Tokyo Olympics day 7 - Thursday 5 August

[Ursus]

It’s been great watching Bradshaw and Jodie Williams blossom somewhat later than most people expected.

Would love to say the same about Lake in 3 years time….

[marra]

what about....Prescod. Lol.

[SprintRelayFan]

Great run by Gardiner. More American disaster, they'll be treasuring Nageotte.

[Croadymeister]

Nageotte was impressive recovering form a poor start and pulling out a clutch vault for gold.

Think Holly will be a little gutted with that second attempt as got legs over the bar but sadly not the body. She could have really put the pressure on with that but pleased nonetheless.

[Laps]

You deserve an “if only” medal

The rest of us are enjoying Holly finally making the podium after great service to the country’s athletics.

[Croadymeister]

Already said she should be pleased but hoping still got time to upgrade the colour in next two years

[alfie]

Wasn't about putting pressure on the others. It was all about doing her very best - which she did. The other two just managed to pull out one better and nothing you can do about that. She's clearly totally happy with that.
As she should be.

[trickstat]

Gardiner takes the 400 in his usual imperious style.

James becomes the first ever triple medallist at 400, male or female in third behind Zambrano.

[LoveSprints1]

Gardiner is such a beautiful runner. A great race to watch.

[Occasional Hope]

Superb run from Gardiner, 43.85. Kirani James looks very disappointed with bronze. No US medallists.

[Ursus]

In the wPV the jump from 4.50 to 4.70 felt pretty big. Is a 20cm increment usual?

[trickstat]

I think it's not usual but not unheard of either but it tends to be more likely after a lower opening height e.g. 4.30 or 4.40.

[carterhatch]

Gardiner told 'too tall for 100m at 6'4' can someone send that memo to one or two of our sprinters, and tell them they can only have funding if they run 400's next year

[alfie]

Gold for Bahamas ! Steven Gardiner timed it perfectly ...Kirani James has to settle for bronze after Zambrano got in for second....Bahamas Columbia Grenada .... US run out of it.
Track medals going all over the place.

[trickstat]

Kirani James has won all of Grenada's 3 Olympic medals across all sports.
Zambrano is Colombia's first male medallist in Athletics.
Gardiner is Bahamas first individual male gold medallist in Athletics.

[SprintRelayFan]

The holding camp is a massive shitshow thing. Might've given Kendrick time to get over covid as well

[Occasional Hope]

Or time to spread it to the rest of their team....

[SprintRelayFan]

Ha good point!

[RunUnlimited]

What a difference 13 years make.... In Beijing 2008, in was a USA 1-2-3 in the men's 400 m final. Merritt, Wariner and Neville. In Tokyo 2020(+1), no medals at all.

At least they had finalists this time. In 2016, only Merritt managed to make the final (and won a bronze medal behind the world record run of Van Niekirk and Kirani James). And back in 2012, after back to back clean sweeps in 2004 and 2008, the USA didn't even have a finalist in the 400!

So with Steven Gardiner's victory, that extends the US drought in this event, their last gold being in 2008.

[LuckySpikes]

In the wPV the jump from 4.50 to 4.70 felt pretty big. Is a 20cm increment usual?

No, it's not usual.

London 2017 went 4.55, 4.65, 4.75 ...
2016 Rio went 4.50, 4.60. 4.70 ...
2012 London went 4.55, 4.65, 4.70 ...

However, Doha 2019 also went 4.50, 4.70 ... (that time 12 of 17 women cleared 4.70).

Perhaps it's the new way of doing it?

[MysteryBrick]

I think it is a little brutal, but I guess it is designed to make the competition slightly quicker, and if the job is to ensure a sensible top 3 it makes sense.

[sportsfan]

It is interesting listening to Mike Johnson talking about the demise of the US track team. I think what he failed to say is that the US collegiate system has also trained the world as many of the developing nations and Africa especially, they have given scholarships to and many British athletes for example are based in the US according to their bios and the commentary. Mo Farah was based there and apparently started winning when he moved there and changed his coach and coaching environment, The US had probably itself to blame by training other nation's athletes!!! A french decathlete and even a Grenadan one just hit the top of the UK javelin rankings!! The NCAA were on my cable channel this year and they were still pretty impressive. i c ant thin of many British athletes who would have won them, A great meeting to watch and they have put a stadium around the track now!

[Occasional Hope]

Mo didn't do it through the college system though.

[trickstat]

Leon Reid has always lived here and has opted to use a parentage qualification to compete for Ireland so he isn't a great example anyway. Similar for Antonio Infantino competing for Italy.

[jjimbojames]

Mu did a full college season - only recently turned pro.

[SprintRelayFan]

best day for team GB from an athletics POV I think
All relays through - despite tricky draws
Holly's medal
All 1500 boys through
Pozzi got through the race which I don't think we could've expected more for.
Obvs had things been different the heptathlon would've been amazing but that went awry yesterday.

[SprintRelayFan]

The 4x1 woman are in lane 5 with USA on outside, men are lane 6 with Jamaica on the inside... (Looking at the men's draw I kept staring to try and see where the US were drawn!)
In the 4x4 we are out in lane 9 (which seems a bit shitty as an auto Q)
Middle lanes are Jam, Cub, USA which I fear is where the medals will go, and Pol are on inside of Jam. I think the chances of a medal in this are very scant.

[speedyg]

Gardiner takes the 400 in his usual imperious style.

James becomes the first ever triple medallist at 400, male or female in third behind Zambrano.

He's very smooth like the great man Johnson in his hey day. Everyone is flat out yet he's so efficient he looks like he's not expending as much effort or energy down the straight. Pleased for James, been around for ages. Americans failure doesn't look good again.