Off-Season Olympics Coverage

[AimingforYoko]

JuVaughn Harrison pulls off extremely rare double.

First American to qualify in both Long Jump and High Jump since Jim Thorpe. In 1912.

[JTMacc99]

16 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

Jim Thorpe

It's a pretty cool day when you can do something that requires bringing Jim Thorpe into the conversation.

 

[Crashcourse]

On 6/28/2021 at 2:24 PM, DearEvette said:

I love seeing the hair, nails, tats and eyelashes. 

Yeah, mileage certainly varies because I'd much rather concentrate on their track and field abilities, than be distracted by flying orange/yellow/purple/green hair, long fake eyelashes, and long nails.  I actually don't mind a couple tats though. 

[DearEvette]

12 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

Yeah, mileage certainly varies because I'd much rather concentrate on their track and field abilities, than be distracted by flying orange/yellow/purple/green hair, long fake eyelashes, and long nails.  I actually don't mind a couple tats though. 

Honestly, I am sure they would also prefer their success and acclaim was based solely on their track performance.  But many have documented via several interviews that part of the reason they are so visually expressive is that it is a way of ultra-feminizing their appearance because of the way female athletes and specifically black female athlete bodies are policed and criticized. There have been actual scholarly papers written on this very subject.  Even now Sha'Carri Richards is getting a lot of the same "is she a man" snide remarks that often plagued black female athletes.

Also, one of the only ways an elite track athlete is able to make a living is via endorsements (if they don't win big purses as they circuit or get competition grants/stipends if they place consistently in the various top percentiles in their fields).  And they are told in order to get big endorsements they have to be noticed and have "crossover appeal."  Allyson Felix, whom I think many would consider quite pretty, has spoken of this and the success of a female athlete when it comes to marketability (ie, shoe endorsements) is more based on her looks than necessarily her accomplishments.  Lolo Jones is a great example of this.  She has arguably had less success on the track than many of her compatriots, yet she has big endorsements and has covered many magazine.  The controversy came to a head in 2012 where a NYT articles spoke about this and immediately following she failed to medal in the London Olympics  100 meter hurdles and yet the two other American women who won silver and bronze in the event, both darker-skinned African American women, were given less attention in the American press than she. 

Whereas conventional (read:eurocentric) beauty standards give white athletes an advantage there, black athletes need to go the extra mile and create a narrative to make up for it.  So yeah, knowing all this, knowing the history and the psychology behind it,  I look forward to seeing how they glam up.  And most times esp with sprinters, the race is so fast you really don't see the nails, lashes etc. except as they are waiting in the blocks or as they are panting ferociously after the race waiting for their time.  LOL.

[Crashcourse]

Yup, like I said, mileage varies, regardless of explanations.

[Lady Whistleup]

I'm honestly shocked that female track athletes are not considered beautiful. I was watching the Olympic trials and at times I thought I was at a fashion shoot because there were so many beauties.

Annie Kunz:

Allyson Felix:

Gabby Thomas:

Sydney McLaughlin:

[Harry24]

18 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Even now Sha'Carri Richards is getting a lot of the same "is she a man" snide remarks that often plagued black female athletes.

Oh, for f*&’s sake. What is wrong with people?!!!! (However, as a tennis fan from way back, I remember when Martina Navratilova and Amélie Mauresmo (both white) had the same shit spoken about them.  How dare they have muscles and be built for power?!!!)

[Crashcourse]

13 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

I'm honestly shocked that female track athletes are not considered beautiful. I was watching the Olympic trials and at times I thought I was at a fashion shoot because there were so many beauties.

Annie Kunz:

Allyson Felix:

Gabby Thomas:

Sydney McLaughlin:

Yes, I think a lot of the female athletes are beautiful.   That's why I think the weird hair colors, loooong nails, looooong false eyelashes aren't necessary and I think they'd look so much better without that stuff, just like the women in these photos.   I also think Sha'kari is attractive under all that hair and makeup and I wish we could see her as her natural self.  

