Tokyo women's 4x4 [split]

[ATK]

Most notable meet note overall is Dalilah Muhammad in the 400 Hurdles

Thanks Atticus for the link. I posted in another thread about the meet, but Muhammad and Little are both running, but in different heats...

[ATK]

I'd guess if Felix is played up as an Olympic focus by NBC....very likely....that she's running the final of either or both of the mixed/women's 4 x 400m. She's not going to be relegated to the prelim only.

This may be the case no matter which individual event she's in or perhaps even including if she's a relay pool only choice.

One thing I would look out for is, if Felix makes the individual 400m team, but gets to Tokyo and does not run on the Mixed relay at the start of the Games, I would take that as unofficial confirmation she is running in the 4x4 final

[18.99s]

And if Felix makes top 3 in the 200m at the Trials, but is outside the top 3 in the 400m, what do they do then?

If she's 4th, 5th, or 6th in the Trials 400m, they'll have her running a 4x400 leg somehow anyhow, whether it's prelims or final, mixed or women-only. Her relay spot is in doubt only if she's outside the top 6 in the 400 and outside the top 3 in the 200.

[cigar95]

In a world not affected greatly by eyeballs on the TV, I'd agree. But they are there.

I'm probably too cynical, but does NBC have a a voice at the table, direct or indirect?

[18.99s]

I'm probably too cynical, but does NBC have a a voice at the table, direct or indirect?

Whether NBC said it or not, the relay selectors know that NBC will make a big deal out of it if Felix makes top 6 in the 400m or top 3 in the 200m at trials but doesn't get selected to run a relay leg.

[jazzcyclist]

I'm probably too cynical, but does NBC have a a voice at the table, direct or indirect?

Based on some of the posts on this thread, some folks seem to believe that USATF is taking direct orders from NBC on relay selection and the lesson on Sanya Richards in 2015 has not been learned.

[ATK]

If she's 4th, 5th, or 6th in the Trials 400m, they'll have her running a 4x400 leg somehow anyhow, whether it's prelims or final, mixed or women-only. Her relay spot is in doubt only if she's outside the top 6 in the 400 and outside the top 3 in the 200.

Note, she can finish 8th place and run a leg somewhere. The mixed and regular 4x4 can have 4 alternates between the prelims and finals in Tokyo. (Jasmine Blocker finished 8th in 2019 USAs but ran a prelim leg on the Doha mixed relay)

[18.99s]

Note, she can finish 8th place and run a leg somewhere.

She could fail to make the US trials final in anything and they *might* still put her on a relay leg. The criteria I stated (top 6 in 400 or top 3 in 200) are only for what it takes to give her a rock solid relay spot. If she fails on both criteria, it's a maybe yes/maybe no, not a guaranteed no.

The mixed and regular 4x4 can have 4 alternates between the prelims and finals in Tokyo.

However, as I understood it (correct me if I'm wrong) they can name only 6 athletes to each 4x400 pool, not 8, and any substitutions beyond those 6 would have to come from athletes already at the Games for another event.

[ATK]

However, as I understood it (correct me if I'm wrong) they can name only 6 athletes to each 4x400 pool, not 8, and any substitutions beyond those 6 would have to come from athletes already at the Games for another event.

Your forgetting the mixed 4x4 is a completely separate event and has a separate relay pool they can explicitly name people to (which they did in 2019). Thats an additional 2 men and women (7th and 8th place) who will now already be in Tokyo and can then run anything.

Heres the 2019 team with the mixed relay pool noted separate from the 4x4 pool: https://www.usatf.org/news/2019/star...or-2019-iaaf-w

[_Jay]

Note, she can finish 8th place and run a leg somewhere. The mixed and regular 4x4 can have 4 alternates between the prelims and finals in Tokyo. (Jasmine Blocker finished 8th in 2019 USAs but ran a prelim leg on the Doha mixed relay)

I wonder how much of that is also schedule related. IIRC the mixed relay was a few days prior to the 4x4, thus closer to the OPEN 400m. I don’t believe any of the top men/women ran on the mixed 4x4, partly for that reason. More like the “backups”....🤷🏾♂️

(I think you also mentioned this as an unfair advantage for the US, being able to literally switch out a whole team, without needed to top runners to win.)

To another comment, I think it’s likely Felix is in very good to great form at the trials, OG and there will be no need for NBC to intervene with the process for off the track reasons. Thinking this will be a moot point, eventually. I mean she split 50 low, 10 months after birth in 2019. She’s a guaranteed 49 split, minimum imo if healthy. I would not be worried about a SRR situation w/AF on the 4x4. Or a Carl Lewis in ‘96, situation. (Still laugh at Jon Drummond saying he came in butt naked last at the trials 😂)

[jazzcyclist]

Well, McLaughlin just threw her name in the hat.

[_Jay]

I don’t think it was ever out. Lol

Good to see her officially re-confirm what most of us already thought prior to the Trials. She’s still Sydney McLaughlin.

[jazzcyclist]

I don’t think it was ever out. Lol

Good to see her officially re-confirm what most of us already thought prior to the Trials. She’s still Sydney McLaughlin.

What do you mean it wasn't out? Based on what she did 2 years ago (see 2015 Sanya Richards). I certainly don't think Muhammad has thrown her name in the hat yet.

[_Jay]

What do you mean it wasn't out? Based on what she did 2 years ago (see 2015 Sanya Richards). I certainly don't think Muhammad has thrown her name in the hat yet.

Maybe I slightly misunderstood what you were saying.

But my point was that most us had no reason to believe SM WOULDNT do exactly what she did today. So it was more that she was already penciled in, unless proven otherwise. At least in my eyes. DM has been injured, and is working her way back to form. Had that been SM it would be a different story.

[jazzcyclist]

Mu's name is now carved in granite on the Olympic final start list.