Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

[Marlow]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

This is an olympic year, it would not surprise if some barely known NCAAer steals the show.

McQuay is hardly an unknown now, but look for this NCAA kid to make the team.

[trackdug]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

Wariner is done. End of story.

[j-a-m]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

This is an olympic year, it would not surprise if some barely known NCAAer steals the show.

McQuay is hardly an unknown now, but look for this NCAA kid to make the team.

and who knows, maybe two NCAA guys make the team.

[ATK]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

This is an olympic year, it would not surprise if some barely known NCAAer steals the show.

McQuay is hardly an unknown now, but look for this NCAA kid to make the team.

and who knows, maybe two NCAA guys make the team.

Merrit, McQuay, and Berry shouldn't be a shock if it came about.

[j-a-m]

Re: Pre DL-400m:

AFTER believing he'd finished 2nd to Merritt, James then learned he'd been dq'd?

ran under protest after false start. false start not shown on NBC.

[j-a-m]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

This is an olympic year, it would not surprise if some barely known NCAAer steals the show.

McQuay is hardly an unknown now, but look for this NCAA kid to make the team.

and who knows, maybe two NCAA guys make the team.

Merrit, McQuay, and Berry shouldn't be a shock if it came about.

Exactly. Or maybe even one of the USC guys.

[ATK]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

Exactly. Or maybe even one of the USC guys.

Exactly.
Point is, the way things are going right now I would actually be more surprised if Wariner did make the team.

[2x800x2]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

At some point I would love to hear what happened when things started to go downhill for Wariner four years ago (before the last Olympic games). JW had a lot of goals he never reached. He got slower. Why? {Merritt got faster, but has not ever been (yet anyway) as fast as Wariner once was.} I am not particularly hopeful on getting the straight scoop though, because these last few years there has been nothing but positive spin coming from JW.

[proofs in the pudd'in]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

JW looked terrible the last 50 - didn't/couldn't even run through the line. What has gone wrong that he is this out of shape?

[ATK]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

From 44.96 to 45.04 to 45.68.
Not a good progression for the year. And he is entered to run a t New York Next weekend, and I cant imagine him pulling out since its an Adidas meet.

[tm71]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

JW had a lot of goals he never reached. He got slower. Why? {Merritt got faster, but has not ever been (yet anyway) as fast as Wariner once was.} /

not necessarily. LM run fast in 08 and 09, but sat out most of 10 and 11 and has not run fast again until this spring. JW has indeed gone backwards every year since his second world title in osaka. right now JW is having a hard time breaking 45 which he could easily do. he used to be majestic (like MJ) coming off the curve, now he looks spent and average runners he used to beat by 10 meters pass him up on the straight. personally, i think that some of this is the nature of the beast which is the 400 meters. this event is so taxing, no one (except MJ) has consistently been at the top for more than three yrs. look at prior champions like Steve Lewis and the difference between his olympic win in 88 and silver in 92, like Quincy Watts and the difference between his gold in 92 and being out of the picture by the next olympics. also it seems that most 400 runners peak between 20 and 25 (again MJ the exception). With that in mind, i think it was a smart decision for Kirani James to leave college early and join the pro ranks, because in three years he might not be running this fast and someone else might be on top.

[proofs in the pudd'in]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

From 44.96 to 45.04 to 45.68.
Not a good progression for the year. And he is entered to run a t New York Next weekend, and I cant imagine him pulling out since its an Adidas meet.

I do not recall seeing him look that bad in the stretch before :?:

[8aldP|23]

Re: Pre DL-400m:

AFTER believing he'd finished 2nd to Merritt, James then learned he'd been dq'd?

ran under protest after false start. false start not shown on NBC.

He just stepped out of the blocks. They gave him the red and card took the blocks off the track and pretty much immediately brought the blocks right back out and he lined up. To my recollection there wasn't any clapping or other noises which would warrant a green card. Very obvious FS. I Don't really understand the running under protest rule. The neutral start referee can let an athlete run under protest:

" if an irregularity is suspected in the award of a false start. No protest will be allowed if the false start equipment is working correctly and a false start has been indicated."

http://www.usatf.org/groups/officials/f ... l-2010.pdf

The gun sound they were using was very strange. Sounded like a small hammer hitting a large metal box.

[basslop]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

Kirani James false start: The commentators on NRK (Norway) suspected that the loudspeaker behind the block did not work. Hard to say. He went up to ready position and to me it seemed like he leaped out of the blocks directly after "ready".

[ATK]

Re: Pre DL-400m: LaShawn Merritt 44.91

Kirani James false start: The commentators on NRK (Norway) suspected that the loudspeaker behind the block did not work. Hard to say. He went up to ready position and to me it seemed like he leaped out of the blocks directly after "ready".

If the loud speakers didn't work why did he go then? Did he try and guess the gun?