Track and Field

[JTMacc99]

Your topic to discuss all of the Olympic Track and Field events!

[satrunrose]

A throwback, but CBC is celebrating the 25th (!!) anniversary of Donovan Bailey's gold in Atlanta. He still has my very favourite "Holy S-! I won!!!" facial expression in the history of the Olympics.

[Lady Whistleup]

Sam Kendricks (pole vault) tested positive for the 'rona and will not be competing.

[selkie]

1 minute ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Sam Kendricks (pole vault) tested positive for the 'rona and will not be competing.

Sad to hear that- great competitor and seems like a really decent human being. 

[Frisky Wig]

Anyone else looking forward to men's and women's marathons? 

[AimingforYoko]

The Warholm-Benjamin duel in the 400m hurdles is what I'm most looking forward to after Sha'Carri Richardson got disqualified.

[emmawoodhouse]

2 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

The Warholm-Benjamin duel in the 400m hurdles is what I'm most looking forward to after Sha'Carri Richardson got disqualified.

The women's 400m hurdles promises to be great as well with the two Americans pushing each other to more WRs.

[SophiaD]

They're showing some of the early track and field heats on USA right now.  It's really fun to see less well-known runners (to me, at least) get so excited about setting national records.  One of the runners just now also just ran her first sub-11 time in the 100 m.

[katisha]

Watching our poor Aussie guy staggering home in the 10,000 metre final was quite traumatic.  Not sure if anyone else remembers this but when he fell over in the straight and then seemed to be completely unaware where he was or what he was doing, it gave me flashbacks to this unforgettable moment from L.A.

 

 

[legaleagle53]

50 minutes ago, katisha said:

Watching our poor Aussie guy staggering home in the 10,000 metre final was quite traumatic.  Not sure if anyone else remembers this but when he fell over in the straight and then seemed to be completely unaware where he was or what he was doing, it gave me flashbacks to this unforgettable moment from L.A.

 

 

I remember it well. The dead silence as she entered the arena for the final lap as you could hear the spectators simutaneously holding their breath and willing her to finish, since she obviously didn't care that she was last in the race, she just wanted to finish the first women's Olympic marathon in history. The way she fought off officials who tried to make her stop. And finally, the way she collapsed once she had crossed the finish line. Gabriela Andersen-Schiess will forever live in my memory as an athlete who embodied the true Olympic spirit of giving 100% effort and never giving up no matter what.

[selkie]

Dear sportswriters- yes multiple others already used 'Athing of beauty' so don't thing you've cleverly come up with that. 

[AimingforYoko]

Lots of U.S. drama in a relay. (Shocker!)

[selkie]

1 hour ago, AimingforYoko said:

Lots of U.S. drama in a relay. (Shocker!)

 

I'm finding myself humming 'Tradition!' from Fiddler on the Roof right now. Because I don't think that the USA relays have managed to avoid a DQ or three at any major meet of the 21st century. 

[AimingforYoko]

I know this was a round 1 heat for the 400 hurdles, but Sydney never seemed to do more than jog and she won that by ten meters.

[Bill1978]

10 hours ago, katisha said:

Watching our poor Aussie guy staggering home in the 10,000 metre final was quite traumatic.

My friend told me to switch over to watch the race is it was turning out to be thrilling, I was busy watching Handball. I was stoked the Aussie was still in the lead pack and then I saw him slowly deteriorate. Watching him coming down the home straight was devastating and then he face planted in the background as others were finishing. So of course the coverage cuts away to the winner celebrating causing me to yell at the TV 'Get back to the race, I need to know my guy is OK and alive'. So glad that he finished and even after being taken off in a wheelchair he is apparently ok. And amazingly he performed his season best. One of the more emotional moments of the games so far for me.

[Daisy]

1 hour ago, selkie said:

 

I'm finding myself humming 'Tradition!' from Fiddler on the Roof right now. Because I don't think that the USA relays have managed to avoid a DQ or three at any major meet of the 21st century. 

lol maybe they got it out of the way early now?

I had to laugh (thouhg it was sad) in the heats this Canadian guy was comfortably 2nd but then everyone started to pass him like super close to the finish line the announcer was like "He's Running Backward!"

