Life after Bolt? Who will emerge to carry men’s athletics?

  

The greatest athlete ever to lace up a pair of spikes Usain Bolt, will bring down the curtain on a stunning career when he bows out at the Olympic Stadium at the World Championships this summer. His competitive farewell to his Homeland Jamaica took place recently at the Racers GP; the event awoke a sense of realisation that the great man is really retiring this year and begs the question what happens after Bolt?

The pressure to secure a fitting end and to bow out on top will be immense for the 9 time Olympic champion, but one thing the great man is used to is pressure. Bolt has carried athletics through a dark age riddled with drug scandals and has emerged as the one true global superstar athlete, ever to represent athletics.

Athletics as a sport will obviously miss the presence of it’s supreme athlete on the track, but it is off the track where it could be argued that his absence will be most sorely felt. The incredible athletic ability, the temperament that enabled Bolt to always deliver while the entire world watched, and the larger than life loveable showman that he was throughout his successes, are all acts that must be replaced or replicated for athletics to continue to draw. The biggest question is: who is able to replace this once in a generation sprinting phenomenon?
 

Coleman has ran 9.82 this year, the fastest time of any athlete

  

The Future

Christian Coleman, 21 from the USA has burst on to the scene this winter, making a mockery of his young years while running times seasoned professionals dream of, albeit on the American collegiate circuit. For a collegiate athlete to show such promise at such an age has the world taking note; it is impossible not to see the potential for the next global superstar in an athlete tearing the US collegiate records books to shreds. Coleman has run a world leading 9.82 in the 100m this year and supplemented that with an outstanding 19.85 in the 200m. Off the track Coleman is being recognised too with Nike rewarding him with a 7 digit sponsorship deal to become their Athletics poster boy. While it’s likely that this summer will be too early for him to triumph on the world level in the 100m against Bolt,  it is certainly not a ridiculous claim that the passing of the torch could happen as early as the World Championships; a scene reminiscent of the great Jamaican’s at the Beijing Olympics 2008 is not beyond the young man.

Of course the future is certainly not only about Coleman, many recent breakthrough athletes have impressed early only to never quite reach their potential. Terrance Bromell burst on to the scene two years ago much like Coleman and enjoyed early success running 9.84. He followed this up with a world championship bronze and was highly fancied to push on from there as a major threat to Bolt. An indifferent year followed in which while cementing his place as an elite world sprinter, Brommell fell further away from the front pack in the Rio Olympics 2016 to finish 8th and has continued to fall short of his peak this year. He certainly could have a bright future and at just 22 years of age has plenty of potential.

Two further young athletes Christopher Belcher and Cameron Burrell have also tossed their hats into the mix tho be Bolt’s long term successor this year, both running sub 10 seconds in the 100m and are worth keeping an eye on in the years to come.

It is not only America who have emerging young sprinters ready to take over from the great Usain Bolt though. The production line of champions from Jamaica looks to have no plans on slowing as emerging athletes such as Lemar Bailey Cole, Odean Skeen and Julian Forte continue to show promise in the race to fill their hero’s size 13 shoes!

A sprinter who was sure to challenge for medals in London was the exciting young challenger Adrian De Grasse of Canada. Though for the purpose of the piece he is labelled part of sprintings future, De Grasse has already enjoyed success powering to a bronze medal last year at the Rio Olympics. Of the upcoming sprinters the Canadian is sure to be near the top of the sport in the near future, quite whether he’s capable of world record times or has the charisma to be the face of the sport is doubtful but he’s certainly a fantastic talent. Unfortunately any chance De Grasse had this year were ended as he has failed to recover from injury in time for the World championships in London.

The fact that Bolt has decided to retire doesnt necessarily mean that the other dominant sprinters of his era are finished however, far from it in fact.

  

Blake and Gatlin complete the podium at the London Olympics

 

The Present

Justin Gatlin is a name which divides opinion, most are unforgiving of his drug cheat laden past. He has for the past few years been Bolt’s greatest threat and has consistently proved the best sprinter on the circuit throughout the season. When arriving on the worlds largest stage he has always come up short when trying to topple the great Jamaican. Gatlin proved his credentials once more this summer storming to victory in the US trials and now shifts his focus to finally overcoming his nemesis in London in their last competitive showdown. At the age of 35 this should prove to be Gatlin’s last hurrah, he certainly wont be the man to carry the sport moving forwards but would love to finally triumph over Bolt.

Since 2011 most followers of thesport believed that a ready made heir to Usain Bolt’s throne was already racing, this being his great friend and training partner Yohan Blake. Blake is the second fastest man of all time in both the 100m and 200m disciplines. In the years since Usain Bolt exploded onto the scene at the Beijing Olympics 2008, Blake is the only man other than Bolt to win a global championship in either the 100m or 200m. Bolt was disqualified at the 2011 World Championships for a fault start allowing Blake to power to his first global championship. In the build up to the 2012 London Olympic Games Blake was widely fancied having beaten Bolt at the Jamaican trials in both the 100m and 200m disciplines, only for the great champion to once again rise to the occasion consigning Blake to two Silver medals.

Blake is likeable and charismatic and definitely has the pedigree to follow Bolt. He has  shown in the times that he has run that he is a sprinter of the very highest caliber, however injuries have plagued the young Jamaican in recent years leading to him being a shadow of his former self on the track. In an encouraging return to form Blake won the sprint double at the Jamaican trials (Bolt was absent), doing so by running the fastest time in the 100m that he has managed in two years. If Blake has finally managed to put his injury nightmare behind him look to him to begin to rediscover his form and be a force for years to come.

