Run-Down Forums Forum Index Run-Down Forums

 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch
 
Run-Down Forums Forum Index
Sprint Central
Obadele Thompson's 9.69A 100m
Post new topic   Reply to topic

Post new topic   Reply to topic    Run-Down Forums Forum Index -> Sprint Central
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
jeffh
Water Boy
Water Boy


Joined: 14 Apr 2002
Posts: 47
Location: NC

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2003 3:28 am    Post subject: Obadele Thompson's 9.69A 100m Reply with quote

These were the weather conditions for El Paso 4/13/96;

History for El Paso, Texas

April 13,1996


Mean Temperature 68.0 °F / 20.0 °C
Max Temperature 77.0 °F / 25.0 °C
Min Temperature 59.0 °F / 15.0 °C
Cooling Degree Days 3
Growing Degree Days 18 (Base 50 °F / 9 °C )
Dew Point 23.2 °F / -4.9 °C
Precipitation 0.00 in / 0.00 cm
Snow Depth -
Standard Pressure 25.9 in / 876.0 hPa
Sea Level Pressure 29.7 in / 1005.2 hPa
Visibility 5.8 miles / 9.3 kilometers
Wind Speed 28.4 mph / 45.7 km/h
Max Wind Speed 42.5 mph / 68.3 km/h
Gust Speed 50.5 mph / 81.3 km/h
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dan
Chief Pontificator
Chief Pontificator


Joined: 22 Mar 1999
Posts: 9334
Location: Salem, OR

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2003 8:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just be glad it wasn't a headwind! Surprised

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address MSN Messenger
Justin
Varsity
Varsity


Joined: 08 Oct 2001
Posts: 312
Location: London

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2003 10:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

28mph is roughly 10m/s, ie a helluva wind. The strongest I have in my lists is 16.6m/s, for a race in Las Vegas in 1976 (Christian Garpenborg beating Clancey Edwards, both 9.9h). The 11.2m/s wind for William Snoddy's 9.87 in Dallas '78 is well known. I mentioned the 8.5m/s from Edinburgh '83 (Lattany 9.99w) elsewhere. There was a famous hour in Kobe in 1985 when they rushed to get the 100m semis done before a hurricane arrived (7.7m/s!). Leonard Scott rode a 7.1m/s wind to 9.83w in 1999 as a junior.

Such winds are rare - I have 338 performances to 10.19 with wind of 4.1m/s and above compared to 3200 with wind up to 2.0m/s and 1000 with wind 2.1-4.0m/s. Of those 338 perhaps 100 have winds over 6m/s. The US, btw, provides a disproportionate number of windy marks, especially very windy ones, and a good chunk of those come from Texas.

I understand that the wind guage in El Paso only went up to 5m/s and that the wind was much stronger than that. We don't know if it would be as high as 10m/s (it's the average for the whole race that counts) but it was clearly highly wind-blown.

Of course at 10m/s and above the wind is actually blowing the athlete along rather than simply reducing air resistance.

Why did you post this info Jeff? Were you there?

Justin
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Dan
Chief Pontificator
Chief Pontificator


Joined: 22 Mar 1999
Posts: 9334
Location: Salem, OR

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2003 10:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
The US, btw, provides a disproportionate number of windy marks

I've seen statistics presented in the past regarding average winds in various parts of the world, and they show some pretty dramatic differences between much of the US compared to Europe. Odds of having illegal winds (or headwinds strong enough to make record pursuits a moot point) are unfortunately quite high in the US. 40% of the time, If I'm remembering correctly.

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address MSN Messenger
Justin
Varsity
Varsity


Joined: 08 Oct 2001
Posts: 312
Location: London

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2003 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's a complex issue. A higher proportion of all 100m races in the US are windy than is the case in Europe. But standards are higher during the European season than the US season, even at 100m (all the GP races, including US athletes in peak form etc). So, the low proportion of windy races in my performance lists (which go to 10.19) does not reflect the proportions you'd see if you made it to every race of all standards.

This is reflected in deep performance lists - the US produces a vast number of 10.2x wind-assisted runners, athletes who compete only in the US and so do not get a chance to run faster legal times (as their elite compatriots do by racing the GP and GP2 series). Thus, my performer lists (which go to 10.30) contain a very high proportion of windy marks, much higher than in the high standard performance lists.

(I've read that through several times and it does make sense, albeit not the prettiest piece of writing).

One effect of this is that the 2m/s limit can seem unrealistically low to someone who mainly watches their sprinting in Texas, where over half of all races seem to be wind assisted.

It's very windy in the UK too, we have the same problem but it doesn't 'show' because standards in the UK are not high enough for very many marks outside the big meetings to make it on to world lists (eg we have around 100 men under 11.00 each year; the US has the same number under 10.50).

Japan is also very windy. Mainland Europe is not, although of course this is a huge generalisation.

Justin

PS Lots of Texas is also at altitude, so sprint standards really are very high, although it is one of the worst places in the world (along with Nigeria) for deliberately reporting hand times to 1/100ths. Brendan Christian was supposed to have pipped Quincy Boles 9.97-9.98 in one meet last year and these are still reported as legit 1/100th times when they are obviously 10.0w hand times)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
jeffh
Water Boy
Water Boy


Joined: 14 Apr 2002
Posts: 47
Location: NC

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2003 11:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Justin wrote:
Why did you post this info Jeff? Were you there?


No, I wasn't there but I've always been fasinated with the time(its so much better than anything else recorded) so I looked up the weather conditions for El Paso the day of the event.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dan
Chief Pontificator
Chief Pontificator


Joined: 22 Mar 1999
Posts: 9334
Location: Salem, OR

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2003 11:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
(I've read that through several times and it does make sense, albeit not the prettiest piece of writing).

I had to read it carefully, but you're right, it does make sense. Smile

Quote:
so I looked up the weather conditions for El Paso the day of the event.

I'm actually surprised no one's thought to do that before, at least not that I've seen. Pretty strong indication of what the weather was for a meet that has had a lot of unknowns surrounding it from day 1.

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address MSN Messenger
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Run-Down Forums Forum Index -> Sprint Central All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group