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I'm Chris Chavez. 22 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,560 I'm Priya Jethya. And this week in track and 23 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:32,240 field, we've got lots to unpack from the World Relays that took 24 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,640 place out in Botswana. We're going to catch up on some 25 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,760 other news that took place within the past week 'cause the 26 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,920 last time I guess we recorded was our Sub 2 Emergency podcast. 27 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,960 And then from there, I just went on a hot streak of interviewing 28 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:54,720 pros post Boston and still got a couple, I think more interviews 29 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,800 to come. And after that I kind of buckled 30 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,840 down as well. I, I'd really like post 31 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:06,520 marathons to use a little bit of that inspiration to channel it 32 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:12,000 over into my book writing, which we're almost a little, I think 33 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,080 it's six weeks away from deadline day, so we'll see. 34 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,800 You gotta hold together. Yeah. 35 00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:21,240 It's a whole new chapter. And so then that kind of forced 36 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,680 me to put a bunch of asks out for interviews and such. 37 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:29,200 I did get to speak with Sebastian Sawy the day after the 38 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,360 race. And it was a short. 39 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,760 It was like a media briefing where there was only, I think, 40 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,920 four of us on the call. And I've managed to get in, I 41 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:39,400 think, like, four or five questions. 42 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:44,240 And so maybe I'll hold some of that for that one chapter in the 43 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,360 book. But other than that, yeah, I've 44 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:51,880 got asked out to multiple people now to work on one more chapter. 45 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,680 But so there's lots for us to to discuss. 46 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,040 But before we get into anything else today, I guess I did want 47 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,160 to take a moment to acknowledge some heartbreaking news in the 48 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,680 running community. A lot of you know, Allison Wade, 49 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,280 the founder and editor of the Fast Women newsletter, she 50 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,520 shared on her sub stack that she lost her husband, Parker Morse, 51 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,160 this week. He was 52 years old. 52 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:19,600 He died unexpectedly following a cardiac event and he leaves 53 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,960 behind, you know, Allison and you know, 2 twin daughters. 54 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:29,120 Many people probably may not know Parker's name, but you have 55 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,200 probably felt you know some of his work. 56 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,400 He was the original Webmaster for Runner's World when the site 57 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,880 launched in 1996. He had a bunch of work for World 58 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,600 Athletics. I believe I crossed paths with 59 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:45,960 him for the first time in the summer of 2013 when I was 60 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:49,000 covering track there. And I also may have shared some 61 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:55,040 time with him at the New Balance Boston Indoor Grand Prix when it 62 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,840 was at the Reggie Lewis Center one of those years as well. 63 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:02,080 Super, super nice guy. Allison wrote about Parker this 64 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:06,120 week in her newsletter with, you know, just tremendous grace and 65 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,800 honesty. And that's it's, it's really 66 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,400 hard to to read. So she's stepping back from the 67 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:15,200 fast women newsletter for some time now. 68 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,240 And obviously, you know, that makes a ton of sense. 69 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,040 And none of us would expect anything less after something so 70 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:26,000 tragic and heavy happened. So just keep, you know, the Wade 71 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:30,200 family in your thoughts. You know, the whole running 72 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:35,200 community I'm sure has their arms around her and her family. 73 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:39,240 So take all the time you need to get back and guess. 74 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,120 For those listening, you know, go out and hug the people that 75 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:43,760 you love today. Tell them you appreciate them 76 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:47,800 because life is precious. Yeah, absolutely. 77 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,080 Yeah, thoughts and prayers are with Alison and, and her family 78 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:56,800 and, and yeah, obviously she she and and Parker both obviously 79 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,200 contributed so much to to the sport that we we all love. 80 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,600 So yeah, really keep them in in our thoughts. 81 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:09,080 All right, it's hard to kind of pivot from from something like 82 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:14,840 that, but we did have some action taking place on the track 83 00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:21,520 over in Botswana this past weekend and so I guess World 84 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,840 Relays took place. I can't I'm going to admit I 85 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:28,880 didn't watch a ton of it live. I caught a, a bunch of clips I 86 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:31,600 after the race is kind of wrapped up. 87 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:35,200 And for me, I guess that was the best way of consuming the World 88 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,840 Relays is as soon as these races are wrapped up, they end up 89 00:05:39,840 --> 00:05:44,680 online pretty pretty quickly. And so I'd be able to look at 90 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,280 the results and then watch them. And, and part of that is because 91 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:53,360 the modern version of world relays has been flipped into, I 92 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:56,560 think more of a qualifying event and it just feels a little tough 93 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:00,440 to get excited over. I mean, the the stakes don't 94 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:06,000 feel as high as a traditional global championship like like 95 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,560 were like the World Championships or the Olympics, 96 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,200 because this is to qualify for an event that is much later this 97 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:14,600 year. And also really, I guess in 98 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,960 certain cases it was to qualify for next year's event. 99 00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:21,600 Some of the the biggest teams held out their biggest stars. 100 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:23,800 The athletes competing on the track aren't necessarily the 101 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,000 athletes are going to see come the championships. 102 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,240 So there are still, I guess a bunch of flaws. 103 00:06:28,280 --> 00:06:32,480 It was it is a a lot of fun to everyone loves a relay and it's 104 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:37,000 fun to watch it just sort of you know, again, I'll probably get 105 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:41,720 some Flack for the American biased here, but it just we sit 106 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,880 from a position of privilege where we just know that all of 107 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:49,840 our tweet teams are going to qualify and that we will field 108 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:53,240 better teams come the actual championships. 109 00:06:53,240 --> 00:07:00,760 And so in some ways that takes away from the appeal of watching 110 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:05,360 just the qualifying event. But then also at the same time, 111 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:10,040 yeah, I mean, it it there's no distance races, that's a whole 112 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,440 nother element to it too. If you would have put ADMR in 113 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:17,080 here or a four by eight, I'm sure you entice a whole nother 114 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:21,400 population of fans to tune in. But it was definitely much more 115 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,240 Sprint heavy and it it's all sprints. 116 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:27,880 And even in the events that they're qualifying for for this 117 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:32,440 year, it's just the mixed ones, which we all I guess can agree 118 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,840 at this point that the mixed relays are always sort of like 119 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:41,120 the B caliber athletes when you save the A caliber ones for the, 120 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:43,880 you know, the men's and women's four by fours. 121 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:48,520 So there was something to just this year's World Relays that I 122 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,440 was just like, I'm not as interested as I as I usually. 123 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,040 Yeah, I mean, the thing, The thing is, and you're right, like 124 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:57,840 there's a little bit of, they've condensed it down to just being 125 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:00,480 4 by ones and four by fours. And yeah, everyone loves to 126 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:04,280 relay, but that many 4 by ones and four by fours with nothing 127 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,720 else in between was a little bit much at times. 128 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:13,080 However, you know, I think there was I, I, I have to disagree 129 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,440 with you slightly on the stakes thing because actually, because 130 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:18,520 over the last couple of years they've introduced this 131 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:23,280 qualifying for, or in fact, since 2024, they've introduced 132 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,720 the qualifying stakes. So to qualify for the Olympics, 133 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,000 you have to go to World Relays. To qualify for World 134 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:31,960 Championships in Tokyo, you have to go to World Relays. 135 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,919 And this time to qualify for Beijing again, you have to go 136 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:39,400 or, or for the vast majority of teams you had to go to World 137 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:43,880 Relays. So, and, and, and actually in, 138 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:46,480 in a lot of those cases, you could see how much it meant 139 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:48,760 because there were some teams that, you know, there were, 140 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,400 there's a large proportion of teams that were on the fringes 141 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,800 of qualifying. And if you look at what 142 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:58,000 happened, like Australia were the only country to qualify all 143 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:02,120 six teams, it's not easy to qualify teams for all these 144 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:03,480 relays. Like you have to have a lot of 145 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,960 depth, you have to have a lot of athletes willing to commit to 146 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:09,480 it. And I think there was a lot of, 147 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:11,720 there was heartbreak, there was there was everything that you 148 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:13,680 kind of want in a championship in that sense. 149 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:17,440 If you had a dog in the fight. If you had any and yes, you 150 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,520 didn't have as much of A dog in the fight from US perspective, 151 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:25,040 but I, I appreciate that, you know, but I think as a product, 152 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:30,160 like, I think the, the adding in the stakes of qualifying was a 153 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:34,440 good addition, but I think entirely losing the kind of fun 154 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:37,800 element of it and the kind of maybe having, I don't think they 155 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:40,800 needed quite as many of those fun relays as they used to have, 156 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:43,800 but maybe a couple of them, maybe a one or two distance 157 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:48,480 relays or, you know, whether that's a 4 by 8 or a, or a, or a 158 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,800 DMR or some something, something along those lines. 159 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,280 I think a, a couple of those might have been fun just to 160 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,520 break things up a little bit. But, but that being said, look, 161 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:02,240 I I think everyone's in agreement that Botswana really 162 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:05,480 put on a show. Yeah, the crowds are insane. 163 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,080 Yeah, especially the second day, like 25,000 seater stadium, 164 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:13,880 absolutely ram to capacity and they were loud as anything that 165 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,680 came through watching on TV. One of the cameras is shaking 166 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:20,000 because of how loud it was. Exactly. 