Rio Games

[wco81]

Been tuning in and out. Got a notification on the NBC Sports app. about the 100m final.

Bolt gets out to a slow start and just puts it into overdrive, outrunning the field.

Third gold in a row and at 29, no reason he couldn't do it 4 years from now.

I looked up the Ben Johnson time in 1988, which was a world record at the time and it was 9.79 vs 9.80 which Bolt ran today.

Maybe he won't approach his WR of 9.59 again. That's an insane time, without PEDs. Maybe it was wind-aided or something. Looks like the current field other than Bolt isn't capable of that time either.

Unless there's a 16 or 17 year old now who's going to become the next great sprinter just before the next Games, Bolt could hit #4 in 2020.

[F308GTB]

Maybe he won't approach his WR of 9.59 again. That's an insane time, without PEDs. Maybe it was wind-aided or something.

Is it clean or just not caught/protected? Jamaican athletics has some past issues. I would hope he's clean, but in this day and age, if a performance is super human, well...

[wco81]

Well they've had 12 years to catch him.

He'd have to be some great criminal mastermind to evade all the testing.

So 12 years ago he was just 17 when he won his first gold? That would be incredible if a teen was able to pull off cheating. Or the Jamaican track federation or whatever organization they have, getting away with cheating while bigger countries get busted.

[Pete1210]

I always enjoy the Olympics. I like the variety and watching sports I am not familiar with. And seeing that first US medal ceremony, I couldn't help getting that warm fuzzy patriotic feeling.

As a kid I used to think about where I'd be in another four years. Last night I was thinking of my Dad - the diving was one of his favorite events.

[Danimal]

USA needs to dump the trailer trash they have playing goalie for women's soccer, other than that the only thing I can say about the Olympics is thank goodness it is half over.

[DivotMaker]

Well they've had 12 years to catch him.

He'd have to be some great criminal mastermind to evade all the testing.

So 12 years ago he was just 17 when he won his first gold? That would be incredible if a teen was able to pull off cheating. Or the Jamaican track federation or whatever organization they have, getting away with cheating while bigger countries get busted.

It is not hard to evade being caught as the athletes have been notoriously months if not years ahead of the doping police. Back in the 80's drug testing was a joke. It is much better now, but still behind the athletes and their suppliers. Don't assume Bolt is clean. He might be and he might not be. The jump in performance he made from 2004 to 2008 is pretty hard to ignore. Many athletes who are or were dirty simply have not gotten caught. I know because I competed against a fair number of them.....when you consider the fact that Adam Nelson was awarded a medal for the 2012 shotput in London well after the Games were over tells me the doping folks have a long way to go to ensuring the Olympics are "clean". In fact there have been a number of "B" sample retests that have stripped dirty medal winners and been given to clean medal winners. However, that is not a good solution as those who get the medals and proper recognition, do so well after the fact and they lose on the Olympic medal stand experience, etc.

Having said all that, Track and Field is "cleaner" than it was in the 8-'s, 90's, etc, but it is far from ideal. All you have to do is look at the Shot put world record which is 26 years old and the discus record 30 years old to see that anti-doping has had a huge impact on Field events, but I am not convinced that all T&F athletes are clean. Bolt is innocent until proven guilty, but I remain very skeptical and would not be surprised if we found out after he retires from competition that he was "less than clean"....

[pk500]

Van Niekerk's winning run in the 400 meters was the most incredible performance by any athlete in these Games. A world record of 43.03 -- from lane 8!!! -- to break the world record Michael Johnson set in 1999.

Unreal.

[wco81]

I guess Bolt was 21 when he won his first gold in 2004.

So it's possible.

Problem appears to be nobody else is pushing him enough that he might risk cheating closer to the Games, if he's cheating.

I wonder if track is still lucrative enough for athletes to hang on between the Games. A couple of decades ago, track events were popular in Europe so track athletes could make a good living competing in those events but I'm not sure if that's still the case.

I'm sure Bolt has huge endorsement deals so he can just keep going.

Gatlin is 34 so he has to be done you would think but who knows, maybe being the best US sprinter and maybe second best in the world could produce good enough income.

It certainly isn't like it used to be when sprinters had to go into football in order to make money.

[pk500]

Bolt won his first gold in 2008 in Beijing, not in Athens.

Top track athletes make enough money to sustain themselves, especially in glamour events.

Gatlin is a drug cheat. I hope his career ends after Rio.