While the above are great on track athletes there is one great young sprinter who has the ability to match Bolt’s achievements and take over the mantle of  carrying athletics forward.

Van Niekerk stuns Kirani James and Leshawn Merritt to smash the world record in 43.03

The Superstar and the South African revolution

The great South African hope Wade Van Niekerk has already cemented his legacy as a great of the sport regardless of his young years. He shocked the world to smash the great Michael Johnson’s 17 year old 400m record running 43.03 at the Rio Olympics from lane 8! What makes this man even more special however is that he is superb at the shorter distances too; he is of an elite group having run sub 10 Seconds in the 100m and sub 20 seconds in 200m, also having broke 44 seconds (and almost breaking 43!!) in the 400m.

It is difficult not to get excited about Van Neikerk’s achievements thus far, though I suspect these will be far surpassed with the raw talent and rate of progression that he continues to show. There will never be another Usain Bolt but the young South African has all the tools needed to create his own legacy that matches that of the great man. In fact if conditions were perfect and he was not too tired from also running the 400m in London, I suspect he could challenge Bolt’s 200m World record. What he may lack in top speed in comparison to Bolt, he makes up with superior speed endurance and it is a crying shame that the two athletes era’s did not coincide in a rivalry which could have pushed sprinting boundaries into a different stratosphere. Van Niekerk has chiselled good looks and a humble, likeable persona personified by his attachment to his 74 year old coach Ana Botha to which he dedicates much of his success. He would be a great face of Athletics as the sport tries to escape the dark cloud that emanates from the drug scandals of the past.

Van Niekerk heads a new revolution of South African sprinters including World under 18 champions Retshidisitswe Mlenga and Tshenolo Lemao in addition to Thando Roto and Akani Simbine who have run sub 10 seconds this season. Simbine in particular has been impressive clocking multiple sub 10 clockings, however when outside his home country he has failed to really deliver in the bigger races thus far. Look for South Africa to be a major sprinting powerhouse for years to come both individually and in the relay events.

It will truly be the end of an era when one of the greatest sportsmen ever to compete , Usain Bolt, pulls down the curtain on his mesmerising career next week. In terms of a global superstar Wade Van Niekerk will hope to fulfil his potential to become the star that transcends the sport as Bolt has. On the track the South African will likely be challenged in the 200m by Coleman, De Grasse and Blake, leaving them to fight for supremacy in the 100m and in doing so, creating new rivalries to ignite a new cycle in athletics history. There is most certainly life after Bolt and his records will one day be broken of that there is no doubt. Time will tell if we will ever see a superstar on the scale of Usain Bolt in athletics again  and while those he leaves behind have the talent to keep athletics moving forwards, the man, the athlete, the entertainer… the Legend .. will be sorely missed.

 

 

Judgement Day for Joshua

Tonight the eyes of the world will be focussed on the O2 with the IBF World Heavyweight title the prize in a battle between USA and Britain. American ‘Prince’ Charles Martin defends his newly won crown against Anthony Joshua, dubbed the ‘next big thing’, in a fight which will begin to tell us just how good can become. Both fighters will enter the arena boasting unbeaten records, begging the question ‘who’s 0 has to go’.

After winning gold at London 2012 followed by 15 straight knockout victories as a pro, Anthony Joshua (26) has long been the name on the lips of  heavyweight boxing pundits; his potential outstanding, physique extraordinary and personality charming. Nobody has ever questioned the fact that Joshua was destined to fight for a world title eventually, but to do it in just his 16th fight after previously having never met a world top 10 fighter is a surprise even to him. His marketability and growth in the public eye has led to much pressure and expectation. Of course it is of no fault of his own that he has been thrust into the spotlight so early in his career, it is nonetheless a risk to step up in class so significantly with so much riding on the result.

Martin himself is a relative new name to the scene having won 22 fights before meeting Glazkov for the belt vacated by Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury. The heavy hitting southpaw won the belt in unusual circumstances, Golovkin pulling out through injury after three rounds handing over the championship so to speak. As a result ‘Prince’ would see a victory tonight as his true coronation as heavyweight champion of the world.

The fight promises to be an interesting clash in styles. ‘Prince’ Martin fights in a southpaw stance,  moves well and has a heavy overhand left which he will look to throw behind Joshua’s jab. Weighing in for this fight at one pound heavier than his opponent the champion is less physically impressive than his challenger but instead prides himself on his boxing brain, heart and toughness sighting his tough upbringing as the catalyst to his success.

In stark contrast Joshua fights in an orthodox stance and has a pedigree of the highest caliber as reigning heavyweight Olympic gold medallist. The humble Londoner is sculpted like a bodybuilder and bases his style on technique and power. He has impressed pundits and fans alike with his fights to date but has not ever fought a fighter of the caliber of the champion. Joshua was rocked by a shot, if only momentarily by his last opponent Dillon Whyte, creating an air of uncertainty of his ability to take a shot from the best heavyweights in the world.

What makes this fight such an interesting spectacle in addition to the obvious high stakes, is the relative unknown current level of both fighters. Everybody has an opinion but the truth is that neither of these fighters has fought a marquee name or certainly not anybody of the quality of their opponent, and both are still developing and improving with each fight.  As has always been the case in Heavyweight boxing one punch can, and most probably will make all of the difference, especially with the known power of both individuals.

