¶2012 OG: w4x100–United States 40.82 WR !!!!

[mump boy]

If you don't have the baton passing down, you don't have the full relay talent.

Which was my whole point

Baton passing can be learned with practice, speed not so much

[jazzcyclist]

But they obviously didn't have the talent if they didn't break it...
Like you said, 100 times don't necessarily translate to the relay. If you don't have the baton passing down, you don't have the full relay talent. You cant say they should have destroyed the record if they only had 50% of the talent needed to do so.

Most people on this board consider baton passing an acquired skill, not an innate talent like footspeed.

[EPelle]

You do need the requisite skills -- learned and developed -- to efficiently pass the baton. That becomes an acquired talent.

[jazzcyclist]

You do need the requisite skills -- learned and developed -- to efficiently pass the baton. That becomes an acquired talent.

I guess this is an argument over semantics. I disagree with your interpretation of the English language in this instance.

[t_monk]

I don't see the big debate.... The previous record in no way was as unbeatable as people were making it out to be....

[mump boy]

I don't see the big debate.... The previous record in no way was as unbeatable as people were making it out to be....

That's the whole point but some people would rather argue semantics than concede the point that this record could have gone yonks ago with a little attention to baton passing

[jazzcyclist]

I don't see the big debate.... The previous record in no way was as unbeatable as people were making it out to be....

Explain that to ATK. He seems to believe that the Jamaican men and the American women caught lightning in a bottle, a la Bob Beamon.

[ATK]

I agree 100% that baton passing is learned, but that doesn't make the record weak.
Hurdling, high jumping, hammer throwing, pole vaulting, triple jumping, etc (most non flat running events)are all events that require a big portion of learned abilities. But I wouldn't go and say all their records are weak.
The fact that it takes a good amount of time and practice for 4 ladies to actually break the record just shows how tough the record is/was. I think its pretty straight forward. If the record was that weak it would have been broken.

[ATK]

I don't see the big debate.... The previous record in no way was as unbeatable as people were making it out to be....

Explain that to ATK. He seems to believe that the Jamaican men and the American women caught lightning in a bottle, a la Bob Beamon.

Not sure where the men came into the disscussion. I never even mentioned them...

[jazzcyclist]

I agree 100% that baton passing is learned, but that doesn't make the record weak.
Hurdling, high jumping, hammer throwing, pole vaulting, triple jumping, etc (most non flat running events)are all events that require a big portion of learned abilities. But I wouldn't go and say all their records are weak.

The big difference between the 4x100 and hurdling, high jumping, hammer throwing, etc. is that pro sprinters rarely practice baton passing and rarely run 4x100 races, compared to athletes in those other disciplines who practice their cratfs daily.

The fact that it takes a good amount of time and practice for 4 ladies to actually break the record just shows how tough the record is/was.

It just shows a lack of commitment on the part of USATF, nothing else. If for example, the USATF made participation in relay camps and pre-Olympic relay meets a prerequisite for participating in individual events at the Olympics and World Championships, those records would have been broken a long time ago. As it is now, sprinters just blow off these meets and camps without any fear of repercusssions.

I think its pretty straight forward. If the record was that weak it would have been broken.

You're welcome to believe what you want, but that doesn't make it so.

[gh]

at this point I've split off a page and a half of posts relative to the whole '88 Seoul race and moved to Historical Forum, where it more properly belongs.

[olorin]

Like I said....so your telling me that NO TEAM has bothered to practice handoffs since 1985?

I said Jamaica and the U.S. What part of that don't you understand?

So explain how the record was weak if only two countries were capable of practicing enough to break it...
And only one has actually done it....

US 88 41.98 - This team could have SMASHED the WR but changeovers especially last one were APPALLING. SB 1.11 faster !! - .61 slower

Brown Alice - 10.92
Echols Sheila - 10.83
Griffith-Joyner Florence 10.49
Ashford Evelyn 10.81

US 12- Not even fastest team on paper but still

.51 faster .55 faster !! This is because of superior baton changing than previous teams PLUS foot speed, when both are combined for the first time this is the result

Jeter - 10.78
Madison - 10.85
Felix - 10.89
Knight 11.13

This is not a comprehensive list and I know that 100m times do not necessarily translate to a relay but If any one of these teams had had had the baton passing skills of GDR the WR would be long gone and if US 88 had, it would stand for another 30 years

Way over exaggerate the ability of the 1988 US team, as three of these SB are related to the stupid QF in the US trials.
The real SBs are:
Alice Brown 11.03
Sheila Echoles 10.99
Flo - Jo 10.61
Ashford 10.81
Which suggest that they are “only” 0.72 faster. I believe that the 2012 team has only slightly less foot speed because of the “Felix effect” (a real poor starter with excellent 10-110 meter speed).
Also, the US team of 1987 (Brown - Williams - Flojo - Marshal ) had a wonderful changes (probably the best ever American changes). They ran 41.55 to win the world championship when the SB are:
Brown: 11.01
Williams: 11.07
Flo-Jo: 10.96
Marshal: 11.01