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For the purpose of this thread, I am playing the part of a meeting director for a make-believe Grand Prix to be held over the next few weeks, featuring all the post-Olympic line ups that the real hardcore fans want to see, especially including athletes who suffered various misfortunes in Beijing and then pitching them against the Oly champs.
Which of these athletes do you feel will be most motivated to perform well? There is no right or wrong answer - this is a purely hypothetical thing!
Here are the startlists:
m200
Usain Bolt (as meet director, I am guaranteeing a +2.0m/s headwind to see if he can improve his record)
Churandy Martina (he'll be desperate to prove his 19.82 wasn't a fluke)
Wallace Spearmon (see above)
Tysan Gay (more room to make up ground in the 200m than in the 100m - can he be competitive with the top guys?)
Jaysuma Saidy Ndure (He looked to be in great form in the rounds before not starting in the semis and ran 19.8 last year. Can he match it here?)
Francis Obikwelu (He DNSed in the heats of the 200 - perhaps he was too tired after the 100? But he has had a rest now...)
Kim Collins (a GP sprint race wouldn't be a GP sprint race if Collins wasn't in it - he ALWAYS finds his way in!)
Bryan Barnett (Has bags of talent, but doesn't seem to compete on the GP circuit often, so I'm giving him a chance after he pulled up injured in Beijing)
m400
Jeremy Wariner (Let's see if he can rectify what went wrong)
LaShawn Merritt (Can he go even faster with Wariner breathing down his neck?)
Denis Alekseyev (Will he be able to translate that 43.5 anchor leg into a European record?!)
Angelo Taylor (I'm afraid there's no 400H in this GP, but the 400H champ can have a lane in the 400 flat)
And then some athletes who could have been within a shot of a medal had they run as fast as they did in the semis, including: Martyn Rooney, Johan Wissman, Chris Brown, and Leslie Djhone
m800
Yuriy Borzakovskiy (Would have been interesting to see what he could have done in the Oly final - had he qualified for the damn thing!)
Wilfed Bungei (Gotta have the Oly champ in...)
Abubaker Kaki (Just what DID happen to you, dude?! Here, have another chance...)
Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (Another who didn't fare to well at the Oly, but usually performs well in GPs)
Rashid Ramzi (We've seen what you can do in the 1500m, now try something a bit shorter)
David Rudisha (You didn't miss much in Beijing - this GP is where it's at!)
Gary Reed (Fourth is the worst place to finish - he'll be keen to make the top three here)
Nabil Madi (I hadn't heard of you before Beijing, but you looked pretty tough in that semi final)
m110H
Dayron Robles (The man who has it all - WR, Oly gold)
Liu Xiang (I'm pleased to announce he is fully over his injury and is raring to go)
Ladji Doucoure (His peak seemed to come a bit too late for Beijing - but perfect timing for this GP!)
Terrence Trammell (Tough luck in Beijing, but here's another chance to prove yourself)
Allen Johnson (Sentimental fave and crowd-pleaser, even though you didn't make it through the US Trials!)
David Payne (Has a habit of making the top three when it matters... and it matters in this GP!)
Artur Noga (The Oly final was somewhat depleted, but this final is stacked - and I've got the feeling that you could be dragged to a pretty awesome clocking)
Colin Jackson (You love to remind everyone about how great you are, so here's your chance to prove it!)
mPV
They had a great tussle in Beijing, so you've gotta have the gold and silver medallists - although expect some failures and scares at the early heights: Steve Hooker and Yevgeniy Lukyanenko
And don't worry - there's no qualification round to get through this time, so come on down: Brad Walker, Paul Burgess, Jeff Hartwig, Alhaji Jeng, Romain Mesnil, Aleksandr Averbukh.
m4x100
Jamaica (As good as your WR was, there was room for improvement on the changeovers... go for the 37-second barrier!)
Trinidad (You have the talent to break 38 seconds... here's the place to do it)
Japan (Just to get all the Oly medallists in)
And now some teams who have promised that they'll get the stick around this time: USA, Great Britain, Nigeria, Poland, France
w100
Shelly-Ann Fraser (You had zero wind with that 10.78... this track is a bit more breezy)
Veronica Campbell-Brown (No selection policies to worry about here)
Kerron Stewart (and try to get a better start this time, please)
Muna Lee (As above)
Kim Gevaert (Thanks for coming out of retirement, by the way)
Jeanette Kwakye (With a bit more wind, that British record - and I'm talking 11.10 - is yours!)
Sherone Simpson (Let's see if JAM can go one better than in Beijing and get a 1-2-3-4)
Debbie Ferguson (Fan favourite)
w400
Sanya Richards (It's a GP, so she is bound to perform well)
Christine Ohuruogu (Now, just think that this is a REAL important race... and don't ease up before the line!)
