Track & Field: Insert Latest Scandal here

[candall]

3 hours ago, Occasional Hope said:

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.

How does everyone else refer to this bundle?

[Occasional Hope]

Athletics.  It's the International Amateur Athletics Federation which governs the sport.   I understand that in the US you use 'athletics' as a more general umbrella term for all sports.

[Ohwell]

10 hours ago, Scovies said:

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.

Yes, I thought she was delightful. 

[Ohwell]

Usain!!  I'm always amazed at how he can churn those long legs to go such a short distance.  He really is electrifying to watch.

[MyAimIsTrue]

I can't wait for the men's 10,000m final tonight and hope for another great showing from Mo Farah and Galen Rupp.  The two of them are so cute together.

[galaxygirl76]

The women's 100m is going to be awesome, quietly hoping for a medal for Dafne but it's going to be hard...

[Shaynaa]

I don't follow track and field outside of the olympics.  Do distance races usually so few lanes for so many runners?  Seems just to be asking for falls like the one that already happened.  Why not use more lanes of the track?

[Ohwell]

Go Mo!!

[Ceindreadh]

7 minutes ago, Shaynaa said:

I don't follow track and field outside of the olympics.  Do distance races usually so few lanes for so many runners?  Seems just to be asking for falls like the one that already happened.  Why not use more lanes of the track?

Once they've got started AFAIK, the runners can use whatever lane they want, but they'd be foolish to make themselves run a longer distance than necessary. 

[MyAimIsTrue]

I love Mo Farah!!!

[Athena]

YAY! How can you not like Mo?

[megwhite]

Amazing race by MO! he's awesome

[BlackberryJam]

What happened with Jarrion Lawson's final long jump attempt?

[galaxygirl76]

5 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

What happened with Jarrion Lawson's final long jump attempt?

The Dutch radio commentator was speculating that his hand his the sand before the rest of his body, hence the not anticipated distance.

[Ceindreadh]

4 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

What happened with Jarrion Lawson's final long jump attempt?

The jump is measured to the point farthest back where you land. It looked like his left hand brushed the sand farther back than the rest of his body so that was where they measured to. Bad luck for him. 

[legaleagle53]

But congratulations to Jeff Henderson taking the gold for the USA!  :)

[BlackberryJam]

Thanks. I'm dealing with spotty connections because of storms.

[Ohwell]

5 minutes ago, legaleagle53 said:

But congratulations to Jeff Henderson taking the gold for the USA!  :)

Shit I missed that because I was watching swimming.

[AimingforYoko]

And Jamaica's next wave arrives. Congrats to Elaine Thompson.

ETA:

Quote

But congratulations to Jeff Henderson taking the gold for the USA!  :)

Congrats indeed, but that is one event that seems to be going backwards.

Edited August 14, 2016 by AimingforYoko

[legaleagle53]

4 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

And Jamaica's next wave arrives. Congrats to Elaine Thompson.

ETA:

Congrats indeed, but that is one event that seems to be going backwards.

The US is still a force to be reckoned with.  Tori Bowie took the silver in the Women's 100m.

[MyAimIsTrue]

What an amazing 100m race! 

All of the sprinters are gorgeous, especially Tori Bowie. She looks like she could make it on the catwalk as well as the track.

[Shaynaa]

If two runners cross the finish line at the same time, how do they decide which one gets the medal?  No ties in track and field?

[KenyaJ]

Wow. Still trying to wrap my mind around someone beating Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce. But congrats to Elaine Thompson. That was a really impressive race. And yay for Tori Bowie!

Mo Farah continues to amaze, even more so after falling mid-race.

[Daisy]

1 minute ago, Shaynaa said:

If two runners cross the finish line at the same time, how do they decide which one gets the medal?  No ties in track and field?

Photo finish. they can't decide, it's called a dead heat and then there is a tie. 

[Ohwell]

9 minutes ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

What an amazing 100m race! 

