Rai Benjamin 43.36 Split

How do you figure that? 400m takes 43-44 seconds for an elite to do it, 400H 46-47, and an 103 seconds - more than double.

I will accept that 800 ability is more important to 400m hurdlers than it is to 400m flat runners, but no way is 800 ability more important to a 400 hurdler than 400 ability.

I don't think wayde has inferior endurance to warholm or Benjamin, his level of endurance isn't normal, he's faster than two 19.7 guys and a 19.3 guy over 400m.

Benjamin and Warholm are the two best shots at 400 world record.

queen of wrote:

Benjamin and Warholm are the two best shots at 400 world record.

I concur

paris2024hawk wrote:

I don't think wayde has inferior endurance to warholm or Benjamin, his level of endurance isn't normal, he's faster than two 19.7 guys and a 19.3 guy over 400m.

Fair enough, but the available evidence cannot rule out Benjamin as a potential 400m record breaker. Indeed, most of the evidence suggests he has a better chance then at breaking it than pretty much anyone.

Wise Old Man wrote:

I don't really understand why Benjamin, Syd and Muhammad don't double in the flat 400 more often. Certainly they would be in serious contention for global medals in the flat race, no?

Mostly it's the schedule that doesn't allow it.

For the men it would be:

Thur 400m IH heats

Fri Off

Sat 400m Heats

Sun 400m IH Semis

Mon 400m Semis AND 400m IH Final

Tues Off

Wed Off

Thur 400m Final

They could move the 400 semi to Tues and make the 400 hurdles more doable, but the 400 final (or 400 IH final) being the 6th race will be tough no matter what if that's your main event.

Also, this makes the 400/200 double impossible.

Angelo Taylor has medaled in both the 400 and 400 IH, but not in the same year.

I always say they should hold all prelims one week, have a week of rest, then hold all finals over a weekend.

That would be more appealing to watch and more readily allow doubles.

Benjamin's split on the relay is probably equal to a low 43.9x on the open 400.

Where is the improvement supposed to come from that he will drop 1sec off that time?

arcticchris wrote:

Pretty sure Warholm has done the 400h/400 double attempt at European Championships where the level in the flat 400 has been mediocre by global standards.

Yes you are right he did - in 2018. Ran 44.91 in the semis and 46.98 in the final though doubtful he didn't just run this for training purposes. What I did find weird in checking this was that he didn't run in the heats but just appeared in the semi-final (?) I don't why or how this happened - actually does anyone know this?

Karma Police wrote:

Salvitore Stitchmo wrote:

You are 100% correct.

The 400h is more closely linked with the 800 is terms of energy systems/required strength.

How do you figure that? 400m takes 43-44 seconds for an elite to do it, 400H 46-47, and an 103 seconds - more than double.

I will accept that 800 ability is more important to 400m hurdlers than it is to 400m flat runners, but no way is 800 ability more important to a 400 hurdler than 400 ability.

You are getting a few things mixed up. Just because the 400mH taps more into the aerobic energy system than the 400m flat (thus linking it in similarity to the 800m) it's not simply saying that 800m ability is more important or vice versa.

What it means is that the 400m hurdler will not run a 400m the way a 400m runner does - they will run it more like an 800m runner would (albeit in 99% of cases faster because they are simply faster athletes). Which is why the differential between hurdle times and the flat times for each athlete are not as pronounced as you would think (or like people on this thread who think Warholm is going to run 42.9).

Just because energy systems tapped into during the races are similar it's not a direct correlation and to therefore say Warholm would be a comparatively better 800m runner than 400m runner either - because the energy systems still need to be developed and trained and obviously Warholm isn't doing the mileage or volume of work an 800 guy is.