The World Athletics Championships are taking place in Beijing. Nevertheless, there does appear to be less enthusiasm for the sport than there used to be. There is the shadow of drug cheating to such a degree that it is difficult to believe one’s own eyes even with an athlete that has never failed a test. Half the competitors in the hundred metre men’s final, the sport’s blue ribbon event, have served a ban. The Kenyans lead the medal table but two of their athletes have failed a pre-tournament drug test. The Americans are wilting under the pressure of the competition, despite having many with world leading performances coming into the championships. Christine Ohuruogu finally ran out of steam and her career may be over.
However, there has much to gladden the heart. Usain Bolt has been imperious. The 100m show-down with Gaitlin was electric. The three golden Brits from super Saturday in London all triumphed again, overcoming a variety of adversities. The most remarkable was Jessica Ennis-Hill demonstrating that class is permanent achieving spectacular form so soon after maternity leave. Greg Rutherford was my favourite, giving the finger to the authorities pre and post his personal success. Then, there are all the dynamic young Brits bursting through. Make sure you catch the women’s 200m final tomorrow as we have a 19 year old who is likely to win a medal, perhaps even gold. Plus, I have a strong feeling that Johnson-Thompson is going to make up for her disappointment in the heptathlon by bagging a podium place in the long jump. Finally, let’s all root for the American 110m hurdler, Aries Merritt, who has qualified for the final with the fastest time. He has a kidney transplant next week.
The best moment must be the Kenyan javelin thrower winning gold. He studied techniques on YouTube, surprising even himself. An honourable mention goes to the photographer taking out Bolt with his Segway. Fortunately, Bolt is made of sterner stuff than the million pound painting a 12 year old Spanish boy slipped into, punching a fist-sized hole in the corner.
Any interest from The Afterword? Anyone care to share best or worst moments so far?
This competition has coincided nicely with some holiday time so in the hours between noon and 3 I have been quite non-literally glued to the television. Isn’t the BBC wonderful?
I am looking forward to see if Dafne Schippers can make the change from heptathlete to out and out sprinter complete today in the 200. Then of course there are fifteen or so competions to be decided over the coming weekend. Sometimes I think athletics is even better than football as a spectator event.
I hope the tide is turning as regards drug cheats, or at least it’s harder to get away with. At least we know more about who is dirty or not. I still can’t decide whether a life ban is the way to go. The cruel part of me thinks a better deterrent would be a ban just long enough to ensure you cannot compete at the top level.
I’m not a sports fan. I have no more than a passing interest in this or footy or swimming or lacrosse or whatever. (Can watch a bit of rugby though)
No, but, tangential point, the BBC is fantastic at sports coverage. It strikes me as a perfect use of the medium. Giving the masses of those actually interested in these big events brilliant coverage.
Those who moan about tv being swamped by these big sports occasions confuse me. So the World Cup is on for a month? You’re not interested – go and do something else. Watch another channel.
Watching BBC1 all the time should not be an aim in life.
Not sure where that came from, or why. Carry on everyone. You’re all doing very well.
Phil Jones is a diamond. He is so measured and caring towards those breathless, sweaty athletes, immediately after their events.
Gaitlin’s agent has accused the BBC of being ‘unprofessional’. Steve Cram and Brendon Foster could barely contain their glee over Bolt’s vest-thin win over Gaitlin. Darren Campbell and Michael Johnson have made no attempt to disguise their contempt for the ‘twice banned drug cheat’. Me? I like a bit of opinionated passion and am happy for them to express themselves.
I’ve only really started watching athletics with any interest in the past few years, but have really got into it. I’ve enjoyed the Beijing games, and there’s been lots to get excited about, most of them already mentioned. I too hope Johnson-Thompson does well in the long jump, and Schippers in the 200. Outside the actual competing, Bolt being mown down by the cameraman was alarming. Watching it in slow-mo, he was extraordinarily lucky not to suffer more severe damage to his leg. I had said to the GLW a couple of nights earlier that the cameramen on Segways were busier than one-armed paperhangers, how were they managing to drive the bike and film at the same time? Well, it’s clearly difficult.
There was also a moment during the post-race celebrations when an over-eager photographer was bundled away by about 30 grey sweatshirted uniforms (less distressing fro the international viewer than the standard black T shirt & trouser outfits, one assumes).
Catching the highlights when I can. Interesting to see some long standing records getting close to tumbling – particularly Jonathan Edwards’ 20 year old Triple Jump record – (still think it’s a daft event, mind – as is the 20km Walk – like seeing ‘who can whisper the quietest’ as someone once brilliantly said).
Talking of drug cheating – Flo Jo’s 17 year old 100m and 200m world records still stand, as well as Kratochvilova’s 800m ( 32 years) and Marita Kotch’s 30 year old 400m. Amazing, non?
