Without a group commitment a relay team is nothing and the US just showed it once again. At least this year they didn’t look like they were sponsored by Sharpie. Let a coach select athletes who are committed to the team concept. If he fails, get a new coach. There are more than enough sprinters in the US to run 37.50 with proper exchanges.
Agreed, I understand that a coach is necessary, but this isn’t that serious an issue. This isn’t the a team where that should need a perfect baton exchanges…Average baton management should still net them a sub 38 time. Looking at the rounds and then the finals there were a number of shaky exchanges, but yet the baton got around.
Also at what point do you simply say the athletes F’ed up and not blame the coach…
The USA, Jamaica, and possibly a few other countries, are NOT the models for relay prep in any way.
Complain all you want but the athletes need to make a living first and formost and they are not paid by the federation, but rather by their individual events.
If they were sponsored then it might be possible to make more demands but they aren’t and relay obligations cost them money.
For example, if the USA commits a top relay team by name to Zurich, Brussels, etc, do you really imagine that the relay members would have much negotiating power left for their individual events? Who would agree to that unless individual negotiations were concluded first?
Those of you who’ve never made a mistake (cause you’ve never been there to make one) might consider what happened to the well rehearsed German team.
When confronted by the best teams moving off their marks while the 3rd man waited, he was drawn off early, which is death to any relay team, whether you pass over-hand, underhand, or up your ass!!
Yes, the bottomline is that its on the athlete. They’re the ones who lack the commitment to come to practice. The federation needs to put the plan into place though and then hire the people that can make it happen. So there is some blame to go around.
Under those circumstances I would be perfectly happy sending a team of collegians then. The best of that group would be able to get the baton around in under 38.00 and it would send a message.
Realistically 3x2day camps could be organized after Nationals. If for example, Gay was nursing some injuries but still wanted to be on the team, he could placed first, as long as he was willing to attend, observe and be a par of the team and this wouldn’t effect anyone ability to make a living.
The crap that agents/coaches/athletes pull is more often a pissing contest more than anything else. Reference the Joe Douglas/Carl Lewis powerplay in 1996. They knew the relay rules and then challenged them.
As a group the US team has been together since prior to the Dresden warm-up meet, yet they supposedly haven’t done much (any) relay work. To me it sounds like no one took this seriously or was willing to be accountable.
Under the current construct of our sport and in the manner in which athletes earn a living (prize money and appearance money) what are we to do with relays at championships meets? Do we just do away with them all together should we leave them to those smaller countries that handpick their athletes or whose athletes aren’t so significant by themselves so they use the relay to build their athletic resume’?
And why did it seem to work to for the Americans, until recently, and now the Jamaicans?
I hope I’m making sense…
RG
Where would you start, or just let it run it’s course.
USA has over 20 athletes at 10.20 or better. Surely they can find some guys who can saddle up for a relay focus and handle a stick… it’s not like they have to rely on Hans McShitt who runs 10.60.
It’s not rocket science, I am curious what Charlie would do.
I question whether a few 2 day relay camps would disrupt an athletes preparation. I still assert that this goes back to the '90’s. We used to be able to F around and still win, but now we can’t.
As for the Jamaicans, they pass like crap but are so much better that it doesn’t matter. In fact their women were really poor, but without real competition from the US no one really notices.
I harp on the hand-off issue, but it matters a lot less than getting a pool of athletes that care and are coached by competent people. Right now there’s no accountability. :mad:
You’ve summed up the issue right there! If the stick gets around, nothing can stop the team with the horses. If you get a lesser group of cooperative souls, you must now rely on that same group NOT getting the stick around. Take your pick.
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Splits available? I think Powell ran almost same like last year in OG… (Wasn’t it like 8.68?)
Individual times for each sprinters during the relay final (note that the addition of times doesn’t match the final time, because the individual times are from start to 100m line for runner 1, 100m to 200m line for runner 2, 200m to 300m line for runner 3 and 300m to 400m line for runner 4. Baton transmission is sometimes done before the 100m, 200m or 300m line.)
JAM Mullings 10.57, Frater 9.20, Bolt 9.12, Powell 8.73.
TRI Brown 10.63, Burns 9.06, Callander 9.38, Thompson 8.94
GBR Williamson 10.55, Edgar 9.23, Devonish 9.53, AA 9.06
Thanks for those splits. BTW: How fast were Lemaitre’s relay splits? He looked quite good against Thompson in the semis, and Thompson split 8.94 in the final. Maybe the first caucasion sub 9s relay split? 
The early and slow changeover between Bolt and Powell makes Bolt’s split look quite unimpressive. I’m sure it would have been below 9s if they had exchanged a little later and at a faster speed.
Intermediate times for the heats are not out yet.
Our relay coaches had 9.05 for Christophe at European Team Champs in June.
Krylov ran 9.01 (according to Seiko) or 8.96 (according to the biomech Czech team) in Rome’87 final.
Maybe Powell in 9.73 shape for incoming meets… Last year he had 8.68 (I think) in relay and then 9.72 in Lausane…
This is 4x100m final of Men and women on the Worldchampionship in Rome 1987. There is a great anchor leg of Carl Lewis. PJ do you know his 100m split? You mentioned that Krylov ran 9.01 or 8.96 and Lewis outran him very well!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnNmik9ndzg&feature=PlayList&p=0DF42BF0FD26BE47&index=6
Lewis anchor was 8.86 (Seiko) or 8.78 (Czech team).