{"id":392,"date":"2010-09-02T15:11:00","date_gmt":"2010-09-02T22:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=392"},"modified":"2010-09-02T15:11:00","modified_gmt":"2010-09-02T22:11:00","slug":"how-do-the-current-sprinters-rank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=392","title":{"rendered":"How Do the Current Sprinters Rank"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"float:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/view.picapp.com\/pictures.photo\/sports\/iaaf-diamond-league\/image\/9501815?term=tyson+gay%2c+usain+bolt\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/view1.picapp.com\/pictures.photo\/image\/9501815\/iaaf-diamond-league\/iaaf-diamond-league.jpg?resize=380%2C253\" border=\"0\" width=\"380\" title=\"IAAF Diamond League in Stockholm\" height=\"253\" oncontextmenu=\"return false;\" ondrag=\"return false;\" onmousedown=\"return false;\" alt=\"STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - AUGUST 06: Tyson Gay (l) of USA wins the men's 100m from Usain Bolt (c) and Richard Thompson (r) of Trinidad during the IAAF Diamond League meeting at the Olympic Stadium on August 6, 2010 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Michael Steele\/Getty Images)\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:left;height:0px;overflow: hidden;\"><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/view.picapp.com\/\/JavaScripts\/OTIjs.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>As is typical, there has been a lot of action in the men\u2019s 100 meters this off season. Lots of PR\u2019s and, with the exception of history\u2019s three fastest on the clock, quite a few head to heads. The big race for many being this year\u2019s Rieti meet where nearly everyone set a PR or seasonal best. So heading into the next trifecta of Major championships, just where do the sprinters sit with respect to each other? Well, as with the short relay, talk is already heating up regarding this topic, so I thought I would take my own shot at \u201cranking\u201d the world\u2019s current crop of sprinters. Plus, it will be somewhat of a precursor for my decisions on who I think should be on the US 4&#215;1 when I post that within the week. So following is my \u201cgrouping\u201d of the 100 meter guys, along with my rationale for how they were placed.<\/p>\n<p>I will say before I get started that my groupings have less to do with \u201ctimes\u201d than with competitive ability. Because at the end of the day, once they step on the track, there will be human beings in the blocks \u2013 not a set of times. And far too often, its the competitive nature of the athletes that shines through \u2013 which is why the unexpected always happens in a Major. So, first my groupings: <\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" width=\"668\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"67\"><strong><em>1st Tier<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"599\">U. Bolt, T. Gay<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"67\"><strong><em>2nd Tier<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"599\">A. Powell, W. Dix, R. Thompson, N. Carter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"67\"><strong><em>3rd Tier<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"599\">Y. Blake, R. Bailey, C. Lemaitre, T. Kimmons, M. Frater, J. Gatlin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"67\"><strong><em>4th Tier<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"599\">C. Martina, D. Patton, I. Williams, M. Forsythe, R. Edwards, M. Rodgers, D. Bailey. T. Padgett<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>I\u2019m sure they are not quite what most would have expected so let me explain. My first tier consists of those athletes that I feel \u2013 and history says \u2013 are competing to become champion. Everything about Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay says this is the case. Both have won championships (Bolt 2, Gay 1). And both have dominated everyone else in the world as Gay\u2019s only conqueror in a major (aside from injury) has been Bolt, Gay taking silver in Berlin. I\u2019ve heard, and read, that Bolt is in a class of his own, but the numbers don\u2019t back that up. Both he and Gay have run sub 9.80 legally six times each, and if you toss out each man\u2019s PR as an outlier they sit at 9.69 and 9.71 \u2013 virtually even (and \u201cbasic times\u201d are speculative and for conversation purposes only). Toss in their head to head record \u2013 2 to 1 favor of Bolt, with Gay\u2019s victory the most recent \u2013 and they are indeed peers. The only other sprinter that might make an argument for being in this tier is Asafa Powell. The argument for Powell is that he has run sub 9.80 seven times \u2013 one more than both Bolt and Gay \u2013 and under sub 10 on more than 60 occasions. But in the last 3 years he has only 1 victory over each man, and in his last four Majors has only come up with two 3rds and two 5ths. Which in my book, places him in the next tier.