2009 Pre Results: M-800m [Symmonds 1.45,86]

[EPelle]

==============================

Best marks-for-place at Pre
1996 - 2008
M-800m:

1. 1.44,01 Alfred Yego
2. 1.44,18 Yusuf Saad Kamel
3. 1.44,55 Khadevis Robinson
4. 1.45,01 Nick Symmonds
5. 1.45,58 Ismail Ismail
6. 1.46,01 Derrick Peterson
7. 1.46,11 Matt Scherer
8. 1.47,05 Ashraf Tadili

==============================

Field:

Nick Symmonds
Khadevis Robinson
Gary Reed (Canada)
Alfred Yego (Kenya)
Yuriy Borzakovskiy (Russia)
Ahmad Ismail (Sudan)
Boaz Lalang (Kenya)
Christian Smith
Elijah Greer (Ore HS)
Matt Scherer--pace

[EPelle]

Anyone believe that Symmonds now knows what he's doing against some of the best in the world? No sit-and-kick this season... challenged and won it. The shift is on.

[AthleticsInBritain]

Really impressive by Symmonds! There was a lot of talent behind him (and Smith for that matter) in that race. A great win, much more important than the time.

[bhall]

Finals                                                         
  1 Nick Symmonds                USA                    1:45.86
  2 Alfred Yego                  Kenya                  1:46.21
  3 Christian Smith              USA                    1:46.36
  4 Gary Reed                    Canada                 1:46.37
  5 Khadevis Robinson            USA                    1:46.64
  6 Yuriy Borzakovskiy           Russia                 1:47.05
  7 Ahmad Ismail                 Sudan                  1:47.83
  8 Elijah Greer                 USA                    1:49.15
 -- Matt Scherer                 USA                        DNF
 -- Boaz Lalang                  Kenya                      DNF

[EPelle]

Symmonds now 2-0, and Reed now 2-1 over Borzakovskiy at Pre.

[EPelle]

An omen of things to come? Borzakovskiy, each time he had finished runner-up at Pre, had also not gone on to win the world championship either year (2005, 2007), though there is no connection between what he had accomplished at Pre and what he tactically accomplished in a championship. He didn't win today, either, the third of three world championship years in which he's competed there.

[Speedfirst]

Anyone believe that Symmonds now knows what he's doing against some of the best in the world? No sit-and-kick this season... challenged and won it. The shift is on.

I'm not convinced yet, he still sat and kicked and consider Scherer was a rabbit, there won't be a rabbit at worlds.

[Bruce Kritzler]

Yeh, Sherer had a nice lead at 600 - should have kept going!

[EPelle]

Anyone believe that Symmonds now knows what he's doing against some of the best in the world? No sit-and-kick this season... challenged and won it. The shift is on.

I'm not convinced yet, he still sat and kicked and consider Scherer was a rabbit, there won't be a rabbit at worlds.

Nope, and the reigning world champion, a former Olympic champion and last year's Beijing fourth-placer (and 2007 Osaka silver medalist) in this same exact race should have known better as well. Chalk up a win for the local kid.

[williamwindhamjr]

I think he is set for a breakthrough considering he got hurt this year.

[mojo]

I think he is set for a breakthrough considering he got hurt this year.

I delicately tread into an 800m thread (other than to say Go GR) but I am sure not convinced that Symmonds will be up with the big guns in August.

The race played out perfectly for him and I know athletes like Reed are not looking for that finishing speed yet.
I like Symmonds a lot and was on my feet with every one else in Eugune last year but I don't think this race says anything other than that he runs well early in the year and in the place he most loves to run at.

Edited to take out the first name of an athlete! :lol:

[williamwindhamjr]

Well maybe this year , he has finally got the peaking thing down pack. He is definetly capable of a 1:43. Is that fast enough to medal at worlds , well thats another story.

[jeremyp]

I delicately tread into an 800m thread (other than to say Go GR) but I am sure not convinced that Symmonds will be up with the big guns in August.

I agree with you. He's shown a Eugenian ability to win big, but has yet to produce in Europe. Was kind of puzzled by how slow the race was, and how the "big guys" handed him the race. Yego allowed himself to be blocked in; Borza did SOSO. Let's see how Symmonds does in a 1.43 race!

[Speedfirst]

Anyone believe that Symmonds now knows what he's doing against some of the best in the world? No sit-and-kick this season... challenged and won it. The shift is on.

I'm not convinced yet, he still sat and kicked and consider Scherer was a rabbit, there won't be a rabbit at worlds.

Nope, and the reigning world champion, a former Olympic champion and last year's Beijing fourth-placer (and 2007 Osaka silver medalist) in this same exact race should have known better as well. Chalk up a win for the local kid.

Symmonds never went out and tried to push the pace, he reiled on a rabbit and he still had to pick his spot to kick and that time will obviously have to be faster.

[EPelle]

Alas, there's nothing obvious about the world championship final except that it can be wildly unpredictable. Rewind two years. Three of the men he defeated yesterday were in that final. Yego won it with a 1.47,09.

How many more tactical races before Symmonds is given more support? My question raised yesterday was, "does anyone believe Symmonds knows what he is doing against some of the best in the world?" He didn't sit-and-kick like he did two years ago when he ran 1.44; Symmonds wasn't out in the back of the pack, and, at 400m, neither was Borzakovskiy, who notoriously (to his detriment more than to his favour) sits and kicks.