I’m afraid to say I watch it with a very jaundiced eye, given the past scandals and the current rumours about the number of current athletes under suspicion. Even though I enjoy watching Usain run, I’m acutely aware that, IIRC, his team-mate Powell was caught recently. It beggars belief that Gatling can have been caught twice, yet still competes.
Michael Johnston is an excellent pundit who, unfortunately for the other former athletes posing as pundits, throws into sharp relief their banality and cliche-ridden comments. Deathly dull.
I note that Schippers skin is quite a mess. I mention this not to be ungallant, but merely to point out that steroid abuse can cause these types of skin eruptions.
When I was 17 drug testers kept knocking at my door. Every time they wanted my urine, blood and other bodily fluids they asked why I ran so effing slow while the excessive acne clearly indicated that I was on performance enhancing drugs.
Michael Johnson has indeed held the studio element together, with his technical insight, humour, and ability to deal with whatever’s thrown at him. Contrast that with Daley Thompson’s arrested development approach, always having to remind Gabby Logan who he was and what he’d achieved. I suspect Daley was quietly asked to head home after the first couple of days.
Denise Lewis and Colin Jackson have continued their auditions for Catchphrase, by saying what they see, though Colin adds in his trademark ‘What the athlete is thinking’ schtick, which tends to be ‘Gosh! I’m in the lead!’ Denise’s USP is her ability to turn the banal, e.g. ‘You have to jump the furthest to win’ into apparent pearls of wisdom, via her serious demeanour.
And then there was Matthew Hudson-Smith, thursday’s rabbit in the headlights. Anyone who’s seen any of his post-race interviews – and let’s presume that includes the people at the BBC – should know that, how shall we put this, he’s really not the sharpest tool in the box. And yet they drag him in, ask him questions and expect him to say words and stuff.
My highlight? Greg Rutherford. Looks and sounds like one of Biggles’ mates, does the job, celebrates beautifully. Even then, there were studio pundits who suggested that his talent is to see what everyone else has jumped and then go that little bit further: ‘Ah, I see that american chap has leapt 8-23. I shall therefore do 8-25!’ as opposed to simply jumping the furthest he f****** well can.
Athletics is very much an individual sport, apart from the sprint relays maybe. If the 10 fastest runners in the world in a particular distance category are from e.g. Kenya, why shouldn’t there be 10 Kenyans in the final?
The point is that they have to be selected for the games by their national federation (having achieved the necessary qualifying standard or being a defending champion), therefore officially they are representing their nation (no matter what any individual’s personal motivation may be). They can’t enter individually.
I enjoyed the whole thing. Gabby Logan’s good humoured presentation is very infectious. Michael Jordan is always worth listening to and it helps that he has something that makes him a worthy commentator – a house full of gold medals. I also like the Cram Foster double act and I don’t really mind their partiality towards the British kids. I also thought that Cram’s withering response to the Gatlin coach’s whining about BBC bias was spot on.
I agree that the sport has been damaged by the drugs controversies but I am satisfied that the vast majority of the competitors are clean. I simply cannot imagine Mo Farah, Jess Ennis, young Dina Asher Smith taking anything more chemical than a paracetamol. And there are so many of these young athletes coming through, setting personal bests and developing into potential champions. I’m not expecting them to be erudite intellectual conversationalists and most of them I’ve seen so far are nice engaging people with bags of enthusiasm and just proud to be running and jumping for their country. Don’t knock them.
I wouldn’t be quite so confident, particularly as regards Farah. His coach, Salazar, is under intense scrutiny. He’s long been suspected of dosing his athletes and, at the very least, it shows a lack of judgement to have hired him.
Cram is an excellent commentator. I missed his response re Gaitlin, annoyingly.
A record medal haul, then, for Team GB with four golds, a silver and two bronze. Yet, I somehow feel disappointed. If the 4x100m relay teams hadn’t messed up, things would look so much better.
Tiggerlion says
The World Athletics Championships are taking place in Beijing. Nevertheless, there does appear to be less enthusiasm for the sport than there used to be. There is the shadow of drug cheating to such a degree that it is difficult to believe one’s own eyes even with an athlete that has never failed a test. Half the competitors in the hundred metre men’s final, the sport’s blue ribbon event, have served a ban. The Kenyans lead the medal table but two of their athletes have failed a pre-tournament drug test. The Americans are wilting under the pressure of the competition, despite having many with world leading performances coming into the championships. Christine Ohuruogu finally ran out of steam and her career may be over.
