Sprinters you'd like to see explore seriously the 400m?

[Master Mirthmaker]

Joe Fahnbulleh

[The Klingon]

Matthew Boling.

I can agree with that. I have always thought his best events are the 200 and 400.

[The Klingon]

Joe Fahnbulleh

If he do not improve his start, then the 400 is his best bet.

[Wiederganger]

Prandini possibly, and I guess she has been more on the radar this season, over someone like, say, Brittany Brown, but the latter has better 300m and 400m PBs than Prandini:

Brown:
300m: 35.91 outdoors (2019); 35.95 Indoors (2019)
400m: 53.46 outdoors (2021), 53.76 indoors (2019)

Prandini:
300m: 36.68 indoors (2021)
400m: 55.58 outdoors (2013)
Prandini also has a 51.29 relay leg from 2019.

Gabby Thomas definitely, she closes so strongly at the end of the 200m.

A few years ago I would have said Schippers, based off her last 50m in the 200m and her 800m PB. Also Deajah Stevens (she did relay legs of 50.8, 51.03 & 51.11 in 2017) and Gina Luckenkemper, who ran 37.11 over 300m when she was 18 (still 8th on the all-time U20 lists)

Historically:
Grace Jackson, who for too long focused on the 100/200, instead of 200/400. 49.57 PB, but could have gone way faster.
Heike Drechsler, strong in her 200s and a 49.98 relay leg in 87
Anna Quirot. Oviously she ran a lot of 400s in her career, but her primary focus was always the 800m. It would have been interesting to see how much she could have improved her 49.61 PB.
Wachtal & Wodars. Wachtal (51.62 PB) but ran relay legs of 50.1, 50.7 & 50.9. Wodars , who ran 57.56 over 400m hurdles when she was 15 (!) which is still ranked 15th on the all-time U18 lists (everyone above her on the rankings is older)

[AS]

Give me a good example of a 100/200 specialist of past couple of decades who successfully stepped up to 400m in their mid-20s or later.

With very few exceptions the event is the domain of specialists and the reasonably young.

[Wiederganger]

Give me a good example of a 100/200 specialist of past couple of decades who successfully stepped up to 400m in their mid-20s or later.

With very few exceptions the event is the domain of specialists and the reasonably young.

Allyson Felix. Ok, her early career was more a 200m specialist, and she played around with the 200/400 double in 2011, but it wasn't until 2015 that she became a fully fledged 400m runner. And she was 29.

Jodie Williams, who is now 27 and has switched - and made the Tokyo final!
Katherine Merry moved up aged 25.

A 200/100 specialist - as opposed to 100/200 (emphasis on the first event..) - can move up later, I feel.
GER 200M specialist and occasional 100m runner Silke Knoll won the GER champs in 1995 over 400m, aged 28, in 50.85. She did consider moving up....but stuck with the shorter sprints and ended up getting injured!
I do think the 400m, although heavier on distance load, is easier on the intensity.

[AS]

As I wrote my question, I did ponder whether it's more common on the female side (historically we saw it too with both Betty Cuthbert and Raelene Boyle). Still struggling for male examples though?

[Wiederganger]

As I wrote my question, I did ponder whether it's more common on the female side (historically we saw it too with both Betty Cuthbert and Raelene Boyle). Still struggling for male examples though?

I've always had the impression - based off gut, rather than concrete evidence - that, historically at least, it's been more common on the women's side to see them compete in all 3 sprints during their career. A number of Soviet women did it, and many Russian women thereafter, so maybe it was more common in the old eastern bloc. It only seems to have been in recent years that we've seen men with that wider range, and many of them American.

[cigar95]

Give me a good example of a 100/200 specialist of past couple of decades who successfully stepped up to 400m in their mid-20s or later.

With very few exceptions the event is the domain of specialists and the reasonably young.

Kevin Little and Willie Smith are the first two that come to mind.

[aaronk]

Too late now, but was always hoping Usain Bolt would've taken 1 season to do the 400 seriously!
I predicted a 42.5 back when he was in top shape!
But he hated the event, even though he usually ran 1 early reason 400--around 45 or 46!

[79]

Kevin Little and Willie Smith are the first two that come to mind.

Cliff Wiley in the early 80s'...

[79]

The most successful "short sprint defector" was Quincy Watts to my mind. From good 200m sprinter to Olympic glory in Barcelona 92... Started the 400m in 1991. I met him once at the Paris DL Meeting. He told me he never liked to run this prestigious event.

[br]

Steve Williams

[The Klingon]

Give me a good example of a 100/200 specialist of past couple of decades who successfully stepped up to 400m in their mid-20s or later.

With very few exceptions the event is the domain of specialists and the reasonably young.

She didn't do it, but I think Gwen Torrence could have stepped up to 400 after she lost a few steps in the 100 and 200. But Gwen always said she did not like the 400, because it made her booty lock up.

[Bruce Kritzler]

Kaylin Whitney has made a good transition to 400m.