The Games of Rio

Rio is Rio de Janeiro, the 2nd largest city of Brazil.
It's not the Capital city.
That's Brasilia.
But movies have been made about this city.
Romance, sunny beaches, Carnivals, beautiful women, a long name most people know for 3 letters.
And it's where the Games of the 31st Olympiad of the Modern Olympic Games will be held, beginning August 5th, ending August 21st.
The 10 days we're most focused on are August 12th to the 21st.
The rest are mere foreplay.

Yet, as all good lovers know, foreplay is more important, and more definitive of, the sexual fireworks that follow.
Consider this post the foreplay to those 10 days of athletic competition, during when we hope there will indeed be fireworks of an historic nature., in the name of Records and Marks which exist only in people's most undefinable thoughts and dreams.
This is the passion that drives Olympian glory.
These are the inhuman strengths that propel humans to the Tops of Podiums.
This is that eternal flame lit every 4th year for the World's Greatest Athletes!

I want to direct this blog toward those incredible Records and Marks we've come to expect from every Olympic Games in the sport of Track and Field.
World, American, National, Meet, Age, Place.
(And for the few High School students competing, perhaps even more HSR's!)

But there are shadows hovering over these Games.
Dark shadows.
Regrettably, this "introductory" post will be mostly about THEM, not the sunshine, laughter, and cheers we hope to see and hear in just a few days.
As Kurt Vonnegut famously wrote (in "Slaughterhouse Five") about death and war--"So it goes.".

The Russian Ban
NO!
I am against the banning of the entire nation!
Ban the guilty, not the innocent!
It's perhaps fitting that THE most corrupt organization in the history of our sport--the IAAF--are the ones who said clean Russians can NOT compete in Rio!
Yes, let these DIRTY office-holders tell CLEAN athletes that they must stay home.
I am beyond angry or disappointed about this.
That would give respect and value to the IAAF's decision, and the process behind it.
Rather, I see nothing less than vindictiveness, cowardice, fear, and hatred in what this despicable "organization" has done!
In essence, it is nothing less than MURDER!!
And even worse, it's like a "serial killing", in that the ammo isn't aimed at the guilty, but at a RANDOM class of persons.
It's scattershot and purposeless and useless.
Will it END the use of banned substances by Athletes, whether they be Russian or British or German or American---or Brazilian?
NO!
Will it allow ALL the very BEST athletes to compete---ones we KNOW are clean, and have been PROVEN to be?
NO!
All the IAAF "decision" does is leave a shadow over the performances of athletes allowed to compete!

Yelena Isinbayeva and Darya Klishina
These are two hugely accomplished--and exotically beautiful--Russian female athletes.
Klishina has been cleared to compete in Rio--Isinbayeva has been denied!
One has been deemed "clean"--the other guilty "by association".
My opinion is that Klishina should LEAD a protest to allow Isi's participation by stating she will NOT perform!
Would the IAAF want THIS kind of embarrassment shoved in their face---and into the Media's eyes!--just days or hours before the Games open?
Sad to say, I think the IAAF doesn't give a fuck!!

Caster Semenya
I thought to title this post--"Caster-OUT!"--but didn't for 2 reasons--
I wanted to focus on more than just Semenya, and I thought the pun too "funny" for such a serious issue.
Political Correctness--or PC--has become one of the go-to terms of our century
Yet being "PC" doesn't allow us to stop Muslim terrorists from carrying bombs into airports, restaurants, nightclubs, or even sports stadia!
It doesn't allow us to build fences to keep freeloading drug addicts and wife beaters from crossing our borders.
And it doesn't let me say that Caster Semenya is NOT a "woman"--in the sense that we all KNOW and BELIEVE a WOMAN to be!!
Whatever the chemicals in Semenya's body do--or have done--to make "her" of questionable gender--does NOT make Semenya a bad person.
What it DOES do--is make Semenya ineligible to compete in any event instituted FOR WOMEN!!
The numbers set forth by whatever agencies that determine a person's "gender" aren't set in stone.
As I understand it, these numbers are "chosen" by people more or less arbitrarily--not by any ironclad, beyond any doubt set of scientifically PROVEN data!
The "bar" has been set too low.
And the stakes in Rio are too high!
Semenya--and the two known "women" who are most identified WITH "her"--Francine Niyonsaba and Margaret Wambui--must NOT be allowed to compete here!!

In that vein, my T&F Record Book, and this Blog, will NOT accept, honor, or recognize ANY Records or Marks set by the above named three!
For example, if , say, Melissa Bishop finishes 4th in the 800 behind these three, this blog will say that Bishop WON the race!!
If you want those other's times and places, ask the IAAF!
Heh.

Rule 40
I have no idea what this is about!
Sorry--I have SOME idea!
The "Rule" is that NON-Olympic sponsoring companies cannot use any of the various "Olympic" brand names, photos, or logos during a certain period leading up to, and during, the Rio Games--for fear or threat of some sort of punishment.
This of course is aimed at the "small" companies that probably---nay, CERTAINLY!--do more for the good of our sport than those fat-cat sponsors do!
In the former category fall the wonderful names of Oiselle, Brooks, Hoka One One, Skechers and others too numerous to remember!
If you're on Twitter, then you've seen some of the great (and humorous) "run arounds" this Rule that Oiselle and the others have produced!
More power to THEM!!
After all, "rules are made to be broken"!!

I don't want this to be all negative.
This is mostly a blog for "results", as it has been for the 32 months of its existence.
So, to "clean up" , allow me to offer you what will PROBABLY be the final group of results prior to the Games!
(Always hoping for last minute surprises!!)

I have a few National and Age Records to report.