[galaxygirl76]

Nigeria sprinter Blessing Okagbare out of Games after failed drugs test

https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/58037280

Edited July 31, 2021 by galaxygirl76

[Chaser]

1 hour ago, AimingforYoko said:

I know this was a round 1 heat for the 400 hurdles, but Sydney never seemed to do more than jog and she won that by ten meters.

The runners behind her were trying so hard. She was on cruise control. 

[Lady Whistleup]

Here's a great profile of Gabby Thomas. This remarkable young woman has so many achievements, winning a medal will just be one of them.

[Bill1978]

I really felt for the female British athlete in the 400m hurdles. Her story was that she was a school teacher and all her students would be watching. And apparently she had potential to do well. So what happens? Looks like trips on her own feet before the first hurdle and crashes into the hurdle and out of the race. Hopefully she has nice students.

[Danny Franks]

A Jamaican 1-2-3 in the Women's 100m. Not too surprising, Ta-Lou always seems to be the one to lose out on the big stage. It might have been different if Dina Asher-Smith had been healthy and on form, but now she's pulled out of the 200m with a hamstring injury. Damn.

Great Britain still has a way to go to catch up with the best nations in track and field. We still rely heavily on two or three big names, and everyone else just seems to pick up injury after injury. Katarina Johnson-Thompson has been injured as well, in the lead up to these games.

[katisha]

5 minutes ago, Danny Franks said:

A Jamaican 1-2-3 in the Women's 100m.

It's astonishing how such a small nation can produce such a high calibre of male and female sprinters.  I'm sure that with Usain Bolt bowing out there are a bunch of new Jamaican guys waiting to fill his shoes (or trying to - certainly won't be easy!)

[Trey]

12 hours ago, Daisy said:

I had to laugh (thouhg it was sad) in the heats this Canadian guy was comfortably 2nd but then everyone started to pass him like super close to the finish line the announcer was like "He's Running Backward!"

Yes it was sad but it really did look like he was running backwards.  Even at that, he was still briefly in contention to go through but just until runners in the next round surpassed his speed.

[SeanC]

Well, De Grasse certainly looked great in the heats.

[selkie]

2 hours ago, katisha said:

It's astonishing how such a small nation can produce such a high calibre of male and female sprinters.  I'm sure that with Usain Bolt bowing out there are a bunch of new Jamaican guys waiting to fill his shoes (or trying to - certainly won't be easy!)

It helps that track is the biggest deal sport there that every school kid wants to do well in- the equivalent of the high school national championships there is a crazy fast meet. The USA program has problems losing promising teenage runners to basketball/soccer/football. 

[Dr.OO7]

5 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

Jamaican 1-2-3 in the Women's 100m.

Jamaica House is JUMPING!

And the gold medalist not only defending her gold from Rio, eclipsing Flo-Jo's record from 1988.

[Daisy]

I have to say

All these runners have really amazing bums.

[Crashcourse]

1 hour ago, Daisy said:

I have to say

All these runners have really amazing bums.

Yes, they do.  You could bounce a quarter off them and I'm envious.  

[legaleagle53]

9 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

Yes, they do.  You could bounce a quarter off them and I'm envious.  

See also: Olympic speed skaters.

[Crashcourse]

46 minutes ago, legaleagle53 said:

See also: Olympic speed skaters.

Oh yes, I'll never forget Apollo Ohno.  😍

[Daisy]

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

Yes, they do.  You could bounce a quarter off them and I'm envious.  

and they are high and round. lol my bum is very jealous lol

1 hour ago, legaleagle53 said:

See also: Olympic speed skaters.

hehe yah. 
but if getting a bum like that means i have to run or speed skate, i'm good. lol

[legaleagle53]

4 minutes ago, Daisy said:

and they are high and round. lol my bum is very jealous lol

hehe yah. 
but if getting a bum like that means i have to run or speed skate, i'm good. lol

Squats and deadlifts are how you get glutes like those.

