For my first post of 2014, I will predict which Indoor Records are most vulnerable this season, and offer a few names of who might (or can!) break them.
(Outdoor Record predictions will be posted sometime in March!)
I'll go event by event, men and women, in the usual 4 categories (World, American, Collegiate, and High School).
I will list only those events where I believe the record can (and will?) be broken.
Because of the size, I'll divide it into 2 posts, by gender.
Men first.
World
200 (19.92) Bolt or Blake COULD get this one, but won't. They don't run indoors!
400 (44.57) This one SEEMS easy to break, but Clement's WR is now 9 years old! Will Merritt, James and Santos try for it?
800 (1:42.67) I doubt Rudisha is ready. Can Symmonds do it? Aman, Amos, Kitum, Solomon??
1500 (3:31.18) Again, the record SHOULD go, but WILL it? Kiprop & Farah??
2 Mile (8:04.35) My favorite event! But Bekele's WR is tough! However, any of several could get it. They just have to WANT it!
HJ (7-11.50) Bondarenko, Barshim, Drouin?? Maybe at the WIC?
TJ (58-9.50) Will Tamgho get his own WR?? He went almost 5 inches better outdoors!
4X400, 4X800, DMR (3:01.06, 7:13.94, 9:25.97) All of these relay WR's CAN go, but I don't know where, or if, the opportunities will arise!
USA
400 (44.57) Merritt!!
800 (1:45.00) Symmonds publicly stated he'll be going for it! But will Solomon, Sowinski, or Johnson beat him to it? Definitely vulnerable!
1000 (2:17.86) Another Symmonds target! And this one, he WILL get...easily!! Mark my words!
1 Mile (3:49.89 Seems Rupp & Lagat are playing a "You break my record, I'll break yours!" game these past few years indoors! Lagat has this one now. Will Rupp get it when he races in Boston?
2 Mile (8:09.49) Basically the same premise as with the mile! It's Lagat's record now! Will Rupp (or someone else?) get it? (I would add the 3000, but that's too fast for Rupp to get enroute to a 2 mile!!)
5000 (13:07.00) Probably the softest AR in the distances! Should go!
HJ (7-10.50) Will Kynard reach this height indoors? Maybe in the WIC, in a great battle with Bondarenko, Barshim, and Drouin?
TJ (58-3.25) Will Conley's 1987 AR fall? Taylor & Claye can do it!
SP (74-4.25) I'd love to see Barnes's 1989 record fall!! It's now 25 years old! Whiting could do it, but it would take a 15 inch improvement on his PR!!
All the Relays (See World.)
Collegiate
1000 (2:19.53) This one seems the easiest to break! And collegians run it often! But it can't be on an OT!!
3000 & 5000 (7:38.59 & 13:08.28) I may be vastly overstating Ed Cheserek's potential here, but I was so impressed by his shocker win at NCAA cross that I'm saying he CAN make the MASSIVE improvements necessary on the track to get these marks!! (Think Lawi Lalang!!)
60H (7.47) Torian's CR is now 17 years old! The Collegiate scene has some good hurdlers. This record should finally go!
PV (19-2.25) This record is now 15 years old. In 2013, there was a slight resurgence in the Collegiate PV scene. Maybe Kendricks, or a big improvement by one of the 18-6/18-8 guys?
WT (78-9.25) I'm waiting for one of those hotshot HS dudes to smash through the 80 foot barrier in college!! Step right up, guys! (Or at least 78-10!!)
The Relays Two of them (4X200 & 4X400) went in 2013. The 4X800 is now 25 years old!! These marks--all 4 of them--are tough, but doable!
High School
400 (45.92) I thought Cherry would get this one last year, after his 33.05 HSR in the 300. But...! There's several 46+ guys back this year.
60H (7.57 & 7.85) Humphrey & Brown, those 13.38 guys, are back this year!
PV (17-9.25) Devin King, a solid 17-footer, is back!
All the Relays Relay records are almost always vulnerable! Just takes one STAR runner, with a solid back-up trio!! Will be interesting to see if any fall in 2014.
I'm sure of one thing!
Make that two things!
1. I will be wrong on most, if not all, of these predictions and opinions!
2. There will be at least 1 shocking race/jump/throw NO ONE expected!! (On the girl's HS side, it's already happened!! Raven Saunders improving 11 feet (!!) to reach 4th A-T in the SP!!)
Women's 2014 predictions to follow!
No comments:
Post a Comment