167 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,960 So, you know, I think I think that's really good and, and 168 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:27,160 obviously it's really cool that there's there's two cool 169 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:28,280 aspects. Obviously over the last few 170 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:32,760 weeks, they've been a series of a continental tour events in, 171 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:38,040 you know, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa and and Botswana, which 172 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,080 is really good in terms of the sport. 173 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:42,840 And actually, because world relays were there, there are a 174 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:46,000 lot of athletes who are training in South Africa or in Botswana 175 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,600 at a pre camp and actually made the effort then to to pop over 176 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:51,280 to some of these African meets as well. 177 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,560 So you had a few more Sprint stars than you might normally 178 00:10:54,560 --> 00:10:57,400 get at these meets, which was which he got a bit more depth to 179 00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,720 the sprints at some of these meats, which was good. 180 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:04,600 And, and I think in general, like obviously we've seen that 181 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,000 South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, they're growing powers in the 182 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,840 sprints, like Kenya's 4400 runners are improving rapidly. 183 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:15,200 So that that's kind of that they they're going to be in the mix 184 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:16,720 in the next couple of years I imagine as well. 185 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,520 But yeah, we've seen some impressive results from from 186 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:22,800 some of the African teams. So I think. 187 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,480 The thing is good, it is good for the sport. 188 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:29,480 That's one thing that track has successfully done that F1 has 189 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:32,440 not is unlock Africa. And like because we have all 190 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:38,560 these stars who hail from there, there's an incentive I guess 191 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:42,560 there for World Athletics to tap into those countries and 192 00:11:42,560 --> 00:11:44,640 activate there. And so, yeah, I mean, like you 193 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:48,160 see it even just with Kenya, like they, I'm pretty sure 194 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:52,560 athletics Kenya and the folks behind the Kip Keno Classic are 195 00:11:52,680 --> 00:11:56,720 trying their best to make that thing into a hit of a meet so 196 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:59,520 that they can elevate it to Diamond League status, right? 197 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:04,080 They want huge crowds. They implemented wavelike 198 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:07,000 technology this year. So like there is an investment 199 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:10,640 in African athletics right now, which is a good thing. 200 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:14,400 And so it All in all, I mean, like those are definitely the 201 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:18,280 the positives. I think that that come out of 202 00:12:18,680 --> 00:12:21,640 this past weekend. But yeah, I mean, the, the, the 203 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,320 problem with just sort of like the qualifying angle that that 204 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:26,760 you mentioned. It's great that they've, you 205 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:29,480 know, raised the stakes for all these other countries not named 206 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:34,720 the US to take advantage of and but by leaving just the two 207 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:38,840 teams to qualify based off of time or world ranking, whatever 208 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:43,000 it is, is the only is that that little sliver of the door that 209 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:47,720 you left open is enough for the United States to take and be 210 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:51,360 like, all right, well, we're just going to take our women's 4 211 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:56,160 by 1 or whatever it is. And when the Monaco Diamond 212 00:12:56,160 --> 00:13:00,000 League host, it's the, you know, they usually hold a relay or 213 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,120 something like that. We'll just stack that the team 214 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:06,200 at that meet and hopefully qualify A-Team or whatever it 215 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:07,280 is. Or now they're even doing it 216 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:10,840 like right, the USATF implemented all these meets here 217 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,400 in the States that have relays as well. 218 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:15,200 So we're going to get it, I guess, a little bit more into 219 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:19,720 the specifics around relay qualifying because, you know, 220 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:22,520 it's part of the reason why the US was absent in the four by 221 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:27,040 4:00 and also ties in perfectly, I guess to the other topic that 222 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:30,600 we wanted to discuss and that's the return of Allison Felix. 223 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,640 Cause all these things kind of go hand in hand. 224 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,880 Coincidentally after this weekend, but top level 225 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:42,720 highlights from World Relays. Jamaica broke their own mixed 4 226 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:49,080 by 1 world record clocking in the final 39.62 that was 227 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:52,360 anchored by Elaine Thompson. Hurrah. 228 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:54,920 No. No, she was 4 by 1. 229 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:56,720 No. That was Tierra, Tina Clayton 230 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,240 and yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, right. 231 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:02,360 But regardless, I guess it was Canada held, it held the world 232 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,120 record I think for what like 5 minutes and then yeah, pretty 233 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:07,800 much it was broken by Jamaica and then broken by Jamaica again 234 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:11,360 the next day. USA dominated the mixed 4 by 4, 235 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:15,800 smashing the World Relays record with a three three O 7. 236 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,920 Botswana delivered in the men's 4x4. 237 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:20,360 We're going to talk about that one, I think a bit more 238 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:25,040 extensively With the 254.47, the third fastest time in history. 239 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:30,880 the US men won the 4 by 137.43. Jamaica took the women's four by 240 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:32,240 one. That's the one that was anchored 241 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,840 by Elaine Thompson. Hurrah 42 flat. 242 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:40,480 Norway surprised the field to win the women's 4x4 in a world 243 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:43,800 lead of 320, national record for them. 244 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,520 And actually, I was going to do a quick look what, what, how 245 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:54,040 well did Norway do in the women's 4x4 at the Tokyo World 246 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:56,160 Championships and at the Paris Olympics? 247 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:58,440 Because like, everyone's really shocked by by this. 248 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,000 I don't think they even, I don't even know if they were in it, 249 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,080 but because I think the the issue that they've had is that 250 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:05,640 they've always had one or two good runners. 251 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:08,080 But Emily Ewell has been around for a little while. 252 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:10,880 She's a 400 hurdler and she's very good. 253 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:13,520 And Henrietti Yeager has obviously come up quite 254 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:15,240 substantially over the last couple of years, but they 255 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:18,880 haven't really had anyone else to kind of support that team. 256 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:23,720 And, and so, yeah, we, we were kind of hoping for those two 257 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,440 plus cast in more home. And, and I think there was in 258 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:30,320 Valdson who had a bit of a breakthrough in Budapest to make 259 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,840 a really good mixed 4 by 4, but they don't seem to have kind of 260 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:35,160 gone down that route. But, but now it looks like they, 261 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:39,120 they've got a bit of depth in the, in the women's 400. 262 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:41,440 So. I I just looked it up and Norway 263 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,200 was 6 at the World Championships last summer in the women's 4 by 264 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,200 4. Yeah. 265 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:50,520 So it's, yeah. Where were the top five? 266 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:56,200 Well, so if we go through just sort of like winners and losers, 267 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:58,320 right? Like, well, one of the US didn't 268 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:00,720 field a 4 by 4, So that's one of the teams. 269 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:06,280 What's up with the Netherlands? Because like, it seems like no 270 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,720 Femca Bowl. That's part of the issue, right? 271 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:13,200 They didn't have a fan of ball. They didn't have Kathleen Peters 272 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:18,160 who's who's been injured. And yeah, Lika Klava maybe at 273 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:21,200 this point in the season is not not quite at her best as well. 274 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,600 So you know that and that's fair enough. 275 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:28,000 Like you could understand also that the time point of the 276 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,600 season as well that different athletes will be in in 277 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,760 different, different positions. Henrietta Jaeger probably had a 278 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,920 bit of AB in a bonnet after what happened to her while while 279 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:42,440 indoors she was probably a bit mad and and so I I don't know if 280 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:44,840 she was carrying that anger into this race to. 281 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:46,320 Never heard the be in the bonnet. 282 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,680 That's a yeah, that's a quite very little phrase, but yeah, 283 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:54,240 yeah. So she yeah. 284 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:59,280 So she, I, I, I, I do think that that she maybe maybe had that 285 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:02,680 and, and, and she put on a bit of a show which you know, and as 286 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,359 like last year it was Spain that that ran really well as well. 287 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:09,200 They they did so again at this meet in the womens''s 4x4 and 288 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:14,240 the four by one. And yeah, I think we are seeing 289 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:16,480 more countries level up a little bit. 290 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:20,079 I think that is that is the general theme of of this meet 291 00:17:20,319 --> 00:17:23,119 that that may not mean that they'll meddle when it comes to 292 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:26,640 the global championships necessarily, but I think it just 293 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:30,240 means that there's a bit more strength in depth in those 294 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:32,680 relays when it comes to a global championships. 295 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:36,680 And I think that is good because it does mean that in the heat 296 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:38,600 you can't rest your stars, right? 297 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,360 And, and things like that, like some of the teams obviously in 298 00:17:42,360 --> 00:17:43,960 the heat. So the World Championships might 299 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:47,120 not be able to feel their stars. And then, you know, now, now 300 00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:48,880 there's a much bigger risk. You don't make it through if you 301 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:52,280 do that. So I think it's all good for the 302 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:54,040 sport. It will give us better races 303 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:55,560 come the World Championships as well. 304 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:58,640 Yeah, I'm now I'm looking at these results side by side. 305 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:02,840 OK, so no US 4x4 team Jamaica didn't make the final, and 306 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:04,600 Jamaica was a silver medalist in Tokyo. 307 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:08,320 The Netherlands ended a finishing fifth, but that's 308 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:13,160 because they only had let's see, I'm looking at the teams right 309 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:21,080 now. They had Clover and that's it. 310 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:25,440 Lika Clover was the only oh and Evelyn Sahlberg like only half 311 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:32,000 the team was there from Tokyo and then six or who else was it? 312 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:36,280 Belgium was not in the final Poland was not in the final. 