Getting to the position to throw a knockout punch will be crucial and technically Joshua would be seen to have the advantage in ‘boxing skill’ alone. Martin has a tendency to leave his hands relatively low and with the explosive power that Joshua possesses you could argue that a knockout in rounds 3-6 for Joshua may equate to an educated bet on the outcome. If Martin were to be caught early, Joshua has proven that he is a great finisher and may use his imposing power and athleticism to pounce on Martin. Joshua will look to dictate the centre of the ring and bring a tempo to the fight which he would hope would be too much for the champion leading to a knockout by the mid way point.

Prince Charles Martin is a great fighter in his own right and while many would have Joshua favourite based on his Olympic background and impressive skills, the champion is being criminally underrated. He is a ‘fighter’ who describes himself as just that. He does have a strong amateur background and has a frightening left cross that will cause Joshua all kinds of problems if he manages to land. Joshua also hasn’t ever fought a southpaw as a professional. This could lead to a period of uncertainty in which the challenger learns and picks where the shots come in, giving Martin a window of opportunity early on.

When analysing how this fight will pan out I think that there is a chance of an early knockout for both fighters. If Joshua struggles early to pick the southpaw and Martin lands we will most certainly learn about the Briton’s chin. If Joshua comes out flying as is usually the case he has the ability to put Martin away early. Where this fight will be interesting is between the 3rd and 9th rounds. With the explosive power of Joshua it is likely he will be able to maintain a high tempo for perhaps 7 rounds, he will hope to have the job done by then. The longer this fight goes the more likely it is that Joshua, carrying lots of upper body  muscle, is going to tire slightly and may leave himself open to getting caught by Martin. I cannot personally see the fight going the distance but if it did I would tip Joshua to win enough early rounds to hold on, but expect a close fight if that is the case. Whatever happens the fight will leave the victor with the world at their feet and big money bouts in the not too distant future with fellow champions Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder; for the defeated fighter this will not be the end but will certainly set them back a year at best.

Prediction: Joshua by KO in round 5

 

 

World Championships 2013: British Team Preview

Just a year on from the ecstasy of the London Olympics the eyes of the world once again fall upon athletics to entertain with the show-piece that is the World athletics championships in Moscow. Athletics like many other sports has been swallowed into a mire of drugs and cheats with many of the worlds top athletes being found guilty in just the last 6 months alone. The extortionate level of athletes who have been found guilty, after seemingly improved testing from WADA, is no better illustrated than by the fact that host nation Russia have had over 40 athletes found guilty prior to the upcoming championships. While the sport has been tarnished, and it’s credibility is at an all time low, it is refreshing to find that none of the aforementioned cheats were found from British shores. It is important that clean athletes and their success are not overshadowed by those who have shamed themselves.

Spirits in the British camp are high which according to UKA performance director Neil Black, is based on the fact they are hugely confident ahead of the championships. In an incredibly upbeat manner he told reporters.

“We are without question, genuinely, in a better position going into the world championships than we were before London 2012”. “We are better prepared. We are more focused. And we are even more excited in the potential that will come from this competition.”

This may seem a very optimistic claim by Black, who unlike his predecessor Van Commenee, does not want to heap pressure on athletes by setting targets. He does however believe that the potential in the group can match Britain’s best ever haul of 3 Gold medals in a World Championships in 1993. When you take into account the fact that Mo Farah looks to be in irresistible form, and if anything has become even better than the athlete that won double gold last year in the Olympics, the haul of 3 golds may not be out of the question. Farah competes in both the 10,000 and 5,000m and is a big favourite to emulate his success from the London Olympics before moving on to marathon distance next year. If you take into account that in terms of gold medals Farah could put us 2/3 of the way to the record haul, it becomes evident that Black may well have a point.

Just where are the other medals expected to come from? The British squad has lost what was it’s other best chance of winning gold as Jessica Ennis-Hill has unfortunately failed to fully recover from injury in time to do herself justice in the Heptathlon. In addition to this fellow Olympic champion Greg Rutherford has been hampered by injury all season and is at best an outside hope for a medal. Another that has tasted success on a global level, defending World champion in the 400m hurdles Dai Green has had what could be described as a disastrous season so far. Green has been hampered by illness but lacks any sort of form in the build up to the championships. He is staying positive and hoping that he can peak ready for the championships, using the rounds to sharpen up his race, however it would be a surprise to see Green medal in what is perhaps the strongest field of any event at the championships. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Green outperformed by fellow Brit Rhys Williams who himself is in encouraging form and a place in the final for the two would be looked at as a success.

One athlete who has shown her class in major championships throughout her career is Christine Ohoruogu. The former Olympic and world champion in the 400m is in outstanding form; In fact she has never before been in better form in the lead up to a major championships running fast times and performing at a very high level. The rounds structure at a major championships suits Ohurougu who has always been successful in peaking at the right time for the championships and gets stronger throughout the rounds. Expect Ohurougu to medal and so long as she is in contention at the 300m mark do not be surprised to see her standing atop the podium once again.

The other main medal hopeful on current form would have to be Perri Shakes Drayton in the 400m hurdles. Bursting with talent Shakes Drayton let the occasion of the home Olympics get the better of her last year and was hugely disappointed not to reach the final. Only two women have run faster times than Shakes Drayton this year, and she is improving all of the time. Unfortunately competitor Zuzana Hejnova looks to be a class above the rest of the field and is a truly exceptional athlete, however if Shakes Drayton manages to run to her potential a medal is very much a possibility.

