Holy moly KJT

[hemlock]

There were many amazing things about KJTs win. Among the most amazing?
The 800.

I thought at the start: there's only one way you can possibly lose this, and that's to overcook the first lap. Bougard leads it out and I'm thinking yes, safe.
Cue KJT barging past Bougard like Gazza dispossessing one of his own players, and charging off into the lead like she's Pammy Jelimo.
Yikes.
But it turns out she's fine and can run 2:07 in the 800 at the end of a ludicrously tough 2 days, off almost no 800 training.
There is only one way that can happen: she is a born 800m runner.
Take away the other 9 exertions; do a tad of 800 training - and I'm thinking 1:57 no problem.
(No I am not suggesting it. LOL.
I just think that, in all the drama of the gold medal, that 800 run is also a striking performance, meriting some attention.)

:-)

[jjimbojames]

At the very least, get her in the 4x400m...she’s had more rest than some!

[carterhatch]

KJT conundrums is second only to relay lineups as the most popular topic of discussion and I have noted on several other threads some thoughts. First I agree entirely with Jimbojames that a look at KJT's potential for a 400 leg would be very interesting, with my current preferred experiment being Diamond-KJT-Jodie Willaims-DASHER, at a low key indoor comp, where KJT might be competing at the HJ or LJ anyway, but it is unlikely to happen next year being the Olympics and her focus entirely on that.

As an extension of her improvement in hurdles could suggest a future attempt at the longer 400H, i believe she has run it in the past, and I have little doubt that she could be top three in the country in a very short period... but internationally the event with the two Americans is stellar and it would not worth the effort.

I believe that we are going to see a marvellous competition at Tokyo between Thiam and KJT with the winner having to score over 7000, With the calculator to one side, I have said that it has always been a misnomer to insist a 2m HJ and 7m LJ was critical to achieve such a score for KJT, it was never going to happen in a HEP, and indeed it has been a distraction, a consistent 1.95 with a 6.7X is a great base, and with a Sp approaching 14 and a JV of 44+m, this new belief in her hurdles, a return to sub 23, 200, and yes an eyeballs out 2.07, it could win gold and break that magical number.

What would be interesting is to speculate post Tokyo, would she want to put her body through another 4 years, given she has been fairly blessed when it comes to serious injury and the event is likely to throw one up at some time, if not to avoid excessive wear and tear. Perhaps at the commonwealth games in Birmingham we might see her in that 4x400 relay and 400H just for the fun of it.

I feel much better now

[trickstat]

On the BBC, it was mentioned that the coach who looks after her track running work thinks she should do 400s. Her speed endurance has always been good and her best track event as an under 17 was the 300.

I suspect she could get to 56 or maybe 55 something in the 400H relatively quickly unless she had massive problems with stride patterns.

[RunUnlimited]

I think it's passed everyone by that KJT, without having to surpass 2m in the high jump and 7m in the long jump, fairly comfortably beat JEH's British and Commonwealth record. I thought that Ennis-Hill's record would last for a few more years, but always understood that KJT had the physical gifts and talent to break it and get into the 7000's if she really nailed an event.

And all she had to do was tidy up her 100m hurdles and put a bit more "ompf!" into her shot put and javelin! In any heptathlon contest between Thiam and Johnson-Thompson, Thiam now knows that if her rival is shot putting 13.50m+ and 42-44m+ in the javelin *and* maintains her usually high levels in the other events, she'll be in some serious trouble come the 800m. Thiam needs a lead of at *least* 10-15 seconds to stand a chance of finishing ahead of KJT, and that won't happen if the events of Doha are repeated, even *if* Thiam manages to sort out her elbow problem.

The heptathon in Tokyo is going to be a classic... And with the return of Niamh Emerson to fitness, we'll see the continuation of the British multi-event production line too! (Not forgetting Holly Mills who'll be an U-23 next year and after just one and bit years of throwing the javelin and shot is better at them than JEH and KJT at a similar age!)

