UK 800m - state of play

[marilyn1]

jimbo, right on with that observation. The WC are the earliest they have ever been , since 1983.Just a crazy demanding year for Europeans and Africans. Back to normal next year, hopefully.

[trickstat]

Yes, the Budapest WCs are 19-27th August.

[carterhatch]

Ian Hodge notes on his twitter that a returning Giles is 4th, while Thomas Staines just beats him [into 3rd?], both with 1.46 and bits, in France. I am pleased to see Staines make it over the pond and hope he has a plan to attend the champs. Overall I am fairly agnostic about who makes the WCs/CGs, with Burgin clearly in the poll position time-wise. I just hope all the leading protagonists are fit and healthy on the starting line.

[MysteryBrick]

Amen to that.

One thing I had not engaged with is that due to the dates of the Championships, GB actually have 8 (!) men with the standard:
Max Burgin - 1:43.52 Jun 2022
Elliot Giles - 1:44.05 Jul 2021
Daniel Rowden - 1:44.35 Aug 2021
Archie Davis - 1:44.72 Jul 2021
Jake Wightman - 1:44.97 Sep 2021
Thomas Randolph - 1:44.98 Aug 2021
Jamie Webb - 1:45.12 Jul 2021
Ben Pattison - 1:45.16 Jun 2022

Now Davis and Randolph are in abysmal form, while Wightman will obviously run the 1500m, but there will still be 5 in the race with a real chance to go, and with Burgin there it won't be slow (plus Thomas Staines is 0.08 off with 1:45.28 this season). Should be a fine race!

[marilyn1]

Yes, a nice slow tactical, nervy race,, for sure , unless Burgin goes out on his own quicker than the others in the second half of the race. I recall last years mass hype about what GBs 800m guys were likely to do in Tokyo. Yeah.!!

[marilyn1]

Any two from 5 or 6. Pattison and Burgin.??

[Sovietvest]

Staines ran a terrible race tactically in Marseille, boxed and chopping his stride for 500m and then running wide from 500 to 700.. I wouldn't be surprised to see him beat Giles again in Manchester if he gets a clearer run.

A slow, tactical race would certainly suit the experienced guys - Giles, Webb and Rowden (although he seemed t pull up limping in Turku) but has anyone ever seen Burgin, when fit, run a slow first lap? I assume he'll go out in no slower than 51. Burgin and Pattison are the two in form but Webb and Giles are on an upward curve and Staines looks like he's ready, so I agree it is Burgin plus 2 from 4. Beyond that, I think our prospects for Worlds are pretty similar to last year - 50% chance of a finalist with a medal a remote possibility.

One for the future: Reece Sharman-Newell. Looks like he lost form or was injured after his 1:45.5 in April (NCAA DII record, I think) - he was only 5th at the DII Champs and ran a 1:49 last weekend in Watford. However, he looks really classy and I wouldn't be surprised to see him emerge properly next year.

[carterhatch]

Thanks for the added info on Staines' race. 12 months ago Dustin would have been in the conversation but looks nowhere in that form. Langford may yet make his presence felt, and I sense this race, more than any, will have some drama [a DQ, a fall] that will give the selectors a headache.

[Christy93]

Dustin is in great shape by all accounts, performances on the track haven't really reflected his shape, but I've heard a few people saying that this season, most notably Laura Muir. When it clicks he'll be dangerous - But there isn't much time left if he wants to make teams this summer.

[Occasional Hope]

The other question is, who gets the selectors' discretionary pick if finishing out of the top 2?

My bet would be Giles based on past performance and experience, assuming Burgin gets an auto place.

[MysteryBrick]

And now Langford has the standard too! The race gets even more tasty. I'm assuming Gourley will still go for the 1500m, although that 1:44 800m shows that he's not going to be fun to have to race in the that final!

[Occasional Hope]

Gourley's not entered in the 800.

[Runner88]

Bets on Burgin running hard from the front and the others letting him go away? Nobody will want to be the effective pace make behind him and risking losing the 2nd automatic qualifying spot.

Langford finally got the time that his form in prior races has shown and I fancy him for 2nd. Tom Staines will be dangerous and Giles could still get turn it around. Can’t wait!

A shame that with just one round to the final that the heats could throw up a nasty surprise or two.

[Occasional Hope]

Or maybe someone who doesn't have the standard might want o go with Max to try to get it?

[MysteryBrick]

Ordinarily I would say that heat then final could throw a nasty surprise, but this I definitely feel that if you aren't good enough to make it through the heat reasonably easily you definitely aren't good enough to make the team.

[MysteryBrick]

And Occasional Hope - I definitely agree, especially someone like Staines. You aren't likely to get many better opportunities than a pacemaker for 800m.

[MysteryBrick]

Also, it must be noted that GB now has 10 athletes with the World standard in the men's 800m. Only Kenya, with 12, has more.

[MysteryBrick]

https://youtu.be/64_t1RT7UxA

Video from Pfungstadt of Langford + Gourley.

Also, something is really wrong with Dustin - he needs to stop for the season and work out what it is in his body that is giving him all these problems rather than keep plugging away and likely making things worse. He's so young he's got ages, rather than just keeping racing badly.

[MR_ME]

Jenny Meadows said 2 days ago on twitter that Dustin is fit and healthy and just waiting for things to click. She is hoping it will come together before trials. He seemed to give up in that race so maybe its not the best indication of how he's doing.

[CAML]

When a 1.43 athlete runs 1.46, you can say they are out of form. When a 1.43 athlete struggles to break 1.50 all season, they should not be running. Something is drastically wrong.

[marilyn1]

Also, it must be noted that GB now has 10 athletes with the World standard in the men's 800m. Only Kenya, with 12, has more.

So what; we couldnt get a finalist in the 800m last year despite the eternal hyping up our guys by a certain poster here. Forgot his name. None of our guys this year looks likely to achieve a top 4 or 5 position in the 800m final this year at Eugene. The fastest GB athlete in the 800m this year is a very talented athlete but he needs 3 rounds to stay fit and to fight out , and it aint Diamond League, as we all know.

[MysteryBrick]

So it's still a good thing to have 10 athletes of a good quality, as opposed to 0 or 1, as in a lot of other events.

[marilyn1]

Bets on Burgin running hard from the front and the others letting him go away? Nobody will want to be the effective pace make behind him and risking losing the 2nd automatic qualifying spot.

Langford finally got the time that his form in prior races has shown and I fancy him for 2nd. Tom Staines will be dangerous and Giles could still get turn it around. Can’t wait!

A shame that with just one round to the final that the heats could throw up a nasty surprise or two.

it is not so much getting on the team this w/e ,but how they perform in the WC. What a disappointment this year is Rowden who gave us expectations; if its the usual 1.48/9 speed for the first 600m, any one can upset the applecart. I do not think that our athetes are losing too much sleep about this w/e; in six weeks time the CG will be in Birmingham and there will be another crack at GB representation in Munich.

[Sovietvest]

I do not think that our athetes are losing too much sleep about this w/e; in six weeks time the CG will be in Birmingham and there will be another crack at GB representation in Munich.

Genuine question - did you ever compete? If you think that any one of the athletes in contention for WCH qualification will be anything short of absolutely gutted at not making the team, you have no understanding of an athlete's mentality. And I'm not talking just about elite athletes. Pretty much anyone who laces up spikes - from teenagers to Masters - have goals and feel utterly rubbish when they don't achieve them.