313 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:43,360 So what is that? That's 5/4 of the five teams 314 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:47,640 ahead of them from Tokyo weren't in the World Relays final. 315 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:53,280 So, all right, interesting. And that's how Norway won the 316 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:59,720 women's 4 by 4. If we go to the other events, US 317 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:03,960 was impressive in the event in the events that they did enter. 318 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:10,080 Oh bar 1 the the women's 4 by 1 was not impressive but but. 319 00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:12,640 Yeah, the women's 4 by 1 no showed, right. 320 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,200 Well, they no showed. They no showed for the final. 321 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:19,120 So they didn't qualify in the heats, They didn't qualify for 322 00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:21,840 the final. And then Samira Moody 323 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:25,080 unfortunately got injured and it seems like they didn't really 324 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:26,880 have a reserve or I guess they didn't. 325 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:29,600 Obviously they did have reserves because they had people from 326 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,200 there who were running the mixed 4 by 1, but I guess they didn't 327 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:35,160 want to slot them in and make them run 2 races in the space of 328 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:36,840 however, however long time it was. 329 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:41,920 So they they didn't unfortunately then then they DNS 330 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:44,280 in the final. But and that's a little 331 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:45,320 unfortunate. I think it's a little 332 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:47,480 unfortunate for the other athletes, right, who the other 333 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:50,560 three athletes are on that relay who didn't get to have a second 334 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:52,800 run out, having flown all the way to Botswana. 335 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,720 So, but, you know, I guess injury is injury, but it is a 336 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,560 bit of a shame that that obviously one injury then derail 337 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:01,960 the whole kind of the team, the team and and, and obviously it's 338 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:05,120 a team that would have wanted to to perform after not having put 339 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:07,720 it together in in the in the in the first round. 340 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:10,240 It's a team that you would have liked to have performed, right. 341 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,360 So that is a bit of a shame. But but there we are. 342 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:16,760 But yeah, the obviously the other other teams, the the four 343 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:19,640 by one, the men's 4 by 1, by contrast, were very, very 344 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:23,800 impressive. They ran a a time that only two 345 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,480 countries have a national record that is faster so. 346 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:28,680 You know, and that's GB in Jamaica. 347 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:32,760 So I, I think that was a very impressive performance from, 348 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,680 from that men's, men's 4 by 1 to to. 349 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:41,000 You guys have chemistry and it's it it it kind of goes to show, I 350 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,320 guess like you could, I guess for the US, assemble a squad 351 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:49,400 that isn't, you know, I mean, it would be kind of crazy to get to 352 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,040 the World Championships and then be like, no, no Isles, you're 353 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:57,000 not on the four by one. But the most important thing is 354 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,640 that they got to stick around. Yeah. 355 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:02,800 I think that that is that is one of the interesting points, right 356 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:05,640 that we'll come on to when we talk about a relay selection and 357 00:21:06,120 --> 00:21:08,160 and and stuff for LA and and going forward. 358 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:12,440 But I think, but I think it is also because we're going to 359 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:14,760 start talking about some of the crazy times that we did see at 360 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:17,640 this meet. Also in the men's 4 by 4, it is 361 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:22,080 worth noting that this stadium is at 1000 meters of altitude. 362 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:25,000 It's just over 1000 meters, which is obviously not enough. 363 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,120 People are talking about that. What? 364 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:29,000 Not enough people are talking about it. 365 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:32,600 I feel like everyone's like obsessing over these splits and 366 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:35,600 times and then just like not noting the fact that like, 367 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:39,800 you're at 3000 feet of altitude. And, and just to kind of give us 368 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,000 a little bit of a sense of what that means. 369 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:47,040 So there's a place in in Europe, in in Switzerland called Lachau 370 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:51,280 da Fond, Yeah, which is, which is also at just. 371 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:53,760 It's just under 1000 meters, but it's basically the same 372 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:55,880 altitude. That's where Femco ran 50 point, 373 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:56,720 right? Exactly. 374 00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:59,480 It's it's, it's, it's where Femcobal has set her PB. 375 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:02,200 It's where a lot of European athletes have set their PBS and 376 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:06,200 you know, they, they go and run 234 tenths faster in whatever 377 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:11,080 event, Sprint event than they than they are then in, in a lot 378 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:12,840 of cases able to replicate elsewhere. 379 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:17,680 And and so it it is worth bearing that in mind that that 380 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:19,960 there potentially was a little bit of impact on that. 381 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:25,920 But I think even even with that in mind, I think some of 382 00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:28,920 obviously the performance was still hugely, hugely impressive 383 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,640 even if you did a did take that into account, particularly in 384 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:34,240 that in that men's 4x4 in the in the final, right. 385 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:39,200 So yeah, I think, I think it's a factor obviously, but it's, but 386 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:41,920 it's not, you know, it's not the only factor I think. 387 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,760 Can we also, I guess, address the distrust in this stadium, 388 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:53,680 which dates back to last year? They held a continental tour me 389 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:59,360 last year, but the reports the day or two before whether the 390 00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:01,320 lines hadn't even been drawn on the track. 391 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:06,240 It was a freshly, you know, laid out track and then they drew the 392 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,200 lines on it the day before where if you watch some of the 393 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:18,520 finishes from the Botswana Grand Prix 2025, if you looked at the 394 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:24,240 final 100 meters straight on the lines were squiggly, which is 395 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:27,600 not not what you want. And yet, you know, this didn't 396 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,000 wasn't an issue whatsoever. Like I don't remember seeing any 397 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:33,720 times being asterisked or marked on World Athletics profiles. 398 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,400 And so they kind of, you know, just accepted things. 399 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,040 And now this meet also ends up having an issue. 400 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,560 And I don't see as much talk about this, but the starting 401 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:49,520 line for lane three in the 4 by 4 on day one was incorrectly 402 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,120 placed. That meant that like any team 403 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:57,120 that started in that lane ran just a little bit short of 400 404 00:23:57,120 --> 00:23:59,680 meters, and I think that there was Who's it? 405 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,240 The Belgian coach Bram. Peters was the one he posted the 406 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:06,520 an image Yeah of them. He posted a photo of it of like 407 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:08,480 and even just sort of like how it was covered up. 408 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:12,120 The error was just like very very apparent. 409 00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:13,960 So it was about two meters, right? 410 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,600 It was about two meters. And there were three teams that 411 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:21,120 that ran in lane three that then qualified to the final. 412 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:29,200 There was, was it Qatar? Qatar, Australia on the men's 413 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,800 side in the four by four. And there was Canada on the 414 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,080 women's side. Now the only one that was kind 415 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,560 of close enough for that 2 meters to have made a difference 416 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:44,840 was I think Qatar beating out Spain by .4 or so of a second. 417 00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:48,400 And so that that was pretty close. 418 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:52,240 And that one Spain then did qualify the next day. 419 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:55,480 So they didn't miss out on qualification as a result of of 420 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:57,520 the error. So, and, and I think obviously 421 00:24:57,520 --> 00:24:59,960 we, we do have to say look it, it only did affect the people 422 00:24:59,960 --> 00:25:02,800 running in, in lane, in lane 3, so. 423 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:05,560 Yeah, it was it. They caught it during the meet 424 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:10,440 and they patched it up and the next day, you know, they did the 425 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,240 photo that was shared I think online made it look pretty 426 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:15,720 obvious, but there wasn't. I don't remember seeing any sort 427 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:18,880 of official acknowledgement from like World Athletics about this. 428 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:23,880 No corrective action, I guess, over the results from from day 429 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,520 one because one, it would have been a complete nightmare. 430 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:32,040 Imagine having to void all of the results of day one in the 431 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:38,160 four by four PR disaster like, but as long as no major nation 432 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:42,520 lost out on like a final spot due to those lane three teams 433 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,760 having a little bit of benefit there really I guess wasn't 434 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:50,640 enough pressure to act upon it. But the video analysis is out 435 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:52,400 there. I think I've seen on on Twitter 436 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:56,600 that some of these day one splits were just unreliable. 437 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:01,560 And I mean, day 2 ends up being a bit better. 438 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:05,080 But then there's just like there's a lot of things I guess 439 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:07,960 to to factor in. But that one also just sort of, 440 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:10,840 I guess when I saw I was like, what is like, how is this 441 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:15,760 happening at a global championship level meet? 442 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:20,280 And yeah, they just, hey, I mean, I guess like the crowds 443 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:22,120 are great. You don't want to mess with just 444 00:26:22,120 --> 00:26:25,720 the atmosphere of things. But that was another thing that 445 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:27,400 I was just like, what is happening here? 446 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:34,000 But OK, let's get into the four by fours and let's start with 447 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:40,200 why the US. the US is not here. So for context, I guess to set 448 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:41,960 the table, some of the reasons I think are pretty 449 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:45,520 straightforward. The best Americans didn't want 450 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:51,520 to have to travel all that far. And then it's a long expensive 451 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:59,680 trip and World Relays is lower on some of these athletes title 452 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,560 pyramids like we're bringing if we if we bring back just sort of 453 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:05,520 that concept that we talked about World Relays a little bit 454 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:08,760 lower for some folks. I'm surprised that diamonds on 455 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:11,120 the medals didn't tempt more of them, but you know, you'd have 456 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:13,240 thought if they'd if they'd advertised that a bit earlier, 457 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:14,240 they might have changed their minds. 