So athletes not practise baton handovers hundreds of times?

[Saniflo33]

Edit: Title should be DO Athletes

Missed out on gold due to two dodgy baton handovers! Surely this is the one thing you can practice again and again and again to make sure it is perfect?

Our family were just talking about this. Cost them a gold and we need one more gold to leapfrog France in the table

Shame I read this before BBC have shown it.

Pressure, stress etc. As many times as you practise something... shit happens!

That was the women's 4 x 100m which was shown live.

Oh that's OK then!

So, which event did you win gold for in Paris?

Bit like penalties. Different when the pressure is on.

Ah well, at least not as bad as the USA men!

They're under pressure and it's pissing it down.

I'm hoping to be Olympic champion for ill-informed armchair punditry!

Saniflo33 · Today 19:05
MrsSkylerWhite · Today 18:52
So, which event did you win gold for in Paris?
I'm hoping to be Olympic champion for ill-informed armchair punditry”

Congratulations, you win.

I always say similar about tennis, shouldn't getting your service over the net first time be a basic requirement?!

(I say this from my sofa while I drink wine and eat crisps! )

@Saniflo33

well you're in for a good chance at Gold then.

Also for the nasty knickers gold.

FFS. Can you not even TRY to appreciate the presssure & the fact it's pissing down?

could you not congratulate them
on the silver?

That made me laugh OP

I would win gold for kit criticism

Silver is fantastic.

I'm sure they do practice but so many things can go wrong on the night.

Go Team GB 🥈

Some more than others. But, as pp said earlier, it's like penalties in that you can't recreate the pressure of a competition.

Have you not written the word ‘do’ hundreds of times?

No, I don't think they practice it hundreds of times. A couple of dozen times, maybe, but I don't think that most of them get enough practice at it.

I used to compete in the 4x100 years ago in my school days, and we had those baton changeovers drilled into us over and over until we could have done them in our sleep.

Of course they practice. Just like every other athlete who practices their sport and doesn't win. What a stupid question.

@Rosecoffeecup It isn't a stupid question at all. All of those athletes are competing as individuals, and that is what their training and their mental focus concentrates on. The relay is not their 'main' event.

It must be quite hard to have to switch off the 'Great I Am' mentality and switch on the 'There's no 'I' in Team' one, a feat which seems particularly difficult for the Americans.

@invisiblecat makes me think of this. Every time.

Touché!

Of course they practise - they go to camps specially for it. If you run a tiny bit faster then the handover changes slightly. It’s harder than it looks.

They serve aggressively - and therefore risk smashing it into the net - because there are two chances to serve, and it's worth risking one of those in pursuit of an ace. Second serves are much slower and safer. There's a strategy to it.

Yes, just as footballers practice penalties thousands of times and divers practice their dives thousands of times. What did you think? I agree with pp - very silly question.