[legaleagle53]

18 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

I'm honestly shocked that female track athletes are not considered beautiful. I was watching the Olympic trials and at times I thought I was at a fashion shoot because there were so many beauties.

Annie Kunz:

Allyson Felix:

Gabby Thomas:

Sydney McLaughlin:

Just wait until the Olympics subforum opens up on here next month. There's always a thread dedicated to the hottest Olympic athletes of the current games, and while the conversation is mostly dominated by gay men and straight women (hence the majority of posts are about the various male athletes), rest assured that praise about the female athletes will also be welcome!  )

[Lady Whistleup]

6 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

Yes, I think a lot of the female athletes are beautiful.   That's why I think the weird hair colors, loooong nails, looooong false eyelashes aren't necessary and I think they'd look so much better without that stuff, just like the women in these photos.   I also think Sha'kari is attractive under all that hair and makeup and I wish we could see her as her natural self.  

I don't know if this is the case for Sha'kari but in the past FloJo and other runners were accused of using wigs, nails, and excessive makeup to hide, uh, hormonal changes that occurred due to juicing. I did notice that Sha'kari was a lot, uh, beefier than some of the other track ladies.

[Crashcourse]

7 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

I don't know if this is the case for Sha'kari but in the past FloJo and other runners were accused of using wigs, nails, and excessive makeup to hide, uh, hormonal changes that occurred due to juicing. I did notice that Sha'kari was a lot, uh, beefier than some of the other track ladies.

That's interesting.  I remember FloJo being accused of juicing because she really did look quite muscular.  

[Lady Whistleup]

45 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

That's interesting.  I remember FloJo being accused of juicing because she really did look quite muscular.  

FloJo was accused of juicing because of the way her times progressed. That sudden progression in the 1988 season is almost unheard of in the track world. 

Also her sudden retirement after the Olympics and (this is awful) her untimely death.

[Crashcourse]

8 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

FloJo was accused of juicing because of the way her times progressed. That sudden progression in the 1988 season is almost unheard of in the track world. 

Also her sudden retirement after the Olympics and (this is awful) her untimely death.

Oh, ok, it was the times that were controversial.  I remember them showing her body in the casket and it was so sad.

[scarynikki12]

2 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

Just wait until the Olympics subforum opens up on here next month. There's always a thread dedicated to the hottest Olympic athletes of the current games, and while the conversation is mostly dominated by gay men and straight women (hence the majority of posts are about the various male athletes), rest assured that praise about the female athletes will also be welcome!  )

Yes the Hotties of the Olympics (or whatever we call it this round) is always a treat. 

[Lady Whistleup]

Yeah she had a daughter too. Really tragic.

But tbh every single track accomplishment always has a question mark. There's been so many cases of doping (just the ones that were caught) that it's really hard to know if anyone is truly "clean."

ETA: here;s an interview with the lovely Gabby Thomas. Track is actually only one of this lady's many accomplishments.

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by Lady Whistleup

[legaleagle53]

13 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

Yes the Hotties of the Olympics (or whatever we call it this round) is always a treat. 

And on that note, the official 2021 Olympic Games forum is now open, and since we don't need mod permission to create threads as needed, I don't think it's too soon to start an official 2021 Olympic Hotties thread there!   ;-)

Edited July 1, 2021 by legaleagle53

[xaxat]

1 hour ago, Lady Whistleup said:

I did notice that Sha'kari was a lot, uh, beefier than some of the other track ladies.

Has she failed a test? If not, that's unsubstantiated speculation.

The "eye test" is a worthless method to judge whether an athlete is using PEDs. PEDs work in a variety of ways many of which have no connection to building muscle mass. Cycling is one of the dirtiest sports around and those guys are skinny. 

Since the imposition of PED testing, a lot of talk about "looks like a PED user" is a means to body shame powerful Black women. Maria Sharapova got caught and was suspended yet people still talk about Serena Williams.