458 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,640 But who knows? It's so when it, it's already 459 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:21,000 like a lower priority event for you, you're not going to, you 460 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:25,040 know, risk injury at them, especially this early on into 461 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:27,760 the outdoor season. So for, I mean, these are not 462 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:33,440 new reasons for not for, for the absence from World Relays, but 463 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:37,120 because in the past the US has still sent, you know, AB squad 464 00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:40,960 or AC squad to the World Relays in China. 465 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:43,920 And the results kind of show for it when they don't walk away 466 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,000 with gold. And the second bit of irony is 467 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,720 that pretty much all the top American sprinters ran a 4x4 468 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:53,720 about two weeks ago in one of the the relay meets either at 469 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:56,440 the Florida or Texas relays. Like there were a lot of the top 470 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:58,200 Americans running, running 4 by fours. 471 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:01,600 So it's not like they weren't ready to run a 4 by 4. 472 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:06,320 OK, a season opener 4x4 rather than a, you know, championship 4 473 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:08,320 by 4. But but nonetheless, they were. 474 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,960 Yeah, I don't think you want to go in undercooked for what 475 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:15,040 Botswana was ready to hand out. Probably not. 476 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,120 And then it goes to show, I guess, like when the US doesn't 477 00:28:19,120 --> 00:28:22,600 take World Relays seriously because you'll end up with a 478 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:26,240 women's 4x4 team that can run 3/24 at World Relays and then 479 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:31,680 come back and run, you know, 3-16 at the world outdoor 480 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:34,640 championships couple months later with a whole different set 481 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:38,840 of athletes. So anyway, that was part of the 482 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:42,840 first reason was just sort of top stars cost saving. 483 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:49,120 But then you know, because World Relays is not the only 484 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:52,040 qualification route. That means that there's still 485 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:54,480 spots on the line for the ultimate championships in 486 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:58,080 Beijing 2027 based off of world rankings. 487 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:03,520 And so the US has its own Ave. to try and qualify with some of 488 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:07,360 these domestic meets, whether it's 10 relays, Drake Relays, 489 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:14,120 USATF, you know, meet out in Texas, LA, whatever it is, you 490 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:18,000 accumulate a good group of athletes, you throw down a 491 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:22,640 strong time and you can qualify for way less cost and less of a 492 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:27,560 logistical headache. And so USATF basically said, why 493 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:32,000 spend the money on on sending out this team to AB team out to 494 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,920 Botswana when we can just run faster at home meets and qualify 495 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:38,880 more easily and save budget for that programming for when 496 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,960 athletes actually qualify for these meets in 20272028. 497 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:46,120 So what? It's a cost saving measure. 498 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:48,920 We all know, I guess like some of the financial hardships that 499 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:52,840 USATF has found itself in. But now also, I guess what we 500 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:57,720 miss out on is USA versus Botswana in the 4 by 4 on 501 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,560 Botswana's home soil, which would have been one of the best 502 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:04,040 races of the year, added to the rivalry. 503 00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:08,320 But it basically fell to the wayside because of, you know, 504 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,840 resource allocation. That's it. 505 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:12,800 Yeah. I mean, yeah, it's a bit of a 506 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:14,800 shame, but yeah, as I say, there's those four spots 507 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:19,280 available for Beijing for, for the men's and women's 4x4 and 508 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:21,440 and the men's and women's four by ones. 509 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:27,520 And yeah, those you know, you, you can be almost certain that 510 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:31,240 it's done on top list. So the fastest just they have to 511 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:34,400 run 1 fast time at a qualifying me. 512 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:39,240 And and so as I say, you would expect us to very easily even 513 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:43,360 with some of these early season relays next year to to top that 514 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,360 list. I mean, it will be interesting 515 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:48,840 because there's also been some talk of changing where you can 516 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:53,400 qualify, IE which meets you can run times that, qualifying times 517 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:54,640 that. And I wonder if that will apply 518 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:57,240 to the relays because obviously then a lot of these, because 519 00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:59,280 otherwise, you know, it might be just some random collegiate team 520 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:02,640 that runs a super fast time that gets the USA qualified. 521 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:05,320 But, but that may not be allowed. 522 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:06,840 I don't know. So we'll have to see when the 523 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:09,040 detail of those rules come out because we haven't seen them 524 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:11,600 yet. But, but as I say, you would 525 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:16,600 expect if need be, the US will put together a relay team at a 526 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:20,960 appropriate meet and, and, and run the time for for all those 527 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:24,800 you know, for the women's 4 by 1 and the men's and women's four 528 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:26,720 by fours at some point next year. 529 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:31,360 As of right now, would it count if like a group of four 530 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:34,240 Americans at an NCAA school, which is getting harder to find? 531 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:38,360 I guess an NCA school that will field a full team of Americans, 532 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:43,600 a group of four Americans on a relay, runs a fast enough time 533 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,600 at the NCAA outdoor championships. 534 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:47,640 Does it count? Like would that qualify? 535 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:49,120 Yeah, potentially. Yeah, it would. 536 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:51,800 Yeah, Yeah, it would. And then if I don't know again 537 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:54,280 what the there are some limitations around meats and 538 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:57,120 whatever, but I think historically, yes, it would have 539 00:31:57,120 --> 00:32:00,160 done. So and those NCAA relays are 540 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:02,600 crazy fast. Yeah, exactly. 541 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:05,320 So, yeah, it's perfectly possible that that the 542 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:07,040 qualifying could could have been achieved that way. 543 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:09,880 And as I say, obviously a lot of other countries wouldn't have 544 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,480 quite have that like, well, pretty much any other country 545 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:18,440 wouldn't have that luxury. So yeah, that is that is why I 546 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:20,320 guess. And and I think this, I mean, 547 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:21,960 this is a general problem throughout the sport. 548 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:25,720 Like we have the same issue with the the qualifying, you know, 549 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,000 having qualifying standards for World Championships. 550 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,960 And we say, oh, the fastest athletes are always going to be 551 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:34,040 able to run these super hard qualifying times first time out. 552 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:37,120 So there's no incentive for them to race like the top American 553 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:39,480 stars to go to you up to race if they don't want to, right. 554 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:42,480 Sydney, you know, we've talked a lot about Sydney and we talked 555 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:45,720 about other athletes in the past who haven't raced on the circuit 556 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:47,920 as much as maybe people would have liked them to. 557 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:52,040 And, you know, that's just the way the system works because you 558 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:55,440 don't as well athletics, you don't want to risk any of your 559 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:57,680 top stars missing out from the big dance, right? 560 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:01,120 Because that is the other issue that on the flip side, if that 561 00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:03,960 meant that, you know, an athlete who's, you know, a superstar 562 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:07,120 athlete just coming back from injury would miss out or a 563 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:10,280 superstar athlete who, you know, you know, can't travel, 564 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:13,600 whatever, whatever it is, you know, you, you, you, you risk 565 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:17,040 missing out on that. So I think that is where it's 566 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:19,440 the same principle that you have to allow this this kind of 567 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:23,080 safety valve because otherwise you risk spoiling your main 568 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:27,240 product for the purposes of improving your regular season 569 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:29,400 product. And that's, I think, the thing 570 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,360 that that obviously World Athletics is understandably 571 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:36,120 reluctant to do. This episode of the Sidious Mac 572 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:40,400 Podcast is supported by Vellas. You know that walk back to your 573 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:43,720 car after a long run? The one where every step feels 574 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:47,440 like a negotiation? That's exactly the moment Vellas 575 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:50,720 is built for. 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Code Sidious Mag 20. 602 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:30,320 This episode of the Sidious Mag Podcast is presented by Wahoo. 603 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:35,320 If you've been paying attention to our shows and you dabble in 604 00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:37,760 the indoor running space, you already know about the Wahoo 605 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:39,480 Kicker Run. It's the treadmill that has 606 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:42,280 changed the game. Run Free mode matches your pace 607 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:44,760 automatically. The deck feels like real 608 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:48,360 asphalt, and it can simulate any course profile that you throw at 609 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:49,960 it. It's the treadmill that follows 610 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:53,240 you, not the other way around. 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And both are available now 622 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:38,280 through Wahoo directly. Wahoo already redefined indoor 623 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:40,680 training for cyclists. They did it again for runners 624 00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:43,760 with the Kicker Run, and now they've got watches that go 625 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:46,520 along with it. One system, inside and out. 626 00:36:46,720 --> 00:36:49,680 You can learn more at wahoofitness.com. 627 00:36:52,240 --> 00:36:56,360 All right, so getting into the men's 4x4, which was the race of 628 00:36:56,360 --> 00:37:01,120 the weekend, Botswana ended up producing one of the most 629 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:05,840 jaw-dropping relay performances in history, winning in 2 630 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:10,600 minutes, 5454.47 seconds. That was an African record, 631 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:16,720 number two all time, the second fastest country of all time. 632 00:37:16,720 --> 00:37:18,920 They improved upon their own national record. 633 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:24,240 South Africa runs 255 point O seven number three all time, 634 00:37:24,240 --> 00:37:27,640 Australia 255.20 number four all time. 635 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:31,320 And these countries are breathing down the neck of that 636 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:38,280 world record of 254.29 set by the US in 1993 with Valman 637 00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:40,560 Watts, Reynolds and Michael Johnson. 