<\/p>\n<p>The 2nd tier is where I have placed those athletes that should be battling for the podium and a medal. Powell heads this group as he has been on the podium twice and has the best set of marks in the group. Dix and Thompson have also been on the podium \u2013 both finishing ahead of Powell in Beijing. Dix also has a solid set of marks this year and wins over most of the other sprinters in the matrix. Thompson\u2019s times have been lacking of late, but he has wins over the 3rd tier sprinters and a pair of windy sub 10\u2019s to his credit this year. Carter fits here because he has pretty much dominated everyone except Bolt, Gay, and Powell, and is this year\u2019s rising star in the event \u2013 similar to where Tyson Gay sat in 2006, the last off season. <\/p>\n<p>The 3rd tier is the tier where the most movement is taking place \u2013 and I would expect to see the most movement from this group next year as well. Most of this group is trying to get into medal contention. That would be Yohan Blake, Ryan Bailey, Christophe Lemaitre and Trell Kimmons. All have made improvements on the clock, but need to become more consistent, and need to take some scalps of the men ahead of them. They are close, but not quite there yet. And Blake, Kimmons and Bailey will have the added pressure of a Trials process that could leave them off the team and out of Worlds altogether. At the other end of the spectrum is Michael Frater. Once in a contending position, he finds himself headed in the other direction and trying to hold on to medal hopes. If next year is like this year, he will find himself in the 4th tier instead of the 2nd tier \u2013 2011 will be a big season for him. And quite fittingly, I\u2019ve included Justin Gatlin in this tier. Why? Because he\u2019s done his time, has come back, and through his handful of competitions so far is down to 10.09 and within the top 10 in the US. Just like the others in this tier he is trying to get into a podium position. And like Blake, Kimmons, Bailey and Frater, will have to get past a brutal Trials system to get there. But like most in this tier, he has shown serious improvement and has taken his share of scalps in limited opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>The 4th tier consists of those individuals that right now are just fighting for a chance to compete at a higher level \u2013 and most actually seem to be regressing this season. We\u2019ve not seen Darvis Patton at all, as he announced mid season that he was taking the year off to heal injuries. Ivory Williams started off hot but has been MIA most of the year. Churandy Martina, Travis Padgett and Daniel Bailey looked like world beaters in 2008 but are just getting beaten in 2010. Mike Rodgers looked like he had arrived last year, but has been lost back in the pack this season. Rae Edwards just can\u2019t seem to get past this tier. And Mario Forsythe is a \u201cwho is he\u201d outside of Rieti \u2013 where everyone became a star for their 15 minutes of fame. This group has potential, but in the quickly evolving world of the men\u2019s 100 meters you go big or you go home \u2013 and this group will be staying at home unless they come up big \u2013 quick, fast, and in a hurry. <\/p>\n<p>I nearly added a 5th tier for those athletes not quite on the radar, but moving up quickly. That would\u2019ve taken in athletes like Jeff Demps, Marcus Rowland, J-Mee Samuels, Martial Mbandjock, and Rondell Sorrillo. But that\u2019s more of a Chrystal ball type post and I just wanted to deal with the known quantities for right now. Although one of the things about this sport that is most fun is the fact that you KNOW someone unexpected is going to arrive next year. That\u2019s the nature of the sport \u2013 once one season closes you have to get ready for the next, because it will be a NEW season. You can\u2019t mail it in, you have to go out and compete \u2013 which is why times become such a moot point. <\/p>\n<p>So, that\u2019s how I see the 100 as of today. We\u2019ll see what it looks like in the Spring.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As is typical, there has been a lot of action in the men\u2019s 100 meters this off season. Lots of PR\u2019s and, with the exception of history\u2019s three fastest on the clock, quite a few head to heads. The big race for many being this year\u2019s Rieti meet where nearly everyone set a PR or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa3DCY-6k","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=392"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}