UK 800m - state of play

[jjimbojames]

The issue for Laura is that both of the top 2 probably have enough turn of speed to deal with her tactics, whatever they might have been. I suspect in a normal year (I.e. not three champs!) she’d have gone for it, as nothing to lose doubling up

I wonder her plans for Euros, because we are currently 1,2,3 and she might fancy another double to get a medal, and may be fresher than normal given she’s had a late start to the season anyway, despite it being the third champs - the schedule for both CWG and Euros isn’t as demanding as it could be

[CAML]

I believe Muir would have got at least a bronze in the 800m in Eugene. With AM and KH not quite in 2021 form, and Kipyegon imperious, I could visualise Muir winning the 800 in 1.56.2, whereas silver was the best on offer in the 1500. Ifs and what might have been.

[Occasional Hope]

Lovely story.

[Grassmarket]

Here’s a wonderful story I found on the Totallympics board about Joanne Fenn, an 800m runner of the 2000s who fell away with injury & illness.

”My sister was a good 800m runner at junior level here in Poland. She was 6th at Junior Nationals one year.

And her favourite 800m runner was an English athlete - Joanne Fenn. A really good runner, a very nice person, she took part in Athens 2004 olympics, performed well but didn't make it to a final and then was a bit overshadowed by Kelly Holmes magnicifient triumph.

Back in 2006 my sis had a difficult year, serious exams at the end of the highschool etc. She was quite stressed about it and to cheer her up I wrote an e-mail to an English athletics club, Joanne Fenn trained there, and I said sth like: my sis liked her so much, she's a kind of role model for her, so if she could send a photo with a few words of sympathy that would be awesome... and I asked her: make it a surprise for her.

And few days later a surprise package came from UK, and inside there was not only a photo with greetings, but a full running outfit prepared for Fenn as a member of 2006 England Team for Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne that year. We were just stunned.

And then... it turned out that Fenn made it to a team and then - at the very last moment - she had to withdraw because she had really serious health issues, she had even got a major operation on a grapefruit-sized cyst...

So I guess it was a win-win situation. My sister was sooo happy about it and I think Jo Fenn smiled a bit when at her awfullest times she got news that she means so much for young runners somwehere abroad.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanne_Fenn

There is not so much news on the internet about what's Joanne Fenn is doing these days but I hope she's healthy and she's having a good life.

I think we still have these clothes somewhere...”

[SprintRelayFan]

MB what’s the deal with Dustin please?

[trickstat]

I can't see us not getting a finalist in 3 straight worldwide champs. The one downside of having so many quite closely matched runners is that the best 3 can change from week to week.

[MysteryBrick]

With Pattison's 1:44.64 at Trafford today, I now make it that 8 of the UK top 20 are all currently active (Burgin, Giles, Dustin, Rowden, Webb, Wightman, Langford, Pattison), with 3 of them U23s. This hasn't yet paid dividends at a major yet, but this kind of strength in depth can only be a good thing in developing strong racers (as in, to actually place well at the UK champs you have to race well) and pushing on those coming through to believe they can get that good too.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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]

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.

[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.