Bit of a surprise...

[ycn]

Through 3 heats, no one has been close to Sanya Richards' 50.86 in the women's 400.

We'll see how HazelAnn Regis does in Heat 4...

[ycn]

Re: Bit of a surprise...

Richards goes into the final as the overwhelming favorite after her dominating performance in the prelims. Who's holding back?

[Since 1956]

Re: Bit of a surprise...

Any of the favorites who are smart are "holding back"...you don't win any points or medals in the preliminaries!

[ycn]

Re: Bit of a surprise...

Well as the world best this year, I'd say a time like that is probably holding back for Richards.

She won't lose the finals unless she has a stroke midrace.

[Bob Bettwy]

Re: Bit of a surprise...

>Well as the world best this year, I'd say a time like that is probably holding
>back for Richards.

She won't lose the finals unless she has a stroke
>midrace.

While I am still picking Sanya as the winner, don't be surprised if "Unique" Monique pushes her to the line and under 50. How is that for setting expectations?

UCLA is having a solid meet and Monique was superb on the 4x100m Relay anchor. I know, I know, I am starting to sound like a UCLA partisan...I must be hanging around Scott Davis too much this week

[ycn]

Re: Bit of a surprise...

Henderson without a doubt is a terrific talent in the 400, witnessed by her WY title in 2001 and WJ championship in 2002, but in the last two years she's been surpassed performance-wise by Richards. Henderson is undefeated in the 400 this year, but she hasn't faced Richards, who has won 23 straight 400 races on American soil, dating back to 2002.

While I'm certainly not naive enough to think that Richards can't lose to Henderson, beating Richards on her home track may be a bigger task than Monique can handle at this point in her career. I do think that both runners have the potential to reach the Olympic final this year, although both are probably just a little too young to have a real chance to win.

[OldSprint]

Re: Bit of a surprise...

Sanya has a good chance of making the Olympic Final. But as the Olympics come closer you will see that runners on the professional level will start to run much faster. Plus they will have to deal with Tonique Williams.