¶2012OT m800—Symmonds 1:43.92 AL

[Gebrucilassie]

Re: ¶2012OT m800—Symmonds 1:43.92 AL

Interesting contrast between current "chronic front runner" Charles Jock and "recovered chronic front runner" Khadevis Robinson. A couple of years ago, I guess, K D decided to change his tactics, and now, even though he's getting along in age, his competitive results are very solid.

According to the splits on the Website, K D was 5th, 6th and 7th at the 200 marks, over a second behind Solomon at 600 and a second behind Jock, who had started to fade, but ran the fastest last 200 of anyone, including Symmonds.

Jock, of course, died a horrible, horrible death. It seems to me that someone needs to take him aside and explain the concepts of oxygen debt and lactic acid, and remind him he's not David Rudisha.

My vague recollection is that Solomon used to be more of a come-from-behind kind of runner; he lost considerable ground over the last 200, but hung in there for 3rd.

Cheers,
Alan Shank
Woodland, CA, USA

Alan, it didn't seem to work for Jock or KD (in the past) BUT it worked as many times as not for Johnny Gray. Sure he had a lot of late race fades (Atlanta '96) but he does have a 1:42.60 PR and an Olympic Bronze. A resume I am sure any American 800 runners would love to claim.

[gibson]

Re: ¶2012OT m800—Symmonds 1:43.92 AL

Alan, it didn't seem to work for Jock or KD (in the past) BUT it worked as many times as not for Johnny Gray. Sure he had a lot of late race fades (Atlanta '96) but he does have a 1:42.60 PR and an Olympic Bronze. A resume I am sure any American 800 runners would love to claim.

you're talking about the ,,, THE GREY ZONE.
grey could get away with front running at the domestic level,
but the one second you give up by not drafting shows up in the finish big time when competing against other 142 guys... and is absolute suicide when taking on 141 guys.
if grey had better aerobic ability he'd have pulled off a few more big wins for sure.

personally i love grey's attitude (see below) but if you want medals, the gutless sit and kick strategy is the way to go most often to maximize results. see steve ovett for lessons.
grey should have learned how to sit and kick, and just once in a while use this tactic to garner a medal or two.

"Having led the Olympic 800 m race at the 1992 Summer Olympics with a blazing first lap at better than world record pace, Gray was passed twice during the final lap to claim the bronze medal. A reporter later asked him what he would have done differently if he could run the race a second time, and it is rumored that he responded, "I would have taken it out harder." Runners refer to such an attitude as "taking it to the Gray zone" in his honor. This tactic also resulted in some devastating failures as in the 1987 and 1993 World Championships when he jogged to the finish of quarterfinal races, depleted and defeated. He walked to the finish of the 1980 Olympic Trials.[1]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Gray

[mal]

Re: ¶2012OT m800—Symmonds 1:43.92 AL

Jens Voight - a great German cyclist with a penchant for breakaways was asked why he went out when breakaways rarely survived.

He said, "If I am in a break away I have a 5% chance of making the podium. If I hang in the pack I have a zero chance."

Good for those guys who know their strengths and try to make everyone else run to their tune.