[Lady Whistleup]

Just now, xaxat said:

Has she failed a test? If not, that's unsubstantiated speculation.

The "eye test" is a worthless method to judge whether an athlete is using PEDs. PEDs work in a variety of ways many of which have no connection to building muscle mass. Cycling is one of the dirtiest sports around and those guys are skinny. 

Since the imposition of PED testing, a lot of talk about "looks like a PED user" is a means to body shame powerful Black women. Maria Sharapova got caught and was suspended yet people still talk about Serena Williams.

I'm just saying that it was speculated that a lot of the track women used the makeup, nails, and different hair colors to mask hormonal changes due to doping. FloJo was probably the most prominent example. Sha'carri's makeup has a FloJo vibe.

[Crashcourse]

It's sad because I look forward to the Olympics, especially track and field and swimming, and I hope there's no juicing, but there probably is.  I'd like to think that 99.9% of them are clean, but I'm jaded.  Also, it's not just about black female athletes, but men, any race/ethnicity and across all sports. 

[Lady Whistleup]

16 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

It's sad because I look forward to the Olympics, especially track and field and swimming, and I hope there's no juicing, but there probably is.  I'd like to think that 99.9% of them are clean, but I'm jaded.  Also, it's not just about black female athletes, but men, any race/ethnicity and across all sports. 

Certain sports like cycling, track & field, swimming, weightlifting, baseball, have such a deserved reputation for rampant doping that it's hard to not wonder.

[DearEvette]

Quote

I'm just saying that it was speculated that a lot of the track women used the makeup, nails, and different hair colors to mask hormonal changes due to doping. FloJo was probably the most prominent example. Sha'carri's makeup has a FloJo vibe.

Yeah, an example of Perception vs reality.  Further indications of how black women's bodies are policed and a narrative not their own is forefronted.  If doping is rampant in T&F then it isn't limited to sprint track athletes, and yet they are the ones being speculated about.  Meanwhile two black female track athletes who were definitively shown to have doped: Marion Jones and Regina Jacobs eschewed the whole hair/nails.  As I mentioned above many athletes have explained, exhaustively, why they choose to glam up.  Meanwhile Megan Rapinoe, whose flamboyant hair choices are celebrated gives the exact same explanation why she does it people just nod. 

[galaxygirl76]

Norway's Karsten Warholm broke the 29(!!) year old 400m hurdles WR today.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/57689153

That record was 4 years older than he is.

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by galaxygirl76

[AimingforYoko]

1 hour ago, galaxygirl76 said:

Norway's Karsten Warholm broke the 29(!!) year old 400m hurdles WR today.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/57689153

That record was 4 years older than he is.

 

Ah yes, that Track & Field juggernaut, Norway. Seriously Warholm vs Benjamin is going to be goooood.

[Lady Whistleup]

Uh this story is developing but Sha Carri Richardson appears to have failed a drug test.

ETA: more info

 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Lady Whistleup

[scarynikki12]

The first thing I thought of is the Robin William bit about the Olympic snowboarder who tested positive for marijuana.

(paraphrasing)

"They said marijuana was a Performance Enhancing Drug.

::makes game show error noise::

Marijuana enhances many things: tastes, colors, sensations but you certainly aren't fucking EMPOWERED. When you're stoned you're lucky if you can find your own goddamned feet! The only way it's a Performance Enhancing Drug is if there's a big fucking Hershey bar at the end of the run."

Which is to say that her winning with weed in her system is even more impressive and they should get over themselves, get rid of the rule, and let her race. 

[Lady Whistleup]

11 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

The first thing I thought of is the Robin William bit about the Olympic snowboarder who tested positive for marijuana.

(paraphrasing)

"They said marijuana was a Performance Enhancing Drug.

::makes game show error noise::

Marijuana enhances many things: tastes, colors, sensations but you certainly aren't fucking EMPOWERED. When you're stoned you're lucky if you can find your own goddamned feet! The only way it's a Performance Enhancing Drug is if there's a big fucking Hershey bar at the end of the run."