However, there has much to gladden the heart. Usain Bolt has been imperious. The 100m show-down with Gaitlin was electric. The three golden Brits from super Saturday in London all triumphed again, overcoming a variety of adversities. The most remarkable was Jessica Ennis-Hill demonstrating that class is permanent achieving spectacular form so soon after maternity leave. Greg Rutherford was my favourite, giving the finger to the authorities pre and post his personal success. Then, there are all the dynamic young Brits bursting through. Make sure you catch the women’s 200m final tomorrow as we have a 19 year old who is likely to win a medal, perhaps even gold. Plus, I have a strong feeling that Johnson-Thompson is going to make up for her disappointment in the heptathlon by bagging a podium place in the long jump. Finally, let’s all root for the American 110m hurdler, Aries Merritt, who has qualified for the final with the fastest time. He has a kidney transplant next week.
The best moment must be the Kenyan javelin thrower winning gold. He studied techniques on YouTube, surprising even himself. An honourable mention goes to the photographer taking out Bolt with his Segway. Fortunately, Bolt is made of sterner stuff than the million pound painting a 12 year old Spanish boy slipped into, punching a fist-sized hole in the corner.
Any interest from The Afterword? Anyone care to share best or worst moments so far?
MC Escher says
This competition has coincided nicely with some holiday time so in the hours between noon and 3 I have been quite non-literally glued to the television. Isn’t the BBC wonderful?
I am looking forward to see if Dafne Schippers can make the change from heptathlete to out and out sprinter complete today in the 200. Then of course there are fifteen or so competions to be decided over the coming weekend. Sometimes I think athletics is even better than football as a spectator event.
I hope the tide is turning as regards drug cheats, or at least it’s harder to get away with. At least we know more about who is dirty or not. I still can’t decide whether a life ban is the way to go. The cruel part of me thinks a better deterrent would be a ban just long enough to ensure you cannot compete at the top level.
Beezer says
I’m not a sports fan. I have no more than a passing interest in this or footy or swimming or lacrosse or whatever. (Can watch a bit of rugby though)
No, but, tangential point, the BBC is fantastic at sports coverage. It strikes me as a perfect use of the medium. Giving the masses of those actually interested in these big events brilliant coverage.
Those who moan about tv being swamped by these big sports occasions confuse me. So the World Cup is on for a month? You’re not interested – go and do something else. Watch another channel.
Watching BBC1 all the time should not be an aim in life.
Not sure where that came from, or why. Carry on everyone. You’re all doing very well.
Tiggerlion says
I agree.
Phil Jones is a diamond. He is so measured and caring towards those breathless, sweaty athletes, immediately after their events.
Gaitlin’s agent has accused the BBC of being ‘unprofessional’. Steve Cram and Brendon Foster could barely contain their glee over Bolt’s vest-thin win over Gaitlin. Darren Campbell and Michael Johnson have made no attempt to disguise their contempt for the ‘twice banned drug cheat’. Me? I like a bit of opinionated passion and am happy for them to express themselves.
policybloke says
I’ve only really started watching athletics with any interest in the past few years, but have really got into it. I’ve enjoyed the Beijing games, and there’s been lots to get excited about, most of them already mentioned. I too hope Johnson-Thompson does well in the long jump, and Schippers in the 200. Outside the actual competing, Bolt being mown down by the cameraman was alarming. Watching it in slow-mo, he was extraordinarily lucky not to suffer more severe damage to his leg. I had said to the GLW a couple of nights earlier that the cameramen on Segways were busier than one-armed paperhangers, how were they managing to drive the bike and film at the same time? Well, it’s clearly difficult.
MC Escher says
There was also a moment during the post-race celebrations when an over-eager photographer was bundled away by about 30 grey sweatshirted uniforms (less distressing fro the international viewer than the standard black T shirt & trouser outfits, one assumes).
Steerpike says
Catching the highlights when I can. Interesting to see some long standing records getting close to tumbling – particularly Jonathan Edwards’ 20 year old Triple Jump record – (still think it’s a daft event, mind – as is the 20km Walk – like seeing ‘who can whisper the quietest’ as someone once brilliantly said).
Talking of drug cheating – Flo Jo’s 17 year old 100m and 200m world records still stand, as well as Kratochvilova’s 800m ( 32 years) and Marita Kotch’s 30 year old 400m. Amazing, non?
Steerpike says
…of course, that should have been ‘whisper the loudest’
Tiggerlion says
I prefer ‘whisper the loudest’
Tiggerlion says
Erm… I meant ‘the quietest’
ianess says
I’m afraid to say I watch it with a very jaundiced eye, given the past scandals and the current rumours about the number of current athletes under suspicion. Even though I enjoy watching Usain run, I’m acutely aware that, IIRC, his team-mate Powell was caught recently. It beggars belief that Gatling can have been caught twice, yet still competes.