[DChaps]

.........Having said all that, Track and Field is "cleaner" than it was in the 8-'s, 90's, etc, but it is far from ideal. All you have to do is look at the Shot put world record which is 26 years old and the discus record 30 years old to see that anti-doping has had a huge impact on Field events, but I am not convinced that all T&F athletes are clean. Bolt is innocent until proven guilty, but I remain very skeptical and would not be surprised if we found out after he retires from competition that he was "less than clean"....

No doubt it is cleaner and Tim I know you experienced it first hand, certainly more than I did. I basically stopped following my sport back in the 90's after the Chinese women blitzed all those records and vanished. Yet their 10k one just got beat on Friday, in the Olympic final. I have finally just decided, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Otherwise I end up second guessing everything. However, sometimes it's just plain obvious. Jarmila Kratochvílová's women's 800m is now the longest standing WR in track and field. 1:53.28 Damn....



In fact, 17 of the top 25 Women's 800 meter performances of all time were set in the 70's or 80's by Communist athlete's. Hmmm......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/800_metres#Women

[TheTruth]

.........Having said all that, Track and Field is "cleaner" than it was in the 8-'s, 90's, etc, but it is far from ideal. All you have to do is look at the Shot put world record which is 26 years old and the discus record 30 years old to see that anti-doping has had a huge impact on Field events, but I am not convinced that all T&F athletes are clean. Bolt is innocent until proven guilty, but I remain very skeptical and would not be surprised if we found out after he retires from competition that he was "less than clean"....

No doubt it is cleaner and Tim I know you experienced it first hand, certainly more than I did. I basically stopped following my sport back in the 90's after the Chinese women blitzed all those records and vanished. Yet their 10k one just got beat on Friday, in the Olympic final. I have finally just decided, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Otherwise I end up second guessing everything. However, sometimes it's just plain obvious. Jarmila Kratochvílová's women's 800m is now the longest standing WR in track and field. 1:53.28 Damn....



In fact, 17 of the top 25 Women's 800 meter performances of all time were set in the 70's or 80's by Communist athlete's. Hmmm......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/800_metres#Women

Where's his penis?

[Diablo25]

Pulling for Allyson Felix in the women's 400 M final tonight. I'm a fan. Seems very humble and appreciative of her talents.

On a side note, A guy I work with is officiating wrestling in Rio. His name is Sam Julien...look for him

[wco81]

Sally's Jenkins looks at the mean girl treatment of the Russian swimmer who twice tested positive for doping.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/o ... story.html

[TheTruth]

I just saw some Russian heavyweight get dominated in all three rounds but gets the gold? I mean it was so obvious how can a sport be so corrupt even at the Olympic level? The announcer was said this fight was decided before it started. Crazy!

[DivotMaker]

I guess Bolt was 21 when he won his first gold in 2004.

So it's possible.

Problem appears to be nobody else is pushing him enough that he might risk cheating closer to the Games, if he's cheating.

I wonder if track is still lucrative enough for athletes to hang on between the Games. A couple of decades ago, track events were popular in Europe so track athletes could make a good living competing in those events but I'm not sure if that's still the case.

I'm sure Bolt has huge endorsement deals so he can just keep going.

Gatlin is 34 so he has to be done you would think but who knows, maybe being the best US sprinter and maybe second best in the world could produce good enough income.

It certainly isn't like it used to be when sprinters had to go into football in order to make money.

Bolt is a multi millionaire. So s Gatlin. If you are an elite T&F athlete, you do not have money issues whatsoever.

Agree with PK on Van Niekirk's performance. While not a WR, Michelle Carter winning the Women's shot put Gold by beating two time and defending Gold medalist Valerie Adams on her final throw improving from 3rd to first and 4 feet to also set a new American record is pretty noteworthy. I competed against her Dad, Michael Carter in 1980 and he won the shot put silver in 1984 as well as 3 Super Bowls with the Niners as a nose tackle.

[DivotMaker]

.........Having said all that, Track and Field is "cleaner" than it was in the 8-'s, 90's, etc, but it is far from ideal. All you have to do is look at the Shot put world record which is 26 years old and the discus record 30 years old to see that anti-doping has had a huge impact on Field events, but I am not convinced that all T&F athletes are clean. Bolt is innocent until proven guilty, but I remain very skeptical and would not be surprised if we found out after he retires from competition that he was "less than clean"....