638 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:46,360 It remains, but just barely. Best part about this race is 639 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:48,760 when all three of the anchor legs. 640 00:37:49,240 --> 00:37:53,080 So that was what Botswana had Kevin A Shippy, South Africa had 641 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:57,240 Nene and Australia had Aidan Murphy. 642 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:01,480 All of them were shoulder to shoulder around the final bend. 643 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:07,000 Murphy ends up trying to go wide trying to pass Kevin A Shippy. 644 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:11,600 The balls it takes to try and do that on the backstretch burned 645 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:14,840 out a little bit of energy and ultimately ended up finishing 646 00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:17,120 third. Kevin A Shippy's closing speed 647 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:22,720 was, I mean, we saw the dude run 989 like earlier this year and 648 00:38:22,720 --> 00:38:29,400 so he was looking strong and yeah, he just kind of crushed in 649 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:32,360 the final 50 meters honestly. Like he probably had a little 650 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:35,840 bit left in the tank. Tobogo splits wise maybe also 651 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:40,720 had some area for improvement that it's it's surprising that 652 00:38:40,720 --> 00:38:43,560 the world record ended up standing all things considered. 653 00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:47,600 The preet I guess. What were your big takeaways 654 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:51,440 watching this one? Yeah, I mean, look, I think it's 655 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:55,120 it may maybe first of all a word for for Australia and and South 656 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:59,080 Africa who who put on some, some hugely impressive performances. 657 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:02,040 And I think I mean South Africa, we kind of knew they were they 658 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:04,000 were a force in the 4 by 4 from last year. 659 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:08,600 I think they won world relays last year and you know, they 660 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:11,120 they have, you know, and they and they were they were third in 661 00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:14,080 Tokyo, I think. So you know, they, they are an 662 00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:16,120 emerging force. We know that Nene is one of the 663 00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:19,120 top runners in the world. They seem to have found a 664 00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:22,680 diamond in, in, in Kokomo, who's only, I think, 18 or 19 years 665 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:28,680 old and, and he's new and obviously life Pillai on that 666 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:34,600 second leg who ran the fastest split of all time and which is 667 00:39:34,720 --> 00:39:38,760 which is absolutely bonkers. Faster than 42.66 is the 668 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:41,520 official split. And they've been people who've 669 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:44,040 been, you know, who are the regular kind of people who 670 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:47,400 reliable people who time these splits as well from the video 671 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:49,840 feeds and stuff. And they said, yeah, it was 672 00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:54,920 definitely A427 unless the video feed has been slow, you know, 673 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:57,480 speed up or something. It was a 42 seven. 674 00:39:57,480 --> 00:40:00,320 So. Which was approximately I think 675 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:04,440 from. But I saw 20.4 for the 1st 200 676 00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:08,440 and then 22.3 for the second-half of it. 677 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:14,320 Yeah, but the, the amazing thing there was that he, he looked 678 00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:16,880 like he was speeding up in the second-half of that right, which 679 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:18,640 was bizarre. But I, I imagine that was 680 00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:22,520 probably because tomorrow I was slowing down slightly and he was 681 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:27,480 just going, kept going. And he, you know, he's, he's 682 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:31,440 obviously he's a 44 three runner at sort of in the open 4. 683 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:33,520 So he's good. And altitude. 684 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:36,680 He's, yeah, he's, he's, he's 23 years old. 685 00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:40,880 You know, he's rapidly improving and and maybe he is someone who 686 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:44,200 similar to the likes of a cabinet ship he is, is due a bit 687 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:48,920 bit of a breakthrough at the kind of at that kind of level, 688 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:52,920 you know, because obviously Kevin, that shippy and he was on 689 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:55,760 that relay in Paris, but we didn't really know who he was 690 00:40:55,760 --> 00:41:00,720 right at that point in time. And I think, yeah, he's 691 00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:02,880 obviously had an emergence this year. 692 00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:04,720 And I think Pillai is another one of these guys. 693 00:41:04,720 --> 00:41:09,120 Maybe maybe it's his turn this year, but but either way, right, 694 00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:12,320 yes, look, yeah, the split was altitude, but but nonetheless, 695 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:16,400 like to actually do it that way and to gauge your your split 696 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:19,200 perfectly and gauge your like perfectly, very impressive. 697 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:22,920 And he actually ran that fast. So, you know, full, full credit 698 00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:26,680 to him for doing that. And Australia, I think you know, 699 00:41:26,720 --> 00:41:29,320 Aidan Murphy, I think backing up the, you know, obviously 700 00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:33,920 everyone was kind of again skeptical of the 19.88 he ran at 701 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:35,640 the Australian trials in 200 meters. 702 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:37,800 And I think he's backed it up. He's kind of said, look, I'm. 703 00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:40,080 You had a little bit of validation here for sure. 704 00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:44,080 Yeah, and then you know that they've got three guys splitting 705 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:47,800 43, right, Reese Holder, TomTom Reynolds and obviously and on 706 00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:51,080 the opener, Luke Van Ruttingen run A448, which for an opening 707 00:41:51,080 --> 00:41:53,360 leg out of blocks is is also decent. 708 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:57,000 So you know that that's a really good team that they've got there 709 00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:00,960 and and and they've got Keeper Sherman and a couple other guys 710 00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:03,360 who are in the mixed as well. The mixed team also run really 711 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:07,760 well. So yeah, I think you know that 712 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:12,080 they've got the depth hopefully to kind of then be consistent 713 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:14,360 enough to to kind of be a force going forward. 714 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:18,840 So I think that's exciting and to run a time as crazy as that, 715 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:21,840 even if you say you take a second off it, even say you take 716 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:24,640 2 seconds off it, it's still a hugely impressive time. 717 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:27,040 And that's the great thing for both South Africa and Australia 718 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:29,520 say, you know, even if you were to factor in the altitude you 719 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:32,120 took a couple of seconds off their, their national record 720 00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:35,120 would be, you know, it would be right up there, right? 721 00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:40,880 If you do it, you know, 257 would still be like eighth 722 00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:45,240 fastest all time, right? So it's not it, it, it, it's 723 00:42:45,240 --> 00:42:47,640 still, you know, it's, it's just very, very impressive. 724 00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:54,000 And I yeah, I don't know what more to say about them, but but 725 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:57,480 I think if we go on to Botswana. Let me let me just really quick 726 00:42:57,480 --> 00:43:00,800 chime in on South Africa. Big thing on South Africa that 727 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:05,760 I'm wondering is like, they must be just like kicking themselves 728 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:08,360 thinking what if Wade van Niekerk had never played that 729 00:43:08,360 --> 00:43:12,360 one game of rugby and gotten. Oh yes, he got injured just 730 00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:15,720 before these championships as well, so Can you imagine? 731 00:43:15,720 --> 00:43:17,200 Oh. It's going to be part of this. 732 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:18,520 Game he was going to be part of it. 733 00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:20,440 He Wade van Niekerk was going to be part. 734 00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:23,200 Can you imagine if Wade van Niekerk had been part of this 735 00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:25,520 team? Like, I don't know who you would 736 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:27,920 have replaced, frankly, but. No, that's the thing that I'm 737 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:29,960 like kind of looking at. I was like, well, who's the weak 738 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:31,520 link of these four? Because these four are really 739 00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:33,560 strong. Yeah. 740 00:43:33,560 --> 00:43:35,880 You're going to you're going to deny the 400 world record holder 741 00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:44,280 a spot on Lythe Pele, which is like, so respect to him for I 742 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:47,480 mean, he's been really good since he was young. 743 00:43:47,480 --> 00:43:53,840 He was the 2020 two 400 meter world U20 champion and he's seen 744 00:43:53,840 --> 00:43:56,760 some really good progression over the years. 745 00:43:57,920 --> 00:44:02,080 So I know I threw out like, oh, you said yeah, he's a 44 three 746 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:04,360 guy. I'm like, yeah, but at altitude. 747 00:44:04,520 --> 00:44:07,360 And that's because one of his mark from earlier this year, 748 00:44:08,160 --> 00:44:11,920 44.32, was run in Johannesburg, which is that altitude. 749 00:44:12,280 --> 00:44:13,840 So then I looked it up. I was like, well, I mean, hold 750 00:44:13,840 --> 00:44:16,280 on a SEC, Is his PR actually at altitude? 751 00:44:16,680 --> 00:44:24,600 His PR 44.31 from Peerdermesburg from South Africa is not marked 752 00:44:24,600 --> 00:44:26,600 as an altitude mark. But then I had to look it up and 753 00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:32,360 I was like, well, how that pyramids Berg like how high up 754 00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:34,960 is it? And it's that one's still 2000 755 00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:38,000 feet of altitude. So if you want to account for 756 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:43,400 his best non altitude aided time, it would probably be he's 757 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:49,560 a 44 five guy from Monaco 2024, where he finished third to 758 00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:53,040 Quincy Hall and Vernon Norwood. He did beat Kevin and Shippy in 759 00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:55,880 that race, you know, two years ago. 760 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:59,440 And last, where was he last year? 761 00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:03,280 He didn't make the final for the 400 in Tokyo. 762 00:45:03,600 --> 00:45:07,280 He ended up out of being bounced in the semi finals. 763 00:45:07,680 --> 00:45:12,000 So he's still super young, 23 years old, good potential. 764 00:45:13,520 --> 00:45:16,920 But yeah, so I mean, just some context on the guy who now holds 765 00:45:16,920 --> 00:45:21,160 the fastest 404 by 4 split of all time. 766 00:45:21,520 --> 00:45:25,560 And yeah, you have to account for that altitude, the air 767 00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:28,240 resistance that helps the sprinters. 768 00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:33,000 But he did look legit in holding his own against Toboga. 769 00:45:33,040 --> 00:45:41,040 So that was my thoughts on South Africa and for Australia, yeah, 770 00:45:41,040 --> 00:45:43,800 I mean, my my take away was like Aidan Murphy's case gets a 771 00:45:43,800 --> 00:45:48,040 little stronger. That is 1988 was more credible, 772 00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:51,960 but still we want to see it in more races. 773 00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:55,040 And then the other what if is, what if Gaut got was on this 774 00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:56,840 relay? Probably would have helped them 775 00:45:56,840 --> 00:45:59,480 a little bit. Yeah, I don't know about that. 776 00:45:59,480 --> 00:46:01,600 He's a, he's a 12 guy. I think so, yeah. 777 00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:03,600 You never know. For now, we'll see. 778 00:46:03,720 --> 00:46:06,120 We'll see. All right, then let's get to 779 00:46:06,120 --> 00:46:10,840 Botswana because this, this was super impressive. 780 00:46:12,720 --> 00:46:16,240 Does this make them the favorite going into world? 781 00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:18,800 Well, no. There's No 4 by 4 world relays. 782 00:46:18,800 --> 00:46:20,680 Or there is. No, there's No 4 by 4. 783 00:46:21,240 --> 00:46:22,960 It's a mix. There's only a mixed 4 by 1 and 784 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:25,200 a mixed, mixed 4 by 4. So we can talk about those in a 785 00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:27,720 minute, but. So we got a whole night of the 786 00:46:27,720 --> 00:46:30,560 year before and. This is this is the unfortunate 787 00:46:30,560 --> 00:46:33,600 thing and This is why I think we would have loved to see the TBI 788 00:46:33,600 --> 00:46:35,520 say that, right? Because this was the 789 00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:36,840 opportunity. Otherwise, we're not going to 790 00:46:36,840 --> 00:46:38,320 see it for another 18 months nearly. 791 00:46:38,320 --> 00:46:41,480 So it's it's a real shame because yeah, who knows, right? 792 00:46:41,480 --> 00:46:44,120 What happens in that intervening time, Who gets injured? 