4x1 Wisdom

[58Commander]

I don't think anyone assumes that the USA relay woes have been solved just because we didn't botch the passes THIS time.

HAH So true. We get it right for like the second time in ten years and now we have the magic. Maybe...

[The Klingon]

I don't think anyone assumes that the USA relay woes have been solved just because we didn't botch the passes THIS time.

Oh. Ok. I'm sorry. My bad. I misunderstood. I thought we were talking about which legs each runner is best suited to run.

[26mi235]

Lets not over think this. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Right now, it is not broken.

That really has nothing to do with the underlying question about what runners to have on what legs. The notion that you always have your best runner is flawed because it does not take anything else into consideration. The thought has generally been the same in the 4x400 but Alison Felix completely destroyed the assumption that best is always last. To think that using AF that way was flawed and she belonged on anchor is nonsense.

[guru]

I don't think anyone assumes that the USA relay woes have been solved just because we didn't botch the passes THIS time.

Handoff extends another few inches on the final exchange in the heats and we're having a very different discussion.

[Dave]

Lets not over think this. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Right now, it is not broken.

It is November, what else are we going to talk about?

That said. Let’s imagine a couple scenarios:

Jamaica 2012. If Bolt had handed off to Blake or Vice versa, would the competition have been too demoralized to run their race? How about the US 2019 with Coleman handing off to Lyles or Vice versa, would the other teams have been too intimidated to run their best race?

[The Klingon]

Let’s imagine a couple scenarios:

Jamaica 2012. If Bolt had handed off to Blake or Vice versa, would the competition have been too demoralized to run their race? How about the US 2019 with Coleman handing off to Lyles or Vice versa, would the other teams have been too intimidated to run their best race?

Hell no, to both scenarios. I think if you worry about what those other teams are doing in their lanes, you have lost already. I am just saying.

[Dave]

Hell no, to both scenarios. I think if you worry about what those other teams are doing in their lanes, you have lost already. I am just saying.

So teams aren’t particularly aware of what other teams are doing? Of course a competitor should not pay attention to being 4-5 meters behind but wouldn’t they anyway?

[Atticus]

So teams aren’t particularly aware of what other teams are doing? Of course a competitor should not pay attention to being 4-5 meters behind but wouldn’t they anyway?

The reason relay runners should never get intimidated is the reason this thread exists - s**t happens in relays and so you run your best so you can take advantage of screw-ups by your opponents.
Sometimes the USA does not drop the baton; we just get beat by teams who pass better than we do (notice I have too much hubris to suggest they might be faster (tho Jam clearly has been in the past)).

[Dave]

The reason relay runners should never get intimidated is the reason this thread exists - s**t happens in relays and so you run your best so you can take advantage of screw-ups by your opponents.
Sometimes the USA does not drop the baton; we just get beat by teams who pass better than we do (notice I have too much hubris to suggest they might be faster (tho Jam clearly has been in the past)).

The hubris is certainly warranted this year. The US had three of the four fastest 100 meter guys in the world with three more guys running under 10.0.

Thus it is more than reasonable for the coaches to focus on not dropping the baton and not making entirely bad exchanges.

[beebee]

At the 2020 Penn Relays I'd love to see what a 4x100 with Coleman, Norman, Baker, and Lyles can do.