Stephen Mozia EXPLODED out to 71-4.75 in the SP---about three feet past his previous PR!!--to rewrite his own National Record of Nigeria!
He remains about 9 inches short of my World DDD.

Andrei Gag's SP of 69-1.25 breaks his own National Record of Romania.
Phillip Milanov threw the Discus 224-6 to break his own National Record of Belgium.
Remgith Mahaswary TJ'ed 56-9.25 to set the National Record for India.
Lea Sprunger ran 200 meters in 22.38 for the National Record of Switzerland!

Habiba Ghribi's 9:21.35 in the 3000SC gets her the Age 32 record!
Chris Brown is at it again!!
His 45.59 at the Bahamas Championships breaks his own Age 37 record!
That race was won by Steven Gardiner's 44.46!!

In the Trinidad & Tobago Championships, Richard Thompson ran the 100 in 9.97.
Michael Cedeno's 44.45 beat Lalonde Gordon's 44.69 in the 400.
And Khalifa St Fort ran the 100 in 11.16.

Tyrese Cooper nipped his own Frosh Class record in the 200, down to 20.66!!

Then there was the Inaugural TrackTown Summer Series meet, held in Eugene.
It was a "team" championship meet, with athletes drafted for one of 4 teams, named after American Cities---Portland, San Francisco, New York, and Philadelphia.
The athletes had--in most cases--no or little ACTUAL affiliation with "their" team's city!
So it was mostly a fun meet, experimental, after a fashion, and by what its participants said afterwards, "successful".
Here's the best marks---with all winning marks being Meet Records--as the TT Summer Series plans to continue next year!
(BTW, San Francisco won the meet!!)

Jessica Tebo beat Jordan Hasay in the Road 4 Mile--which ended on the track at Hayward Field--19:49.70 to 20:07.60.
That's a pace that would give her a sub-31:00 10000, if continued!!
Sam Chelanga won the Men's race in 18:23.60, beating Chris Derrick's 18:27.70.

Melissa Bishop won again!
On a roll, the Canadian beat a good field in the 800, time of 1:59.74.
She edged Brenda Martinez's 1:59.82, and Shannon Rowbury's first-ever sub-2:00, a 1:59.97!!

Erik Sowinski took the Men's 800 over Duane Solomon, 1:45.38 to 1:45.66.
Matthew Centrowitz took 4th in 1:47.17.
Let's Run reported that Centro did one of Alberto Salazar's infamous post-race workouts--TWO more 800s---in 1:49 and 1:47!!

Donn Cabral won the 3000SC in 8:20.38, beating the 6 second PR by Mason Ferlic, time of 8:21.57.
Stephanie Garcia won a slow SC over a good field--time of 9:39.81.

Colby Alexander took a loaded 1500 in a classy PR time of 3:34.88!!
David Torrence (representing Peru!!) was 2nd in 3:34.95, followed by Ben Blankenship's 3:35.02.
Kate Grace took a competitive (read strategic) 1500 in 4:09.92, with Katie Mackey next just 0.05 seconds back, and Morgan Uceny taking 6th in 4:11.14.

Kurt Roberts won the Men's SP with his 66-3, while Brittany Smith's 61-7 took the Women's.
But what got everyone's attention was the 2nd place woman!
Jillian Camarena-Williams--former US Record holder--announced she was retiring, and that this was her final meet!
One of the All-Time greats!

A fierce battle took place in the Men's TJ between Will Claye and Omar Craddock!
Claye prevailed, his windy 57-5.75 beating Craddock's windy 57-2.
Claye had a legal mark of 57-1, better than Craddock's best legal mark of 56-1.75.
However, 3rd placer Chris Carter had a better legal mark than Craddock, a 56-4.50.

Kylie Hutson's PV of 15-1 defeated Kristin Hixson's 14-9.
Michelle Lee-Ahye ran a windy 10.98 in the 100.
Quentin Butler used the max legal wind of 2.0 for his 10.06 winner!

Andrew Riley won the main 110H race in 13.35.
But a "match-off" race between Jon Cabral of Canada and Oregon's own Devon Allen was faster, though Allen's 13.16 win was wind-aided!

Jackie Coward PR'ed to beat Queen Harrison and Jasmin Stowers in the 100H, her 12.68 edging out Queen's 12.71!
Coward misses my US list by 0.05 seconds!!

Erik Kynard HJ'ed 7-6, while Brittney Reese took the LJ with her 22-8.50!

A few "cultural" notes before I close!
The cookbook by Shalane Flanagan (and nutritionist Elyse Kopecky)--"Run Fast, Eat Slow" will be available soon on Amazon!

Becky Wade, a 2:30:41 Marathoner--wrote a memoir of a year she spent traveling--and running--around the world--"Run the World"--that sounds VERY interesting!!
Also available on Amazon!

While searching for the above 2 books, I discovered another that I look forward to buying--and reading.
It's called "Meb, Deena, and the Return of the Great American Marathoners".
It's by Tito Morales, and was just published in June!!
And yes, it's also on Amazon!

The movie "Track Town"--starring Alexi Pappas--had a hugely successful set of Premiere's---in LA and Eugene.
I'm looking forward to its finding a distributor--and its way onto a DVD!!

As for MY Book---I've done LOTS of page "re-do's"---meaning it looks a lot nicer than it did!!
I've also begun listing my Best Combined Events marks for Americans only---which I spoke about in an earlier post!
Still lots more work to do there!!

Plans for my Olympic Games coverage--

The complete Meet Schedule.
Preview posts, centered on the Meet Records, as usual!
Results!!--and LOTS of them!!

Wrap-up!
Best & Worst!!

If you want COMPLETE and DETAILED coverage, look HERE!!

See you soon!!