Justin Gatlin's 40 Time

[Irish Envy]

Is anyone else watching SportsCenter? Did I hear it right... clocked at a 3.8-3.9 at the private workout with the Texans today? Is that humanly possible?

 

[nayers]

Is that humanly possible?

with roids anything is possible

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

40 times are BS

40 times are BS

Is anyone else watching SportsCenter? Did I hear it right... clocked at a 3.8-3.9 at the private workout with the Texans today? Is that humanly possible?

It's BS. He would be faster than the fastest Olympic runner in history. I suspect they were timing wrong. Even though he is an olympic runner...

Here's a great article on 40 times.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/nfl/20050418-9999-1s18forty.html

Here's only a PORTION of the article. I recommend you read the whole thing.

There is no official world record for 40 yards.
The shortest distance that the IAAF, track and field's international governing body, recognizes for world-record purposes is an indoor 50 meters, or about 54 yards. It is 5.56 seconds and it was set by Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey in 1996. There is also a world record for 60 meters – 6.39 seconds by American Maurice Greene in 1998.

But it is another Canadian, Ben Johnson, who is believed to have run 40 yards faster than any human in history. Johnson is best known for injecting copious amounts of steroids and winning the 100 meters at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul in 9.79 seconds, only to have his gold medal and world record stripped after failing a post-race drug test.

Timing officials have since broken down that famed race into 10-meter increments, and Johnson was so preposterously fast that he went through 50 meters in 5.52 seconds and 60 meters in 6.37 – both under the current world records at those distances. He went through 40 yards that day in 4.38 seconds.

He was running in spikes . . . on a warm afternoon perfectly suited for sprinting . . . with a slight tailwind . . . with years of training from arguably track's top coach, Charlie Francis . . . with Carl Lewis and six others of the fastest men on the planet chasing him . . . with 69,000 people roaring at Seoul's Olympic Stadium . . . with hundreds of millions of people watching on TV . . . with the ultimate prize in sports, an Olympic gold medal, at stake.

And, as we learned later, with muscles built with the assistance of the anabolic steroid stanazolol.

Four-point-three-eight seconds.

Then again, maybe Ben Johnson isn't the fastest 40-yard man in the world.

Maybe half the NFL is faster.

 

[moc182]

That can't be possible, but it would be very interesting to see him in the NFL.

 

[Pete]

Would he be automatically enrolled in the NFL drug program? He has failed two tests, one at Tenn. and one just this past year.

 

[tedwick]

lessee. gatlin's world record time was 9.77 seconds for 100 meters. that's .0977 seconds per meter. 40 yards is 36.5 meters. Gatlin's 9.77 world record time corresponds to a theoretical 40 time of 3.56 seconds. Also, that's over a longer distance, so the numbers could be even a bit quicker. So it's possible. It's already been done, and by other people as well.

going from the other end. A 3.9 second 40 corresponds to a 100 meter time of 10.7 seconds. So it's definitely doable. The NCAA mens record is 10.2. Even if Gatlin isn't on steroids anymore, he probably hasn't regressed all that much as a sprinter. The roids just got him to the WR. It's just combining that with football talent.

 

[kjones]

lessee. gatlin's world record time was 9.77 seconds for 100 meters. that's .0977 seconds per meter. 40 yards is 36.5 meters. Gatlin's 9.77 world record time corresponds to a theoretical 40 time of 3.56 seconds. Also, that's over a longer distance, so the numbers could be even a bit quicker. So it's possible. It's already been done, and by other people as well.

going from the other end. A 3.9 second 40 corresponds to a 100 meter time of 10.7 seconds. So it's definitely doable. The NCAA mens record is 10.2. Even if Gatlin isn't on steroids anymore, he probably hasn't regressed all that much as a sprinter. The roids just got him to the WR. It's just combining that with football talent.

