Last Thoughts Before World's

No, this is NOT my last POST before the World Championships begin on August 4th--this Friday!
Below, I will tell you of the plans for this blog before, during, and after the WC's!
This is just a collection of thoughts on a varied range of subject matter, all under the umbrella of Track & Field.
Call it a "cleaning out the closets" before your visitors arrive!

First, I have a few Records & Marks to report!

When Beatrice Chepkoech ran 8:28.66 in the 3000 in Monaco, I didn't make much of it, since her time didn't make my A-T World list!!
But then I thought--Wait!  Is this the Beatrice Chepkoech who ran the 3000SC in 9:00.70??
Yep, one and the same!
Thus, her times add to 17:29.36, which just happens to make her FIRST on my World Combined Events list for the 3000 & 3000SC!!
A MAJOR oversight, now corrected!

Speaking of corrections, I made a BIG mistake in my reporting of that fall by English Gardner in the 4X100 Relay in Monaco!
I'd said that the team from France couldn't finish after Gardner rolled into their lane, forcing their runner to "hurdle" her!
Well, that "hurdler" DID finish, and the French team's time was 43.76!
Of course, it probably would have been faster if not for Gardner's "presence"!

Now on to my "normal" set of new marks!
Piotr Lisek PV'ed 19-2.25, another PR for him!
Tom Walsh beat Ryan Whiting in a meet in Georgia (US state!), 72-3.75 to 71-0.50, the latter Whiting's best mark in a couple of years!
Raven Saunders showed London readiness with 63-0 at the same meet!
Michael Feldman threw the Hammer 242-8, moving him from 14th A-T HS to 9th!
Mel Lawrence PR'ed in the 3000SC--even WINNING the small European meet's race!!
Her time of 9:34.94 moves her from 20th A-T US to 18th!
Alexa Efraimson has NOT had any PR's this summer, but she's had a good series of fast times--and high places!
Her latest was a WIN in the 800 (in Sweden), time of 2:01.39.
 Lanae Tava Thomas LJ'ed 21-11 for the Junior Class record!!
It moves her from 16th A-T HS, tied with 2 others, to 5th!!
But her becoming the Junior Class record holder REMOVES one Carol Lewis from that listing, Lewis's 21-7.75 dating from 1980!!
Michal Haratyk tossed the Shot 71-9.50 for a PR.
And Anita Wlodarczyk returned to the site of her 272-3 World Record from 2016--the Skolimowska Memorial!
Her 271-10 missed her own WR by 5 inches.
Her 5 fair throws were all 80 meters or longer!

Caster Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba, Margaret Wambui
Those 3 names have become notorious these past few years, with Semenya's being the "firestarter".
It's all about how their levels of testosterone (a MALE hormone!) alters their strength levels, moving them more towards the strength levels of MEN, thus making their participation in WOMEN's races "questionable"!
IMO, Semenya's is the worst case, but Wambui comes close!
Niyonsaba doesn't SEEM as "male" as the others, but has been included in Message Board discussions of Semenya--thus I include her in my trio of "nameless" athletes.
Semenya plans to run both the 800 and 1500 in London, while the other 2 will be in just the 800.

I can come to no other conclusion but that the IAAF (or whomever!) is WRONG in allowing them to compete in WOMEN's races!!
Setting arbitrary levels of allowable testosterone is NOT the answer!!
The answer is in having a TOTALLY LEVEL playing field--with the ONLY differences coming from levels of training, their health, or in latent ability!!
Until that time, this blog will NOT include Semenya, Wambui, or Niyonsaba in its considerations!
What that makes ME is of no consequence!!
I stand my ground!

Russians will be competing in London, but under a "neutral flag"!
This too is unacceptable to me!!
Oh, NOT the fact that Russians will be there, but that they will be there as "neutrals"!!
In the latest attack on these CLEAN athlete's integrity and reputations, the IAAF has ruled that the Russian National Anthem can NOT be played or sung in or around London WC venues---which INCLUDE the hotels where the RUSSIANS will be staying!!
They can't even have their RING-TONES on their phones keyed to play their National Song!!