As has always been the case, Britain’s other main chances to medal lie in the relays. In particular the women’s 4x400m have a hugely impressive team with hungry youngsters who are improving all of the time in the shape of Shakes Drayton, Child, Onoura and Cox in addition to the experience of Ohuruogu. This team has already earlier this year broken the British 4x400m record and has a real chance of silver or gold. Minimum expectation should be to win the bronze medal, but with the USA team lacking Olympic champion Richards Ross and the usually strong teams of Jamaica and Russia struggling for form, expect Britain to be closer to the front than ever before. In fact if by some way Britain can give Ohuruogu the baton in contention going into the last leg it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility to see them bring home gold. The other relay with a realistic medal chance is the mens 4x100m relay, providing they manage to get the baton round as this has been Britain’s nemesis for years in the event. A team boasting new British sprint sensation Jason Dasaoulu in addition to championship veteran Dwain Chambers and young pretender Adam Gemili will be a threat regardless of who manages to secure the 4^th spot in the team. With the great Jamaica and USA teams ahead of them, bronze is the best Britain can hope for on talent alone. However in what is the most unpredictable of events in terms of baton changes and disqualifications anything can happen; any type of medal will be a success in what is a very strong field. The mens 4x400m is a little weaker than in the past and has some athletes who have not been in the best of form this year. If they manage to peak for the championships and rediscover past form, they are most certainly an outside chance for the bronze medal.

There are those athletes in the team who are very capable of a shock and will be looking to firstly secure a place in the final before hoping to sneak a medal. The most likely candidates in Britain’s case are Jason Dasauolu in the mens 100m, Shara Proctor in the long jump and Tiffany Porter in the women’s 110m hurdles. Dasauolu ran an incredible 9.91 at the British championships for a PB and an introduction to the worlds elite. He has failed to appear since though so quite what shape he goes into the competition in is unknown outside the camp. If Dasaoulu manages to match or better his PB in the final he will most certainly be in contention for a bronze medal in an event expected to be dominated by Bolt and Gatlin, however there is an incredible strength in depth of sub 10 seconds runners in the field and any medal would be a huge surprise Proctor and Porter will expect to reach the final of their events and if they manage to perform to their best they cannot be dismissed as medal chances however top 5 finishes should be looked at as a success for either athlete.

Finally there are a group of young athletes who will be looking to make a name for themselves and start fulfilling their potential. In Ennis Hill’s absence the stage is set For Johnson Thompson to take centre stage. She is the future of British athletics and has such a huge potential that even at this early stage in her career it wouldn’t surprise me to see her in the mix at the top of the leaderboard in the Heptathlon. Though a medal is probably a step too far this time round, expect the seeds to be sown for a successful career her in Moscow. In addition to Johnson Thompson Sophie Hitchon (hammer), Jess Judd (800m), and William Sharman (110m h) will be hoping to reach the finals and announce themselves at world level in these championships.

Even baring in mind injuries and lack of form, this is a very string British team and should be successful enough to achieve at least 5 medals. It is a team full of young promise and signals the start of the path for the new generation of British athletes. Black has every right to be excited and while 3 golds will be hard to replicate, it is by no means out of the question. It will be very interesting to see just how much his confidence has rubbed off on the athletes throughout the championships.

Blade Runner: Just the beginning?

The Olympics has come and gone, heroes have been created, dreams fulfilled and one man became a self confessed living legend. In addition to this though, one achievement was made that was unique; a disabled athlete competed against able bodied competitors for the first time in history. Pistorius made history running in the 400m and made the semi finals proving that through use of his ability alone, he was rubbing shoulders with the elite, as an equal.

The issue of Pistorius is a curious one; hero among fellow athletes and spectators alike, his achievements are recognised by everyone. Very rarely is a bad word said about the well liked South African. However, it could be argued that it would take but one race to change opinions regarding this superb athlete, and his participation in both forms of the Olympics.

Pistorius fulfils him dream by running is the Olympics, as an equal.

The Paralympics games offer a chance for disabled athletes the same chance as their able bodied counterparts, to compete for the title of the world’s best on the biggest global stage of them all. Oscar however, has achieved all there is to achieve in this form of the games and is now almost “too good” for his fellow athletes to compete against, and so he headed to the Olympic Games as a disabled athlete in search of competition. It is widely recognised that he, as a “disabled athlete”, is less able and therefore at a disadvantage compared to his fellow Olympic rivals. This begs the question however, is he at a disadvantage, or actually is the fact of the matter that while Oscar has no lower legs, he actually enjoys many advantages over able bodied athletes and therefore is actually competing with the advantage?

In the current climate the fact is that Oscar managed to reach the semi finals, therefore this could be deemed as the best result all around. Oscar managed to win his respect as an equal while not affecting the results of the big race, and not changing the fortunes of the athletes at the top of their sport. While this continues to happen, the issue of fairness that surrounds his “blades” will be swept under the carpet as a non matter. However it is very interesting to imagine what might have happened were he to have run a great race and taken the place of a contender in the Olympic final. Of even more interest, what would have happened if better still he was able to achieve a medal performance. Would his fellow competitors still hold him in the same affinity (illustrated by Kirani James below); would they still celebrate his achievements? I suspect not. It is human nature to be envious of those who achieve your own dreams and if the athletes were to believe that an unfair advantage was being enjoyed by a fellow athlete, it is very likely they would make that view felt.

