Over at Stanford, PB’s and standards were being given out like hotcakes at IHOP during Sunday brunch. In the 5k alone, 10 men and 15 women achieved the IAAF standard (13:23/15:20). 

Team USA was expected to dominate at World Relays, and the Red, White, and Blue did not disappoint, grabbing two World records (both in the DMR), while winning seven of ten events to once again capture the Golden Baton. We knew it was going to be a good weekend when the Americans took down the Bolt-anchored Jamaicans in the 4x100m on Saturday night. When U.S. anchor Ryan Bailey celebrated with his own version of Usain Bolt’s signature “Lightning Bolt” pose, which featured an added throat slash, an already tense rivalry became heated. More on this later.  

 

It was a complete demolition of the competition, and the crazy thing was that the Americans could have won more. Both 4x200m teams fumbled their exchanges, the only blemish on an otherwise stellar trip to the Caribbean. 

 

Here’s what stood out this past weekend: 

 

Number Never Lie At Payton Jordan

 

17 men and 29 women. Payton Jordan is always a standard-grabbing fest, and 46 athletes knocked out the IAAF target on Saturday night in Palo Alto. Let’s take a deeper look at Payton by the numbers:

 

0- Number of 1500 runners who achieved the standard (Men: 3:36.20, Women: 4:06.50). Chad Noelle (3:38.35) and Becca Addison (4:12.49) ran the top times. 

 

.01- Missed it by that much. David McNeill’s 27:45.01 10k was just outside the 27:45.00 standard. Ouch. McNeill had only this to say after the race:

13:23.00- Hopefully Dennis Licht bought a lottery ticket on Saturday night. His 5k time hit the standard on the nose. 

 

4- Men who broke 1:46.00 in the 800, the IAAF standard. Penn State’s Brannon Kidder was 2nd in 1:45.58, new NCAA #1

 

2- World leads set at Payton. Arkansas’ Stanley Kebenei won the steeple in 8:23.93, while Sally Kipyego won the 5k in 14:57.44.

 

15- Women who hit the 5k standard (15:20), the most of any race.

 

15:05.58- Nicole Tully’s debut 5k. The 4:06 1500m runner might have a new event. 

 

22- Time in seconds that Riley Masters’ cut off his PB, running 13:17.97. 

 

54.95- Peter Callahan’s final lap in Section 3 of the 1500m, the fastest close of the day. 

 

9- NCAA leading times run at Payton Jordan. 

WATCH PAYTON JORDAN RACES HERE

Records, Waterslides, and Throat Slashes in the Bahamas

 

The Americans had a damn good weekend in the Bahamas. How good, you ask? Well, how about two World records, one American record, a defeat of the Bolt-led Jamaicans, the resurgence of Jeremy Wariner, and seven total victories that produced some hilarious celebrations. Here are a few of the best shots: 

Justin Gatlin makes a snow angel out of the celebratory confetti.


Maggie Vessey was so excited about the 4x800 American record that she ran past Chanelle Price and Alysia Johnson-Montano

The 4x400 ladies doing their best James Bond before the 4x4 prelim.

One celebration that we won’t put here is Ryan Bailey’s throat slash after anchoring the 4x1, a mock of Usain Bolt’s famous pose. While it is not an image that we want repeated by young sprinters in the future, it sparked the type of controversy that could make track relevant outside of Olympic years, a factor that our sport desperately needs. Soon after Bailey’s celebration, Bolt’s Jamaican teammate Warren Weir was sub-tweeting about Bailey disrespecting a legend, which prompted a funny response from Bailey. 

 

This type of stuff only makes the rivalry more fun to watch. Did we mention that Bailey is running this weekend in Kingston? You know he’ll be hearing the boos from the raucous Jamaican crowd. 

 

About those records. The women’s DMR World record was expected to go down, and it did so with ease, as the quartet of Moser, Richards-Ross, Wilson, and Rowbury became the first group to ever break 10:40 with their 10:36.50 assault in Nassau. The U.S. put out the full arsenal in this race, and no one even came close. The $50k bonus check was already in the bank by the time Rowbury crossed the finish line. 

 

Here are the splits:

 

Treniere Moser 3:18.38 (1200m)

 

Sanya Richards-Ross 50.12 (400m)

 

Ajee Wilson 2:00.08 (800m)

 

Shannon Rowbury 4:27.92 (1600m)

 

The men’s race was a different story. Even without the presence of 3:48 miler Asbel Kiprop, the Kenyans were still expected to squash the Americans on the backs of 1:42 man Ferguson Rotich and 2015 1500m World leader Timothy Cheruiyot. Team USA looked solid, but nothing to the caliber of Kenya on paper. 

 

The old phrase “That’s why they run the race” seems so fitting in retrospect. The American squad of Kyle Merber, Brycen Spratling, Brandon Johnson, and Ben Blankenship ran the perfect race, and even the slightest tactical decision made all the difference for this unlikely group of World record holders. When a record is broken by as slim of a margin as this one (.06), it’s important to note the seemingly tiny developments that proved to be difference makers. 

 

When Kenya’s Rotich dropped the hammer in the first lap of his 800 leg, splitting 47 seconds, Brandon Johnson made the incredibly wise decision not to chase him. Imagine how tough that probably was for Johnson, the crowd roaring and adrenaline pumping through his veins. But Johnson knew the pace was too fast, and that Rotich was bound to fade. “I’ve never been passed up that fast in an 800 before,” Johnson said afterwards. “I had to keep my composure. I just wanted to give Ben the position that was best as possible.” Johnson’s split of 1:44.75 had put the Americans back in the lead.

 

Just as Blankenship got the stick, Kenyan anchor Cheruiyot rocketed past Blankenship, a pass that the American felt no need to cover. As Cheruiyot moved to pass him, Blankenship motioned him along with a wave, as if to say “see you in a few minutes.” Cheruiyot’s opening lap was 52 seconds, suicidal and ultimately foolish. Like Johnson, Blankenship saved energy by not chasing the Kenyan, energy that he would need in the last lap. “I was able to capitalize on his mistakes,” said Blankenship.

 

Blankenship eventually caught Cheruiyot in the final 150m, as the Kenyan understandably struggled to hold it together after going out so hard. The American had keyed off him the entire leg, not losing sight of Cheruiyot, but also not falling into his trap. Like Johnson, Blankenship’s split was incredibly fast (3:51.24), and they were rewarded for their patience with a gold medal and a 9:15.56 World record. 

That just happened.

If either Johnson or Blankenship had given pursuit, or if Merber and Spratling hadn’t also executed, a World record by four men without an Olympic appearance between them would never have happened. But everything came together, and the least likely victory for the Americans became its most memorable. 

 

Oh, and they got that $50k bonus, too.  

 

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Forgot to mention that Atlantis waterslide. Maggie Vessey was reportedly planning a trip down, so here’s this: