2021 mOG 4x1: you sure you wanna open this one?

[18.99s]

We should really pick a relay team from the 4th-8th finishers in the OT 100 & 200. With no individual events, they can get a full 6+ weeks of relay practice before the OG. That team would probably be in the hunt for gold every single time. It can't be any worse.

The Olympic rules don't allow selecting 4 relay-only athletes in addition to 3 in the individual event. The rules require anyone in the individual 100m and 400m to also be in the corresponding 6-name relay pool, so at best you can send 3 relay-only athletes in addition to the 3 individuals in the 100m/400m.

[uakari]

Su looked like he got the baton in a dead heat with the Brits and got smoked on the curve. Maybe he would have been better on the anchor?

yeah i checked and his 200 PR is not impressive (over 21) so i wonder why have him run the curve ...

[uakari]

A stupid pathetic unwarranted back seat driver comment saying he should be ashamed of himself.

A silver medal, losing gold by 0.01 (0.26%) is nothing to be ashamed of when you lost to someone who was marginally superior.

totally. i saw that he was crying and kilty (of all people!) was consoling him, trying to pick him up...

[cladthin]

CT, I think we both know how fragile the psyche of a sprinter can be. And they often go searching for explanations for success and failure. As to the injury status, I wish the coaches were more transparent about the reports on injuries. When the athletes report an injury it often comes across as "excuse-making" after the fact.
"Staying healthy" is a priority for all athletes, but especially for sprinters and hurdlers and jumpers.
Will be interesting to see how many US athletes are competing over the rest of the summer in Europe.
i wish Bromell well. And yourself likewise. Hope you and yours are healthy, safe and well!

I wonder if Bromell communicated any possible injury to the coaches. In addition to his lackluster 100m performances, he took nothing out of the field on his leadoff leg. I do have a tremendous amount of respect for him in that he has largely overcome an injury that is often a career ender with the achilles rupture. While I, at times, don't agree with Boldon's commentary and especially annoyed at his frequent "didn't I tell you......" he was correct that (paraphrasing) the U.S. legs were not really anything special. Like you, I agree that Kerley's was very good. The other legs, however, were not particularly good-especially Gillespie's anchor.

It was a COVID precaution (to limit amount of potential exposure in Japan) but USATF is going to need look long and hard at their supposed choice to bring in athletes just 1-3 days prior to the start of their events when jet lag was starting to hit them as they were trying to make it through the rounds and even qualify for finals.

[asindc]

The Olympic rules don't allow selecting 4 relay-only athletes in addition to 3 in the individual event. The rules require anyone in the individual 100m and 400m to also be in the corresponding 6-name relay pool, so at best you can send 3 relay-only athletes in addition to the 3 individuals in the 100m/400m.

What happens if the country has no (or at least less than 3) entrants in the individual sprint events?

[ItalianFan]

What happens if the country has no (or at least less than 3) entrants in the individual sprint events?

if they have no entry in the 100m they can name 5 in the relay pool. If they have 2 in the individual 100m, they can name further 3 names in the relay pool. Etc.

For example Italy 5 entries in the relay pool were

Jacobs (entered also in the 100m)
Tortu (entered also in the 100m)
Patta
Polanco
Manenti

Desalu (and Infantino) was not entered in the 4x100 pool because he was entered in the 200m and so the 4x100 pool spots were used to bring extra alternates.

[18.99s]

What happens if the country has no (or at least less than 3) entrants in the individual sprint events?

If they have none in the individual event, they get to name whoever they want for the pool of 6.

If they have 1 or 2 in the individual, those 1 or 2 must be in the 6-name pool, and then the other 4 or 5 picked however they want.

It's a headcount thing. They don't want countries sending 3 + 6; it's 6 total for the individual event plus the corresponding relay.

[asindc]

If they have none in the individual event, they get to name whoever they want for the pool of 6.

If they have 1 or 2 in the individual, those 1 or 2 must be in the 6-name pool, and then the other 4 or 5 picked however they want.

It's a headcount thing. They don't want countries sending 3 + 6; it's 6 total for the individual event plus the corresponding relay.

That seems to be a slight disadvantage to those countries who send multiple entrants in individual sprint events.

[schigh]

We should really pick a relay team from the 4th-8th finishers in the OT 100 & 200. With no individual events, they can get a full 6+ weeks of relay practice before the OG. That team would probably be in the hunt for gold every single time. It can't be any worse.

I wouldn't mind if the NCAA 4x100 champs was the Olympic relay team or have the relays as a trials event.

[ItalianFan]

The entries rule is the following:

4x100m, 4x400m
NOCs may enter one (1) team for each relay event. A total of five (5) athletes may be entered for a relay team. Should an NOC have entered a relay team and individual athletes in the corresponding individual event (100m and 400m), the entered individual athletes must be included in the total of five (5) athletes entered for the relay events. In addition, NOCs can nominate a maximum of one (1) P alternate athlete for each team

The one named as P Alternate (non-competing athletes) can be used only under the Late Athlete Replacement policy (basically medical reasons, doping or Covid of one of the 5 entered above).

Then they can actually use whoever they like among the 5 (+1) above or anyone entered in any other disciplines.

[cigar95]

. . . . . so at best you can send 3 relay-only athletes in addition to the 3 individuals in the 100m/400m.

In another thread we figured out the loophole around this problem - use one of the "relay pool" slots in the 4x4 for your fourth "new guy", and once he's on the team he's as eligible as anyone else for the 4x1.
This limits the options for the longer relay, but the choice is availlable.

[gm]

I wouldn't mind if the NCAA 4x100 champs was the Olympic relay team...

That would ensure the U.S. would never win another gold.

[gh]

I wouldn't mind if the NCAA 4x100 champs was the Olympic relay team or have the relays as a trials event.

the last time the NCAA winner was all Americans was '10

[Powell]

If they have none in the individual event, they get to name whoever they want for the pool of 6.

It's neither 6, nor 5. The maximum pool size was changed to 8 a couple of years ago. Per rule 12.4.7 of the World Athletics Series regulations https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=34a74ad4-037f-4f69-91b2-cf1942609ef4.pdf&urlslug=C1.2%20-%20World%20Athletics%20Series%20Regulations%20(ame nded%20on%2012%20March%202020)

Every Member may enter one team for each relay race, composed by a maximum of eight athletes. Any four athletes among those entered for the competition, whether for the relay or for any other event, may then be used in the composition of the team for the first round

[schigh]

the last time the NCAA winner was all Americans was '10

Good point, didn't think about that. I was just trying to think of a way where the relay team has actually competed together before.