit or go to other coaches … due to injuries. He had success in the past - but normally only once in the ‘lifetime’ of the athlete.
He tried to convince my athlete that the ONLY way to prepare for different rounds in the 400m is: 3 x 350 [8’] (for the usual 3 rounds). This must be done at FULL speed. Another session -to work on the first 200 of the 400m - the athlete MUST be able to complete 8 x 200 (FIRST 200m RP) with a jog back recovery.
Since I ‘met’ Kitkat on this Forum, I have a rest day on Wednesdays (throughout the training year) - and my athletes SELDOM get injuries. This ‘foreign’ coach could not BELIEVE this. According to him - how COULD a coach take a rest day in the middle of the week, preparing an athlete for a 400m!!!
My athlete now wants to train on Wednesdays … !!!
Your input?
Who is the coach and who are his studs? Most of the truly intelligent coaches I’ve met (and I’ve met most of the 400m coaches doing the rounds since 1980) have been fairly flexible, not dogmatic and realise there is more than one pathway up the mountain.
Personally I don’t give my athletes one day off a week. I give them two days off - almost always Saturday and Tuesday so as to fulfill a two-days on, one off, three on, one off structure. Without “supporting means” or the capacity to be a fulltime athlete with experts staff (masseurs, chiros etc) on hand, I found that building in rest days served to release pressure. If this coach has had a male Olympic finalist run 44.3 “clean” on his program and stay injury-free for seven years straight under his program (collecting world merit rankings in five of those years as well as Com Games gold and meet record and a World Indoor medal (while on holidays :), I will be officially impressed… kk
is this the same athlete that went to Melbourne then quit then started again?
If he wants to train on Wednesday, have him wash your car 3 times:)
Seriously, was that an european coach?
Tony Lester … Coach of oft injured Tim Benjamin … Eliminated seond round in 46.2 in 2004, failed to even get on the track 2008: they were his two Olympic results. Quit due to injuries 2009.
that is the cynical info 
the other one is
Tony Lester
Tony has been around UK athletics as a professional coach since he left the Royal Army Medical Corps, shortly after the first Gulf War in 1991. His long and distinguished military career saw him rise to the rank of Warrant Officer.
His knowledge of fitness, conditioning and motivation is second to none, as is his unique ability to transfer this to others.
Presently employed by UK Athletics, the governing body for the sport, Tony nurtures world-class talent for tomorrow, working with young sprinters such as Tim Benjamin and Abi Oyepitan. Already, he has transformed many athletes into World and Olympic medallists, including the likes of Roger Black, Mark Richardson and, most recently, Marlon Devonish, Gold Medallist in the 4x100m relay in Athens.
Fresh from his outstanding successes at the Athens Olympic Games, Tony’s skilful use of anecdotal and amusing stories will reinforce a desire to create a winning environment that gives an organisation the ability to achieve more.
“During my final preparations before Sydney when my hurdling wasn’t going well it was Tony that turned it around”
Denise Lewis Olympic Champion
“In 1996 I won a Silver Medal at The OlympicGames in Atlanta in the 400 metres. I would not have won this without the help of Tony Lester”
Roger Black MBE
“Tony Lester ignited my self belief in competing with the best athletes in the world”
John Regis European Champion 200m
“Tony has identified my weaknesses and addressed them in a constructive manner, Tony is a true professional”
Marlon Devonish Olympic Champion
During Tony’s inspirational presentation he speaks on the following themes;
Coaching
Peak Performance
Mentoring
Teamwork
Reaching Your Potential
http://www.speakers-uk.com/profile.phtml?id=381&act_id=2&sid=41
There is a poster on this forum who has very intimate knowledge of “Sergeant Lester” and his methods. Whether he chooses to chime in with his insights is up to him, but suffice it to say that our man Tony’s military experience carries over into his training methodology. Tim Benjamin will was so broken that he couldn’t even stay in the sport with the motivation of running before so many friends and family.
On a side not, I cannot see how Kevin Tyler and Lester could get on as their training philosophies are very much at loggerheads.
Tony lester…isn’t the same guy ha MLF run morning miles n asphalth to get in shape?
I see an endorsement of Lester from Regis who seemed to do all his best times after training with John Smith.
I take athlete endorsements with a rock rather than a grain of salt as they are often based on personal loyalties. In this case it could be a matter of profit. How many of Lester’s athletes does Regis represent?
Also…Roger Black, was trained by another coach…
“During my final preparations before Sydney when my hurdling wasn’t going well it was Tony that turned it around”
Denise Lewis Olympic Champion
“In 1996 I won a Silver Medal at The OlympicGames in Atlanta in the 400 metres. I would not have won this without the help of Tony Lester”
Roger Black MBE
“Tony Lester ignited my self belief in competing with the best athletes in the world”
John Regis European Champion 200m
“Tony has identified my weaknesses and addressed them in a constructive manner, Tony is a true professional”
Marlon Devonish Olympic Champion
None of them really mention physical training coaching, they all mention he helped.
I wouldn’t be surprised if all he did was help their confidence or mention something about them to make them think and change it.
That’s possibly because it is promoting Lester as a public speaker, not an athletics coach. I wouldn’t read anything into it.
http://www.uka.org.uk/e-inspire/hall-of-fame-athletes/roger-black/
Roger Black Date of Birth:1966
Born: Portsmouth
Club: Southampton & Eastleigh, Team Solent.
Coach(s): Mike Smith, Mike Whittingham.
Black Magic
However… Lester is attributed as Roger’s coach in 1996 and there is no doubt that Tony has had some world class results, one of the more impressive of late being Nicola Sanders who was Osaka 400m flat runner-up, but whose 50.71 for fourth in Beijing semi-final No. 3, was not fast enough to make it to the final.
An IAAF Report stated of Sanders: "But it was only after moving back home and linking up with Tony Lester, the man who coached Roger Black to Olympic 400m silver and Mark Richardson to European 400m bronze, did she start to make real headway.
Sanders thrived on the extra workload and at last started to fulfil her potential.
“It was pretty tough,” Sanders admitted of Lester’s training. “But if you are in a new situation it pushes you more. I just got stuck in and probably did more training than I thought I was capable of. At Loughborough, with hindsight, I perhaps didn’t push myself as much as I thought I could.”
So it looks like if you can survive the Lester program you can run well in the short term but you may be marked down as AWOL a season or two later.