Sorry tedwick, i love your posts but you are incorrect on this one. Your analysis assumes a constant velocity over the whole sprint, which is clearly an incorrect assumption. The numbers are shorter, not quicker, because you have to start from a dead stop. If you read the article posted above, you'll see that they actually did a tape analysis and he crossed 40 yards at 4.38!! That's with a full load of roids and a slight tailwind. The article is quite interesting, basically, because 40 times aren't done automatically, all athletes get at least an extra 0.24 or so on every run while the time has to react to the runner movement, instead of the runner reacting to a gun. And pressing button adds more tenths. And they anticipate the finishes. Etc. As long as we stay consistent to this sham of a measuring system 3.9 is possible, but it looks like not even under 4.3 is actually possible for a human being.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Sorry tedwick, i love your posts but you are incorrect on this one. Your analysis assumes a constant velocity over the whole sprint, which is clearly an incorrect assumption. The numbers are shorter, not quicker, because you have to start from a dead stop. If you read the article posted above, you'll see that they actually did a tape analysis and he crossed 40 yards at 4.38!! That's with a full load of roids and a slight tailwind. The article is quite interesting, basically, because 40 times aren't done automatically, all athletes get at least an extra 0.24 or so on every run while the time has to react to the runner movement, instead of the runner reacting to a gun. And pressing button adds more tenths. And they anticipate the finishes. Etc. As long as we stay consistent to this sham of a measuring system 3.9 is possible, but it looks like not even under 4.3 is actually possible for a human being.

You just saved me a ton of typing...thanks!

 

[bayernarsch]

Not that I'd attempt to lend validity to the time recorded by the Texans, since most 40 yd. dash times are smoke and mirrors, but remember that this was probably a hand held time vs. the FAT used to record IAAF events and world records. This one sounds like there might be significant human error to it.

 

[tedwick]

Sorry tedwick, i love your posts but you are incorrect on this one. Your analysis assumes a constant velocity over the whole sprint, which is clearly an incorrect assumption. The numbers are shorter, not quicker, because you have to start from a dead stop. If you read the article posted above, you'll see that they actually did a tape analysis and he crossed 40 yards at 4.38!! That's with a full load of roids and a slight tailwind. The article is quite interesting, basically, because 40 times aren't done automatically, all athletes get at least an extra 0.24 or so on every run while the time has to react to the runner movement, instead of the runner reacting to a gun. And pressing button adds more tenths. And they anticipate the finishes. Etc. As long as we stay consistent to this sham of a measuring system 3.9 is possible, but it looks like not even under 4.3 is actually possible for a human being.

danke. i stand corrected.

however, the iaaf no longer recognizes the 50m sprint. i'm not even sure if they run it anymore (the shortest run distance is 60m, but it's indoor and thus not terribly well populated) so there aren't really current world records for the 50m. chances are things have speeded up since then. For comparison, the 100m record in 1991 was 9.86. So a full 10th of a second was shaved off in over 10 years.

I'd be interested to see gatlin's world record 100m, and look for the 40 mark. That's really the only way we'd be able to tell. 3.9 probably isn't realistic, but a sub-4.3 might be.

 

[KMac151993]

Not that I'd attempt to lend validity to the time recorded by the Texans, since most 40 yd. dash times are smoke and mirrors, but remember that this was probably a hand held time vs. the FAT used to record IAAF events and world records. This one sounds like there might be significant human error to it.

Love the 1992 Penn State program.

 

[tommy]

does this guy have any football experiance high school jv anything . he thinks he can hang in the nfl he isnt that much faster then nfl cb plus what is his time with full pads on .

 

[tedwick]

does this guy have any football experiance high school jv anything . he thinks he can hang in the nfl he isnt that much faster then nfl cb plus what is his time with full pads on .

well, the point that most of the posters are making is that most nfl 40 times (i believe they're automated at the combine, but workouts are hand done) are a lot quicker than the guys can actually run the 40 just because of human error. gatlin is probably quicker than any corner in the NFL. There's a reason champ baily isn't running the 100m next summer olympics. but, indeed, the question is if the guy has any other football skills other than sheer speed. You could run him deep on every down, but if he can't catch, then what's the use?