Which is to say that her winning with weed in her system is even more impressive and they should get over themselves, get rid of the rule, and let her race. 

It might have made her very hungry pre-race lol.

But ultimately I don't think it will come to anything. Although you never know. 

[xaxat]

13 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

Which is to say that her winning with weed in her system is even more impressive and they should get over themselves, get rid of the rule, and let her race. 

She apparently tested positive for THC, a component of marijuana. THC can remain in the bloodstream for weeks after inhalation/consumption. So I doubt she was high during the trials.

 

[Lady Whistleup]

2 minutes ago, xaxat said:

She apparently tested positive for THC, a component of marijuana. THC can remain in the bloodstream for weeks after inhalation/consumption. So I doubt she was high during the trials.

 

They're saying that although it's not likely she'll face suspension she might have her trials time DQ'ed which would take her out of the Olys.

[Enero]

28 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

They're saying that although it's not likely she'll face suspension she might have her trials time DQ'ed which would take her out of the Olys.

SMH. I’m still hoping this story is not what it’s being rumored to be. Despite the fact that weed is no more a performance enhancing drug than Tylenol, the rules are the rules, and must be followed. It would be a shame if she lost her Olympic spot over such a dumb mistake. 

[Lady Whistleup]

9 minutes ago, Enero said:

SMH. I’m still hoping this story is not what it’s being rumored to be. Despite the fact that weed is no more a performance enhancing drug than Tylenol, the rules are the rules, and must be followed. It would be a shame if she lost her Olympic spot over such a dumb mistake. 

USOC staying from mum about this so far. We have lots of twitter sources (mostly reputable) but I'm thinking they might hope this issue goes away on its own.

ETA: now twitter sources are saying that they might bring her for the relays.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Lady Whistleup

[Lady Whistleup]

Jesus the articles have now been edited and it's apparently no longer weed. Or not confirmed that it's weed. 

 

[Lady Whistleup]

Ok NYT has a pretty official report.

Quote

While Richardson’s suspension could be over by the time the Olympics begin, the positive test wipes her Olympic trials performance from the books. Unlike the Olympic selection processes of some other countries, U.S.A. Track & Field’s procedures leave little room for discretion. They dictate that the top three finishing athletes in a given event at the trials qualify for the Olympics, provided they have reached the Olympic standard.

It is possible that Richardson could still compete in the 4x100-meter relay. Up to six athletes are selected for the relay pool, and four of them must be the top three finishers in the 100 meters at the Olympic trials and an alternate. But U.S.A. Track & Field names the remaining two members of the relay pool.

 

[Good Queen Jane]

Richardson has accepted a 30 day suspension,which puts her out of the 100 meters. Good for her for taking responsibility for her actions.

[AimingforYoko]

Yeah, the rules suck, but she knew the rules going in. Athletes have to be super-vigilant about what they put in their bodies.

[Enero]

30 minutes ago, Good Queen Jane said:

Richardson has accepted a 30 day suspension,which puts her out of the 100 meters. Good for her for taking responsibility for her actions.

So is she just suspended and thus will be ineligible when the 100m event starts in Tokyo? Or are her trial results being wiped too? The article didn’t specify this. I ask because if her trial results were wiped then she won’t be able to compete in Tokyo at all as her qualification results will have been disqualified. 

This was a grave mistake on her part. I hope she learns from this and come back stronger. She definitely needs support in how to cope in healthy ways. As I understand the stress of competing along with the recent death of her mother may have been contributing factors in this choice. 

[PepSinger]

This is totally stupid and infuriating. My excitement for the Olympics has taken a major hit. Sha’Carri should be allowed to compete. Taking into account this marijuana situation, the IOC not allowing swim caps designed for Black hair, and their treatment of Caster Semenya, there is a clear anti-Black women bias with the Olympics.