New Olympic champion Kirani James: ‘Oscar is someone special, especially in our event. It’s a memorable moment for me to be out here performing with him.
‘He’s an inspiration to all of us. He is very special to our sport. He’s a down to earth guy and a great individual. I thought it was a nice gesture to exchange bibs. I am going to keep it.’ (Quote Daily Mail 2012)

As a sprinter you are susceptible to a number of injuries; common sense and past history tells us that most of these injuries are related to ones legs. Familiar injuries suffered include ankle injuries, calf muscle injuries and perhaps most commonly hamstring injuries. While humanity will always encourage empathy towards a disabled athlete due to the compassion we possess towards ill fortune, from purely a sporting viewpoint it is common sense that Oscar Pistorius cannot possibly suffer from these injuries due to him having artificial replaceable leg limbs (blades). This therefore gives the advantage that at no time can he suffer with the injuries most common for sprinting and nor can he fail to properly warm up a leg muscle and so pull or tear it. Finals in athletics history are littered with heartbreaking injury stories from instances such as Derek Redmond battling back from injury in the Barcelona games only to pull a muscle while in contention, to most recently Asafa Powell being unable to finish the 100m final at the London Olympic pulling a groin. I am by no stretch of the imagination suggesting that Oscar’s loss of limbs is more tragic than career defining and ending injuries; the fact that his limbs are created solely for the use of running and are unable to suffer these injuries gives him a marked advantage over current athletes. In addition to this, and most evident is Pistorius’ event, is the issue of tiredness and lactic acid. In the 400m, an event using both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, a major part of training is the training of pushing back the lactic acid threshold. While Pistorius is sure to suffer from such a build up, the effects will be less remarkable during the fight to the line down the home straight and he therefore hold the ultimate advantage.

As has earlier been suggested, at present the advantages that Oscar may possess are almost irrelevant due to his place just below the top table of 400m sprinters.  The issue presents itself that in a sport that is progressing at a rapid rate, who is to say that developments made to his blades in the future or more importantly those of a future more talented disabled athlete, won’t bridge the gap on the top sprinters creating a standoff in the face of fairness. Just 24 years ago Ben Johnson of Canada ran a blistering 9.77 100m race under the influence of performance enhancing drugs, this was seen rightly as cheating as he had an unfair advantage that the other athletes could not naturally possess; an advantage that the other athletes did not have that made it easier for him to run a much faster time. While ethically the use of blades and that of performance enhancing drugs are worlds apart, can it not be argued that they are in effect creating the same result, an advantage over the athletes who do not have them? Ben Johnson without the drugs was a world class athlete in his own right as is Pistorius, the drugs merely gave him the push to become THE best, they enabled him to run the 0.2 seconds quicker which would elevate one from world class to legend status. Performance enhancing drugs can create an ability to be able to train harder, to run faster and to not tire as quickly, all traits shared by the blades of Pistorius.

It is clear that Oscar Pistorius is an athlete who deserves our adulation, one that we should admire and respect. When dealt a cruel hand by life his pure talent, hard work and determination led him to becoming the most incredible athlete the Paralympics has ever seen. While one cannot possibly want to punish an athlete of such integrity and liken him to those who cheat fellow athletes and the athletics world, by taking illegal substances to give them an advantage, thought must be given to where this saga will lead. Whether using blades or taking drugs, fellow athletes will not stand for their rivals being able to obtain a clear advantage which inevitably will lead to a clash in the event of an athlete with blades winning a medal in the Olympics. While seeing a disabled athlete run alongside the able bodied in London was a proud, memorable and emotional experience one fears that this must signal the end of such happenings for the sake of the sports future. Fears are that we will be entangled in a war over just what is deemed fair in athletics which could lead in arguments that drugs are as fair as blades in terms of performance, leading to the abolishment drug testing and the end of athletics as a sport rather than a scientist’s playground.

Olympic Athletics- Day 1 Evening session summary

The opening night in the Olympic Stadium was electric.

The evening session on day one focussed, from a British point of view of course, around the women’s heptathlon once again. The women had both the shot put and 200m to contend with to complete what will have been an exhausting day. Resuming 25 points ahead of Fountain, her nearest rival at this point hailing from the USA, Ennis and co tackled what is one of her weakest events: the shot put. Young Brit Katarina Johnson-Thompson also struggles with the shot put and her first attempt was evidence of this. She threw in the vicinity of 11.5m. Towards the worst in the competition, unfortunately this remained her best throw and she dropped from 3rd to 20th overall. Ennis too opened quite tamely with a throw approaching 14m. Louise Hazel, still reeling from her disaster in the high jump, threw well but the truth is that any ambitions she may have had have disappeared with the earlier performances earlier in the day.  In the second attempt Ennis threw 14.26 which was a slight improvement but still can be considered as merely average. This was certainly not the result she would have been looking for.  Skujyte from Lithuania threw a frighteningly good 17m + throw which has put her straight into the fight for medals; this performance will have her rivals looking worryingly over their shoulders as she has shown her versatility in jumps and throws already and found herself top of the pile after 3 events. Pre competition favourites to rival Ennis Chernova and Dobrynska threw strongly and are still in the hunt for the gold.

The heats of the women’s 100m was the first action on the track, and it soon became extremely evident from the outset that weather permitting throughout the next week and a half the times are going to be electric! Jeter, Madison, Kagbare, Campbell Brown and Fraser Pryce all got out well and comfortably ran under 11 seconds without appearing to break a sweat. Fraser Pryce looked particularly smooth in her race. Alyson Felix started poorly but still managed to fly through the field and looked easy finishing in 11.01, signalling intent to the field that so long as she gets a good start she’ll be a major medal challenger. Kerron Stewart from Jamaica got a very poor start and struggled to finish just third despite being a pre games favourite.

