Track & Field: Insert Latest Scandal here

[selkie]

In a couple weeks, the world will get to Rio, and the Americans will be complaining again about their 4x100 squads' inability to get around the track without dropping the baton. In the meantime, a summary of why this is already one of the messiest sports in 2016 even if it doesn't involve the toxic waters of  Guanabara Bay:

The former president of the IAAF was arrested and charged with correuption and taking bribes to cover up positive drug tests:

http://running.competitor.com/2015/11/news/former-iaaf-president-arrested-on-charges-of-corruption_139342

The Russian Federation is currently under suspension for systematic doping issues including allegations they were bribing Diack:

http://espn.go.com/olympics/story/_/id/14122551/russian-track-field-federation-suspended-sport-governing-body

They appealed the suspension in an attempt to be allowed to compete in Rio but several things have not helped their case.

Their racewalkers apparently competed while under doping suspension (the detail involved in proving this it pretty interesting)

http://www.dunfeewalks.ca/tf-blog/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-saransk-and-russia

During retests of samples from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, the plurality of new positives involved Russian track & field athletes:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-25/doping-beijing-medals-at-risk-for-russia-after-positive-re-tests/7443154

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sport-doping-russia-idUSKCN0YJ0GP

The Russians will be allowed to petition on an individual basis if they can prove they've lived outside the country and have been subject to regular drug testing that hasn't been done by RUSADA, and a few like a Florida-based long jumper are expected to be allowed back in.

(In an odd Steven Bradbury-like moment, an expected DQ of the Russian women's 4x100 squad in Beijing for the newly discovered doping violation, the gold would roll down to Belgium because, unlike a half dozen more highly regarded squads including the Americans, they managed to run two rounds without dropping the baton)

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/sports/1.2665180

The Kenyan are under double non-secret probation because some lower level officials took bribes to cover up positive tests, but managed to escape national level sanction because they're too disorganized to have a state-sponsored system like the Russians did.

http://www.si.com/more-sports/2015/11/16/iaaf-athletics-kenya-corruption-doping-scandal-marathoners

In the States, USADA and the feds are investigating a doctor for overprescribing thyroid medicines to elite runners:

http://olympics.si.com/olympics/2016/06/28/usada-investigation-alberto-salazar-doctor-jeffrey-brown-nike

And a recent Spanish drug raid drags a number of other runners, including the women's 1500M world record holder, into an additional drug mess:

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2016/06/everything-need-know-jama-aden-doping-raid-took-place-three-dibaba-sisters-present/

And I haven't even gotten into round two of Caster Semenya and her sister in high natural testosterone, Duntee Chand and the discussion on gender as applied to elite sports yet:

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-olympics-are-still-struggling-to-define-gender/

Could Usain Bolt ( scheduled to lose a relay gold medal because a teammate's doping was revealed in the retests) please do something spectacular and put the focus back on the competition already?

[SophiaD]

Galen Rupp is a complete bad@ss.  He's been running marathons and just came back and won the Olympic trials in the 10,000, led the whole way, and sprinted to the finish.  

Must be fun to run in front of your college fans like that.

[ketchuplover]

Usain Bolt has bad hamstring pulls out of Olympic trials.  Might go to Rio if he can run in London on July 22.  Hasn't run 200M this year-might not qualify in that event.

[AimingforYoko]

As the great philosopher Mick Jagger once opined, "What a drag it is to get old."

[SophiaD]

Age is just about the only thing that could beat Usain Bolt.

[ketchuplover]

R.I.P.  Chloeeeeeeeeee

[Arynm]

That's so sad, Chloe was adorable, that's a tough loss right before her race today.

[ketchuplover]

Allyson just ran faster than Chloe ever did chasing the mail man !

[SophiaD]

Allyson is another bad@ss.  I didn't think she would make the team this year and I'm delighted to be proven wrong.  

Chloe was such a cutie.  I'm so sad for her.

[Rick Kitchen]

On 7/1/2016 at 6:53 PM, selkie said:

The Russians will be allowed to petition on an individual basis if they can prove they've lived outside the country and have been subject to regular drug testing that hasn't been done by RUSADA, and a few like a Florida-based long jumper are expected to be allowed back in.