[paul]

Ah. I remember the first golden age of KJT. 5 years ago, or so. The `bored schoolgirl' years, when she would grudgingly amble up and, oops, longjump 6.90 and
`am I bovvered' highjump 1.96.
It was so exciting because you thought: there is literally no limit to what this woman can do.
Then it all got a bit stressful...

But I was reminded of that first golden age on day two of the Doha HEP. The Jav. The demeanour was listless. There was no snap (she followed a train of muscular central
european women with awesome snappy jav technique who threw a range of distance between 40 and 55m, and, good or bad, evidently thought it was their
destiny to throw javelin a long way).
There was no snap from KJT,... and yet, this time the Jav did what all the running and jumping events do for `bored, listless-looking' KJT.
It flew. _This_ is what her jav should exactly be like. Rubbish-looking, wobbly, uncommitted, and yet somehow
a little bit amazing.
I think for me that was the moment.

[RunUnlimited]

Ah. I remember the first golden age of KJT. 5 years ago, or so. The `bored schoolgirl' years, when she would grudgingly amble up and, oops, longjump 6.90 and
`am I bovvered' highjump 1.96.
It was so exciting because you thought: there is literally no limit to what this woman can do.
Then it all got a bit stressful...

But I was reminded of that first golden age on day two of the Doha HEP. The Jav. The demeanour was listless. There was no snap (she followed a train of muscular central
european women with awesome snappy jav technique who threw a range of distance between 40 and 55m, and, good or bad, evidently thought it was their
destiny to throw javelin a long way).
There was no snap from KJT,... and yet, this time the Jav did what all the running and jumping events do for `bored, listless-looking' KJT.
It flew. _This_ is what her jav should exactly be like. Rubbish-looking, wobbly, uncommitted, and yet somehow
a little bit amazing.
I think for me that was the moment.

You obviously missed the little knowing smirk on her face when that 2nd round javelin effort landed over 43 meters. That was hardly "bored, listless-looking" to me at least!

[hemlock]

Yes RunUnlimited I think I saw that smile too. It was still too early in proceedings for it to mean she thought the gold was hers, wasn't it? I think
she was just happy in herself to have finally lined up a half-decent throw.

I wonder what the furthest she's thrown javelin in training is.


I also agree with your earlier post - that it is interesting that KJT didn't actually have to do anything outlandish to boost from 6800 to almost 7000 in the end.
(As I said, for me the 800 was the probably biggest surprise.)

[MysteryBrick]

I wonder what a relay team of... say KJT, Jodie Williams, Beth Dobbin, DAS could do against a team of 400m runners. I would say win 9 times out of 10...

[Christy93]

Well, we know Jodie can split 49s and DAS can run a 52 low leadoff in April (what can't she do??). I'm not sold on Dobbin, but I have no doubt KJT could throw in a 50. leg... Will never happen, but nice to dream ha.

[Runner88]

What does everyone think of all the chatter on TNF forum about the mismeasurement of KJT's shotput? Quite a few seem convinced that it was a good 20-30cm shorter than the 13.86cm she was given. Hard to tell with camera angles, sector lines etc.

Quite a few odd judgements throughout the week. Does anyone know how many of the officials were locally trained or are they all shipped in from abroad? I also read reports of the automatic measuring system being used in some events but no in others, ie mens shotput final.

[carterhatch]

when I saw the throw live on TV, I cheered thinking it a good 13.50, and was thrilled it was recorded longer... subsequent replays have me wondering I must admit. The 14 m line looks further then 20cm away, but then who is to say that line is correct? anyway... academic now!

[treadwater1]

I bet they weren’t questioning the distances of the men’s SP!

[Purple Gerbil]

Quite a few odd judgements throughout the week. Does anyone know how many of the officials were locally trained or are they all shipped in from abroad? I also read reports of the automatic measuring system being used in some events but no in others, ie mens shotput final.