British athletes Ade Oyepitan and Onoura struggle to 5th place in their respective heats which only adds fuel to Charles van Commenee’s damning assessment of women’s sprinting at present. It further validates his point of view that the British women not qualifying for the sprint relay was no big loss as they weren’t good enough to make any impression at all. Oyepitan fortunately made it through as a fastest loser but on this evidence is far below the level needed to progress any further.
In the qualifying for the long jump Greg Rutherford qualified impressively almost qualifying automatically with just his first jump in 8.08m, and Chris Tomlinson too when jumping  8.06m. These distances were ultimately far enough to achieve the third and fourth best qualifying distances, so both will be present in Saturday’s final along with all the expected challengers bar the defending champion from Panama Irving Saladino who completed 3 fouled attempts.

In the heats of the men’s 1500m Britain Ross Murray overcame early problems as he got boxed in the inside lane, to come through impressively and qualify for the semi final. He showed maturity beyond his years and made a great Olympic Debut. Andrew Badderly who is a consistent championship performer showed his experience and just did enough to qualify comfortably.

In the first final of these Olympics a great battle ended in victory for Olympic champion,Majewski as he became 2 time Olympic champion,becoming the first man ever to retain the title. He threw 21.89 to win from German athlete David Storl, American Reese Hoffa completed the medals.

Continuing the action on the track was the crucial 200m in the heptathlon. This was of huge importance as it sets the athletes up to attack their goals in the final 3 events. In terms of British athletes it was extremely important for Ennis that she ran well and possessed a lead going into what is her weaker of the two days tomorrow. The first British athlete to run was Louise Hazel who achieved 24.49, just outside a season’s best. After a difficult day Hazel gave herself some momentum going into tomorrow. Also running in the same heat was Olympic champion Dobrynska who ran very well to finish just behind Hazel cementing her place in the mix for the gold medal. Skujte gave up her overall lead by running a poor 25.43, exposing her major running weakness and perhaps lessening her threat for the gold medal. American threat Fountain ran well in winning her 200m heat, and temporarily led the competition. This performance gives the American a chance of challenging for the major medals tomorrow. The final heat contained both remaining British athletes, both looking to complete successful days. This heat also contained another of the favourites for the gold, Chernova. Ennis came off the bend, quite far behind Schiffer after a steady curve, however she blasted down the home straight to a PB of 22.83 and tied for the win, taking the overall lead in the proess. The young pretender, 19 year old Johnson Thompson also ran a PB 3.73 to come 5th in the heat to cap a hugely impressive debut day in senior competition.  Chernova ran well to come 4th, reminding Ennis that she is not disappearing from the competition with her strongest disciplines still to come. Ennis leads overall by 184 points, which is a healthy lead at this stage. So long as she completes her performances to the quality we expect tomorrow, she is certainly on course to challenge strongly for the gold medal.

In a classic head to head between Diababa and Cheriyot, the track events were wrapped up for the day with a world class field contesting the title of the women’s 10,000m. The British athletes Holly Bleasdale and Jo Pavey did themself justice, though they were in effect ina different race. Bleasedale is at the beginning of her career and will use this as a platform on which to build. She finished just behind Pavey in the minor places but in a respectable top 12 finish, in a race that Pavey will have enjoyed as a swansong with it being in London, knowing that she is in the twilight of her career.

Towards the end of the race a group of four athletes pulled away and contested for the three medals as they took in in turns to try to break the opposition. Diababa made a telling break at the bell and continued to power away from the opposition who could not do anything about the sheer power of Dibaba as she blitzed to a 62 second last lap! She left Cheriyot for dead on the last lap and confirmed to the world her dominance. An amazing performance from the Ethiopian pulled down the curtain on an amazing first day of competition.

Olympic athletics- Day 1 Afternoon session review.

The first morning of the athletics has finally arrived; the wonderful Olympic stadium gets its first sporting use of the games with the Heptathlon taking centre stage on this opening session.

The first event on the track was indeed the Heptathlon, and the first discipline being the 100m hurdles. The first emotion anybody watching will have endured is pure astonishment at the unbelievable capacity crowd and more noticeably the noise that it generates. The first recipient of a home ovation came in the second heat in the shape of Louise Hazel. The atmosphere upon her name being called out was electric and she flew out of the blocks attacking the first 5 hurdles with vigour. Unfortunately she tied up ever so slightly and ran 13.48, which was still a seasons best. Given her start though she will certainly feel that she was unable to quite utilise her performance and squeeze the maximum points out of this event.

Next came a look into British athletics future as the young athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson ran in the next heat. Hopes for this young athlete grow daily after she beat Jessica Ennis’ junior record recently. She certainly has the talent to go all of the way and these games will be if nothing else a huge learning experience for her and will stand her in good stead for the future. Upon her announcement the crowd again responded with a chorus of noise, to the point that the young athlete was clearly overwhelmed and exclaimed “oh WOW” visibly. She ran an encouraging race and achieved a personal best time of 13.48.

Then came the moment a nation has been waiting for, you could almost say that this signals the real start of the games for some fans; Jessica Ennis, the face of the games, was announced to the crowd! To put it simply the crowd went nuts! The roof was literally nearly blown off.