All of the sprinters are gorgeous, especially Tori Bowie. She looks like she could make it on the catwalk as well as the track.

I would beat Hope Solo's ass for Torie's smooth skin.  She really is gorgeous, and I think Shelley-Ann is cute as the dickens.

[Bewitched]

I only watch track and field during the Olympics.  Is it considered odd that Flo Jo still holds the world record?

[Daisy]

1 minute ago, Ohwell said:

I would beat Hope Solo's ass for Torie's smooth skin.  She really is gorgeous, and I think Shelley-Ann is cute as the dickens.

lmao. 

1 minute ago, Bewitched said:

I only watch track and field during the Olympics.  Is it considered odd that Flo Jo still holds the world record?

Nope. some records stand the test of time. someone will break it eventually. 

[AimingforYoko]

1 minute ago, Bewitched said:

 Is it considered odd that Flo Jo still holds the world record?

Odd's a word. There's more words others would choose, but I will not be among them.

[Growsonwalls]

6 minutes ago, Bewitched said:

I only watch track and field during the Olympics.  Is it considered odd that Flo Jo still holds the world record?

FloJo was one of the most beautiful ladies I ever saw and Iove her sense of fashion but her world record is one of the most, um, questionable ones. She retired right before off-season testing became mandatory.

[photo fox]

It's funny... I was just thinking about Flo-Jo. All of these glamorous women running the short distances remind me of her. I'm always surprised they wear the jewelry, glitter, and long hair, but I realize their races are so short they don't actually break a sweat. 

I'd say, yes, it's considered odd. But she never had a failed test, regardless of a few rumors. And she reportedly was subjected to extra testing during the '88 Games when she set those records.

Incidentally, I've had the opportunity to meet her SIL, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and she was so sweet! I remember being so star struck by both those ladies as a little girl. 

[Occasional Hope]

It's also thought that the wind readings may not have been measured properly.

[Growsonwalls]

4 minutes ago, photo fox said:

It's funny... I was just thinking about Flo-Jo. All of these glamorous women running the short distances remind me of her. I'm always surprised they wear the jewelry, glitter, and long hair, but I realize their races are so short they don't actually break a sweat. 

I'd say, yes, it's considered odd. But she never had a failed test, regardless of a few rumors. And she reportedly was subjected to extra testing during the '88 Games when she set those records.

Incidentally, I've had the opportunity to meet her SIL, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and she was so sweet! I remember being so star struck by both those ladies as a little girl. 

Ah, Jackie Joyner Kersee! For all those who complain about Katinka Hosszu's husband, I remember the very, uh, harsh sideline methods of Bob Kersee. At that time there was a lot of talk about whether it was a healthy relationship. But Bob Kersee coaches Allyson Felix and a lot of other track athletes past and present and they all say he's a great coach so ...

[Bewitched]

Thanks for the replies. I remember rumors but they were all pretty vague.   It just seems that every other WR has fallen and there was no mention of the sprinters tonight coming close to matching it.  

[selkie]

39 minutes ago, Bewitched said:

I only watch track and field during the Olympics.  Is it considered odd that Flo Jo still holds the world record?

It was an era when drug testing was not as advanced as it is today, it was reportedly very easy for federations on both sides of the Iron Curtain to suppress positives that did come up and everyone was always looking for the next way to get ahead of the competition. Flo Jo's spring records are probably about as clean as the DDR's Marita Koch's still standing  400M world record from 1985 or the Jarmila Kratochvilova (Czechslovakia) 800M world record from 1983.

[blackwing]

Was rooting hard for Fraser-Pryce.  Kudos to Elaine Thompson for her win, and Tori Bowie was awesome as well.  Glad Shelly-Ann got a medal.  Too bad English Gardner couldn't get one too.  I really like her parents, they have been seen on camera and always seem classy and dignified.  Something that the Raismans, Debbie Phelps and Shane Hosszu could take note of.

Congrats also to Canada's Thiesen-Eaton, although I was tiring of Ashton's reactions in the stands.