Nicola Sanders (Missed the Oly final by one place - luckily a lane is spare here)
Novlene Williams (As above)
Allyson Felix (Fastest 4x400m split for the second year running. Time to translate that to the individual)
Lyudmila Litvinova (Another fast splitter in the relays - should be able to go sub-50)
Shericka Williams (Seemed to have more in the bag in Beijing - time to unleash it!)
Amantle Montsho (Here, have ANOTHER chance to prove that 49.8 wasn't a fluke)
w100H
Lolo Jones (Time to vent all that post-Oly frustration)
Susanna Kallur (As above)
Josephine Onyia (Whatever you were doing at the start of the season, try to do it again please, 'cos that was awesome!)
Dawn Harper (You da champ... so you da one they want to beat!)
Priscilla Lopes (Gotta have the medallists)
Sally McLellan (As above)
Delloreen Ennis-London (It wouldn't be a GP hurdles race without one or two Jamaicans)
Brigitte Foster (As above)
w400H
I'm pleased to announce that all injuries to 400m hurdlers have now been healed, so let's start with: Jana Rawlinson, Huang Xiaoxiao, Yuliya Pechonkina and LaShinda Demus.
And now for the Oly medallists: Melaine Walker, Sheena Tosta, Tasha Danvers.
And this one has promised me she is only going to do one event at this GP: Ionela Tirlea
wLJ
Naide Gomes (No qualifying to worry about!)
Blessing Okagbare (You earned it!)
Tatyana Lebedeva (As this is part of the Euromeetings circuit, I wasn't allowed to invite Maggi, so you've got no excuse not to win!)
Carolina Kluft (Please prove that your LJ decision was a good one!)
Brittney Reese (I'm sure Kurt could iron out your technique to have you jumping 7.30m...)
Yargelis Savigne (No TJ here, but I'm a fan of Cubans, so have a place in the LJ final instead)
Tatyana Kotova (Tough luck about missing the Oly final by one place - here, have a place in this GP instead)
Bianca Kappler (Because I like you... but don't tell my girlfriend!)
w4x100
Let's start with the baton-droppers: USA, Jamaica, Great Britain, France.
And add them to the top four from the Olympics: Russia, Belgium, Nigeria and Brazil.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
And yes, it goes without saying that this thread is purely a product of post-Beijing boredom
ops:
Which of these athletes do you feel will be most motivated to perform well? There is no right or wrong answer - this is a purely hypothetical thing!
Here are the startlists:
m200
Usain Bolt (as meet director, I am guaranteeing a +2.0m/s headwind to see if he can improve his record)
Churandy Martina (he'll be desperate to prove his 19.82 wasn't a fluke)
Wallace Spearmon (see above)
Tysan Gay (more room to make up ground in the 200m than in the 100m - can he be competitive with the top guys?)
Jaysuma Saidy Ndure (He looked to be in great form in the rounds before not starting in the semis and ran 19.8 last year. Can he match it here?)
Francis Obikwelu (He DNSed in the heats of the 200 - perhaps he was too tired after the 100? But he has had a rest now...)
Kim Collins (a GP sprint race wouldn't be a GP sprint race if Collins wasn't in it - he ALWAYS finds his way in!)
Bryan Barnett (Has bags of talent, but doesn't seem to compete on the GP circuit often, so I'm giving him a chance after he pulled up injured in Beijing)
m400
Jeremy Wariner (Let's see if he can rectify what went wrong)
LaShawn Merritt (Can he go even faster with Wariner breathing down his neck?)
Denis Alekseyev (Will he be able to translate that 43.5 anchor leg into a European record?!)
Angelo Taylor (I'm afraid there's no 400H in this GP, but the 400H champ can have a lane in the 400 flat)
And then some athletes who could have been within a shot of a medal had they run as fast as they did in the semis, including: Martyn Rooney, Johan Wissman, Chris Brown, and Leslie Djhone
m800
Yuriy Borzakovskiy (Would have been interesting to see what he could have done in the Oly final - had he qualified for the damn thing!)
Wilfed Bungei (Gotta have the Oly champ in...)
Abubaker Kaki (Just what DID happen to you, dude?! Here, have another chance...)
Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (Another who didn't fare to well at the Oly, but usually performs well in GPs)
Rashid Ramzi (We've seen what you can do in the 1500m, now try something a bit shorter)
David Rudisha (You didn't miss much in Beijing - this GP is where it's at!)
