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Usain Bolt v Carl Lewis
A recent comparison of Carl Lewis v Usain Bolt by Michael Johnson – and the ensuing online discussion – has prompted this post. In part because I disagree with Michael, and in part by the direction of the online discussions themselves. I’ll start by saying that for me, the conversation is about a comparison of the two athletes, NOT a discussion of which is the GOAT. Because for me one does not belong in THAT conversation, and I will explain why before I close. First, let’s address comparisons in general. Personally I do think those discussions are good for the sport, and frankly we should have more of them. Why?…
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The Sprints Will Now Reset
The period around Olympics is usually when we see resets occur, and Rio will go down as such a period. Ashton Eaton used Rio as his final hurrah. Usain Bolt and Mo Farah used the Worlds following Rio as their Major farewell. The retirement of Bolt is especially important, as there are a bevy of elite sprinters that have all had their careers intersect with his. So along with Bolt, we should see several elite sprinters heading for the exit – either this off season or next. A list that will include some of the greatest sprinters in history: Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell, Walter Dix and Wallace Spearmon.…
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Surprise – 2017 World Championships
If you thought you knew what was going to happen in London – you were wrong. The one thing that everyone had right, is that this is the last we will see of Usain Bolt and Mo Farah on the World Championships track. How those stories would end proved to be a community event, as opposed to solo writing, as some other athletes had their say. The same went for the athletes previously anointed as receiving the inheritance of Bolt’s titles of Worlds Top Sprinter, and Face of the Sport. As again athletes stepped up to have their say in the matter. This was the tone of these championships. Just…
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Who Wins the London 100?
Personally I think the men’s 400 presents the matchup of the meet. For the millions watching this year’s World Championships however, most will be tuned in on Saturday to see if Usain Bolt can win one final 100 title before exiting, stage left. Entering the stadium, this is a very interesting race. For starters, Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin – who between them have won every Olympic title in the new millennium except ’00 – have both been sub par this season. And interestingly enough, both men enter London with identical season’s bests of 9.95. What are the odds of that, especially since their last Worlds’ final finding them only…
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The World Championships Hottest Matchup
What makes the World Championships THE hottest competition of the year is the matchups. The best of the best, gathered in one place to determine the best in the world in each event. In a meet of matchups, one should stand head and shoulders above the rest – the men’s 400 meters. It was the hottest matchup in Rio and fittingly produced the hottest result of the Games – three men under 44.00 and a world record 43.03! Incredibly, in spite of losing one of last year’s medalists to injury, the 400 is once again shaping up as the hottest matchup of the meet. In Rio we were looking at…
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Can the US Return After a Decade?
Ten years. A decade. A lot can happen in 10 years. Ten years ago, the iPhone made its debut – now no one can remember how we lived WITHOUT smartphones. Blackberry and Nokia ruled the cell phone world, and if you were really cool you owned a Razr! Young people today can’t remember either of those names with a market dominated by iPhones and Galaxy’s. A decade ago was the last time the US men won a Major 4×1. Winning in Osaka against a Bolt/Powell lead squad 37.78 to 37.89 – Jamaica’s first sub 38! Believe it or not, that race was run with a substitute on anchor for the…
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What Can van Niekerk Do?
I recently saw the question posed on the internet, "Can van Niekerk break the world record in the 200 meters?" To wit the response from most was a loud, "NO". That tends to be the response when talk of a long standing record arises. Longevity tends to breed the notion that a mark is invincible. I’ve seen enough records however, to know that eventually they all fall. Bob Beamon’s legendary 29′ 2.5" long jump elicited the phrase "Beamonesque" it was deemed so awesome and unbeatable – and it did last from 1968 until 1991. Then out of nowhere, in one meet, we had Carl Lewis (expected to break there record)…
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The European Plan to Reset Records
There has been a suggestion from European Athletics to reset the track and field record book to only allow records that conform to the sport’s current standard of taking and storing blood and urine so that either or both can be tested post record for new drugs and methods of doping discovered after the record has been ratified. This would effectively eliminate any and all records set before 2005! While I understand the frustration of the many doping scandals that have rocked the sport in recent years. The proposal set forth by European Athletics does not fix the core issue – which frankly has been the lax, and often complicit,…
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USATF’s Self Fulfilling Prophecy
Sacramento was just the host of the US Championships. One of the few times in the past decade that Eugene Oregon wasn’t the host of US Nationals. Though it just finished being the host of the NCAA Championships. And frankly MOST Championships and meets of consequence (ie Prefontaine Classic) since the turn of the century have been run in Eugene. Is this because, as Eugene and the media talking heads proclaim, Eugene is the track capital of the United States? No. Not yet anyway. It’s an out of the way burg in a corner of the North West plagued by wet rainy weather and asthmatic conditions that often make competition…
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Team USA v.2017
Team USA, the athletes that will be attending the World Championships in London, was selected this past weekend. After nearly a week of some of the toughest competition on the planet, how does the squad that emerged from Sacramento look? Well, going in it looked like we were headed for a transition, with several old stars looking vulnerable. Coming out it looks like a partial transition took place – some oldies hanging on for that last shot at a global medal, some having to say goodbye. The resulting mix of old and new looking to be potentially one of the strongest teams we’ve had in recent years. In the middle…