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

danke. i stand corrected.

however, the iaaf no longer recognizes the 50m sprint. i'm not even sure if they run it anymore (the shortest run distance is 60m, but it's indoor and thus not terribly well populated) so there aren't really current world records for the 50m. chances are things have speeded up since then. For comparison, the 100m record in 1991 was 9.86. So a full 10th of a second was shaved off in over 10 years.

I'd be interested to see gatlin's world record 100m, and look for the 40 mark. That's really the only way we'd be able to tell. 3.9 probably isn't realistic, but a sub-4.3 might be.

I bet if he tried he could get a 4.2 in the 40...and with training MAYBE even lower...especially if the time started with his running, not a gun.

But Gatlin is the fastest in the world, thus showing the sham of College 40 times.

 

[brownkj002]

I bet if he tried he could get a 4.2 in the 40...and with training MAYBE even lower...especially if the time started with his running, not a gun.

But Gatlin is the fastest in the world, thus showing the sham of College 40 times.

I agree with all these 40 times being a bit inflated. If a professional Olympian runner runs the 40 in the low 4's, I really don't see a 17 boy being able to compete with them.

 

[kjones]

I'd be interested to see gatlin's world record 100m, and look for the 40 mark. That's really the only way we'd be able to tell. 3.9 probably isn't realistic, but a sub-4.3 might be.

Tedwick, are you messing with me? It's been said twice now (once in my last message that you quoted) that this has been done. They did a tape analysis and he passed the 40 yd mark in 4.38. All hand held forty times are a hoax compared to real racing times.

 

[wrigley1]

Knute Rockne once ran a 4 flat. In pads.

 

[tedwick]

Tedwick, are you messing with me? It's been said twice now (once in my last message that you quoted) that this has been done. They did a tape analysis and he passed the 40 yd mark in 4.38. All hand held forty times are a hoax compared to real racing times.

No. I'm not. I haven't heard any stats regarding Gatlin, or any stats that happened less than 10 years ago. They did it with BEN JOHNSON's 100m over 10 years ago. I'm just saying that the world of sprinting has changed since then. I missed that Johnson's was 9.79, but still, johnson's run is not the gold standard of 40's. For instance, looking at Gatlin's WR 9.77, at the halfway point, he's not even the leader. There's another guy that's running a quicker 40 than him, meaning that people can accellerate quickly and not hold the WR. I'm just saying that it might be possible for a sprinter to run a sub-4.3. Not saying that gatlin ran a 3.9. Not saying that NFl times aren't outrageous. Just saying that it doesn't seem like it's physically IMPOSSIBLE like you seem to be saying. Remember, the 4-minute mile was impossible at one point.

youtube of gatlin's 9.77 is here. Gatlin's in the 4th lane, the guy in the 3rd seems to run a quicker 40 than gatlin does. If you're wondering, Ben Johnson leads his race the whole way.

 

[njuneardave]

Knute Rockne once ran a 4 flat. In pads.

...uphill in the snow

 

[claynd105]

...uphill in the snow

With ankle weights.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

With ankle weights.

in his fedora

 

[njuneardave]

in his fedora

with a training parachute tied to his back

 

[onenybrother]

with a training parachute tied to his back

smoking a cigar.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

smoking a cigar.

singing the fight song

 

[claynd105]

singing the fight song

While watching game film.

 

[onenybrother]

While watching game film.

Eating a pickle.

 

[claynd105]

Eating a pickle.

It was actually two pickles.

 

[tedwick]

Knute Rockne crossing the 40 yard line in 3.8 seconds. While saving a baby.

 

[claynd105]

Knute Rockne crossing the 40 yard line in 3.8 seconds. While saving a baby.

Lucky baby.

 

[njuneardave]

AND.... notre dame had the grass cut 7' high... just like the USC game. little did they know that the man on the far right would later play the kickoff wrong and hurt his ankle.