Drawn in lane 7 with most of her main rivals in the same heat, Ennis was in need of a blistering start to her campaign in what is her favourite event. She most certainly didn’t disappoint. Ennis stormed to 12.54!! The best time ever by a heptathlete, and a time that Colin Jackson remarked “would qualify her for the individual 100m hurdles final”. This time is a new British record in the hurdles she managed to knock two tenths off of her personal best, the perfect start. Chernova thought to be her closest rival was a second behind, and therefore gives Jessica Ennis a healthy lead going into the next rotation. One rival who was very encouraged by her performance was reining Olympic champion Dobrynska who is not renowned for her hurdling but ran sharply before slightly tieing up towards the end to post a new seasons best of 13.57. While the time was not noteworthy it is clear she is in very good shape which is ominous with her strengths coming on day two of the event.

The next home hopes to grace the track were the men’s 400m hurdlers. All three athletes will have high hopes of reaching the final. World, European and Commonwealth champion Dai Greene ran in the third heat from the narrow lane 1. A raucous applause greeted him as he prepared to embark on his journey to complete his set of titles, only the Olympics title has so far eluded him. He looked very easy winning in 48.98 after easing up over the last 30m.

Rhys Williams ran in the next heat alongside favourite Javier Culson. Culson ran extremely comfortably winning the heat in a time much quicker than the earlier heats, but unfortunately Rhys Williams finished a disappointing 5th and had to rely on a fastest loser spot even though he had run a seasons best, in what was the fastest heat. Regardless of him getting through it seems very unlikely that he will progress past the semi final stage from what is likely to be a poor lane draw. Jack Green ran well relying on his finishing speed to come home second in his heat.

All the main protagonists made it though along with the British athletes, notable performances came from US champion Tinsley, former Olympic champion Sanchez and two-time Olympic champion Taylor who all looked extremely comfortable.

Another British medal hope was up next on track as the heats of the women’s 400m commenced. Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu came second in her heat after easing up and looked very strong in doing so, adding fuel to the belief that once again she is ready to peak for a major competition final. Shana Cox and Lee McConnell qualified in third from their heats and will struggle to get much further on this evidence.

The major rivals for Ohuruogu are expected to be World champion Montsho and Richards-Ross and both looked impressive in winning their heats, as did the Jamaican hopes Whyte and Williams-Mills.

British hope Aldama qualified for the final of the triple jump with ease by jumping 14.45 with her opening jump, but there was disappointment in the field events as Carl Myerscough failed to qualify for the final. Alex Smith had mixed emotions in the Hammer throw as he threw well reaching just under 75m. This was very low in his pool and with another pool yet to come, his chances were bleak. However, this was suprisingly far enough to reach the final, after only two people qualified from the second pool of athletes leaving Smith 12th. Stokes enjoyed the 300m steeplechase but was never in the same race as those who challenged to qualify for the final. He ran in a heat that contained Olympic champion Kemboi, who ran a very strangely paced race and looked, distracted by off track problems, but still qualified.

The session ended much in the same way as it began after the heptathlon girls returned with the high jump. There was early misery for Louise Hazel as she failed at just 1.62 capping of a slightly disappointing morning for her. Both Ennis and Johnson Thompson suffered no such early problems though, as they progressed to the later heights. Ennis managed to jump 1.86 which is a very solid showing and will please her even though she came so close with her second attempt at 1.89. Ennis ensured that she finished the session in front of the field, so is right on course to fulfil her dreams. Johnson Thompson enjoyed a storming performance in the high jump finishing with a great height of 1.89m a new PB, putting her 3rd overall, an amazing start.  A major rival to Ennis for the gold Chernova disappointed once again in the high jump reaching just 1.80m, though she still has all of her strong events yet to come despite her being outside the top 10 presently. USA athlete Fountain continued to have a great first day in the high jump and has certainly thrown her hat in the mix for medals.

For the British athletes it was a very successful opening session, and overall so far there is yet to be any shocks of note.

USA their own worst enemy?! The rule that is threatening the integrity of the Olympics!

The Olympics is the pinnacle of careers, a chance for the best in the world to compete to achieve their career hopes and dreams. This is a view that very much relates to the sport of gymnastics, everybody remembers the amazing performances of Nadia Comaneci, Lilia Podkopayeva among many more in Olympic finals thorough the ages. The sport of gymnastics is one of skill, poise and artistry where even the slightest  mistake can be the difference between the gold medal and 10th! In this great sport the Olympics remains the most important indicator of career success, the title of Olympic champion is the one that people remember, the one that cements your place in history.

Unfortunately in this games, the pure brilliance of the sport is threatened to be overshadowed by the new ruling which has proceeded to banish American double world champion Jordyn Weiber, from fighting for her right to be crowned the best in the world even though she received the fourth highest score overall in the qualifying competition! Weiber made a slight mistake on the floor, which due to the brilliance of her fellow American gymnasts relegated her to being the third highest scoring gymnast from the USA, fourth overall in the competition, and therefore unable to compete as one of the 24 finalists vying for Olympic gold under new rules.

Weiber is distraught at a small mistake in her floor routine meaning she fails to reach the Olympic final, even as the fourth best qualifier in the whole competition.

New Olympic rules state that in Olympic all around competition and in the finals of any individual apparatus, there are to be no more than 2 athletes competing for any one nation. In the final of the overall all around competition this equates to each nation being able to occupy just 2 of the 24 final berths regardless of how many obtain scores in the top 24 of all competitors.

There is obviously a very simple argument which is the fact that every gymnast will be aware of the rules pre competition, and that by only achieving third best qualifier from their country, they have had the chance to qualify for the final, but have failed. Therefore some blame can rightly be attributes to the gymnast themselves, as everybody has, in general, received the same chance to qualify. This argument however is flawed when the results of yesterdays qualifying results are investigated.

