Introducing the 4 X 200
There's a crowd-pleasing history regarding the relays at a track meet - the 4 X 400 that often determines the meet champs; the 4 X 100 that's a firing gun followed by four clouds of smoke; and the 4 X 800 that has coaches searching for the good mix of speed and endurance.
What exactly will the 4 X 200 relay bring to the table? Is it going to simply make a long day longer as one suggested, will it be yet another chance for teams to show off their speed, or perhaps a combination of the above?
"Think about it - last year the addition of the 4 X 800 gave the distance coaches a great chance to show off their runners," one coach said. "Now, with the 4 X 200, this will give the sprinters another shot."
And this 'shot' will be another where there's smoke, wind, and fire, but also another where dropping the proverbial stick means all bets are off - not particularly the case in the longer relays.
"There's wasn't a worse feeling in the world than looking across the track and seeing my three disappointed teammates," a former athlete said. "I'll never forget seeing all three of them drop their heads - won't forget that as long as I live."
Regardless, the extra race means more strategizing - more parts to connect regarding who carries the stick, in what order, and now in what race.
"There are no more "B" relay teams at section and state meets but now they've added the 4 X 200," another coach said. "It'll be interesting to note how the coaches divide their sprinters up into an extra event and it'll be an early season challenge to add this into the early season meets. Still, any event which adds more participation is a good thing."
Perhaps the new race will have the coach's brains firing as often as the starting guns with the extra brain work. After all, can this one hand it to that one? She can pass it, but can she take it? Who gets out of the blocks the best? In short, it's a symphony when done right, where each zig and zag and up and down must move in one note, in fast time, and with an agility and grace before, after, and during each handoff
Case in point, years ago there was a book out titled "The Boys in the Boat" which perhaps illustrates all of the above, though there are eight involved in rowing instead of four. The gist of the book was teamwork with a capital "T", symmetry with a capital "S", and if even seven are in sync and one isn't, the final result will be being towed in by the leading boat's wake.
Ironically, even though the novel race is another sprint, it's also another event which leads to extra endurance regardless of how fast the athletes are.
Is it overkill?
"No, it's just something else we can talk smack about," one athlete said. Another saw it this way, "As long as my hamstrings hold out, bring it on!"
Regardless of public or private opinions, ready or not, here it comes. And when and if the cohesion is there, the 4 X 200 could add more eloquent grace to a sport that already has plenty of variety.
Stay tuned...
Dunn Neugebauer
Holder of lots of jobs
Author, coach, nice guy-
2019 GHSA Girls' XC State Champions
Latest book: https://amzn.to/3iZpgGJ