 

But not under the Russian flag, unless that has changed in the past week or so.

[selkie]

20 minutes ago, Rick Kitchen said:

 

But not under the Russian flag, unless that has changed in the past week or so.

I think there's been some back and forth between the IOC, which seems to want to limit the 'under the Olympic flag' participants to Team Refugee this time around and has been saying Russian flag for individually cleared athletes, and the IAAF, which is saying under the Rings and not under the Russian flag.

Sigh. I wish Justin Gatlin hasn't been running as well as he has this year since he really should be banned for life from the sport. Second doping violation should put you out for good.

[Rick Kitchen]

Allyson Felix has qualified for the 100, 200 and 400.  No other American has ever done that in the same Olympics.  I hope the Rio schedule gives her a chance to compete in all three, not to mention the relays.

[ketchuplover]

Will she be on any of the relay teams? 

[SophiaD]

If she stays healthy, I'd say she's a lock for the 4 x 400 relay, at the very least.

[ketchuplover]

41 y/o prodigy wins men's 5000M  race !!!!!!  That kid's future is brighter than a supernova!!!!!!!

[mertensia]

I was so happy to see Bernard Lagat win.

[selkie]

The IAAF Doping Review Board has granted the Russian long jumper Darya Klishina the right to compete in Rio because she has physically lived outside of Russia for several years- she's based in Florida- and therefore has a significant record of negative doping tests that have nothing to do with RUSADA. All other Russian track & field athletes, including pole vault great Yelena Isinbayeva, who has a residence in Monaco for tax purposes but spent the past year largely living in Russia, are still considered to be under ban from international competition.

Russia is, of course, appealing the decision to the CAS and calling for the IAAF to be dissolved.

[Rick Kitchen]

A 19-year-old Kenyan girl, competing for Turkey, won gold in the European Championships in both the 5000 and 10,000.  Turkey won four golds, all by foreign born competitors, after having won only a bronze two years ago.

[Ohwell]

Well, Lagat is Kenyan-born  who became a naturalized US citizen, and competes for the US so I don't see an issue with the Kenyan girl competing for Turkey.

[Rick Kitchen]

Not saying there's an issue, just pointing it out.

[selkie]

If it wasn't for Russia, Turkey would have a reputation for being the dirtiest country in track & field and original London 1500M gold medalist Asli Cakir Alptekin was stripped of her medal and given an 8 year suspension from the sport because of doping violations. If an athlete is going the passport for hire rout (and for some of the numbers I've heard get thrown around, I can't blame them) , Bahrain and Qatar have generally been more respectable ways to go.

[Kromm]

At 16, Sydney McLaughlin Is the Youngest U.S. Track & Field Olympian In More Than Three Decades

[Kromm]

[FormerMod-a1]

I have the day off work and have the Olympics on the TV.  Discus is airing right now.  I haven't watched any discus in a long time.  I'm kind of enjoying this.  I forgot about the screams.  

[Ohwell]

FINALLY!  So happy to be watching track & field!  

Hopefully, we will at least get a break from talk about Michael Phelps Michael Phelps Michael Phelps Michael Phelps  Michael Phelps Michael Phelps Michael Phelps Michael Phelps...........................

[galaxygirl76]

Am I just too jaded for words or is breaking a very old world record(23 years I believe), set by a highly suspicious athlete, by a lot of seconds, making anyone else go hmmmm.. 

[Snipsa]

That 10000m women's race was all kinds of spectacular! That is why I watch the olympics!

[selkie]

I had a look over at the Let's Run sewer message boards, and the sentiment is that she's probably dirty, but at least it wasn't Dibabba, whose coach got arrested a few weeks back in Spain for distributing drugs to athletes.

[Good Queen Jane]

16 minutes ago, Snipsa said:

That 10000m women's race was all kinds of spectacular! That is why I watch the olympics!

Wow, World Record and almost everybody in the top 15 finishers set either a national record or a personal best. That's a race!

[Occasional Hope]

Yes, but at letsrun they think everyone's dirty who's not a white American, and they're not too sure about most of them either.  I never go there.

