Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

[dl]

Who knows. With Guevara almost unstoppable and Nazarova in fantastic shape indoors, there isn't much room for someone else to sneak in and grab a medal, but I wouldn't put anything past Richards. She never fails to amaze me. Sure, she didn't make the Paris final after a long season, buch she's one year more mature this time.

And don't forget, she's still a junior this year! Her season so far.

7.26i 1)Houston 01/17
52.92i 1)Houston 01/23
23.67i 1)Houston 02/07
7.35i 1)Houston 02/07
51.45i 1)Razorback Inv 02/13
7.37i 8)Tyson Inv 02/14
22.86i 1)Big 12 Ind 02/28
(23.14ih, 7.29ih)
7.21i 1)Big 12 Ind 02/28
(7.28isf)
22.49i 2)NCAA Ind 03/12
(22.81ih)
50.82i 1)NCAA Ind 03/13
(52.11ih)

[Jon]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

>Who knows. With Guevara almost unstoppable and Nazarova in fantastic shape
>indoors, there isn't much room for someone else to sneak in and grab a medal,
>but I wouldn't put anything past Richards. She never fails to amaze me. Sure,
>she didn't make the Paris final after a long season, buch she's one year more
>mature this time.

And don't forget, she's still a junior this year! Her
>season so
>far.

7.26i 1)Houston 01/17
52.92i 1)Houston 01/23
23.67i 1)Houston 02/07
7
>35i 1)Houston 02/07
51.45i 1)Razorback Inv 02/13
7.37i 8)Tyson
>Inv 02/14
22.86i 1)Big 12 Ind 02/28
(23.14ih, 7.29ih)
7.21i 1)Big 12
>Ind 02/28
(7.28isf)
22.49i 2)NCAA Ind 03/12
(22.81ih)
50.82i 1)NCAA
>Ind 03/13
(52.11ih)





Sanya is a great young athlete and I hope she has a long and successful career. But medalling in Athens is going to be very tough (although she has a good chance at medalling in future OGs and WChs). Guevara is the outstanding favourite, and Nazarova will no doubt be getting close to 49.00. Lorraine Fenton will no doubt finish in the top 5. But Nazarova isn't going to be the only Russian. Krasnomovets has made astounding progress this year (her indoor PB is 3s faster than her outdoor one!), and with her 50.65 she looks set to do great things this year. There's also Kotlyarova (who ran a sub-50 split in the world indoors relay), along with Pospelova, Antyukh, Zykina, Levina, etc.... basically whichever three Russia send, they are bound to be potential finallists.

On a domestic level, Sanya should easily qualify for the US team. But there's a BIG step up from US level to international level in the women's 400m!

[79.]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

...
It is not the subject of this thread, but I
dream to watch a top Marion JONES in the 4th
leg, against the best Russian... in the 4X400m
Olympic final.

[klang]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

This young woman is definately a true talent i remember watching her as a high schooler never imagining this type of success but anything happens when u work and get in the right enviroment. The only problem will be the demands and rigors of the collegiate season.....but she is only 19 i believe, and God grant her a loooooooooong professional career if she chooses that route there is no rush she will get her's, but she will without a doubt be the best all-around sprinter the US has seen since the great Gwen Torrence that u can put your money on give 2-3 more years of maturation watch out world!!!!!!!!

[klang]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

that's what I'm talking a bout you might see close to 47 flat...........

[gh]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

I say she breaks 50 in Sacramento and based on time will look like a medalist going into Athens.

But no matter how kindly the Texas coaches have treated her during the NCAA season she will have run too much and she will just barely scrape into the Olympic final and not be a factor there.

[Rob]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

..

[tafnut]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

I'll take that 'bet.' I think the UT work she does thru June will only serve to help her get thru the rounds. I say she runs 49.5 in the Oly final, whatever place that is. A teenager's body can absorb a lot of 'abuse' and get stronger.

For those of you following along at home - that's two bets for me now. This one and the 5m lady vault. Big talk - we'll see.

[Realist]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

<<On a
>domestic level, Sanya should easily qualify for the US team. But there's a BIG
>step up from US level to international level in the women's 400m!>>

What was that, four Martians that the U.S. used to win the gold in the 4x4 at Paris last year? And who took the baton behind Nazarova on the anchor leg and passed her to win? Ms. Richards I believe.

[Conway]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

No ... It was four Martians that the Russians were using apparently ... Because a whole different level of athlete has shown up this year ... There will be no passing them once they get out in front ...

[Jon]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

>What was that, four Martians that the U.S. used to win the gold in
>the 4x4 at Paris last year? And who took the baton behind Nazarova on the
>anchor leg and passed her to win? Ms. Richards I believe.



Oh, you mean the US team who ran the slowest EVER winning time of a 4x400m in a global championships..??

Going in to Paris, Nazarova wasn't at her best, as she was recovering from an injury. So the fact that Sanya passed her didn't really come as a surprise. Sanya's split wasn't even that fast - 50.2

If Jamaica had been just a metre or so closer to RUS and USA going into the final leg, then Lorraine Fenton (who ran well below 50 on her leg) would have smashed both USA and RUS.

USA winning the women's 4x400m last year doesn't mean that 400m running in the USA is at an all-time high (no American females even made the final of the individual 400m!). It's more a case of the rest of the world not being at their best (RUS and JAM in particular).

Now, I know that they could only beat who was there on the day, but USA have run quicker times in the past for silver and bronze medals.

[Realist]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

Last year's time is irrelevant; point is that everybody was at a lower ebb last year so by definition U.S. running was not a far cry from international, which was the original statement being challenged.

[Jon]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

>Last year's time is irrelevant; point is that everybody was at a lower ebb last
>year so by definition U.S. running was not a far cry from international, which
>was the original statement being challenged.



But my original statement was talking about the individual 400m - there were no Americans in the final of the women's 400m. The best an American could finish at the WCh last year was 4th in the semi final (Sanya and Demetria).

There's a big difference between the individual and relay - just look at the Polish men as an example; no real individual stars, but their team was always fairly consistent in the late 90's/early 00's.

As I said - there's a big jump from US domestic level and world-class medal-winning level. To hope to win a medal nowadays in the 400m, you have to be running sub-50 quite consistently. Sanya is obviously on her way up to this kind of level, but don't be surprised if she doesn't medal in Athens. Give her a couple more years and maybe then she'll be one of the hot favourites.

[HurdlinDub]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

Hypothetically: if Guevara and Nazarova will be battling for Gold who does Sanya Richards have to beat for the bronze? Unfortunately for Sanya the answer is: Lorraine Fenton. How underrated is she?? Jon mentions her above as a top 5 finisher, but in reality she is arguably as safe a bet for a medal as there is going in most events. She was the silver medallist in Seville in '99, Sydney '00, Edmonton '01 and Paris last year - remarkable record.

[gh]

Re: Will Sanya Richards medal in the Athens 400?

<< To hope to win a medal nowadays in
>the 400m, you have to be running sub-50 quite consistently.>>

You do? Thiam won bronze last year with the only the second sub-50 of her career (and only one last year).

The '01 WC medals went to three runners who won the medals in their only sub-50 races of the year.

The Sydney silver and bronze medals went to a pair of runners with their only sub-50s of the year.

You probably have to run sub-50 to medal in Athens, and no I don't think Richards will medal (as noted above), but I'm skeptical about the need to be a consistent sub-50 performer to snag one.