[ferjy]

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

Oh yes, I'll never forget Apollo Ohno.  😍

Me either! I used to love watching him. Technique too, not just his bum. 😄

 

[Daisy]

1 hour ago, legaleagle53 said:

Squats and deadlifts are how you get glutes like those.

lol i do squats and deadlifts - or i did before i got sick... 
I don't think my bum ever looked that good. 

In other news, i'm glad that de Grasse did well

(everytime I write his name my fingers go Degrassi)

[AimingforYoko]

What always amazes me about the best sprinters is how still they keep their head while running that hard.

[katisha]

Just watched my recording of the 100m women's final from last night. Man, how much do Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson seem to dislike Thompson-Harah? Their lack of sportsmanship post-race was embarrassing and not a good look.

[Daisy]

1 hour ago, katisha said:

Just watched my recording of the 100m women's final from last night. Man, how much do Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson seem to dislike Thompson-Harah? Their lack of sportsmanship post-race was embarrassing and not a good look.

they were hugging and stuff on CBC, she was alone for a bit, but i figured they were letting Thompson-Harah have her moment alone. 

Steeplechase looks weird.

[AimingforYoko]

Congrats to the Jamaicans, but damn it would've been nice to see Richardson try to break up the party.

[Daisy]

Everyone act shocked. - Canada is 4th lol

[SophiaD]

Yes, I find myself wondering how Richardson or McNeal would have done.  I'm especially bummed for McNeal, as a five-year suspension seems really, really extreme.  I hope Prandini or Felix hold their own in the 200 m.

(Edited, because the least I can do is spell her name right)

Edited August 1, 2021 by SophiaD

[emmawoodhouse]

10 minutes ago, SophiaD said:

Yes, I find myself wondering how Richardson or McNeal would have done.  I'm especially bummed for McNeal, as a five-year suspension seems really, really extreme.  I hope Prandini or Felix hold their own in the 200 m.

(Edited, because the least I can do is spell her name right)

Felix isn't racing the 200, just the 400. The 200 is Prandini's better race, so I hope she fares better than she did in the 100.

[SophiaD]

Oh, that's right.  I forgot that Allyson couldn't do both these games.  Thanks, @emmawoodhouse!

[emmawoodhouse]

Just now, SophiaD said:

Oh, that's right.  I forgot that Allyson couldn't do both these games.  Thanks, @emmawoodhouse!

Yeah, she finished 5th in the 200 at trials.

[selkie]

For assorted reasons, the 400M is on the weak side this Olympics, so Allyson Felix, even if she is part her prime, has as good a chance as any of the other women left standing. It's kind of low probability that she wins but not impossible. 

[SeanC]

And Andre De Grasse redeems the Canadian men, repeating as bronze medalist in the 100 m.

This would be a positive sign for him in the 200 m as well, as that's his better discipline.

[Lady Whistleup]

Holy shit

 

[Danny Franks]

Dammit, Zharnel, that was a hell of a mental lapse. Not that he had much hope of a medal, but running in an Olympic 100m final is something few people can claim to have done.

An Italian champion? Huh, I never would have expected that, but that was a fast final and Jacobs won it on merit.

6 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Holy shit

 

That's Belarus for you. The regime got by for years without anyone really paying them too much attention, but now the true colours of the dictatorship are showing. The rest of the team should claim asylum in Japan and make as big a thing of this as they can.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Danny Franks

[Trey]

15 hours ago, Daisy said:

In other news, i'm glad that de Grasse did well

Me too.  I was so nervous and he didn't have the best start and was last at the beginning.- I don't know how he even pulled it off. 

But I can relax now.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Trey
Remove what might be construed as sour grapes.

[katisha]

7 minutes ago, Danny Franks said:

An Italian champion? Huh, I never would have expected that, but that was a fast final and Jacobs won it on merit.

Me either, but it's great to see the medals being shared around lots of different nations in the track and field sports too like they were in the swimming.   I must admit, I've been quite surprised that so far the US isn't as dominant as it has been in past Games.  

[AimingforYoko]

9 minutes ago, Trey said:

So, with a better start and a better lane he would (probably) have got gold.

I don't know, it would have been a tall order to surpass the sprinting prowess of (checks notes) Italy. Congrats to Kerley for the silver. And way to go Bromell, easing up in the semis to miss out on the final.