No doubt it is cleaner and Tim I know you experienced it first hand, certainly more than I did. I basically stopped following my sport back in the 90's after the Chinese women blitzed all those records and vanished. Yet their 10k one just got beat on Friday, in the Olympic final. I have finally just decided, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Otherwise I end up second guessing everything. However, sometimes it's just plain obvious. Jarmila Kratochvílová's women's 800m is now the longest standing WR in track and field. 1:53.28 Damn....



In fact, 17 of the top 25 Women's 800 meter performances of all time were set in the 70's or 80's by Communist athlete's. Hmmm......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/800_metres#Women

Agreed.....the Communist Bloc countries were the best steroid cheats ever. The current Russians are damn close, but many of them got and or are getting caught. Russia should NOT be competing at all as their doping issues are rampant and systemic.

[wco81]

HBO Real Sports has a pretty hard-hitting segment on the IOC.

First they say the Sochi games emboldened Putin to invade Ukraine. Shortly after the Sochi games, Putin's harshest critic was assassinated in Red Square.

Then the Rio Games, with scientists advising against water events in the cesspool of untreated sewage and even advocating canceling or moving the Games because of the Zika virus threat. The IOC ignored these recommendations so now they invite thousands of spectators to go to Rio which is in the midst of an insect-borne epidemic.

They cite $4 billion in profits as the likely reason the IOC ignored the threats to the health of the athletes and the spectators.

They didn't even go into all the reports of athletes and other visitors being mugged at knife and gunpoint.

[DivotMaker]

HBO Real Sports has a pretty hard-hitting segment on the IOC.

First they say the Sochi games emboldened Putin to invade Ukraine. Shortly after the Sochi games, Putin's harshest critic was assassinated in Red Square.

Then the Rio Games, with scientists advising against water events in the cesspool of untreated sewage and even advocating canceling or moving the Games because of the Zika virus threat. The IOC ignored these recommendations so now they invite thousands of spectators to go to Rio which is in the midst of an insect-borne epidemic.

They cite $4 billion in profits as the likely reason the IOC ignored the threats to the health of the athletes and the spectators.

They didn't even go into all the reports of athletes and other visitors being mugged at knife and gunpoint.

Not hard enough, obviously. The IOC is so corrupt. On a FIFA scale? Maybe less.....maybe more......

[pk500]

Not hard enough, obviously. The IOC is so corrupt. On a FIFA scale? Maybe less.....maybe more......

All boxing sanctioning bodies are even more corrupt than the IOC or FIFA, just on a smaller monetary scale.

The NFL isn't far behind the IOC or FIFA on the corruption scale. Goodell is just as incompetent as Blatter. Plus the NFL's continued denial to link CTE from concussions suffered in football is appalling.

[DivotMaker]

Not hard enough, obviously. The IOC is so corrupt. On a FIFA scale? Maybe less.....maybe more......

All boxing sanctioning bodies are even more corrupt than the IOC or FIFA, just on a smaller monetary scale.

The NFL isn't far behind the IOC or FIFA on the corruption scale. Goodell is just as incompetent as Blatter. Plus the NFL's continued denial to link CTE from concussions suffered in football is appalling.

Yup.

[10spro]

Add this pile to the IOC long history of controversy bribery and scandals.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37107450

[pk500]

Man, Lochte is an attention whore. Dude allegedly fabricated the story about the robbery. Was he really that sick of spotlight constantly shining on Phelps?

[jLp vAkEr0]

Just devastated about our boy Javier Culson disqualification at the 400m hurdles final.

That 1 time false start rule is ridiculous.

But rules are rules, still, just heartbroken for him.

[dbdynsty25]

Just devastated about our boy Javier Culson disqualification at the 400m hurdles final.

That 1 time false start rule is ridiculous.

But rules are rules, still, just heartbroken for him.

Probably shouldn't get a Sonic the Hedgehog w/ the Olympic rings tattoo on your arm if you're just gonna get DQ'd.

[wco81]

Not hard enough, obviously. The IOC is so corrupt. On a FIFA scale? Maybe less.....maybe more......

All boxing sanctioning bodies are even more corrupt than the IOC or FIFA, just on a smaller monetary scale.

The NFL isn't far behind the IOC or FIFA on the corruption scale. Goodell is just as incompetent as Blatter. Plus the NFL's continued denial to link CTE from concussions suffered in football is appalling.

Definitely corrupt, since he's protecting the gravy train. But incompetent? NFL revenues and ratings are higher than ever. The players and fans may not like him but the owners who write his paychecks do.