It was an amazing race, but a lot of it was due to the Kenyan who took it out in the first half.

[Danny Franks]

Man, I love watching Jessica Ennis-Hill. Incredible heptathlete, and she seems to absolutely love competing, against her own standards more than against any of her competitors. Katarina Johnson-Thompson is a great young star on the rise as well. It doesn't hurt that they're both stunning looking women [/shallow].

I don't know why Britain is so good at creating Heptathletes and so mediocre at most other track and field events. Denise Lewis, then Kelly Sotherton, then Jess and now KJT as well. 

[Occasional Hope]

Events tend to go in cycles, with one person doing well and inspiring others to take up the sport and then achive at high levels.  Hep is on a high atm; in the 80s it was the men's middle distances.

[selkie]

Gotta admit I'm cheering for Brianne Theissen-Eaton in the hep because her and Ashton are such a supporting and adorable couple. Apparently true love involves being about to say 'I forgive you' after your spouse almost kills you with a sector-fouled javelin.

[Danny Franks]

3 minutes ago, Occasional Hope said:

Events tend to go in cycles, with one person doing well and inspiring others to take up the sport and then achive at high levels.  Hep is on a high atm; in the 80s it was the men's middle distances.

True. But in this case, it's an upswing that has lasted for sixteen years now, and looks like lasting for another few, with Johnson-Thompson. In the 80s, we had Coe and Ovett in the middle distance, and Steve Cram who came along a few years later, but in the Heptathlon, it's been an unbroken chain since the Sydney Olympics, where a British Heptathlete has finished in the top four (only missing out on a medal in Beijing). I just wish that would replicate in other events, with young athletes being inspired by the likes of Greg Rutherford, Mo Farah and others.

They don't even need to be inspired by British athetes, really. Look at Usain Bolt. If he can't inspire young kids around the world to want to run the 100m, then no one can.

[kalystia1983]

So is racewalking considered track?  I'm truly fascinated by how that all works.  How do you move your body that way, it is so odd looking.

Edited August 13, 2016 by kalystia1983

[blackwing]

For once, NBC gets it right.  I am loving the commentary from the incomparable Ato Bolton and the fresh and insightful Sanya Richards Ross.  I don't mind Tom Holland, his voice is pleasant and sagacious.  But I'd prefer if we don't have to see him much.  His shirts are too tight and nobody needs to see those moobs.

Looking forward to seeing the Jamaican women.  I hope Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce can pull off the threepeat. And I'd love to see my favourite, Veronica Campbell Brown, win the 200.  I just love saying her name, Veronica Campbell Brown, it's so melodious.  

[Superpole2000]

1 hour ago, kalystia1983 said:

So is racewalking considered track?  I'm truly fascinated by how that all works.  How do you move your body that way, it is so odd looking.

No, I cannot allow it! To me, racewalking is the equivalent of a doggypaddle swimming event.

[kalystia1983]

55 minutes ago, Superpole2000 said:

No, I cannot allow it! To me, racewalking is the equivalent of a doggypaddle swimming event

And now that you say that I completely see the comparison.  I'm still oddly fascinated by it though....not sure why.

Edited August 13, 2016 by kalystia1983
Because I forgot to type a post :)

[AimingforYoko]

Congrats to Michael Carter's (1984 Shot Put Silver Medalist) little girl! Upset for the US in Women's Shot.

[Scovies]

Question from someone whose track and field knowledge boils down to "Usain Bolt is amazing": why do they hold different events/records for indoor vs. outdoor track? What's the difference between the two besides 1) a roof, and 2) wind?

[Aliconehead]

15 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

Congrats to Michael Carter's (1984 Shot Put Silver Medalist) little girl! Upset for the US in Women's Shot.

Not to be rude. Please call her by name, Michelle Carter.  She worked very hard for this and deserves to be recognized for it and not referred by a male in her life.   This has been a running theme in this Olympics and with over 50% of US athletes being female, this should stop.  Saying congrats to Michelle Carter, 1984 Olympic Silver medalist Michael Carter's daughter is great. 

 

I will get off my soap box now. :)

Edited August 13, 2016 by Aliconehead

[AimingforYoko]

3 minutes ago, Scovies said:

Question from someone whose track and field knowledge boils down to "Usain Bolt is amazing": why do they hold different events/records for indoor vs. outdoor track? What's the difference between the two besides 1) a roof, and 2) wind?

Mainly? Size of the track. Indoor is half the size of an outdoor Olympic track.

ETA:

Quote

Please call her by name, Michelle Carter.  She worked very hard for this and deserves to be recognized for it and not referred by a male in her life. 

Sorry, meant no disrespect. Michael Carter is from my generation and while Michelle earned that gold with her hard work, it can't be a coincidence that her dad also threw shot.

Edited August 13, 2016 by AimingforYoko

[SophiaD]

OMG, I LOVE Ato Bolden and Sandra Richards-Ross as announcers.  Love, love, love them.  They are so pleasant and interesting to listen to!  Just now, Tom Hammond said, "This (the 400) is Sandra's event.  What to they need to do, Sandra?"  And then they actually listened to her and let her talk!

I hope they keep commentating forever.

[Scovies]

Yeah, I really enjoyed Sanya and hearing what she had to say in her specialty. So refreshing after listening to Tim and Al talk all over Nastia Liukin during women's gymnastics. She was still competing and kicking ass in London, so was this her first time commentating? I thought she did a great job, and wished they'd kept her around for more than just the 400 prelims.

Bravo, Michelle Carter! Really cool that she followed in the footsteps of her dad and ended up beating him, results-wise, and I really liked her in her post-competition interview.

[katisha]

4 hours ago, Superpole2000 said:

No, I cannot allow it! To me, racewalking is the equivalent of a doggypaddle swimming event.

I have heard it said that it looks like someone who's about to crap their pants rushing to find a toilet, or as though the competitors have a coin between their butt cheeks that has to stay there no matter what. But, hey, we got a bronze, so I'm not complaining. :)

[sassykattt]

So, if I hang in there late enough (west coast here) will I get to see Michelle's ceremony?

[Snipsa]

I am very happy for Michelle Carter, but you have to feel for Adams from NZ who lead that event from the start and lost out at the last second! I know, I know, That's the way track and field - especially field - goes...

[friendperidot]

I'm so old, that when I think of race walking, I remember the movie "Walk Don't Run" with Cary Grant and Jim Hutton. I've forgotten the plot, but it took place during the Tokyo Olympics, 1964, Jim Hutton was a race walker competitor. For those not old enough to know, Jim Hutton is father to Timothy.

[biakbiak]

46 minutes ago, friendperidot said:

I'm so old, that when I think of race walking, I remember the movie "Walk Don't Run" with Cary Grant and Jim Hutton. I've forgotten the plot, but it took place during the Tokyo Olympics, 1964, Jim Hutton was a race walker competitor. For those not old enough to know, Jim Hutton is father to Timothy.

I grew up Iin Seattle were Bill Nye was a Speed walking super hero!

[Occasional Hope]

The indoor track is also banked, a bit like the cycling velodrome though not as steeply.  The inside lane is very tight, and that's part of reason 200m was completely dropped from indoor world champs, because the athlete assigned to lane 1 found it too hard to be competitive.  The 400 is run completely different tactically, because they break from lanes halfway through, and there's a significant advantage to being in the lead then, this reqarding the runner who does a fast fast 200 and the hangs on, whereas the outdoor 400 can be won more easily by a more steadily paced runner who comes through in the later stages.  So some people end up as indoor specialists, e.g. the British 400m runner Jamie Baulch was brilliant indoors and won gold, silver and bronze medals at various world indoor champs, but never got a medal as an individual outdoors, although he was good enough to make finals.

There are no 100m (or 100/110hurdles) events indoors, they do a straight 60m instead.  Again, that rewards the fastest starters, and indoor specialists often fail to shine outdoors.

There are often fewer lanes as well, typically six compared to 8 or 9 for an outdoor track, so fewer competitors.

Race walking definitely counts as part of athletics, as do the marathon and cross country; it's really only the US that calls the sport track and field.