200m or 400m - which is more exciting now?

[Jacksf]

The 200m has Spearmon, Gay, Bolt, and X-man.
The 400m has Wariner, Merritt, Rock, and Kikaya.
Which event is going to be the most exciting over the next few years?
My vote is for the 200m.
More guys consistently running very fast times.

[tandfman]

Re: 200m or 400m - which is more exciting now?

My vote is for the 200m.
More guys consistently running very fast times.

It's not so much that there are more guys running very fast times, it's that there's real excitement and uncertainty as to who will win. If all of the guys you mention are in the 200/400 finals in Osaka, unless something changes between now and then (as it always could), Wariiner will win the 400 (as he has been doing in every big 400m race beginning with the Athens Olympics).

But there's no telling who'll be the best next year at 200. Bolt needs to catch up a bit, but the three Americans are all sub 19.70 (!) and are all within a few hundredths of each other. If they're all healthy and there, that will be an unusually exciting final, regardless of how fast they run.

My own opinion on that race, by the way, is that if X concentrates on the 200, he has a better chance of getting to the next level than Gay or Spearmon. But that's a big if, and even if he does stick to the 200, Gay or Spearmon could improve, too. Again, I find this much more fascinating than the 400m, where there is, for the time being, a clear dominant figure.

[Jacksf]

In the future think Gay is going to be #1 in the 200m, followed by Spearmon, and then X-man.
I think X-man despite his time is a bit of an un proven commodity.

GH brought up an interesting point about these guys realizing they can run faster times from the outside lanes. I wonder how that will affect how they race in the prelims and semis of big championship meets?
Will they try to finish 2nd or 3rd in order to secure an outer lane? or is it too risky because they could also end up with an inner lane?
Lane strategy could become a big part of the 200m at the championship level.

[JohnG]

200 for me. Add to your list Powell and Obikwelu who if they focussed on the 200 would at least be in the 19.7 range. In their early careers, pre-2004, I thought they were both going to be better 200 than 100m guys.

Add to them Crawford and, whisper it quietly, ........ Kenteris (you never know!) and you've got 8 guys around know with sub-19.8 ability.

[26mi235]

Spearmon had a compromised season and if this mark is characteristic of what he can do when he is prepared then I think that our re-evaluation of his ranking. Furthermore, I think his dad posted that he finally ran the curve well. That is a techique thing that can be made relatively routine for the runner; if SPearmon has learned this just now, he should be one a slightly higher plain than before.

We could see the best 200 ever if, say, Zurich, had Spearmon, Gay, X, Bolt, Powell, and (a revitalized) Crawford. Gatlin would also have been on this list and K? if not for drugs. Others might also improve over 200 such as Merritt.

[edited to say 200; I had started to write 8 in the 200 and didn't correct it]

[tandfman]

GH brought up an interesting point about these guys realizing they can run faster times from the outside lanes. I wonder how that will affect how they race in the prelims and semis of big championship meets?
Will they try to finish 2nd or 3rd in order to secure an outer lane? or is it too risky because they could also end up with an inner lane?
Lane strategy could become a big part of the 200m at the championship level.

I really don't think this is anything new. Top athletes and coaches have always known there was an advantage to outside lanes, rather than inside lanes, particularly in the men's 200m. I've never heard of anyone trying to get into the 1-2-7-8 draw rather than the preferred lane draw for 3-4-5-6. I can't imagine that anyone would do that deliberately.

[Jay Peterman]

200. Wariner looks like he'll he'll always find a way, but the 200 this season has come out of the blue - thought Carter's performance was astonishing, but Spearmon? No opposition? End of season? Honestly didn't think he was capable of a time like that.

Still not writing Bolt off yet either.

WC next year could be historic - I'll tip at least 5 under 20.00, and as someone said earlier, 19.85 is the new 20.00

Can't resist the temptation to slag off The Greek again - whenever/however he comes back - and I pray nightly that he doesn't - he's fu**ed.

Amen!

[pv22']

If we have 3 (or 4) guys run sub 44 in 07 will that change any minds?

[nevetsllim]

Until this season, the 200m has been an event which I would always not be too fussed about but now it is my favourite sprint event.

The 400m is dominated by Wariner and he has hardly been beaten since 2004 whereas the 200 is wide open with 3 or 4 athletes.

[Jacksf]

Until this season, the 200m has been an event which I would always not be too fussed about but now it is my favourite sprint event.

The 400m is dominated by Wariner and he has hardly been beaten since 2004 whereas the 200 is wide open with 3 or 4 athletes.

Agreed.
Before the year started I would have said the 400m was more interesting.
Now with Xman, Gay, Spearman all getting under 19.70, I can't wait to see what happens next year.

[paulthefan]

GH brought up an interesting point about these guys realizing they can run faster times from the outside lanes. I wonder how that will affect how they race in the prelims and semis of big championship meets?

it is good to see that the athletes and coaches are reading paulthefan's counsel regarding the superiority of the outside lanes in the 200 ..

[Half Miler]

Agreed, agreed, agreed. The deuce has let loose!

http://mb.trackandfieldnews.com/discuss ... highlight=

[eldrick]

WC next year could be historic - I'll tip at least 5 under 20.00, and as someone said earlier, 19.85 is the new 20.00

Can't resist the temptation to slag off The Greek again - whenever/however he comes back - and I pray nightly that he doesn't - he's fu**ed.

Amen!

not quite convinced i've yet seen a time outsida august '96 that the kk of munich '02 ferocity, woudn't have chased down in the stretch...

[paulthefan]

settle down everyone.. settle down.. dont expect the times run in next years championship to match the times produced during this years traveling circus of invitationals.... the rounds in a championship will take the air out of all tires and especially with 6 or so sub 20 talents stressing the each other and the rest.....we could see the fastest time in a semi..... no better than 19.8 wins.

[CrunchTime]

I guess I am alone in my support for the 400---for several reasons:

1. Getting increasingly competitive with the rise of Merritt, X-Man and Kikaya...the first 2 of whom could give Wariner serious competition by time of 2007 WC and 2008 OG.

2. 400 is more likely to see a world record in the foreseeable future, as several have potential to surpass 43.18, whereas MJ's 19.32 looks safe for AT LEAST another 5-7 years!!