Edited July 2, 2021 by PepSinger

[Lady Whistleup]

She has a 30 day suspension which means she'll be eligible since her suspension ends July 19. But her trials results are wiped which means she won't qualify.

 

[Lady Whistleup]

Rule change for IOC:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/02/sports/olympics/olympics-protests-tokyo.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

Quote

 

But on Friday, in a move reflecting the influence of a remarkable, ongoing outpouring of activism from athletes, the International Olympic Committee released new guidelines offering Olympians a chance to “express their views” on the field of play before the start of a competition, including during athlete introductions.

Under the new rules, athletes competing this month at the Summer Games in Tokyo now will theoretically be allowed to wear an article of clothing (a shirt with a slogan or a glove, for example) or make a symbolic gesture (like kneeling or raising a fist) to express their views on an issue before the start of their events.

 

 

[xaxat]

24 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Rule change for IOC:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/02/sports/olympics/olympics-protests-tokyo.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

 

What are the odds they change that rule before Beijing?

[Jane Tuesday]

Sha"Carri says she's not looking for empathy, but she gets mine anyway. She knew she was breaking the rules when she did it, and her actions have consequences. But I still feel badly for her. I think this shines a light on the pressure these (often quite young) athletes are under, and how little support they receive. And then x1000 for those who are in sports where they have basically a week every four years to set up the rest of their lives.

[Crashcourse]

Fortunately for her she's young and it wouldn't surprise me at all if she qualified for the 2024 Olympics.  A lesson learned for her though.

[Lady Whistleup]

12 minutes ago, Jane Tuesday said:

Sha"Carri says she's not looking for empathy, but she gets mine anyway. She knew she was breaking the rules when she did it, and her actions have consequences. But I still feel badly for her. I think this shines a light on the pressure these (often quite young) athletes are under, and how little support they receive. And then x1000 for those who are in sports where they have basically a week every four years to set up the rest of their lives.

There might be a happy ending of sorts though -- apparently they're bringing her for the relay.

Paris is only 3 years away. Female sprinters usually don't peak till their mid-20s. She'll be back and she'll be even better.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Lady Whistleup

[blueray]

I'm kind of confused what she did. She used marijuana, is what I read. I feel like that is like telling someone they can't compete if they drink alcohol. I assume she wasn't high during the race, if so maybe that would be different. So it is legal in Oregon (where they were competing). I guess it could be an Olympics thing, clean image and all. But it is kind of unfair as it doesn't effect her performance and is legal where she was.  I wouldn't be surprise if they let her complete for the relay which is after her month band. 

[emmawoodhouse]

Even Dick Vitale is on the #FreeSha'Carri train. 

[Enero]

1 hour ago, blueray said:

I'm kind of confused what she did. She used marijuana, is what I read. I feel like that is like telling someone they can't compete if they drink alcohol. I assume she wasn't high during the race, if so maybe that would be different. So it is legal in Oregon (where they were competing). I guess it could be an Olympics thing, clean image and all. But it is kind of unfair as it doesn't effect her performance and is legal where she was.  I wouldn't be surprise if they let her complete for the relay which is after her month band. 

My understanding is she failed the drug test after being tested upon completing her run at the Olympic trials. And she admitted to smoking while in Oregon. So it can be inferred that she smoked at least within days of competing. Sadly this was a really dumb mistake on Richardson’s part. If she wants to do weed that’s her prerogative but for the love of all that is holy don’t do it mere days before competing. 

As far as whether weed is performance enhancing, I’ve seen some argue, not in the traditional sense, but that the drug can allow the user to recover more quickly from competition and endure a higher tolerance of pain which could potentially give the user an advantage over their competition. Don’t know how solid that argument is, but I’ve seen it. 

Regarding alcohol, some Olympic sports DID ban the usage, but the ban was removed in 2018. I guess the bigger picture here is not what is acceptable just in the U.S. or a specific state but what is acceptable by the WADA, which all countries competing in the Olympics work to abide by. The rule may be considered dumb/stupid etc., but it is the rule. Richardson knew the rule and took the risk by smoking weed before a competition. Now there’s the consequences of that. It will be a learning experience, no doubt, for her, and I hope for other young promising athletes who are considering taking similar risks.

