Felix to run 400 at WC

[toyracer]

The only 200m runner that Felix would be worried about at this point is SAFP, now that it sounds like she may be doubling in Beijing...

If Felix would be worried about S-AF-P then she would also worry about Thompson, whose 200m PB is only 0.01 slower than S-AF-P. Interestingly, both PB's are on the same track, into a slight headwind.

[Powell]

If Felix would be worried about S-AF-P then she would also worry about Thompson, whose 200m PB is only 0.01 slower than S-AF-P. Interestingly, both PB's are on the same track, into a slight headwind.

Schippers has a faster PB than either of them, and she ran it under worse conditions (wet, stronger headwind).

[player]

Felix herself does not have the kind of ego that would fear defeat or cause her to duck anyone. But Kersee is a different story and a large portion of his definition of winning and losing is the portion of glory that goes to his athletes vis-a-vis other American athletes.

From the moment the 400 final wrapped up at USAs, I never really believed that Kersee would let McCrory off the hook and back into the picture. And as the 200 as looked increasingly strong, it would be completely unacceptable to him to invite a scenario where McCrory could get gold and Felix would not. If he had entered Felix in both events, leaving her the option of dropping out when it was too late for McCrory, he might have played that game. But that would have endangered a relay spot.

So the 400 it had to be, for Kersee, not Felix. If Felix were really motivated by wanting to add the 400 to her resume, she could have just announced that at the start of the season.

[KDFINE]

Extra motivation for McCorory for the future.

[CPorts75]

Does anyone think it realistic that Felix could run a sub-49sec 400 in Beijing?

Either way, man has there been a dearth of sub-49s in the last 19 years. If I am reading the all-time lists properly, there have only been 5 sub-49s since Perec and Feeman went 48.25 and 48.63 in Atlanta on July 29th, 1996 at the Olympic games, and these 5 times recorded by only 2 sprinters:

(in chronological order)
Ana Guevara - Paris; August 27th, 2003 - 48.89
Sanya Richards-Ross - Zurich; August 19th, 2005 - 48.92
Sanya Richards-Ross - Athens; September 16th, 2006 - 48.70 (AR)
Sanya Richards-Ross - Zurich; August 28th, 2009 - 48.94
Sanya Richards-Ross - Brussels; September 4th, 2009 - 48.83

There is a famine in the land for sub-49 second 400m times - we are long overdue. As a track and field fan I hope this drought ends soon. Yet, as a realist, it seems as though we should not hold our breath.

[ChitoAZX]

Does anyone think it realistic that Felix could run a sub-49sec 400 in Beijing?

Either way, man has there been a dearth of sub-49s in the last 19 years. If I am reading the all-time lists properly, there have only been 5 sub-49s since Perec and Feeman went 48.25 and 48.63 in Atlanta on July 29th, 1996 at the Olympic games, and these 5 times recorded by only 2 sprinters:

(in chronological order)
Ana Guevara - Paris; August 27th, 2003 - 48.89
Sanya Richards-Ross - Zurich; August 19th, 2005 - 48.92
Sanya Richards-Ross - Athens; September 16th, 2006 - 48.70 (AR)
Sanya Richards-Ross - Zurich; August 28th, 2009 - 48.94
Sanya Richards-Ross - Brussels; September 4th, 2009 - 48.83

There is a famine in the land for sub-49 second 400m times - we are long overdue. As a track and field fan I hope this drought ends soon. Yet, as a realist, it seems as though we should not hold our breath.

I agree, 2009 was the last year of sub 49s, all from SSR. She was very close at clocking another one at Berlin in the final where she won with a 49 flat. I thought Montsho was ready to go sub 49 at Moscow just by looking at the way she won her semifinal. Felix has run some fast 400x1 relay legs in the past but I don't think that necessarily translates to running the individual event with a time close to those.

[tm71]

Felix herself does not have the kind of ego that would fear defeat or cause her to duck anyone. But Kersee is a different story and a large portion of his definition of winning and losing is the portion of glory that goes to his athletes vis-a-vis other American athletes.

From the moment the 400 final wrapped up at USAs, I never really believed that Kersee would let McCrory off the hook and back into the picture. And as the 200 as looked increasingly strong, it would be completely unacceptable to him to invite a scenario where McCrory could get gold and Felix would not. If he had entered Felix in both events, leaving her the option of dropping out when it was too late for McCrory, he might have played that game. But that would have endangered a relay spot.

So the 400 it had to be, for Kersee, not Felix. If Felix were really motivated by wanting to add the 400 to her resume, she could have just announced that at the start of the season.

Excellent insight into this event. Has AF even run any 400s since usatf ? I think she has only run the 400 in three meets the entire year. She is certainly under raced in the 400 and that might show come Beijing. As far as Kersee, he is somewhat of a dictator and a pri$k and this is nothing new. he was that way with devers when she competed vs torrrence back in the 90s and the reality was that devers and Torrence would have been friends had it not been for kersee.

[The Flying Pigdog]

Well said.

[AFelixFan]

I spoke to the under-raced issue in the women's 400m thread. Both Felix and Miller (the top two Beijing contenders based on SBs) have only run a handful of 400m races this season. I think Felix has run five (Prefontaine classic, Rabat + rounds of US nationals) and Miller has run three, I believe (Florida, New York, and Lausanne). Their sharing of their seasons between 200m and 400m might favour the more experienced Ohuoroghu, but we'll see.

[Flumpy]

Felix herself does not have the kind of ego that would fear defeat or cause her to duck anyone. But Kersee is a different story and a large portion of his definition of winning and losing is the portion of glory that goes to his athletes vis-a-vis other American athletes.

From the moment the 400 final wrapped up at USAs, I never really believed that Kersee would let McCrory off the hook and back into the picture. And as the 200 as looked increasingly strong, it would be completely unacceptable to him to invite a scenario where McCrory could get gold and Felix would not. If he had entered Felix in both events, leaving her the option of dropping out when it was too late for McCrory, he might have played that game. But that would have endangered a relay spot.

So the 400 it had to be, for Kersee, not Felix. If Felix were really motivated by wanting to add the 400 to her resume, she could have just announced that at the start of the season.

This makes a lot of sense.