[briochetwist]

29 minutes ago, blackwing said:

en-Eaton, although I was tiring of Ashton's reactions in the stands.

Cut the poor boy some slack, he had a rough day! He got into some seriously stupid Twitter drama because people were upset because he was wearing a Canada cap to support his wife. He actually got called a traitor. People love stupid drama...

[Daisy]

25 minutes ago, briochetwist said:

Cut the poor boy some slack, he had a rough day! He got into some seriously stupid Twitter drama because people were upset because he was wearing a Canada cap to support his wife. He actually got called a traitor. People love stupid drama...

LOL I didn't really mind his reactions. usually they bug me but i think in a sense - it's different when other athletes do it because they know, and Brianne had a horrible day the day before by i think everyone's standards. Like she looked so disappointed when she crossed the finish line i wanted to give her a hug. She mentioned that she hasn't felt that fatigued or hurting during a hep in a long time, and she was really struggling in her best events  and really seemed laboured. I hope she's not coming down with anything

with the twitter thing. I was like if y'all want to disown him for a hat, we'll gladly take him. (Scott Oake actually brought it up with Brianne, I am thinking (hopefully) to maybe give her a heads up to the stupidity, and Brianne was like, "I'm wearing a Canada shirt and a USA hat, because i' supporting my teammate but my husband is #1 always." as it should be. 

[Muffyn]

Catching up on coverage  from earlier.  Somebody please explain the point of steeplechase to me.  I get jumping the barriers.  It's the puddle that I don't understand.  Are they trying to prove who runs best with wet shoes?

Edited August 14, 2016 by Muffyn

[sassykattt]

I so remember FloJo and how much some people resented her.  I remember a guy a work saying she looked like a man and I whirled around and said she "looks like a Goddess".  And that was true.  She carried herself like a Goddess, and some people couldn't stand it

[Mittengirl]

Was FloJo the one with the really long painted fingernails?

[paperplate]

Just caught up on some events, including the women's 10,000; I must say Almaz Ayana did an amazing job. Also, being superficial for a moment:  all three medalists ((Gold:  Almaz Ayana (Ethiopia), Silver: Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) and Bronze: Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia)) are some of the most beautiful women I have ever seen.

[selkie]

Overexposed or not, I just love the Theissen-Eatons. They're so supportive of each other, adorable, and i just seems like a great partnership on and off the track . Those giving Ashton and Brianne grief on twiter alos need to also remember that both of them know how to Do Things with spears.

[blackwing]

6 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

Was FloJo the one with the really long painted fingernails?

Yes, I believe that was her.  She was also known for her unusual competition outfits/onesies/singlets/whateveritscalled.  They had one long pant leg and one short.

[galaxygirl76]

I really prefer it when the marathon finishes in the stadium. I dunno, it just gives a special feeling when the runners enter and everyone cheers but maybe that's just me.

[Danny Franks]

11 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

Was FloJo the one with the really long painted fingernails?

You may be thinking of Gail Devers, the 100m sprinter and hurdler. I never understood how she managed to take the baton in the 4x100 relay with those talons.

It's a real shame that Jess Ennis-Hill couldn't retain her title, but very well done to Thiam for managing five PBs in seven events.

[briochetwist]

11 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

Was FloJo the one with the really long painted fingernails?

Yep. She was very flashy, the first athlete I can remember that brought glam to the game.

Edited August 14, 2016 by briochetwist
Words. Forgot words.

[Ohwell]

43 minutes ago, Danny Franks said:

You may be thinking of Gail Devers, the 100m sprinter and hurdler. I never understood how she managed to take the baton in the 4x100 relay with those talons.

Flo Jo had the long nails first, then Gail Devers.

[Daisy]

yay we have someone in the final! Let's go Andre!

[AimingforYoko]

Bolt just loped to that 9.84 in the semi. He's gonna have to blow a tire to lose the gold.

[galaxygirl76]

Impressive run from Bolt.