Is this absurdity, or just sheer INSANITY??
I say it's BOTH!!
I hope massive protests (by Brits and by other WC athletes) will occur!
I hope people will stand outside the hotel and play the song--LOUD & PROUD!!
These people ARE Russians!
They should be respected and recognized as RUSSIANS!
This blog will.

It's apparently been decided!
Paris gets the 2024 Olympics, and Los Angeles gets the Games in 2028!
Okay, whatever.
But my thoughts aren't with which city gets which Games, but whether the idea of having T&F as part of ANY Olympics is even a viable or smart decision any more.

I grew up following T&F before the World Championships were given birth in 1983.
The OG's I followed were in 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, and 1980--prior to the WC's formation!
Those Tokyo Games were magnificent!
Then came the FARCE of Mexico City, where Bob Beamon leapt from being a 27 foot LJ'er to the WR holder at 29-2.50!
It's also where the raised arms of Tommie Smith and John Carlos became THE symbol of Black Power in America!
1972's Munich Games brought us the massacre of 11 Israeli's by Arab terrorists!
In 1976, several African nations boycotted the Montreal Olympics!
Then we had "Jimmy Carter's Boycott" in 1980.
(Which brought on the Eastern Bloc's boycott of the 1984 Games in LA---but that came AFTER the WC's had begun!!)

See the "trail of tears" that I see---and saw??
But it's not just "politics" or "hatred" that should END Track and Field's participation in the Olympics.
It's the entire IDEA of the OG's!
Baron Von Coubertin brought the Ancient Olympics back---in 1896--as a paean to amateurism in sports!
He wanted athletes's LOVE of the sport to be the key ingredient in the OG's to follow, for them to vie for Gold or Silver MEDALS---not for the monetary value of gold or silver itself!!

Baron, yours was a LOST cause from the get-go!!
You can love the sport as much as you want, but "love" doesn't provide for a home, for food, for clothes, and for college educations for your children!!
In today's world, athletics is left for Professionals, NOT amateurs!

And thus, the idea that the Baron had in the 1890's is virtually impossible to attain--and maintain!!
This, I believe, is what brought the idea of a World Championships of Track and Field to fruition--and success!!
It began as sort of an "interim OG"--meaning it would happen every 4th year, but in odd-numbered years.
Then, after the first pair (1983 & 1987), it became an every-2-years event (1991, 1993, 1995, etc).
I say, let's make it an ANNUAL meet!!

To replace the Olympics?
Not necessarily!
In the "Olympic year", why not have BOTH??
Let athletes CHOOSE which to emphasize!
Or schedule them in such a way that athletes won't HAVE to choose!!
(Europeans and Commonwealth athletes participate in their Regionals AND in the Olympics/WC's!)
There are enough great athletes to "share the wealth".

Usain Bolt!
He is scheduled to compete in the 100 and the 4X100 Relay in London!
The 100 Final is on the meet's 2nd day--August 5th!
The 4X100 Relay Final is one week later--August 12th!
Yet the subject of Bolt's upcoming retirement has been dominating MB discussions for MONTHS!!
Oh God, what will T&F do withOUT him??
Can the sport SURVIVE??

Oh, fiddle faddle!!
This sport has had Super Icons before!
All came, conquered, then left!
So has (and will) Bolt!
Sure, he has a personality larger than life!
In the internet age, it's fairly easy to become a "personality"!
Or a "celebrity"!

Without giving too much away, let's say that my WC Men's 100 Preview might NOT see Bolt as the CLEAR favorite!!
He's FAR removed from his halcyon days of his 9.58 & 19.19 WR's!
Yet his name has, and will continue to be THE name of these OG's!
It was the same in 1992, when "Dan & Dave" was the most ubiquitous ad of the Barcelona Games!
Even AFTER O'Brien NH'ed in the OT Decathlon PV!!
Same went for Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson.
Remember all the noise in 2012 for Jessica Ennis-Hill??

My suggestion?
MUTE all the Bolt-orama nonsense!!
Watch his "final" races, but watch all the OTHER sensational athletes (most of whom will probably perform better than Usain in London!!) as well!

Speaking of OG icons, what about Mo Farah?
The old "medals vs records" argument always arises!
(See my post where I compare Mo to Lasse Viren!!)
Farah has won "doubles" in recent WC's and OG's!
He MIGHT do so again!

