USAIN BOLT 1st 200 Meters of the season

[26mi235]

The only problem with 200m WR is that it is out of this world.

While it is a big leap to go from 19.6 to 19.3, that 19.32 looks much more vulnerable today than it did three years ago . . .

It sure does look more vulnerable, but it is still miles away. The second fastest time ever, Gay's 19.62 is .30s slower. Descriptive of the difference, 91 performances have been done in the same .30s range from 19.62 to 19.92, and I think 19.62 is actually closer to 19.92 than 19.32 is to 19.62.

But I agree in a way that this is the first time that breaking of MJs WR can be even semi-seriously discussed.

When you realize what the difference in track conditions were, I think that the 'nominal' (i.e., 0.30) difference in performance quality between 19.32 and 19.62, is twice as big as the real difference in performance quality. Still a long ways to go to get to 19.32, but no longer the huge leap.

[croflash]

Bolt 19.83, didn't take much out of him and it didn't look like it was close to a good race.

[Selenaxxx]

Bolt 19.83, didn't take much out of him and it didn't look like it was close to a good race.

Plus it very cold that 19.83 is great under those conditions , he also had a very slow reaction time

[AS]

Plus it very cold that 19.83 is great under those conditions , he also had a very slow reaction time

How cold? Are we talking the sort of conditions when MJ ran 19.85 in Edinburgh in 1990?

[cacique]

the 200 might get very interesting this year. andrew howe might also run the 200 for the first time in a long time at the europe cup.

[AthleticsInBritain]

I could see sub 19.5 being run. I can just picture Gay and Bolt battling it out all the way down the home stretch to go sub 19.6. Saidy Ndure 3rd in 19.8 ...

[jeremyp]

I still remember the Osaka 200.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5X0NzVBE8o

Bolt ate up the stagger and was ahead of Gay as they approached the straight. Then Gay just pulled away. In the last 50m Bolt looked to be fading while Spearmon and Martin caught up a good 2-3 m on him.

While it seems obvious that Bolt should be able to run sub 19.5, in reality he may not quite have the ability of Spearmon and Gay to maintain speed over 200. Of course 2007 is 2007!

Time will tell!

[nrh]

I still remember the Osaka 200.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5X0NzVBE8o

Bolt ate up the stagger and was ahead of Gay as they approached the straight. Then Gay just pulled away. In the last 50m Bolt looked to be fading while Spearmon and Martin caught up a good 2-3 m on him.

While it seems obvious that Bolt should be able to run sub 19.5, in reality he may not quite have the ability of Spearmon and Gay to maintain speed over 200. Of course 2007 is 2007!

Time will tell!

Bolt pretty much improved at 200m last year & he looks better this year. I think he is the man to beat at 100m & 200m.

[EPelle]

Bolt pretty much improved at 200m last year & he looks better this year. I think he is the man to beat at 100m & 200m.

Bolt has strength, but enough to withstand six-seven rounds of running before he is able to put it on the line (in the expected time) in the 200m final?

[nrh]

Bolt pretty much improved at 200m last year & he looks better this year. I think he is the man to beat at 100m & 200m.

Bolt has strength, but enough to withstand six-seven rounds of running before he is able to put it on the line (in the expected time) in the 200m final?

Just basing off of last year when he did better than expected at the Worlds at 200m. Tyson went through rounds for the 1st time last year & did well. Ther's no reason to think Bolt can't do the same thing.

[sprintblox]

Tyson went through rounds for the 1st time last year & did well.

Tyson Gay had lots of experience running rounds in high-level competition before last year's WC. He was 4th in the 2005 WC and did zillions of rounds throughout his NCAA years.

[26mi235]

Bolt pretty much improved at 200m last year & he looks better this year. I think he is the man to beat at 100m & 200m.

Bolt has strength, but enough to withstand six-seven rounds of running before he is able to put it on the line (in the expected time) in the 200m final?

Just basing off of last year when he did better than expected at the Worlds at 200m. Tyson went through rounds for the 1st time last year & did well. Ther's no reason to think Bolt can't do the same thing.

Gay had to do it twice, and his performance at USATF was pretty impressive given the necessity of double-peaking. I do think that Bolt is a year or two from being able to do the rounds and keep his top form. It would be a very good performance from him to be able to run 9.80 and 19.7 at the Olympics. If he had another year I would guess at 9.75/19.6 (of course, the wind will affect these +/- depending).

[nrh]

Spearmon looks like he will double & I think this is his 1st time. How will it affect him?

[mikli]

Bolt can jog all the way to the final. That must have some influence.

[26mi235]

Bolt can jog all the way to the final. That must have some influence.

And run out of lane 1. It is not that easy, especially if you have the 100m where the amount of time to case the field is reduced. Sure, you can ease up at the end, but look at Powell's experience.