Gary Reed (Fourth is the worst place to finish - he'll be keen to make the top three here)
Nabil Madi (I hadn't heard of you before Beijing, but you looked pretty tough in that semi final)
m110H
Dayron Robles (The man who has it all - WR, Oly gold)
Liu Xiang (I'm pleased to announce he is fully over his injury and is raring to go)
Ladji Doucoure (His peak seemed to come a bit too late for Beijing - but perfect timing for this GP!)
Terrence Trammell (Tough luck in Beijing, but here's another chance to prove yourself)
Allen Johnson (Sentimental fave and crowd-pleaser, even though you didn't make it through the US Trials!)
David Payne (Has a habit of making the top three when it matters... and it matters in this GP!)
Artur Noga (The Oly final was somewhat depleted, but this final is stacked - and I've got the feeling that you could be dragged to a pretty awesome clocking)
Colin Jackson (You love to remind everyone about how great you are, so here's your chance to prove it!)
mPV
They had a great tussle in Beijing, so you've gotta have the gold and silver medallists - although expect some failures and scares at the early heights: Steve Hooker and Yevgeniy Lukyanenko
And don't worry - there's no qualification round to get through this time, so come on down: Brad Walker, Paul Burgess, Jeff Hartwig, Alhaji Jeng, Romain Mesnil, Aleksandr Averbukh.
m4x100
Jamaica (As good as your WR was, there was room for improvement on the changeovers... go for the 37-second barrier!)
Trinidad (You have the talent to break 38 seconds... here's the place to do it)
Japan (Just to get all the Oly medallists in)
And now some teams who have promised that they'll get the stick around this time: USA, Great Britain, Nigeria, Poland, France
w100
Shelly-Ann Fraser (You had zero wind with that 10.78... this track is a bit more breezy)
Veronica Campbell-Brown (No selection policies to worry about here)
Kerron Stewart (and try to get a better start this time, please)
Muna Lee (As above)
Kim Gevaert (Thanks for coming out of retirement, by the way)
Jeanette Kwakye (With a bit more wind, that British record - and I'm talking 11.10 - is yours!)
Sherone Simpson (Let's see if JAM can go one better than in Beijing and get a 1-2-3-4)
Debbie Ferguson (Fan favourite)
w400
Sanya Richards (It's a GP, so she is bound to perform well)
Christine Ohuruogu (Now, just think that this is a REAL important race... and don't ease up before the line!)
Nicola Sanders (Missed the Oly final by one place - luckily a lane is spare here)
Novlene Williams (As above)
Allyson Felix (Fastest 4x400m split for the second year running. Time to translate that to the individual)
Lyudmila Litvinova (Another fast splitter in the relays - should be able to go sub-50)
Shericka Williams (Seemed to have more in the bag in Beijing - time to unleash it!)
Amantle Montsho (Here, have ANOTHER chance to prove that 49.8 wasn't a fluke)
w100H
Lolo Jones (Time to vent all that post-Oly frustration)
Susanna Kallur (As above)
Josephine Onyia (Whatever you were doing at the start of the season, try to do it again please, 'cos that was awesome!)
Dawn Harper (You da champ... so you da one they want to beat!)
Priscilla Lopes (Gotta have the medallists)
Sally McLellan (As above)
Delloreen Ennis-London (It wouldn't be a GP hurdles race without one or two Jamaicans)
Brigitte Foster (As above)
w400H
I'm pleased to announce that all injuries to 400m hurdlers have now been healed, so let's start with: Jana Rawlinson, Huang Xiaoxiao, Yuliya Pechonkina and LaShinda Demus.
And now for the Oly medallists: Melaine Walker, Sheena Tosta, Tasha Danvers.
And this one has promised me she is only going to do one event at this GP: Ionela Tirlea
wLJ
Naide Gomes (No qualifying to worry about!)
Blessing Okagbare (You earned it!)
Tatyana Lebedeva (As this is part of the Euromeetings circuit, I wasn't allowed to invite Maggi, so you've got no excuse not to win!)
Carolina Kluft (Please prove that your LJ decision was a good one!)
Brittney Reese (I'm sure Kurt could iron out your technique to have you jumping 7.30m...)
Yargelis Savigne (No TJ here, but I'm a fan of Cubans, so have a place in the LJ final instead)
Tatyana Kotova (Tough luck about missing the Oly final by one place - here, have a place in this GP instead)
Bianca Kappler (Because I like you... but don't tell my girlfriend!)
w4x100
Let's start with the baton-droppers: USA, Jamaica, Great Britain, France.
And add them to the top four from the Olympics: Russia, Belgium, Nigeria and Brazil.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
And yes, it goes without saying that this thread is purely a product of post-Beijing boredom
ops:
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