Do Curves Matter in the 200m or 400m?
Everyone dreads lane 1 for the 200m (curve too tight), or dreads lane 8 (or 9) for the 400m (running scared).
Track and field news has complied the best performance known to have been achieved in each lane of the track in each of the curve-affected events (200, 400, 400H, 4x100m), for both men and women.
Who remembers Yohan Blake’s 19.26 200m in 2011, where he could have (should have) broken the WR if he had a better reaction time? He had Lane 7.
Or Isaac Makwala’s 44.11 400m at the Beijing 2015 World Champs, out in Lane 9?
NOTE: since 1988, for both Olympic and World Championships, the sprinter’s times from prior round have been given lanes 3–6. Your position in the qualification race determines your advancement (i.e. “Q”). Previous to 1988, everybody was in a random draw.
Photo Credits: REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
| MEN’S 200 | ||||||||
| 1* | Coby Miller | USA | 20.04 | 1 | Athl | Lausanne | 1-Jul-03 | |
| 2 | Jason Young | JAM | 19.86 | 1 | Inv | Lucerne | 7-Jul-12 | |
| 3 | Michael Johnson | USA | 19.32 | 1 | OG | Atlanta | 1-Aug-96 | |
| 4 | Yohan Blake | JAM | 19.44 | 2 | OG | London | 9-Aug-12 | |
| 5 | Usain Bolt | JAM | 19.19 | 1 | WCh | Berlin | 20-Aug-09 | |
| 6 | Walter Dix | USA | 19.53 | 2 | VDamme | Brussels | 16-Sep-11 | |
| 7 | Yohan Blake | JAM | 19.26 | 1 | VDamme | Brussels | 16-Sep-11 | |
| 8 | Xavier Carter | USA | 19.63 | 1 | Athl | Lausanne | 11-Jul-06 | |
| 9 | Alonso Edward | PAN | 19.87 | 4 | WCh | Beijing | 27-Aug-15 | |
| * Usain Bolt ran from lane 1 in the 2005 World Championship final (Helsinki 1 August). At 150 meters he was in medal position and gaining on eventual winner Justin Gatlin (20.04) but slowed to a jog due to injury. | ||||||||
| MEN’S 400 | |||||||
| 1 | Mark Richardson | GBR | 44.37 | 1 | Bislett | Oslo | 9-Jul-98 |
| 2 | Larry James | USA | 43.97(A) | 2 | OG | Mexico City | 18-Oct-68 |
| 2(l-a) | Michael Johnson | USA | 44.17 | 1r1 | Athl | Lausanne | 10-Jul-91 |
| 3 | Jeremy Wariner | USA | 43.62 | 1r1 | GG | Rome | 14-Jul-06 |
| 4 | Butch Reynolds | USA | 43.29 | 1 | WkZ | Zurich | 17-Aug-88 |
| 5 | Michael Johnson | USA | 43.18 | 1 | WCh | Seville | 26-Aug-99 |
| 6 | Jeremy Wariner | USA | 43.45 | 1 | WCh | Osaka | 31-Aug-07 |
| 7 | Luguelín Santos | DOM | 44.11 | 4 | WCh | Beijing | 26-Aug-15 |
| 8 | LaShawn Merritt | USA | 43.65 | 2 | WCh | Beijing | 26-Aug-15 |
| 9 | Isaac Makwala | BOT | 44.11 | 1s2 | WCh | Beijing | 26-Aug-15 |
For a full listing, including women events, 400mH and 4x100m relays, click here for Track and Field News.
Jimson Lee
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