The Wind & Oliver's 12.95 [split]

[Marlow]

110 hurdles (+2.0)
1. D. Oliver 12.95

Is this the man who will upset both Liu and Robles?

http://www.iaaf.org/GP08/news/kind=100/ ... 44751.html

[George P.]

110 hurdles (+2.0)
1. D. Oliver 12.95

Is this the man who will upset both Liu and Robles?

No.

Liu owns this event just like Wariner owns his, except maybe more so (because he's the WR holder). Liu has 4 times better than 12.95 (Robles has one). And Liu, like Wariner, is a "prime time" performer. He's at his best when it's all on the line. Liu's the Man until someone can bump him off.

I'm really routing for Oliver. After his bronze in Athens, I posted here that his performance -- for me -- was the highlight of the meet. I hope he does at least as well this year.

[tandfman]

110 hurdles (+2.0)
1. D. Oliver 12.95

Is this the man who will upset both Liu and Robles?

http://www.iaaf.org/GP08/news/kind=100/ ... 44751.html

According to tila, he's 0 for 7 against Liu and 1 for 13 against Robles, so at this point, you'd have to say if he did beat them, it would be an upset. OTOH, if you read his quotes in the iaaf.org piece, he seems to think that with a better start, he could have broken the World Record. If he does that before August, his winning in Beijing might not be such an upset.

A lot can happen between now and then. It appears that his next race will be in Berlin June 1. Stay tuned.

[tandfman]

I'm really routing for Oliver. After his bronze in Athens, I posted here that his performance -- for me -- was the highlight of the meet. I hope he does at least as well this year.

?????????? Oliver did not make the Olympic team in 2004.

[Marlow]

According to tila, he's 0 for 7 against Liu and 1 for 13 against Robles, so at this point

There are some events, the 110H is one, the PV is another, where win-loss records are not as important as who is 'hot' mark-wise at the right time. Oliver proved his competitiveness last year and now we have times that make him a much greater threat. This year the 110H will be maximum fun to watch.

We have the odds-on favorite (agreeing with GP), Liu
The wunderkind of last year, Robles.
The up-and-comer, Oliver
The fastest sprinter among the elites, TT
and
the cagy vet, AJ

Too cool for words! 8)

[George P.]

I'm really routing for Oliver. After his bronze in Athens, I posted here that his performance -- for me -- was the highlight of the meet. I hope he does at least as well this year.

?????????? Oliver did not make the Olympic team in 2004.

Well, who the heck am I thinking of??? Some unknown from the US picked up the bronze -- or am I have a very prolonged Senior Moment? ops:

[tandfman]

Garcia of Cuba won the bronze in Athens (behind Liu and Trammell).

[George P.]

Garcia of Cuba won the bronze in Athens (behind Liu and Trammell).

Ok. I was thinking of David Payne at Osaka. :roll: It's awful hard keeping up with these Davids who might have finished third behind Liu and Trammell. Thanks for straightening me out.

[26mi235]

110 hurdles (+2.0)
1. D. Oliver 12.95

Is this the man who will upset both Liu and Robles?

http://www.iaaf.org/GP08/news/kind=100/ ... 44751.html

According to tila, he's 0 for 7 against Liu and 1 for 13 against Robles, so at this point, you'd have to say if he did beat them, it would be an upset. OTOH, if you read his quotes in the iaaf.org piece, he seems to think that with a better start, he could have broken the World Record. If he does that before August, his winning in Beijing might not be such an upset.

A lot can happen between now and then. It appears that his next race will be in Berlin June 1. Stay tuned.

He did not need a better start, just a quicker reaction time; his 0.227 or so could have been a quick-but-not-fast reaction time of 0.140 and he would have the WR. A mark like 0.120 would have put him as low as 12.84.

[tandfman]

Before we get too carried away, let's remember that the wind was +2.0. It doesn't get any better than that, at least not for a record run.

Still, it's a truly great performance and it makes this event even more interesting this year.

[26mi235]

Before we get too carried away, let's remember that the wind was +2.0. It doesn't get any better than that, at least not for a record run.

Still, it's a truly great performance and it makes this event even more interesting this year.

Yes, but at 12.9, that does not help the hurdlers as much as the sprinters.

[Marlow]

Before we get too carried away, let's remember that the wind was +2.0. It doesn't get any better than that, at least not for a record run.

You know better than that. Their stride pattern is critical and a 2.0 is disruptive. He had to chop his steps more than normal, but obviously he is an excellent shuffler, as Skeets calls it.

[gh]

Given the difference in somatotypes (in this case, read leg length), combine that with individual stride pattern and condition of the track plus humidity, and you've got enough variables that we have absolutely no idea whether 2.0 was good or bad in this case. (or in any others)

Given that he PRed by a healthy 0.13, I'd say the empirical evidence suggests it was very helpful.

[Marlow]

Given that he PRed by a healthy 0.13, I'd say the empirical evidence suggests it was very helpful.

Unless, as you mentioned before, he goes on to run 12.79!

[tandfman]

I realize that wind can disrupt a stride pattern, but as gh suggested, under some conditions a wind of 2.0 can be very helpful. I was (and still am), assuming that for him, last night, the wind was favorable.