793 00:46:44,120 --> 00:46:46,440 What happens? Is it going to be the a rematch 794 00:46:46,440 --> 00:46:49,600 of the same same people like you just don't know? 795 00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:52,400 You know, we we've talked about the curse of the 400 meter world 796 00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:56,280 champions over the last last few years, right, And and so the 400 797 00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:59,120 is one of these events where where people do do get injured 798 00:46:59,120 --> 00:47:04,040 and and stuff like that. But you know, I I think Lee EPI 799 00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:06,400 very impressive 44 two first leg. 800 00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:09,200 I mean, that's that's really solid out of blocks and a relay. 801 00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:13,560 And then Tobogo 43 five and he comes. 802 00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:17,800 He's the third fastest his leg because of life Pillai and and 803 00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:21,720 Reese holder of Australia. But you know, it's still a 804 00:47:22,120 --> 00:47:26,680 pretty decent split and a 43 some 43 points split is nothing 805 00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:30,560 to be sniffed at. And Indori is the the bronze 806 00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:34,080 medalist outdoors in Tokyo and again runs 43 six and they 807 00:47:34,080 --> 00:47:36,680 swapped around. So it was Indori bringing it 808 00:47:36,680 --> 00:47:41,360 home in the the first round as the anchor leg and they, they 809 00:47:41,360 --> 00:47:43,280 swapped it round for this. And I think that was partly 810 00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:45,400 because maybe they wanted to give and Dory his moment as well 811 00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:47,440 because he is an outdoor medalist for Botswana. 812 00:47:47,440 --> 00:47:50,600 And obviously just because Kevin Shippy's on it. 813 00:47:50,640 --> 00:47:53,120 I think they, they just let Kevin Shippy run the 4th third 814 00:47:53,120 --> 00:47:56,000 leg and then Dory run the anchor in the first, the first time 815 00:47:56,000 --> 00:48:02,880 they they they were out there and Kevin Shippy, I mean, I do 816 00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:05,800 wonder they, they made it very, very clear that they were going 817 00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:07,960 for that world record. And I think they said it, I 818 00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:10,000 think Tomogo said it in the interview afterwards as well. 819 00:48:10,360 --> 00:48:12,120 Like that's what they were aiming for. 820 00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:15,360 But I think also the main things, the main thing they had 821 00:48:15,360 --> 00:48:16,760 to win in front of the home crowd. 822 00:48:16,760 --> 00:48:19,120 And I think I think that might have meant that Kevin actually P 823 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:22,040 maybe did sit. It looked like he sat in right. 824 00:48:22,040 --> 00:48:27,160 He sat in behind, behind nanny for a large chunk of that leg. 825 00:48:27,600 --> 00:48:31,160 And if he'd gone a bit earlier, maybe that world record would 826 00:48:31,320 --> 00:48:34,080 have gone. I think that that I think he he 827 00:48:34,080 --> 00:48:37,080 looked like he had more in the tank and just how easily he 828 00:48:37,080 --> 00:48:39,280 moved past nanny, like he had a lot there. 829 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:43,560 And obviously he had to make sure he won because you know, if 830 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:46,400 he if he tried to go for it and not one, like if there hadn't 831 00:48:46,400 --> 00:48:49,680 been anyone near them, which I think was maybe what they were 832 00:48:49,680 --> 00:48:53,640 anticipating with no Team USA there, then, then he would have, 833 00:48:53,640 --> 00:48:56,400 I'm sure he would have gone for it, maybe a push a little harder 834 00:48:56,400 --> 00:48:58,760 because even if he faded a little bit and not got the 835 00:48:58,760 --> 00:49:00,200 record, he would have still got the win. 836 00:49:00,200 --> 00:49:02,880 But I think here we see there was just a risk of, of not 837 00:49:02,880 --> 00:49:04,800 getting the win. And and obviously he had to go 838 00:49:04,800 --> 00:49:08,400 out wide to go around then A and so he ran a few extra yards as 839 00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:12,360 well. So yeah, who knows, but but I 840 00:49:12,360 --> 00:49:16,000 mean, Kevin R Shippy real deal consistently proves how good he 841 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:19,040 is, right? It's not it wasn't a fluke. 842 00:49:20,200 --> 00:49:23,560 So he's, yeah, I mean, he's expected. 843 00:49:23,560 --> 00:49:27,320 To call that when in Tokyo fluke after that, what we've seen over 844 00:49:27,320 --> 00:49:30,800 the last couple of months, no, the dude is really, really good. 845 00:49:31,120 --> 00:49:33,280 Yeah. I'm going to admit. 846 00:49:34,280 --> 00:49:36,280 I. I'm a little nervous for LA. 847 00:49:38,880 --> 00:49:41,360 Yeah, yeah. Look, I mean, I think I think 848 00:49:41,360 --> 00:49:42,640 this is the interesting thing, right? 849 00:49:42,640 --> 00:49:46,840 Like the Team USA could have like who knows, right. 850 00:49:46,880 --> 00:49:50,400 We could have the Quincy's, Quincy's back in, in top four. 851 00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:54,720 We could have Quincy Wilson progressing to to to the 852 00:49:54,720 --> 00:49:57,640 potential we think he has. Quincy Hall could be back. 853 00:49:57,640 --> 00:50:01,840 I mean, he's he's announced his return to competition at the Pre 854 00:50:01,840 --> 00:50:05,000 Classic as well. So that that's exciting. 855 00:50:05,600 --> 00:50:11,000 So yeah, we'll have to see how it all pans out, but let's just 856 00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:14,000 hope we get we get all the best athletes to the start line 857 00:50:14,000 --> 00:50:16,920 healthy in in, in Beijing and in LA. 858 00:50:17,960 --> 00:50:30,520 I I'm checking the schedule now and it looks like OK, the LA 859 00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:33,360 2028 schedule ends on the women's 4x4. 860 00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:37,280 That makes me feel a little bit better about how we close out 861 00:50:37,280 --> 00:50:42,800 this whole entire thing because you want a home Olympics to end 862 00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:46,760 on a good exclamation point. I don't want there to just be 863 00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:50,600 this other shock and awe. If Botswana manages to pull off 864 00:50:50,600 --> 00:50:53,520 the upset over the United States, they're not even an 865 00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:54,920 upset. I mean, they just would. 866 00:50:55,280 --> 00:50:58,280 Like at this point, it's just a no. 867 00:50:58,280 --> 00:51:01,680 It's just a really good like battle between two of the best 868 00:51:01,680 --> 00:51:04,120 in the world. I mean, I think there's a risk. 869 00:51:04,200 --> 00:51:08,440 I mean, I think right now there is a risk that USA come second, 870 00:51:08,600 --> 00:51:12,760 third, maybe even 4th, right if if Australia and South Africa. 871 00:51:12,960 --> 00:51:18,640 OK, don't get carried away. I think it makes it more 872 00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:20,720 intriguing, right? Like they were all there till 873 00:51:20,840 --> 00:51:22,920 the final leg, right. And even then on the final leg 874 00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:27,280 it was all pretty close. So I don't, I think there is 875 00:51:27,280 --> 00:51:31,160 definitely more, you know, there's definitely more jeopardy 876 00:51:31,160 --> 00:51:34,600 here than the USA has faced in a four men's 4x4 for a for a 877 00:51:34,600 --> 00:51:35,680 while. So other. 878 00:51:35,680 --> 00:51:37,640 Than the other thing to consider is that all these guys were 879 00:51:37,640 --> 00:51:42,000 fresh for these like during an Olympics or World Championships, 880 00:51:42,000 --> 00:51:45,760 you're going to have multiple rounds of individual races 881 00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:50,120 before you get to the final. And so that's another sort of 882 00:51:50,120 --> 00:51:53,960 kind of like fatigue, like tinier fatigue factor to add 883 00:51:53,960 --> 00:51:57,440 into things for a, you know, global championship like Beijing 884 00:51:57,440 --> 00:52:00,880 or for Tokyo. But I'm now I'm now just glad 885 00:52:01,320 --> 00:52:03,840 we're looking at the LA 2028 schedules, like, oh, OK, all 886 00:52:03,840 --> 00:52:06,760 right, we're going to have some cool moment where it'll be 887 00:52:06,760 --> 00:52:12,000 Sydney and Gabby, you know, on the four by four to close out 888 00:52:12,000 --> 00:52:16,600 the home Olympics on the track. That'll be nice. 889 00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:20,600 I need someone to explain to me why there's such a big 890 00:52:20,600 --> 00:52:25,280 disconnect between how incredibly good Botswana's men 891 00:52:25,280 --> 00:52:28,840 are versus how not as good the women are. 892 00:52:29,120 --> 00:52:31,840 They've only one woman who's broken 52 seconds. 893 00:52:31,960 --> 00:52:33,640 That's it. Well, I mean, look, I mean, 894 00:52:33,640 --> 00:52:36,760 obviously the heritage is there in Manly Montreux, who was 895 00:52:36,760 --> 00:52:41,240 obviously a world champion over the 400 meters going back a few 896 00:52:41,240 --> 00:52:43,400 years. And her and Isaac Makwala 897 00:52:43,640 --> 00:52:49,520 obviously kind of started this era, I suppose, of Botswana 898 00:52:49,640 --> 00:52:51,960 sprinting. But but I think, you know, you 899 00:52:51,960 --> 00:52:55,400 also have to realise that this is Africa. 900 00:52:55,400 --> 00:52:58,040 It's, you know, the country still developing. 901 00:52:58,040 --> 00:53:02,320 And that does mean that there will be fewer women potentially 902 00:53:02,320 --> 00:53:09,080 who are kind of pushed forward into things like elite sport in 903 00:53:09,080 --> 00:53:13,520 comparison to men. So I that that may be a part of 904 00:53:13,520 --> 00:53:16,720 it. I don't know that maybe but but 905 00:53:16,720 --> 00:53:19,880 I think now we're at a time where I think they are gradually 906 00:53:19,880 --> 00:53:22,640 improving. I think the, the, the second 907 00:53:22,640 --> 00:53:25,360 time they're mixed 4 by 4 round, it was, it was much improved. 908 00:53:25,360 --> 00:53:29,080 And I think, you know, maybe they they do have some up and 909 00:53:29,080 --> 00:53:31,000 coming athletes. I wouldn't be surprised if we 910 00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:33,680 see the women also coming up in the next couple of years because 911 00:53:33,680 --> 00:53:38,400 now there is enough kind of inspiration there to say, look, 912 00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:42,280 there were there were huge opportunities here for top 913 00:53:42,280 --> 00:53:44,240 athletes. And I think that's kind of what 914 00:53:44,240 --> 00:53:47,800 you need, particularly, you know, where, you know, if you're 915 00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:50,800 going to take that risk. I think that's where like for 916 00:53:50,800 --> 00:53:53,520 parents to take that risk in, in, in fairly traditional 917 00:53:53,520 --> 00:53:56,680 cultures, it kind of does require a little bit of that, 918 00:53:57,240 --> 00:54:00,080 you know, that level of is there an opportunity there? 919 00:54:00,080 --> 00:54:01,440 Because otherwise what's the point? 920 00:54:02,240 --> 00:54:05,560 And, and so I think, I think I, I really hope that, yeah, they 921 00:54:05,560 --> 00:54:08,640 also do it. It does inspire that generation 922 00:54:08,640 --> 00:54:10,400 there on on the women's side as well. 923 00:54:10,960 --> 00:54:16,800 I'm looking at the top 20 fastest 400 women from Botswana 924 00:54:16,800 --> 00:54:20,160 in 2025. And yeah, you start to see just 925 00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:22,720 sort of a little bit of a turnover from like there's still 926 00:54:22,720 --> 00:54:27,600 a couple 90s babies like myself, you know, hanging in there in 927 00:54:27,600 --> 00:54:30,160 the the top 20. But then as I was scrolling 928 00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:35,800 down, I was like, wait, a 2nd 2011, who's born in 2011? 929 00:54:35,880 --> 00:54:40,520 And I look number 19 on the Botswana fastest 400 meter list 930 00:54:40,520 --> 00:54:44,680 of 2025, Kelly Mccuala. And I said I had to look it up. 931 00:54:44,720 --> 00:54:48,640 I was like, any relation. The daughter of former world 932 00:54:48,640 --> 00:54:51,400 champion Isaac Makwala. She's like 15 years old, has 933 00:54:51,400 --> 00:54:57,080 already run 57, nine for the 400. 934 00:54:57,120 --> 00:55:00,680 And so, yeah, next generation's coming up. 935 00:55:02,200 --> 00:55:07,560 Exciting times ahead. 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It's it's exciting to talk about 955 00:56:08,760 --> 00:56:11,280 the next generation, but it seems like the old generation 956 00:56:11,280 --> 00:56:15,760 wants to hang, hang, hang around for a little bit more because 957 00:56:15,960 --> 00:56:19,160 just last week, Allison Felix, what a transition there Preet 958 00:56:19,280 --> 00:56:21,000 now that was. Well, actually before I thought, 959 00:56:21,000 --> 00:56:22,480 I thought you were going to do another transition. 960 00:56:22,480 --> 00:56:24,720 Actually, before we go to Allison Felix, the other part of 961 00:56:24,720 --> 00:56:29,640 the old generation, Elaine Thompson Hera also won that you 962 00:56:29,880 --> 00:56:32,760 help help Jamaica win the the the women's fall by 1 here. 963 00:56:33,040 --> 00:56:35,400 She's back like it does feel. Like she looked great. 964 00:56:35,720 --> 00:56:37,840 I think my only take away is like she looked great. 965 00:56:38,200 --> 00:56:41,440 They ran her one time this weekend and then after she 966 00:56:41,440 --> 00:56:44,360 crossed the finish line she mad at something which like I think 967 00:56:44,360 --> 00:56:47,040 lip readers are still trying to decipher whether it's like I'm 968 00:56:47,040 --> 00:56:48,720 injured or. Hamstring. 969 00:56:48,720 --> 00:56:51,200 Yeah, she did say she felt a bit heavy in her hamstring, which is 970 00:56:51,200 --> 00:56:54,360 why she she sort of slowed up a little bit, but she she kind of 971 00:56:54,360 --> 00:56:55,680 suggested that she's probably fine. 972 00:56:55,680 --> 00:56:56,880 But yeah, obviously you never know. 973 00:56:56,880 --> 00:56:59,680 But at least it's not her Achilles issue, which is what 974 00:56:59,680 --> 00:57:03,160 has been, you know, the the bane of her existence over the last 975 00:57:03,320 --> 00:57:05,600 last few years and what she's been struggling with. 976 00:57:05,800 --> 00:57:08,800 I think Andre De Grasse also ran 1984. 977 00:57:08,800 --> 00:57:11,440 Was it last week? Week before And he's he's back. 978 00:57:12,640 --> 00:57:14,720 Starting to feel like 2016 all over again. 979 00:57:15,160 --> 00:57:18,840 Well, it's, it's 2021. I'm, I'm just waiting for 980 00:57:19,040 --> 00:57:23,440 because, yeah, who who else is back on the yeah, because 981 00:57:23,440 --> 00:57:27,920 Stephen Gardner and Lamont Marcel Jacobs are not back, but 982 00:57:28,640 --> 00:57:30,000 Shawnee Miller Weber is also back. 983 00:57:30,000 --> 00:57:34,040 So, you know, we've got three out of the five Sprint gold 984 00:57:34,040 --> 00:57:37,160 medalists from Tokyo making a bit of a comeback this year. 985 00:57:37,160 --> 00:57:41,800 So that is quite exciting. All right, so that was Elaine 986 00:57:41,800 --> 00:57:43,480 Thompson. Her a wrapper and bubble wrap 987 00:57:43,480 --> 00:57:47,480 and keep her healthy to keep the season exciting. 988 00:57:48,400 --> 00:57:52,480 But Allison Felix announced via a Time magazine feature that she 989 00:57:52,480 --> 00:57:54,520 is coming out of retirement. At first I have to check the 990 00:57:54,520 --> 00:57:56,600 date. I was like, is this April first? 991 00:57:56,880 --> 00:58:05,440 But no, she is a pursuit of the 2028 Olympics at She'll be 42 992 00:58:05,440 --> 00:58:10,640 years old when those roll, roll, roll along and she's dubbing the 993 00:58:10,640 --> 00:58:15,040 effort Project 6IN reference to her 6th Olympic Games. 994 00:58:15,440 --> 00:58:19,680 Full training is set to begin in October under coach Bobby 995 00:58:19,680 --> 00:58:25,800 Kersey, and she expects to return to competition in 2027. 