Michael Johnston is an excellent pundit who, unfortunately for the other former athletes posing as pundits, throws into sharp relief their banality and cliche-ridden comments. Deathly dull.
Tiggerlion says
Indeed.
Dafne Schippers set the third fastest time ever in the 200m. The two that have gone faster? Both tainted by performance enhancing drugs.
ianess says
I note that Schippers skin is quite a mess. I mention this not to be ungallant, but merely to point out that steroid abuse can cause these types of skin eruptions.
Campo says
When I was 17 drug testers kept knocking at my door. Every time they wanted my urine, blood and other bodily fluids they asked why I ran so effing slow while the excessive acne clearly indicated that I was on performance enhancing drugs.
ianess says
They showed the top ten times in the women’s 220 metres. At least five are from drugs cheats.
Barry Blue says
Michael Johnson has indeed held the studio element together, with his technical insight, humour, and ability to deal with whatever’s thrown at him. Contrast that with Daley Thompson’s arrested development approach, always having to remind Gabby Logan who he was and what he’d achieved. I suspect Daley was quietly asked to head home after the first couple of days.
Denise Lewis and Colin Jackson have continued their auditions for Catchphrase, by saying what they see, though Colin adds in his trademark ‘What the athlete is thinking’ schtick, which tends to be ‘Gosh! I’m in the lead!’ Denise’s USP is her ability to turn the banal, e.g. ‘You have to jump the furthest to win’ into apparent pearls of wisdom, via her serious demeanour.
And then there was Matthew Hudson-Smith, thursday’s rabbit in the headlights. Anyone who’s seen any of his post-race interviews – and let’s presume that includes the people at the BBC – should know that, how shall we put this, he’s really not the sharpest tool in the box. And yet they drag him in, ask him questions and expect him to say words and stuff.
My highlight? Greg Rutherford. Looks and sounds like one of Biggles’ mates, does the job, celebrates beautifully. Even then, there were studio pundits who suggested that his talent is to see what everyone else has jumped and then go that little bit further: ‘Ah, I see that american chap has leapt 8-23. I shall therefore do 8-25!’ as opposed to simply jumping the furthest he f****** well can.
ianess says
The Smith guy was stunningly awful. One word replies followed by cretinous look at camera. Lewis and Jackson should be pensioned off.
Tiggerlion says
Colin has a dazzling smile. Plus, he’s a terrific dancer. If he’s not dancing with a dummy!
Jed Clampett says
Why do they compete wearing national colours?
Athletics is very much an individual sport, apart from the sprint relays maybe. If the 10 fastest runners in the world in a particular distance category are from e.g. Kenya, why shouldn’t there be 10 Kenyans in the final?
count jim moriarty says
Simple – they compete wearing national colours because they are representing their nations!
Jed Clampett says
I doubt if that is true.
They are there because they want to be World Champions, I doubt if any of them could tell you what the current medals league table looks like.
count jim moriarty says
The point is that they have to be selected for the games by their national federation (having achieved the necessary qualifying standard or being a defending champion), therefore officially they are representing their nation (no matter what any individual’s personal motivation may be). They can’t enter individually.
Tiggerlion says
Apart from Mo (who looks unbeatable), it’s been a bad couple of days for team GB. The relay teams seem to have gone back to the bad old days.
rocker49 says
I enjoyed the whole thing. Gabby Logan’s good humoured presentation is very infectious. Michael Jordan is always worth listening to and it helps that he has something that makes him a worthy commentator – a house full of gold medals. I also like the Cram Foster double act and I don’t really mind their partiality towards the British kids. I also thought that Cram’s withering response to the Gatlin coach’s whining about BBC bias was spot on.
I agree that the sport has been damaged by the drugs controversies but I am satisfied that the vast majority of the competitors are clean. I simply cannot imagine Mo Farah, Jess Ennis, young Dina Asher Smith taking anything more chemical than a paracetamol. And there are so many of these young athletes coming through, setting personal bests and developing into potential champions. I’m not expecting them to be erudite intellectual conversationalists and most of them I’ve seen so far are nice engaging people with bags of enthusiasm and just proud to be running and jumping for their country. Don’t knock them.
ianess says
I wouldn’t be quite so confident, particularly as regards Farah. His coach, Salazar, is under intense scrutiny. He’s long been suspected of dosing his athletes and, at the very least, it shows a lack of judgement to have hired him.
Cram is an excellent commentator. I missed his response re Gaitlin, annoyingly.
rocker49 says
sorry, of course, I meant Michael Johnson.
Tiggerlion says
A record medal haul, then, for Team GB with four golds, a silver and two bronze. Yet, I somehow feel disappointed. If the 4x100m relay teams hadn’t messed up, things would look so much better.
Roll on The Olympics!