The vast majority will be locally trained. In general there is at least one and sometimes 2 International Technical Official at each event. I think with the most recent rules one of these ITOs act as the field referee in whatever event they are on (the guy with the arm band sitting next to the guy with the flag on the take-off board) is probably one of these ITOs. I’m also not 100% sure, but I believe that as an ITO you need to be able to judge and know the rules in both track and field events, so they are not necessarily as specialist.

Weren’t they trialing Visual Display Measurement in the Shot Putt? I guess it’s the same or similar to the VDU they use for the Long and Triple jumps. I don’t know why they used it in some and not others. Perhaps that was the plan not to use it in the men’s SP final. If it’s new to that event technology maybe it needs to prove its worth before it gets used on an event where a WR could be set. This was vanishing unlikely for the Women’s SP and Heptathlon, but as it turns out. Not for the men’s SP. I don’t know if there was a possibility at the outset of a new WR in the decathlon.

[Runner88]

Thanks for this! I hope that the 13.86m throw was legit and is in fact surpassed by Kat, but I think we should all refrain from believing Kat is a certain 13.50m+ thrower until she's done it a few more times. In her series on that day she had two other throws below 13m remember...

[Christy93]

I think it's passed everyone by that KJT, without having to surpass 2m in the high jump and 7m in the long jump, fairly comfortably beat JEH's British and Commonwealth record. I thought that Ennis-Hill's record would last for a few more years, but always understood that KJT had the physical gifts and talent to break it and get into the 7000's if she really nailed an event.

And all she had to do was tidy up her 100m hurdles and put a bit more "ompf!" into her shot put and javelin! In any heptathlon contest between Thiam and Johnson-Thompson, Thiam now knows that if her rival is shot putting 13.50m+ and 42-44m+ in the javelin *and* maintains her usually high levels in the other events, she'll be in some serious trouble come the 800m. Thiam needs a lead of at *least* 10-15 seconds to stand a chance of finishing ahead of KJT, and that won't happen if the events of Doha are repeated, even *if* Thiam manages to sort out her elbow problem.

The heptathon in Tokyo is going to be a classic... And with the return of Niamh Emerson to fitness, we'll see the continuation of the British multi-event production line too! (Not forgetting Holly Mills who'll be an U-23 next year and after just one and bit years of throwing the javelin and shot is better at them than JEH and KJT at a similar age!)

I think Thiam will be lucky to get to Tokyo in full health. I'd be willing to bet good money that her elbow needs surgery to be 'right', and without the time for that she'll instead be 'managing' it and won't throw anywhere near her 59m Jav PB next year.

[Christy93]

I was speaking to a throws coach about KJT a few years ago, and he was convinced she is a great physical specimen for throwing a long way. Thoughts?

I tend to agree. Ever her 44m Javelin looked techically poor and lacklustre compared to the women around her. I'm not complaining, she was much improved, but there is still so much scope there. I think she'll have PBs of 14m & 47m by the end of her career.

[Catinahat]

Firstly let me say KJT did a superb job.

I was sat sat in the front row by the shot put in Doha with binoculars trained on her throw (yes I am a multis- geek!) the measurement was definitely out. As a level 3 field official I estimated about 40cms over. Everyone around us was surprised by the distance measured and her first two throws were not encouraging.

However - it was def over 13m and that’s the first time I’ve seen KJT pull a big 3rd throw out in a pressure situation so bravo!

[carterhatch]

I am resurrecting this thread for the article linked (I am sure there was another dedicated thread but couldnt find it).... Those of us on this forum - and there are many - who have ridden the KJT roller coaster for a decade better strap themsleves in for this iteration.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/57901791

With KJT we are blessed with perhaps the most naturally gifted female athlete the UK has ever had ... at her best world class High Jump and Long jump, though the chance for the 2m & 7m double has gone... A world class 200 PB, and only knows what she might have done over 400, and an ever improving sprint hurdles, though again one wonders what she might have done in 400h, with that ever so (unwise) experiment at the event in the early years., oh but those throws I hear the doubters say.

How has the injury affected her, what performance are we likely to see, do we risk her inclusion in the Luckyspikes prediction, strap yourself in, its going to be quite a ride...