 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Enero

[GiuliettaMasina]

32 minutes ago, Enero said:

The rule may be considered dumb/stupid etc., but it is the rule. Richardson knew the rule and took the risk by smoking weed before a competition. Now there’s the consequences of that. It will be a learning experience, no doubt, for her, and I hope for other young promising athletes who are considering taking similar risks.

 

Yes, but unless the rule-maker is a tyrant, they should be pretty concerned when large numbers of people question the wisdom of one of their rules.

I actually went and found the paper WADA cites in its defense of why weed is banned, and....it's unconvincing. This article gives a good rundown of its inconsistencies and lack of vigor, and in it, the founder of WADA seems to give the game away:

“People were worried about sport appearing to thumb its nose at criminal law," Dick Pound, the founder and first president of WADA, told Yahoo Sports on Friday.

So WADA lumped marijuana in with hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. And, said Pound, “it just sort of stayed there."

Cannabis is on the banned list because it is (mostly) illegal, and since we know that cannabis was made illegal for racist reasons, it might be time for WADA to reconsider this one. 

Even if we take WADA's science at face-value the potential performance enhancements they discuss (help managing stress/anxiety, ability to relax) are all things that can be achieved by access to a masseuse, therapist, psychiatrist and housekeeper, but we aren't banning rich people from competing. 

[Enero]

41 minutes ago, GiuliettaMasina said:

Cannabis is on the banned list because it is (mostly) illegal, and since we know that cannabis was made illegal for racist reasons, it might be time for WADA to reconsider this one. 
 

As stated the WADA goes beyond the U.S. Weed is illegal in more than half the countries in the world. Are you saying the illegality of the drug extends to racism in countries other than the US?

Quote

Even if we take WADA's science at face-value the potential performance enhancements they discuss (help managing stress/anxiety, ability to relax) are all things that can be achieved by access to a masseuse, therapist, psychiatrist and housekeeper, but we aren't banning rich people from competing. 

The point is the athlete using a banned substance for relaxation rather than “approved” resources ie massage, psychiatrist etc.  Per the WADA weed is banned because:

Quote

“Athletes who smoke cannabis or Spice in-competition potentially endanger themselves and others because of increased risk taking, slower reaction times and poor executive function or decision making.”

“Based on current animal and human studies as well as on interviews with athletes and information from the field, cannabis can be performance enhancing for some athletes and sports disciplines.”

“Use of illicit drugs that are harmful to health and that may have performance-enhancing properties is not consistent with the athlete as a role model for young people around the world”.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3717337/pdf/nihms486945.pdf

 

In order for a drug to make the WADA banned list it has to 

a) it poses a health risk to athletes b) it has the potential to enhance performance and c) it violates the spirit of sport.

If athletes, coaches etc don’t agree with the ban then they need to lobby the WADA to change the rules. In the meantime, the current rules  do apply. 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Enero

[Lady Whistleup]

Weed being illegal is definitely a racist thing. The Rockefeller drug laws targeted drugs that were perceived as "black" like weed and crack cocaine.

[PepSinger]

6 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Weed being illegal is definitely a racist thing. The Rockefeller drug laws targeted drugs that were perceived as "black" like weed and crack cocaine.

Thank you. You cannot talk about illegal drugs and the history of drug criminalization without talking about its history of disproportionally affecting the Black community.

Also, I see people saying that it’s a rule. Well, just because something is a rule doesn’t mean it’s just. 

[Enero]

12 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Weed being illegal is definitely a racist thing. The Rockefeller drug laws targeted drugs that were perceived as "black" like weed and crack cocaine.

I get that for the U.S. but is that applicable to countries where it’s banned all over the world? Countries where there are very few, if any, black people? Again, my point is that the WADA is not just governed by the U.S.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Enero