996 00:58:26,000 --> 00:58:32,280 Her goal is not to claim, you know, 400 meter individual medal 997 00:58:32,280 --> 00:58:36,480 or title, but she just wants a spot in the relay pool. 998 00:58:36,720 --> 00:58:44,280 And I kind of saw that and I was like, OK, now NBC is salivating. 999 00:58:44,360 --> 00:58:48,800 They want they they they're going to the trials is going to, 1000 00:58:48,960 --> 00:58:52,080 you know, obviously put this is like one of the big focal 1001 00:58:52,080 --> 00:58:54,960 points. She's the most decorated track 1002 00:58:54,960 --> 00:59:02,720 and field athlete of all time. And I think, yeah, that's super 1003 00:59:02,720 --> 00:59:09,760 easy for people to market in the same way that, like, I was just 1004 00:59:09,760 --> 00:59:12,200 talking to someone about how when you look at the box office 1005 00:59:12,200 --> 00:59:16,760 numbers from movies that come out, everything that's not new 1006 00:59:16,760 --> 00:59:23,760 IP just absolutely crushes. Like it's something, a sequel or 1007 00:59:24,200 --> 00:59:30,040 an adaptation of something else. And there's nothing new that is 1008 00:59:30,040 --> 00:59:32,480 actually, like, resonating and making a ton of money. 1009 00:59:33,160 --> 00:59:38,840 So for NBC, you're just like, oh, we've got this IP that is an 1010 00:59:38,840 --> 00:59:41,920 absolute hit with people and that's the Allison Felix story. 1011 00:59:41,920 --> 00:59:46,000 We're going to give them so much of that in the lead up to 2028. 1012 00:59:46,000 --> 00:59:54,000 So they're excited. I think let's kind of be, you 1013 00:59:54,000 --> 00:59:56,000 know, there, there's a lot to be excited about. 1014 00:59:56,000 --> 00:59:59,080 Big figure. It seemed like from the comments 1015 00:59:59,080 --> 01:00:01,520 section on our Instagram posts and just from the social media 1016 01:00:01,520 --> 01:00:04,400 reaction, everyone is really excited, you know, to see her 1017 01:00:04,760 --> 01:00:10,400 back. But now just sort of as pundits, 1018 01:00:11,240 --> 01:00:17,640 let's settle in and try and assess the realism behind will 1019 01:00:17,640 --> 01:00:22,880 she make this team? And I think that like, you know, 1020 01:00:22,880 --> 01:00:29,120 for us to analyze things, the women's Masters 40 record is 1021 01:00:29,120 --> 01:00:32,880 what, 53 six or something like that is. 1022 01:00:32,880 --> 01:00:37,000 I think I saw that stat floating around and realistically the 1023 01:00:37,000 --> 01:00:43,200 relay pool requires someone to be in 50.5 shape. 1024 01:00:44,000 --> 01:00:48,320 In her last season, which was 2022 I believe the fastest that 1025 01:00:48,320 --> 01:00:52,680 she got was 50.7 and she was 36 at the time. 1026 01:00:53,400 --> 01:00:59,520 So there's some work to be done, but it seems like there's a 1027 01:00:59,520 --> 01:01:03,640 backdoor entryway to just be selected to the team. 1028 01:01:04,200 --> 01:01:06,520 What did you sort of find? Cuz Anderson I think ended up 1029 01:01:06,520 --> 01:01:10,040 making a whole video about this for the final YouTube channel as 1030 01:01:10,040 --> 01:01:11,440 well. Yeah. 1031 01:01:11,440 --> 01:01:12,920 So there's a couple of things, right. 1032 01:01:12,920 --> 01:01:17,520 So there was a press release March 11th which kind of talked 1033 01:01:17,520 --> 01:01:22,760 about this, the new relay program and the expanded one 1034 01:01:22,760 --> 01:01:26,440 team initiative and the one team philosophy. 1035 01:01:26,720 --> 01:01:29,680 I read from it directly prioritizing relay chemistry, 1036 01:01:29,680 --> 01:01:33,680 preparation and shared success across the entire relay squad. 1037 01:01:34,920 --> 01:01:39,920 And USATF stated goal is to win 6 gold medals and six relay 1038 01:01:40,760 --> 01:01:43,560 events at La 2028. But I think what? 1039 01:01:43,560 --> 01:01:45,600 You're the Illuminati. You're looking into being like, 1040 01:01:45,600 --> 01:01:49,960 they keep saying the number six. There's all one big conspiracy 1041 01:01:49,960 --> 01:01:52,640 around, but. I think the other part of the 1042 01:01:52,640 --> 01:01:56,560 thing that has changed is that the relay selection policy and I 1043 01:01:56,560 --> 01:02:01,520 think it changed for Tokyo last year or was it for wild indoors, 1044 01:02:01,520 --> 01:02:04,320 one of the two. It changed to say, because 1045 01:02:04,320 --> 01:02:08,240 before you had, you know, it used to be, oh, come top six at 1046 01:02:08,360 --> 01:02:12,280 trials or whatever and, and you made the relay pool or top 8 at 1047 01:02:12,280 --> 01:02:14,680 trials, but now with the mixed relay for the four by fours and 1048 01:02:14,680 --> 01:02:18,320 stuff. But but now they have change 1049 01:02:18,320 --> 01:02:21,840 that to say, like, it's not, that's not necessarily it. 1050 01:02:22,120 --> 01:02:26,200 And they have a lot more discretion to select additional 1051 01:02:26,200 --> 01:02:27,120 people. They've always had this 1052 01:02:27,120 --> 01:02:30,040 discretion, which is how they were able to use, say, Sydney 1053 01:02:30,040 --> 01:02:32,480 and Delilah. And a thing at the Tokyo 1054 01:02:32,480 --> 01:02:36,680 Olympics is that they could select top athletes from other 1055 01:02:36,680 --> 01:02:38,240 events. You might not have contested the 1056 01:02:38,240 --> 01:02:41,160 400, obviously, but they're clearly some of the best 400 1057 01:02:41,160 --> 01:02:44,120 runners in the US, right? But I think now it's sort of 1058 01:02:44,120 --> 01:02:48,120 expanded to give them a bit more leeway to select people that 1059 01:02:48,120 --> 01:02:51,600 they think fit with the cohesion of the team. 1060 01:02:52,840 --> 01:02:55,840 And and it doesn't necessarily restrict them to selecting 1061 01:02:55,840 --> 01:02:57,800 people who came top six or top 8 at trials. 1062 01:02:58,000 --> 01:03:03,560 So there is a much bigger window to allow for the discretionary 1063 01:03:03,560 --> 01:03:06,480 selections to say. And I can like you can 1064 01:03:06,480 --> 01:03:09,200 understand this from the very much from the perspective of the 1065 01:03:09,200 --> 01:03:12,520 four by one, because the four by one absolutely needs chemistry 1066 01:03:12,520 --> 01:03:15,760 over oh, who happened to have a good day at trials, right? 1067 01:03:15,760 --> 01:03:18,560 Because if that's someone who's never run in the relay pool 1068 01:03:18,560 --> 01:03:22,240 before, like and hasn't trained with, with these athletes at 1069 01:03:22,240 --> 01:03:25,840 all, like it's just, it's, it's a much more difficult fit, 1070 01:03:25,840 --> 01:03:27,480 right? It's it, you know, requires a 1071 01:03:27,480 --> 01:03:29,000 lot more training. And I think that's where some of 1072 01:03:29,000 --> 01:03:32,520 the other four by one teams, obviously Canada being a prime 1073 01:03:32,520 --> 01:03:35,360 example of that, having consistency for 10 years on 1074 01:03:35,360 --> 01:03:39,400 their team and like just being so successful like that, that's 1075 01:03:39,400 --> 01:03:42,080 the kind of thing that you can achieve if you have the same 1076 01:03:42,080 --> 01:03:46,160 people, kind of at least a smaller core group of people who 1077 01:03:46,160 --> 01:03:47,680 have all trained together on the four by one. 1078 01:03:47,880 --> 01:03:50,160 It's less of an issue on the 4x4 obviously. 1079 01:03:50,360 --> 01:03:54,640 But I think this just does give that window for Alison Felix to 1080 01:03:54,640 --> 01:03:56,680 be selected. She is the most successful 1081 01:03:56,800 --> 01:04:01,360 athlete of all time. She is in the relay, is the most 1082 01:04:01,360 --> 01:04:04,000 successful athlete ever. She clearly knows what she's 1083 01:04:04,000 --> 01:04:07,840 doing on a relay, right? So I think that if nothing else, 1084 01:04:07,840 --> 01:04:09,800 that gives them the excuse to select her. 1085 01:04:10,160 --> 01:04:14,160 And even if she doesn't run a race, right, it's like having 1086 01:04:14,160 --> 01:04:17,360 her in the team camp is going to do wonders for the team morale. 1087 01:04:17,880 --> 01:04:20,160 And it means they can have a carrying the flag at the opening 1088 01:04:20,160 --> 01:04:22,320 ceremony, right? So whether whether or not they 1089 01:04:22,320 --> 01:04:25,160 use her on the relay pool, I don't think it matters as long 1090 01:04:25,160 --> 01:04:27,760 as she's running, like if she's running like 52 seconds, I think 1091 01:04:27,760 --> 01:04:30,640 they'll still stick her in that relay pool and they'll go you 1092 01:04:30,640 --> 01:04:33,840 carry the flag at the opening ceremony and you you help look 1093 01:04:33,840 --> 01:04:38,240 after the relay team. But is is my kind of because NBC 1094 01:04:38,240 --> 01:04:40,160 is massively going to be pushing for this, right? 1095 01:04:40,160 --> 01:04:43,200 I just don't. And like, there are enough spots 1096 01:04:43,200 --> 01:04:48,400 on that relay squad to allow for them to kind of, you know, use 1097 01:04:48,400 --> 01:04:51,600 one slot for Allison regardless. So I think it's happening. 1098 01:04:52,160 --> 01:04:54,880 That's still. Unless she's injured, unless she 1099 01:04:54,880 --> 01:04:59,880 gets it it, but the reality is like it, it might leave someone 1100 01:04:59,880 --> 01:05:02,560 home who wouldn't have got to run anyway, right. 1101 01:05:02,600 --> 01:05:05,080 So I think, I think that's. Still, like, that's that. 1102 01:05:05,280 --> 01:05:09,320 That's someone else's bonus. Yeah, but I think. 1103 01:05:09,400 --> 01:05:11,040 Of qualifying for an Olympic team. 1104 01:05:11,360 --> 01:05:14,240 If they, I mean, look, I think if the rule change is clear, 1105 01:05:14,240 --> 01:05:17,680 right, that it's not top 6 or top 8 or whatever it is anymore 1106 01:05:17,920 --> 01:05:22,600 and it hasn't been right. It isn't, it wasn't last year. 1107 01:05:22,600 --> 01:05:25,600 So I think that change has been brought in early enough that it 1108 01:05:25,600 --> 01:05:28,400 is a, you know, isn't the change they're just bringing in for LA. 1109 01:05:28,400 --> 01:05:33,520 It is a change and it kind of, as I say, I think it makes a lot 1110 01:05:33,520 --> 01:05:38,640 of sense for the four by one and obviously I think it provides 1111 01:05:38,640 --> 01:05:42,240 that window for the 4 by 4, which to be fair, like they were 1112 01:05:42,240 --> 01:05:44,080 doing it anyway. They were just taking athletes 1113 01:05:44,080 --> 01:05:47,480 who then weren't going to be able to to compete in the final 1114 01:05:47,480 --> 01:05:50,120 because they were going to bring in the Sydney's and the Rye 1115 01:05:50,120 --> 01:05:54,320 Benjamins and and and whoever else to to kind of compete in 1116 01:05:54,320 --> 01:05:55,000 the final. So. 1117 01:05:57,040 --> 01:05:58,560 But you just never know. Like, I don't know. 1118 01:05:58,560 --> 01:06:03,720 I, I, I, I don't necessarily agree with just bringing her on 1119 01:06:03,720 --> 01:06:06,720 and having her naming her to the team to carry the flag and, and 1120 01:06:06,720 --> 01:06:11,920 be the space like you should like have to, you know, have the 1121 01:06:11,920 --> 01:06:15,720 athlete capable of, have the best athlete capable of running 1122 01:06:15,720 --> 01:06:17,520 a reliable relay. Like what if you end up in the 1123 01:06:17,520 --> 01:06:22,240 severe Moody situation where someone goes down in the first 1124 01:06:22,240 --> 01:06:25,160 round of the mixed 4x4 and you're going to have to pull in 1125 01:06:25,160 --> 01:06:28,160 that reserve. Now you're stuck with 52 second 1126 01:06:28,160 --> 01:06:33,360 caliber Allison Felix. Yeah, I don't know, like as I 1127 01:06:33,400 --> 01:06:35,040 say, I think, I think. So that's why like I don't agree 1128 01:06:35,040 --> 01:06:38,440 with just sort of like, oh, just because it's a great story, we 1129 01:06:38,440 --> 01:06:43,800 should see this through and and. I, I think that I suspect, yes, 1130 01:06:43,800 --> 01:06:47,320 that that's, that's absolutely correct from a performance 1131 01:06:47,320 --> 01:06:51,920 standpoint, from perhaps a fairness standpoint, but I think 1132 01:06:51,920 --> 01:06:56,040 you have to remember that every single other relay team in the 1133 01:06:56,040 --> 01:06:59,200 world is selected in this way, right? 1134 01:06:59,200 --> 01:07:01,840 And it's only Team USA that historically hasn't been. 1135 01:07:02,120 --> 01:07:04,560 And even then there's still been relay politics, right? 1136 01:07:04,560 --> 01:07:08,920 So I don't think you can ever out of selecting a relay team. 1137 01:07:08,920 --> 01:07:11,560 I don't think you can ever get away because there has to be an 1138 01:07:11,560 --> 01:07:13,720 element of discretion. There has to be an element of 1139 01:07:13,880 --> 01:07:17,880 seeing how the athletes work together, who has the nous to 1140 01:07:17,880 --> 01:07:21,440 run a particular leg. Well, that has to be all of 1141 01:07:21,440 --> 01:07:22,920 that. And yes, Alison is going to have 1142 01:07:22,920 --> 01:07:26,920 to achieve some minimum level of performance. 1143 01:07:26,920 --> 01:07:29,360 You're right, the like the A can't be like 0. 1144 01:07:29,600 --> 01:07:33,120 But I don't think she will have to make the final at the Olympic 1145 01:07:33,120 --> 01:07:34,680 Trials to be selected to the team. 1146 01:07:34,680 --> 01:07:37,080 I think that that's not the requirement. 1147 01:07:37,080 --> 01:07:39,120 I think that will be put upon her. 1148 01:07:40,040 --> 01:07:42,360 I think that's the that's the important thing to note. 1149 01:07:43,120 --> 01:07:48,040 I I think that it would be. I hope more people are upset in 1150 01:07:48,040 --> 01:07:53,880 the same way I would be if she doesn't make the final and gets 1151 01:07:53,880 --> 01:07:57,040 named to the team. Because think of for example, 1152 01:07:57,800 --> 01:08:01,080 Bella Whitaker. She was named to the Olympic 1153 01:08:01,080 --> 01:08:04,440 team, part of the relay pool 2024, didn't end up running any 1154 01:08:04,440 --> 01:08:08,600 of the rounds but was still there just in case. 1155 01:08:08,760 --> 01:08:12,800 She had finished 6th at the trials in 50.6. 1156 01:08:14,200 --> 01:08:22,160 I feel 50 times better about sending out Bella Whitaker for 1157 01:08:22,200 --> 01:08:27,600 any 4x4 than I do Alison Felix. And I think that if you're 1158 01:08:27,600 --> 01:08:30,960 sitting from the like it's the Olympic Games, like that's the 1159 01:08:31,120 --> 01:08:33,520 you, you should be looking at it from more of a performance 1160 01:08:33,520 --> 01:08:37,319 standpoint than just like ceremonially trounce out this 1161 01:08:37,319 --> 01:08:43,960 all time great out there. And so, yeah, I'd be pissed if 1162 01:08:44,439 --> 01:08:47,600 if you're any of these people like a like a Bella Whittaker in 1163 01:08:47,600 --> 01:08:51,960 2024 or like I'm, I'm pulling up the results. 1164 01:08:52,200 --> 01:08:56,200 Lynn Irby Jackson, Jamisia Ford. These are also young stars where 1165 01:08:56,200 --> 01:09:00,080 it's sort of like you, what you also get out of naming them to 1166 01:09:00,080 --> 01:09:02,680 the team and having them present is like now they've got the 1167 01:09:02,680 --> 01:09:04,560 experience of what it's like to be at one of those global 1168 01:09:04,560 --> 01:09:07,080 championships. They're going to be there 1169 01:09:07,439 --> 01:09:12,240 potentially in 2029 at the falling World Championships. 1170 01:09:14,240 --> 01:09:18,880 You if if Allison's just sort of like focused on 2028, then it's 1171 01:09:18,880 --> 01:09:23,000 like, all right, she's going to peace out after LA anyway. 1172 01:09:23,399 --> 01:09:26,240 I'd rather at least give the experience to a young athlete 1173 01:09:26,240 --> 01:09:29,359 who's going to contribute to Team USA for many more years to 1174 01:09:29,359 --> 01:09:33,359 come. I can't like this is not a get. 1175 01:09:33,359 --> 01:09:36,920 Like I'm not what I'm my position here is not from. 1176 01:09:37,640 --> 01:09:41,319 Oh, I don't think Allison Felix should be on this team. 1177 01:09:41,680 --> 01:09:45,439 It's like, I just think like, just like everyone else, I think 1178 01:09:45,439 --> 01:09:49,000 you should earn your way onto this team and that's going to 1179 01:09:49,000 --> 01:09:52,640 require something very difficult. 1180 01:09:53,840 --> 01:09:57,840 And she's a great athlete and I want to see her defy the odds 1181 01:09:57,840 --> 01:10:00,640 and achieve it. I don't want anything handed to 1182 01:10:00,640 --> 01:10:03,320 her. Yeah, I mean, I think, I think 1183 01:10:03,480 --> 01:10:07,560 there will there will be a slightly lower bar for her. 1184 01:10:07,560 --> 01:10:10,000 I don't maybe it wouldn't be like 52 seconds. 