Our Blasted Mile Relay Guys!

[Historian]

The supreme irony of it all, when one looks at our men’s 4x400-meter relay teams today, is that the 400-meter and 4x400-meter events are the ones that brought us international fame when we started our Olympic Games odyssey way back at the 1948 and the 1952 Olympic Games.

Today, we are still trying to recapture not only the glory of those long-gone days, but also of the Michael McDonald, Gregory Haughton, Roxbert Martin, Davian Clarke rich era of the late 1990s. Imagine, not one of our guys could run a sub 45-second split yesterday at the Penn Relays?! And the same sh!t is going to happen in Berlin, mark my words!

I still have a bitter taste in my mouth whenever I recall that final event on the track last year in Beijing. Maybe we should take a break until we can get some “proper” 400-meter guys.

[Mosiah]

100m a carry di swing, bredren. work wid it.

[Historian]

I Know

100m a carry di swing, bredren. work wid it.

I know, and I agree with you.

However, can we be regarded as a genuinely great track and field nation if all that we produce are 100 and 200-meter sprinters and sprint relay (4x100) teams? Is this the Jamaica that expects to take on the 400-meter rich and hurdling-rich USA next summer in a one and one competition?

[Willi]

Well, we have Ricardo Chambers, Leford Green, Markino B. and Gonzales to add to the mix...maybe even Bolt, so we are not so weak after all.

Even Blake will be able to give a 44high leg in Berlin.

Dont make the mistake of taking Penn relays too seriously!!!

[Assasin]

The youth Ashmede ran a good leg yesterday as well. maybe a prospect for the mile.

[Willi]

Not ready yet...he is where Leford was 2-3 years ago. Leford ran 45.80s while at KC.

[Jangle]

Too many of our male athletes are parading around in the wrong distance. Michael Blackwood and Sanjay Ayres and a couple more, should consider moving up in distance. Same thing goes for some of the 200m men. Our 400m and to a lesser extent women, are just not cutting it in the times. If we can't find at least 2 men to run under 45sec then we can simply forget it. Bahamas has a more realistic chance of medalling in the 4 x 400m in Berlin than us.

[Mosiah]

And has never run it since!

Hmmm...

[Willi]

These things are NOT linear. Melaine was languishing for a while too.

[Willi]

Bredrin,

Is THREE medals up for offer, so even if USA, Bah are ahead, we still have a shot at Bronze!

Months to Berlin...keep the faith!

[Historian]

Don't Agree

Bredrin,

Is THREE medals up for offer, so even if USA, Bah are ahead, we still have a shot at Bronze! Months to Berlin...keep the faith!

Willi, I use the Linear Mode when reading or posting on this forum, and so at first I was not sure to whom your answer was directed. I’ll place this bet with you, though: Jamaica will NOT win the bronze in the men’s 4x400-meter relay in Berlin. Remember this bet!

We first had this discussion at the time of the 2005 CAC Games, and my statement then proved to be correct. The potential medal teams are not only the USA and the Bahamas, although they are seemingly the foremost ones at this time. There is also Russia and Britain lurking in the background (although it’s a bit early to be making predictions for them at this time). And, as in 2000 in Sydney, the highly disregarded Nigeria might spring a surprise.

“Keep the faith” nothing! Throughout the 21st century we have been joking with our men’s 4x400-meter relay teams. Every one of them!!Imagine, we couldn’t even win a medal back in 2006 at the Commonwealth Games (a non-global event)!

By the way, I’m not reading too much into the Penn Relays. I’m much smarter than that! At the same time, I cannot ignore results and splits!

I suggest you read Jangle’s post (below) once more!

Too many of our male athletes are parading around in the wrong distance. Michael Blackwood and Sanjay Ayres and a couple more, should consider moving up in distance. Same thing goes for some of the 200m men. Our 400m and to a lesser extent women, are just not cutting it in the times. If we can't find at least 2 men to run under 45sec then we can simply forget it. Bahamas has a more realistic chance of medalling in the 4 x 400m in Berlin than us.

[Willi]

How yuh mean, Gonzales won Broze at the CW Games in 2006.

Do you know what shape Gonzales, Ricardo Chambers, LeFord Green and Danny Mac., Blake and Markino Buckley are in? If not too tired, Bolt could run a leg in the finals too.

These are bigger names to me than Sanjay, Spence, Whyte and Blackwood! That is why I say KTF. Until we show the full hand we have, we have a chance. We can battle the UK and Poland for that Bronze, with the Aussies and Russia with outside chances.

[Jangle]

When are we going to be challenging for the gold? What amazes me is why does the USA seem to produce so many sub-45sec 400m runners while the rest of the world languishes? Ok, I know they had the druggists, but still, they have depth in that distance just like how we have depth in female 100m and now, more recently, in the mens. For a country that prodeced Herb Mac, Arthur Wint, George Rhoden, Bert Cameron, we have been woeful in the distance over the years. The women have been just a shade bit more consistent for us over the years.

[Willi]

The women seem great this year. The men will have to wait till 2012 to consider any gold challenge.

The US has us out with 400m coaching...but Mills is working!

[Jangle]

The women are not "great" but can hold their own and challenge for a medal. Mills himself said that he was not a 400m coach. However, I respect his coaching abilities, but what about the others. On the youth level we seem to produce outstanding 400m runners, both boys and girls, but they never seem to amount to much as adults. Why?