But except in rare cases, Farah has run just fast enough to win!!
To me, and the idea behind this blog, that's not enough!
Even at Age 34, I could see Farah running MUCH faster than his current PR's--except maybe in the 1500!
I wish he'd make attempts at same in the 5000 and 10000!
Even times falling short of the WR's might be enough to strengthen Farah's ultimate legacy!!
12:45 and 26:30, Sir Mo!
You CAN do it!!

This post is already too long, so I'll shorten my other subjects to brief "paras"!

There are THREE Diamond League meets coming AFTER the London meet!!
Birmingham, Zurich, and Brussels!
Let's hope for FULL participation by the "stars" of the WC's--and some A-T Great marks!!

At the onset of each season (INdoors & OUTdoors), I present the 24th best mark on my A-T lists--giving athletes notice of what's needed to make each list!
I did the same back in March for this OUTdoor season!
Thus far, we've seen the following changes--
Collegiates--Their season ended with the NCAA meet!  Twelve Men's events, and 16 Women's, have NEW 24th place marks!
HS--They have until August 31st to better their marks, but as of now, we have 13 Men's and 16 Women's events that have new Best 24th place marks!
The US lists have been altered in 11 Men's and 14 Women's events!
The World lists have seen just a half-dozen event changes for each gender!!
Expect MANY more (for the World, and some for the US) changes to come in London and beyond!

A mark of 52.54 over 400 meters was recently reported on the T&FN website--and MB!!
The girl is 13 years old, and the mark is apparently a record for that age!
But she's not the only one!
This year, it seems, there are more "U17" marks that have made "grown men cry" than in past years!
Tyrese Cooper, Grace Ping, and so many others!
As the "experts" keep saying, most of these phenoms won't even be competing a few years later, let alone become future Allyson Felix's or Usain Bolt's!
We (and I) have seen that happen over and over and over again!!
But it's also okay to wonder why THIS year--there are so many!!
And this isn't just a US thing---it's worldwide!!

Speaking of "teen phenoms", still no word from Mary Cain!
Nothing!
Tomorrow is August 1st, so I'm saying her 2017 OUTdoor Track season is OVER---before it began!!
IF---IF she appears in 2017, it will be in a Road Race or in XC--or in an early INdoor rust-buster!!
And this still-young lady of 21 has LOTS of rust to bust!!

WHY this silence?
If you believe those "wits" from Let's Run, Cain is---
not wanting to be questioned about the Salazar drug issue!
ON drugs!!
no longer in the sport--has retired!
pregnant!!!
too fat!!
just being 'normal" for awhile!!

You choose!
LOL

In (sort of) the same vein, August 31st will mark the END of the long row of High Schoolers as Pro's we've witnessed---beginning with Cain turning Pro in late 2013!
(Yes, I know Alana Hadley did so earlier, but she too seems to be making 2017 a NON-competitive year!!)
We've had Hadley, Cain, Alexa Efraimson, Kaylin Whitney, Khalifa St Fort, Candace Hill, Vashti Cunningham, and Drew Hunter all serve as HS PRO's!!
As of September, the list will be EMPTY!!

Will anyone be the "first" of a new group?
WHO will that be??

The London WC's has scheduled a 50000 Meters Walk for Women!
As of now, there are SEVEN Women listed as entrants--one of whom had to SUE to get included!!
Many (ALL!!) are seeing this as a "farce/disaster" in the making!!
I don't!
I see it as a VERY EXCITING and HISTORIC moment in our sport!!
This blog will give FULL & EQUAL coverage to this event--as to any & all others!!
It (and these Women!) deserves no less!!

Finally---yes, finally!!--my plans for WC's coverage!
A full Schedule will be posted either tomorrow or August 2nd!!
Then will follow my usual Men's & Women's Previews--focusing on which Meet Records might be broken!!
Then comes the Meet itself!
Not sure yet, but I'll probably have THREE Results posts--spaced about 3 days apart!
These will report on Qualifying rounds, Heats, Semi's, and Finals!!
In all the usual detail you've come to expect from this blog!!
I'll finish with my Wrap-Up---and/or a Best & Worst report--a day or so after the meet ends!!

See you soon!!