The overall best score during qualifying was that of  Russian Victoria Komova,  she achieved a score of 60.632 overall. One of her main challengers for the Gold medal Jordyn Weiber from the USA put a fantastic performance together on 3 of the four apparatus but made a mistake on the floor, reducing her score slightly but to an extent that she only managed to finish fourth overall with a score of 60.03, just 0.6 off the leader. Notice that I used the expression “only” when referring to the fourth best overall score in the world. The two further gymnasts that managed to beat her were both representing the USA and as a result the fourth highest qualifier for the women’s final is not regarded as one of the top 24 who will be allowed to compete for Gold later in the week.

In a competition in which the goal is to find the best three competitors in the world at a said sport, and to reward their excellent performances with a medal of three variety, it seems outrageous that only two of these medals can be taken by each nation. This surely makes the results of the final obsolete as the all of the very best gymnasts are not present in the finals. If you are fortunate enough to perform to such a high level that you win a bronze medal behind two athletes from a single nation, it creates a lingering doubt as to if you really are the rank of gymnast that you have achieved; or if  actually, you have only managed to achieve that medal due to another athlete being unfortunate enough that two other gymnasts from her country achieved a better qualifying score. With a top gymnast such as Weiber eliminated unjustly, it can be argued also that the results of the games become less valid and people may talk about the result being the way it is only because of Weiber’s technicality elimination, rather that the results themselves.

At the Sydney games 2000, Romania initially got a clean sweep of medals. Raducan was later stripped of her medal for substance irregularity. They are sliver medalist Simona Amanar, left, gold medalist Andreea Raducan, center, and bronze medalist Maria Olaru. This is now impossible under new rules, as only 2 athletes from each nation compete

By creating such a rule which goes against the values of the Olympics, in that the Olympics are held to crown the “three” athletes who are the best in the world and reward medals, many issues and future problems are sure to arise which ultimately display the loss of Olympics Gymnastics’ integrity. The rule itself has robbed no less than 4 deserving athletes, who were amongst the best 24 scores in the competition, of their chance to compete in the finals of the Olympics (Weiber 4th overall, Grishina 12th,Pinches 21st and Yao 22nd). To put into context what this means for the competition I alert you to the fact that the 24th qualifier for the final (28th overall best score) is Ashleigh Brennan from Australia. Her score overall was 54.32, a full 6.3 whole marks less than that of Weiber, yet Brennan will be allowed to compete for the title at the expense of the world-class Weiber who is a double world champion and has trained hard all of her life for a chance to compete, and even with a fall received the fourth best overall score. This is an individual event and therefore is a disgrace and to some extent a prejudice towards ones nationality that the “only” reason that she isn’t able to compete is that she is from the USA. There is no gain to having the 25th best athlete qualify for a competition at the 4th best gymnasts expense.  At the 1996 games in Atlanta, the silver and bronze medals were awarded to Romanian gymnasts, silver medal went to Gina Gogean and the bronze was a tie between two more Romanian gymnasts Simona Amanar and Lavinia Milosovici. Under new rules one of these athletes would not have been able to compete at all in the finals, lowering the standard of the competition and also taking away one of their medals. Amanar’s experience gained in that final and the winning of the medal led to her achieving a Gold medal at the following Olympics in Sydney. If she had not been allowed to compete then her future could have been so much different and we could have been robbed of her wonderful performances from Sydney. In addition, Andreea Raducan was the initial winner of the Sydney 2000 games, but was stripped of her gold for substance irregularities. If this had not been the case the podium would have consisted of Raducan, Amanar and Maria Olaru, all from Romania, the likes of a clean sweep of medals for a country overall is now impossible under new rules.

The aftermath of this Olympic ruling could be disastrous. It isn’t unreasonable to think that athletes from successful nations will ultimately be a victim of their own success. Young athletes looking for Olympic experience such a as that of Amanar’s first games, will no longer be able to achieve that if they compete for a successful nation. This may in turn lead to them looking for ways in which to compete for alternative nations in order to stand a chance of qualification. If an athlete knows that she must beat two medal contenders in order to even qualify for the Olympic final, they are likely to struggle to see the point of wasting time training, knowing that a gymnast’s career rarely lasts more than 2 games in total. The ruling leads to a chance that only 2 athletes from each country will ever be seen in a final every 8 years which surely isn’t the point of sport, or the Olympics. The “plastic brit” issue which currently disturbs ethics in athletics could be soon duplicated now in Gymnastics as a result. This would be in the form of for exampe Russian and American gymnasts competing for nations of a lesser gymnastic quality, by finding loopholes such as ancestoral nationality.

Finally, the point of the Olympics is to showcase the very best Gymnastics for the entertainment of the crowd, and to see the highest level possible in the sport. With this new rule implemented in the sport, it is likely that those athletes at the top of the sport will perform very “safe” routines which are not as entertaining, safe in the knowledge that this should be enough to qualify for the final. Tghey may prefer to do this rather than, like Weiber, attempt to entertain the crowd and show her best moves and performance, but not quite achieve it and therefore miss out all together. There is no place for sentiment or giving the lesser gymnasts preferential treatment at the Olympic finals, that is the purpose of the qualification; the Olympics should be the pinnacle of all sport, the duel of the best athletes to reign supreme for four years. This rule destroys that notion and punishes the gymnasts unnecessarily, as well as the public who are viewing to see the best of their sport, I am sure we are yet to hear the end of the issue.