1185 01:10:10,000 --> 01:10:11,840 I'm probably being a bit ridiculous when I say 52 1186 01:10:11,840 --> 01:10:13,480 seconds. That is a ridiculous. 1187 01:10:14,240 --> 01:10:17,720 But but but but I think, but I think maybe even you know, a sub 1188 01:10:17,720 --> 01:10:20,680 51, like if she goes 50.9, they'll take her. 1189 01:10:21,000 --> 01:10:25,120 Like I just don't see like then you're at a point where she's 1190 01:10:25,120 --> 01:10:30,040 capable of running quick enough. Her experience is valuable and 1191 01:10:30,640 --> 01:10:34,040 like just having her around the team and, and, and all of that, 1192 01:10:34,280 --> 01:10:37,160 if nothing else, even if she doesn't run, and they will 1193 01:10:37,160 --> 01:10:40,320 probably run her on something, whether it's a mixed relay or, 1194 01:10:40,680 --> 01:10:42,440 or something. They will, they will, they will, 1195 01:10:42,520 --> 01:10:48,840 of course they will run her. And yeah, I just, I don't 1196 01:10:49,040 --> 01:10:51,160 because, you know, she's from LA. 1197 01:10:51,160 --> 01:10:54,000 She's the most decorated athlete ever. 1198 01:10:54,000 --> 01:10:57,720 Like it just doesn't. The storyline doesn't get any 1199 01:10:57,720 --> 01:11:00,880 better than that. And, and at the end of the day, 1200 01:11:00,880 --> 01:11:05,800 the Olympics is, is about money. I imagine NBC will be like and 1201 01:11:05,800 --> 01:11:10,640 NBC obviously has, you know, it has a huge kind of influence 1202 01:11:10,680 --> 01:11:15,840 over USATF because obviously the more that USATF does, you know, 1203 01:11:15,840 --> 01:11:18,920 creates moments for NBC, the more NBC will be inclined to 1204 01:11:18,920 --> 01:11:22,760 broadcast more track meets in the, you know, run off after LA 1205 01:11:22,760 --> 01:11:25,720 and put more money into USATF in to help them put. 1206 01:11:25,720 --> 01:11:30,120 On good me not me, just for the. Like, like, look, I mean, that's 1207 01:11:30,120 --> 01:11:33,040 not that's a reality of of the world we live in, frankly, isn't 1208 01:11:33,040 --> 01:11:34,560 it? And and I think because I was 1209 01:11:34,560 --> 01:11:39,640 just listening to to this week, like, you know, the, you know, 1210 01:11:39,640 --> 01:11:41,840 we talked about the art of the figure skater earlier, Melanin, 1211 01:11:41,840 --> 01:11:44,120 who obviously was a heavy favorite Olympic gold. 1212 01:11:44,120 --> 01:11:47,640 And like NBC were following him around even after he didn't win 1213 01:11:47,640 --> 01:11:51,160 Olympic, the Olympic gold medal, just to get his reaction because 1214 01:11:51,160 --> 01:11:55,240 that was better TV than, you know, following around the US 1215 01:11:55,720 --> 01:12:00,800 women's gold medalist. You know, like it is just at the 1216 01:12:00,800 --> 01:12:06,120 end of the day, like NBC is in the business of making the most 1217 01:12:06,120 --> 01:12:08,960 compelling entertainment products that they can. 1218 01:12:09,160 --> 01:12:13,720 And the Olympics is their biggest investment in terms of 1219 01:12:14,200 --> 01:12:17,640 the rights. And LA Olympics will be their 1220 01:12:17,640 --> 01:12:22,920 biggest investment, I imagine ever in terms of production and 1221 01:12:22,920 --> 01:12:26,120 and everything. And you betcha they're going to 1222 01:12:26,120 --> 01:12:29,760 be, you know, they, they, they're going to be paying. 1223 01:12:29,760 --> 01:12:33,120 If there's one thing that they will want is if Alison Felix 1224 01:12:33,120 --> 01:12:36,440 shows any level of performance, they'll want her on that, on 1225 01:12:36,440 --> 01:12:40,000 that Olympic team and and have her, you know, taking that flag 1226 01:12:40,920 --> 01:12:46,840 in the opening ceremony. But is it worth risking your 1227 01:12:46,840 --> 01:12:51,560 legacy to be trounced out there knowing you're not in 50 point, 1228 01:12:51,720 --> 01:12:57,680 you know, 3 shape and you run like a 5152 on a relay leg and 1229 01:12:57,680 --> 01:13:01,920 then you cost us a spot in the final? 1230 01:13:03,520 --> 01:13:05,800 I also don't think she's the type of athlete who would want 1231 01:13:05,800 --> 01:13:10,480 this handed to her. No, but yeah, I mean, the other 1232 01:13:10,480 --> 01:13:13,640 thing I think that's interesting here is obviously she's training 1233 01:13:13,640 --> 01:13:16,000 with Bobby Kersey. I mean, to be honest, obviously 1234 01:13:16,000 --> 01:13:18,400 Cindie's having a year off. I don't know who is training 1235 01:13:18,400 --> 01:13:20,320 with Bobby Kersey. Kenny Harrison is no longer 1236 01:13:20,320 --> 01:13:22,000 there. Bobby Crazy got a year off too. 1237 01:13:22,560 --> 01:13:25,280 Yeah, Bobby Kersey, he's got a year off, so I think he was 1238 01:13:25,280 --> 01:13:26,400 looking for something to do, right. 1239 01:13:26,920 --> 01:13:30,960 Maybe he got on the phone to Allison and went, well, I'm 1240 01:13:30,960 --> 01:13:32,400 gonna have a bit spare time next year. 1241 01:13:33,000 --> 01:13:37,480 I don't know. But yeah, look, and I think we 1242 01:13:37,480 --> 01:13:39,680 will find that very quickly. I don't think we're going to see 1243 01:13:39,680 --> 01:13:43,040 her race very often in 2027. I don't think we should be 1244 01:13:43,040 --> 01:13:46,280 expecting that. I think she's kind of talked 1245 01:13:46,280 --> 01:13:49,560 very openly about her priority, like her family is still her 1246 01:13:49,560 --> 01:13:51,920 priority. So she's not going to be racing 1247 01:13:51,920 --> 01:13:53,680 on the circuit in Europe or anything like that. 1248 01:13:55,200 --> 01:13:59,360 So yeah, it's, I imagine, like, I imagine she might run 1249 01:13:59,360 --> 01:14:02,600 something next year, like just to see how the training's going. 1250 01:14:02,600 --> 01:14:06,800 But I suspect we're we might, we probably won't see more than a 1251 01:14:06,800 --> 01:14:10,800 couple of races. Maybe we'll see her at USAS. 1252 01:14:10,800 --> 01:14:14,520 I don't know but but I don't I doubt it. 1253 01:14:15,960 --> 01:14:19,320 Funniest line in the whole Time magazine article was Felix wants 1254 01:14:19,320 --> 01:14:21,560 to make it clear that she's not doing this retention or some 1255 01:14:21,560 --> 01:14:24,560 sort of cash grab quote. I would think track and field 1256 01:14:24,560 --> 01:14:27,120 would not be the place to do it for the money, she says with a 1257 01:14:27,120 --> 01:14:29,720 laugh. That's fair. 1258 01:14:29,760 --> 01:14:32,680 That's fair. But yeah, I imagine for the 1259 01:14:32,680 --> 01:14:35,720 Olympics, like she will get sponsorship, whatever she's 1260 01:14:35,720 --> 01:14:37,000 doing, right? So. 1261 01:14:38,200 --> 01:14:41,520 But then I guess, but then there is like this huge money making 1262 01:14:41,520 --> 01:14:46,360 opportunity because there's, I think I just, I haven't listened 1263 01:14:46,360 --> 01:14:49,680 yet, but she's launched a podcast to chronicle this whole 1264 01:14:49,680 --> 01:14:52,520 entire thing. There's I believe going to be a 1265 01:14:52,520 --> 01:14:56,960 YouTube channel for it. There's a website moreinus.com 1266 01:14:57,040 --> 01:14:58,600 apparently. Maybe we'll maybe we'll get to 1267 01:14:58,640 --> 01:15:01,040 see more of well, because he doesn't training, who knows, 1268 01:15:01,160 --> 01:15:02,840 That'll be quite exciting. Yeah. 1269 01:15:03,400 --> 01:15:07,520 But yeah, OK, the track isn't the place to capitalize upon 1270 01:15:07,520 --> 01:15:10,280 this money wise. But now even floating this out 1271 01:15:10,280 --> 01:15:14,760 there like this is sort of like, all right, let's see what the 1272 01:15:14,760 --> 01:15:18,360 interest is like out there. And she'll she's going to secure 1273 01:15:18,640 --> 01:15:21,280 hell of sponsorship deals as a result of this. 1274 01:15:23,160 --> 01:15:26,640 And yeah, so interesting. It's an interesting article. 1275 01:15:26,840 --> 01:15:29,560 It says that during her track and field career, Felix was 1276 01:15:29,560 --> 01:15:33,360 afraid to even take vitamins. She lest she accidentally runs 1277 01:15:33,360 --> 01:15:36,200 afoul of World Anti Doping Agency regulations. 1278 01:15:36,200 --> 01:15:38,240 Now she's eager to explore supplements as long as they're 1279 01:15:38,240 --> 01:15:41,000 within the rules. Saunas, infrared technology, 1280 01:15:41,000 --> 01:15:43,360 pool work. She thinks they'll play all play 1281 01:15:43,360 --> 01:15:47,200 a role in her return. So yeah, I guess like, we'll 1282 01:15:47,200 --> 01:15:50,640 see. She's got a Doha based hospital 1283 01:15:50,640 --> 01:15:54,880 specializing in sports medicine and performance that she's had 1284 01:15:54,880 --> 01:15:58,480 conversations with. Yeah, we'll see. 1285 01:15:58,960 --> 01:16:01,880 Hey, we're a couple weeks away from the enhanced games. 1286 01:16:03,360 --> 01:16:04,840 Yeah, yeah. Well, there was a. 1287 01:16:04,840 --> 01:16:07,360 It seems like it's happening. It seems like it's happening. 1288 01:16:07,360 --> 01:16:10,360 There's a fascinating article today from from Shawn Ingle in 1289 01:16:10,360 --> 01:16:13,680 the Guardian where he. I thought that that was a very 1290 01:16:13,720 --> 01:16:18,040 like interesting article because the he applied for credentials 1291 01:16:18,120 --> 01:16:23,880 to the event, got rejected, and he in this article lists out all 1292 01:16:23,880 --> 01:16:26,480 the questions he would have asked, including one of them 1293 01:16:26,480 --> 01:16:29,320 being like, is the track going to be regulation sized? 1294 01:16:29,320 --> 01:16:31,800 This is what I keep actually kind of saying to a couple 1295 01:16:31,800 --> 01:16:32,640 folks. They're like, oh, what do you 1296 01:16:32,640 --> 01:16:34,520 think's going to happen? I'm like, I think that's a 1297 01:16:34,520 --> 01:16:36,800 track. They're going to run 100 meters, 1298 01:16:36,800 --> 01:16:40,360 but it's going to be on a short track and we won't know. 1299 01:16:40,360 --> 01:16:44,720 In the same way that apparently it's come out that Sebastian 1300 01:16:44,720 --> 01:16:49,640 Sawy didn't actually run 412 for his for, you know, that mile 1301 01:16:49,640 --> 01:16:51,680 latent stages of the London Marathon. 1302 01:16:52,120 --> 01:16:55,880 It's like, OK, but on the day of it already made massive 1303 01:16:55,880 --> 01:16:57,960 headlines and caught everyone's attention. 1304 01:16:58,120 --> 01:17:01,280 It's only like a technical thing afterwards that gets discovered. 1305 01:17:01,280 --> 01:17:04,120 It's so I think what the Enhanced Games is going to do is 1306 01:17:04,120 --> 01:17:07,840 going to be something funky to kind of cook the books a little 1307 01:17:07,840 --> 01:17:11,200 bit to make make that 100 performance look a little bit 1308 01:17:11,200 --> 01:17:13,920 better. But I think one of the things, 1309 01:17:14,120 --> 01:17:17,480 yeah, it's a Sean Ingle listed out all these different 1310 01:17:17,480 --> 01:17:19,760 questions, which are I think are the most fair questions to kind 1311 01:17:19,760 --> 01:17:21,160 of ask about the whole entire thing. 1312 01:17:21,160 --> 01:17:24,600 So we'll link to that in the in the show notes, I think for 1313 01:17:24,600 --> 01:17:27,440 people to to check out. But seems like it's happening. 1314 01:17:27,520 --> 01:17:33,000 Sidious won't have anyone there to cover it and it's apparently 1315 01:17:33,000 --> 01:17:38,120 going to be broadcast on YouTube and some other platform that'll 1316 01:17:38,120 --> 01:17:41,600 probably be selling you all these peptides and different 1317 01:17:41,600 --> 01:17:46,360 types of things. So yeah, I'm, I'm going to, I'm 1318 01:17:46,360 --> 01:17:52,440 going to watch, but it's, it has not sat well with me from from 1319 01:17:52,440 --> 01:17:55,200 the get go. So yeah, that's that's a couple 1320 01:17:55,200 --> 01:17:57,720 weeks away. Yeah. 1321 01:17:57,720 --> 01:18:00,000 All right. There's just a couple of other 1322 01:18:00,000 --> 01:18:02,280 quick things. Obviously there was the US ATF5 1323 01:18:02,280 --> 01:18:04,600 Kilometre Championships can we're talking all about making 1324 01:18:04,600 --> 01:18:09,800 teams, so Drew Hunter and Dylan Jacobs made the 5 kilometer team 1325 01:18:09,800 --> 01:18:11,720 for. And then immediately got shot in 1326 01:18:11,720 --> 01:18:15,320 the face by by confetti cannon. That was a highly entertaining. 1327 01:18:15,440 --> 01:18:17,640 They were apparent, though, that did happen to the women in last 1328 01:18:17,640 --> 01:18:19,520 year's race. I was looking at the finish line 1329 01:18:19,520 --> 01:18:22,800 footage from the the the 2025 edition, and that's what 1330 01:18:22,800 --> 01:18:25,680 happened to the women there. And on the women's side, it was 1331 01:18:25,680 --> 01:18:29,640 Krisha Schweitzer and Emma Grace Hurley who won. 1332 01:18:29,760 --> 01:18:32,560 But Emma Grace Hardy obviously is also qualified in the half 1333 01:18:32,560 --> 01:18:34,440 marathon. So there's a lot, there's some 1334 01:18:34,440 --> 01:18:37,320 decisions to be made because then even there like if Gracie 1335 01:18:37,320 --> 01:18:41,640 Hyde, I think who's third in the race, she's selected in the 1336 01:18:41,640 --> 01:18:45,800 mile, so it could fall all the way down right to. 1337 01:18:45,800 --> 01:18:47,600 No, So no. So no, Courtney. 1338 01:18:47,720 --> 01:18:49,280 Yeah. Courtney Ferricks Yeah, Courtney 1339 01:18:49,280 --> 01:18:51,520 Ferricks would be in line for her first because the actual 1340 01:18:51,520 --> 01:18:55,480 USATF press release says Courtney Ferricks So yeah. 1341 01:18:55,480 --> 01:18:57,840 So Hyde, I think Hyde has already declined the 5K, so 1342 01:18:57,840 --> 01:19:00,000 she's taking a spot in the Mile. So. 1343 01:19:00,560 --> 01:19:03,160 So it is so which is quite, it's great to see Courtney Farik's 1344 01:19:03,160 --> 01:19:06,480 back, obviously Olympic silver medalist and she's had a slow 1345 01:19:06,480 --> 01:19:10,080 recovery from from her surgery. It was like a couple of years 1346 01:19:10,080 --> 01:19:12,520 ago now. So it's good to see her back. 1347 01:19:12,760 --> 01:19:15,640 And, and obviously we, we haven't recorded since we didn't 1348 01:19:15,640 --> 01:19:18,560 get the chance to talk about it. But obviously Yarodna Goose and 1349 01:19:18,560 --> 01:19:22,360 Addie Wiley won the One Mile champs, and they will be 1350 01:19:22,360 --> 01:19:27,080 accompanied by Vince Zion. Yeah, Vince ERT and, and yeah, 1351 01:19:27,080 --> 01:19:28,600 Gracie, I'd say, and the Walmart. 1352 01:19:28,640 --> 01:19:32,120 So yeah, those are teams that have been settled for for 1353 01:19:32,120 --> 01:19:35,600 Copenhagen, which is the week after World Ultimate champs in 1354 01:19:35,680 --> 01:19:37,960 September. Yeah. 1355 01:19:38,040 --> 01:19:39,680 And what if we're supposed to start this week? 1356 01:19:40,320 --> 01:19:41,520 Exactly. Exactly. 1357 01:19:41,520 --> 01:19:44,440 But not happening. Doha cancelled or postponed 1358 01:19:44,440 --> 01:19:46,520 actually is probably the proper phrasing for it. 1359 01:19:47,800 --> 01:19:51,800 And then so that brings us to Shanghai will be the opener next 1360 01:19:51,800 --> 01:19:55,040 weekend. So next week we can do a little 1361 01:19:55,040 --> 01:20:00,920 bit of a broader preview of the outdoor season ahead with the. 1362 01:20:01,360 --> 01:20:04,960 Shanghai Diamond League being the first one up, so we've got 1363 01:20:04,960 --> 01:20:10,120 that to look forward to over the next next couple of weeks. 1364 01:20:10,120 --> 01:20:15,240 But for now, I got to get back to typing away and at this at 1365 01:20:15,240 --> 01:20:17,400 this book, it's very, very exciting stuff. 1366 01:20:18,560 --> 01:20:20,840 All right, well, that does it. I've been Chris Chavez with 1367 01:20:20,840 --> 01:20:23,440 Preet Majithia. We will see you guys next week 1368 01:20:23,440 --> 01:20:28,600 because we love track and field. All right, that's a wrap on 1369 01:20:28,600 --> 01:20:30,840 today's episode. Thanks for listening, for the 1370 01:20:30,840 --> 01:20:33,840 time, the curiosity, and for making this show part of your 1371 01:20:33,840 --> 01:20:36,920 routine or your run. A big thanks to our producer 1372 01:20:36,920 --> 01:20:39,760 Jasmine Fair, and to everyone behind the scenes who helps make 1373 01:20:39,760 --> 01:20:42,280 the Sidious mag. Podcast Happen If you enjoyed 1374 01:20:42,280 --> 01:20:44,640 today's episode, a quick five star review on Apple Podcasts or 1375 01:20:44,640 --> 01:20:47,280 Spotify helps people find this show. 1376 01:20:47,480 --> 01:20:49,680 And we read every single one. You can find 1377 01:20:49,680 --> 01:20:53,480 muchmoretrackandfieldcoverage@sidiousmag.com. And you can follow along across 1378 01:20:53,520 --> 01:20:55,080 all of Sidiousmag's social channels. 1379 01:20:55,280 --> 01:20:57,440 We'll see you next time. Thanks again for listening.