Tonight's athletics

Last night: Men's 10,000m race, with no concurrent field events to distract attention, and certainly worth watching every second of the race.

Tonight: Women's 10,000m race, with two field event finals on at the same time, so the TV coverage was only partial; yet the race, though very different from the men's, was no less remarkable. Indeed, I personally find Almaz Ayana's style even more admirable than Mo Farah's; she wins 10,000m races the same way that Billy Bland used to win AL fell races (a suitable analogy for Borrowdale Race day :rolleyes:).

Just a shame that a drugs cheat won the 100m.

And a lot of the other events . . .

I can understand the crowd having a go at Gatlin, but you'd think that he was solely responsible for ruining the "Usain Bolt Show".... when in fact he came 3rd and had Gatlin not been there, he still wouldn't have won...

I can understand the crowd getting behind Bolt, but they really did seem to be a bunch of glory-hunters... where was the support for the British guy... and the BBC coverage was just as biased, following Bolt's lap of honour...

Perhaps I'm wrong here, but thought BBC who are usually try so hard (infuriatingly so) to be politically correct and unbiased, were pretty poor with their coverage...

True about BBC same in marathons and all cross country and 10k races.
The 2 geordies are the worst behind a microphone.

My beef with the drug cheat was that he was caught twice. Also it improves the bodies size which may not have been possible without cheating. Chambers is another. Size improved dramatically.

Proves conclusively that the fastest animal in the world is a cheater, sorry, cheetah.

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Originally Posted by Travs

I can understand the crowd having a go at Gatlin, but you'd think that he was solely responsible for ruining the "Usain Bolt Show".... when in fact he came 3rd and had Gatlin not been there, he still wouldn't have won.....

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Well as they say in the USA: the British just don't understand irony.

It is a bit odd that the crowd couldn't get behind a two-time drug cheat who got the better of one of the greatest athletes ever, who has never really been caught up in drugs allegations, and who was running at his last ever major tournament, especially as the t-t d c is 35 years old. It's almost like the romance has gone from sport completely

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Originally Posted by Graham Breeze

Well as they say in the USA: the British just don't understand irony.

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Is that a lance quote Graham?

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Originally Posted by Graham Breeze

Well as they say in the USA: the British just don't understand irony.

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Indeed. How many of the crowd were booing Mo Farah, one of the most suspicious athletes on the circuit with a coach that is renowned for experimenting with PED. Who's missed numerous tests and doesn't behave like an athlete interested in giving a clean impression.

I watch on Eurosport so I can avoid the BBC's dull 'one show with some running thrown in' montage fest coverage, and I take everything I see with a pinch of salt and healthy scepticism - whatever the nationality.

As a race, the men's 10,000m was a great watch.

I thought the 100m was the most normal looking of recent times. No Ben Johnson like miracles, just a good race won in a fast but not super fast time. Well done to Justin Gatlin.

There was speculation, particularly from one journalist that the significantly slower times were due to more stringent testing beforehand. The implication being Bolt and co were taking drugs at previous championships.

As for Bolt being an athlete who would never cheat. Last weeks documentary on him shows him pulling out of the Jamaican trials for the 100m. In their trials its the first two who go through to the champs, UNLESS an athlete pulls out injured. Then they are given a medical exemption and can asked to be considered on previous performances. Bolt looked to me like he knew he was under pressure to qualify, to make the first two, so resorted to faking injury, knowing he would get a through on his great past achievements.

Of course we can't be sure he wasn't injured which is all the doubt he needs in those who adore him.

Shocking interview by Logan, Rattciffe, Lewis and Johnson with the IAAF chief medical officer.She explained over and over again how the Botswana 400 metre runner was unfit to race. It seems that you don't need to spend 7 years at medical school to suddenly become an authority in medicine. Trump and the Pope are also guilty of having advanced clinical knowledge.

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Originally Posted by William Clough

Shocking interview by Logan, Rattciffe, Lewis and Johnson with the IAAF chief medical officer.She explained over and over again how the Botswana 400 metre runner was unfit to race. It seems that you don't need to spend 7 years at medical school to suddenly become an authority in medicine. Trump and the Pope are also guilty of having advanced clinical knowledge.

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Agreed - their ignorance on the issue was understandable, but not their confidence that they knew best - a wonderful example of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing, and not knowing what you don't know. The concept of feeling well yet still being infectious was beyond them.

Nevertheless, one does still have some sympathy with Isaac Makwala. Maybe they could let him do a 400-metre time trial, and if he beats the winning time from the final that he missed, then he gets the gold medal? :)

Arrived home this evening after assisting the RO at the Turner Landscape race. My dear lady had the athletics on the TV, awaiting Mo's swansong, but at that moment 3 or 4 pundits were discussing matters. I felt rather sad, as I'm old enough to remember when that chubby Geordie lad was a real force to be reckoned with at international cross country events. It now looks as if he attends more corporate dinners than Gateshead park runs. Certainly not the inspiration that he once was.

The supremacy of Eastern European women in the High Jump is presumably a legacy of the Communist era, when they were secretly training to jump high fences to escape to the West. :p

Having an Authorised Neutral [i.e. Russian] Athlete winning gave us an opportunity to hear the IAAF anthem. It's a rubbish tune (and presumably has some rubbish words to go with it). Can anyone suggest a better tune that would be appropriate for this circumstance.

https://youtu.be/hDwhqseB5akHow about this apt one?

Well done to the Aussie lass on her win in the hurdles, i was really rooting for her.

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Originally Posted by William Clough

Shocking interview by Logan, Rattciffe, Lewis and Johnson with the IAAF chief medical officer.She explained over and over again how the Botswana 400 metre runner was unfit to race. It seems that you don't need to spend 7 years at medical school to suddenly become an authority in medicine. Trump and the Pope are also guilty of having advanced clinical knowledge.

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Originally Posted by Mike T

Agreed - their ignorance on the issue was understandable, but not their confidence that they knew best - a wonderful example of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing, and not knowing what you don't know. The concept of feeling well yet still being infectious was beyond them.

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Agreed, I was ashamed for them. I've sent an email to the BBC saying so...appalling.

How come Justin Gatlin is a "two times drug cheat" but Linford Christie is a "legend of athletics" both statements from BBC pundits.

Wow! What happened to the British tradition of dropping the baton?

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Originally Posted by Heaning Hobbler

How come Justin Gatlin is a "two times drug cheat" but Linford Christie is a "legend of athletics" both statements from BBC pundits.

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Because by large, the BBC pundits are crap. On Saturday I think it was regarding the 4x100m, when asked who they thought would win Denise Lewis said the USA and added "unfortunately" with Johnson sat next to her.

I'm all for rooting for our own, but that is taking it to another level.

They need a clear out.

Eurosport is a much nicer viewing experience for the athletics fan.
I generally like BBC sport coverage, but find their athletics like the one show with some running thrown in every now and then (minimal field events), and very one-eyed and partisan which, as someone who watches the sport through the season, doesn't float my boat.