See what I did with the title?
There was a reason.
Try the following stats on for size!
In a blog which focuses on Records & Top 24 A-T Marks, there were few of the former in London!
World Records?
The ONLY World Record came in the newly-WR eligible event, the Women's 50000 Walk!!
As for Meet Records, the Men got just 1--and that was also from their 50K Walk!!
(By a 39 year old, no less!!)
The Women have a pair, that incredible 3000SC, and the aforementioned 50K Walk--which was in its initial race, so ANY time they Walked would've been the MR---unless the IAAF goons had kidnapped ALL the Walkers off the road!
Meets like this (OG, WC) often find the Place Records listings drastically altered in several events!
Not in good old London Town!
The Men broke a measly 4 Place Records!
The Women were barely better, with 6.
In my new "Delights & Disasters" award category---
The Delights were obvious--at least to me!
The Women's 3000SC--hands (& feet!) down!!
The Historic Women's 50K Walk!
Sally Pearson winning--again!!
And Usain Bolt--for entertaining everyone!!
Oh, those Disasters!
The ignoble and outrageous DQ of Colleen Quigley "wins" this "prize" with ease!!
Followed by the YANKING of Nair Da Rosa and Susan Randall off the 50K Walk course AFTER 80% of their races had been Walked!!
I have no quarrel with the DQ of Erin Talcott!
Several Men got red-carded out from their 50K!
It's common!
But this DISASTROUS act by the IAAF was pathetically and psychotically WRONG!!
The SLOW starts to the Women's AND Men's 5000's, as well as the Men's 1500!
Mr Bolt's cramping in the Men's 4X100 Relay halfway into his anchor leg!
NOT the best way to retire!!
(Are there hints he might reconsider??!!)
And of course the participation by 3 so called "women" in the middle distances!
Maybe they ARE women---in the general sense of that word---but NOT in the athletic sense!!
They do NOT belong in WOMEN's events in T&F---PERIOD!!!
There WERE some Beautiful Moments!!
Courtney Frerichs face (& immediate response overall) after taking Silver in the 3000SC with a super PR!!
That embrace---or should I say THOSE embraceS?--by Frerichs and Emma Coburn post-race!!
And I have to include Usain Bolt here---for BEING Bolt--with his entire schtick!!--despite a relatively poor set of performances!!
The SHOW must go on---and I hope it does!!
So sad to say it, but there were some UGLY moments too!!
The BOOING of Justin Gatlin tops this list!!
Not much different from the Rio crowd booing Renaud Lavillenie!!
I'm repeating myself, but the inclusion of MEN in Women's races!
You KNOW what I'm talking about!!
The IAAF's inhumanity in FORCING 2 Women out of the 50K Walk!
The DQ of Ms Quigley!
But ALSO the FAILURE of the USATF to pursue a serious appeal--and then to try again!!
Why else do they even exist??
I couldn't find a better word than LUDICROUS for the following---
Beatrice Chepkoech MISSING the turn-off to the 1st water jump in the 3000SC!!
And why wasn't SHE Disqualified??
She runs OFF course, then does TWO U-turns to get back ON course, and SHE isn't DQ'ed!
But Colleen Quigley steps ON the line--NOT over it!!--and gets the axe??
Yes, LUDICROUS indeed!!
And how about the ENDLESS pronouncements (put forth in various ways) that--
Mo is GOD!
Bolt is GOD, plus one!
Didn't you just love those Conspiracy Theories that popped up here and there?
That Quigley gained an advantage with her steps on the line!
(Mo ran ON the infield & wasn't DQ'ed!!)
That Charlene Lipsey supposedly ran her heat slow enough to help Brenda Martinez's chances of advancing in the 800!!
Finally, that Bolt FAKED his cramp in the Relay to avoid his team's defeat!!
(People said he was seen first limping off the track, then suddenly walking normally as soon as he was out of view of the crowd--and cameras!!)
Who performed the Best for the United States?
Emma Coburn and Courtney Frerichs win this one!!
Katie Burnett breaking the American Record in the 50K Walk!!
ALL 4 Relays finishing their races--and winning two of them!!
Evan Jager for giving it the old college try!
Ajee Wilson for running her 2nd best time, and WINNING the WOMEN's 800!!
Shelby Houlihan for her 6 second PR in the Women's 5000 heats!
Then for running close to her old PR in the final!
Jenny Simpson, for her bravado performance in the 1500!
Finally, for Justin Gatlin beating "GOD" in the 100!
But mostly for his grace and humility under fire from that MOB of idiots in the stands!!
The US had some Shockers, but so did the rest of the World!
Here's my picks for the Best World Shockers!
Salwa Naser's THREE Personal Records in her Heat, Semi, and Final of the 400!!
And beating Allyson Felix for that proverbial "cherry on top"!!
The Trinidad & Tobago 4X400 team beating the always dangerous US squad--and getting a National Record to boot!!
Karsten Warholm--for winning the 400H--but also for his thrilling emergence into the World's elite this year overall!!
Young Yuliya Levchenko "rising" to a Silver medal---AND a tie for the Age 20 record--in the Women's HJ!!
And for Muktar Edris FINALLY busting the "GOAT" balloon of Sir Mo in that 5K!!
Thank you, SIR Edris!!
Do you like Alphabet Soup??
(I used to eat that a LOT as a child!! Thanks, Mom!!)
Anyway, I thought I'd have some fun trying to find an athlete to fit EVERY letter of the English Alphabet!!
Here's my picks--
A (Almaz Ayana! Her FULL name makes for "twice the fun"!!)
B (A few! Katie Burnett, Mutaz Barshim, Usain Bolt, and Tianna Bartoletta! See below for more on Ms Bartoletta!!)
C (Emma Coburn, Amy Cragg, Kori Carter, and Rose Chelimo!)
D (Yohan Deniz!! 3:33:12 at Age 39!! WOW!!)
E (Mr Edris!!)
F (The blessed Ms Frerichs!! Phyllis Francis and Allyson Felix--the latter more for her 48.60 Relay leg in the 4X400!!)
G (Justin Gatlin and Steven Gardiner--for his 43.89 Semi time!!)
H (Ines Henriques for setting a World Record in the Inaugural 50K Walk for Women!! But also for Natasha Hastings--for all those GREAT "Tea Time" videos she posted during the WC's!!)
I (Caterine Ibarguen!)
J (For Michelle Jenneke! Despite a poor performance, she continues to DANCE!!)
K (To Sam Kendricks and KJT!! She did well in both the Heptathlon and the open HJ!)
L (The "Three L's" of the Women's HJ!! Mariya Lasitskene, Yuliya Levchenko, and Kamila Licwinko, medalists all!!)
M (Kevin Mayer, Elijah Manangoi, and especially for Isaac Makwala--for surviving!!)
N (Ms Naser!!)
O (Helen Obiri!!)
P (Sally Pearson, Sandra Perkovic, and for the young Robelys Peinado of the PV!!)
Q (Who else but the QUEEN of the 3K SC--Colleen Quigley!!)
R (Yulimar Rojas--for beating Ibarguen!! Brittney Reese. But mostly for Nair Da Rosa and Susan Randall, the 2 VICTIMS of IAAF stupidity!!)
S (Dafne Schippers! Ekaterina Stefanidi! And for Dani Stevens, who made Australia proud in the DT!!)
T (Nafissatou Thiam!! And Marie Josee Ta Lou!)
U (Okay, so it's her hyphenated married name!! Shaunae Miller-Uibo!!)
V (Wayde Van Niekerk--for his performances, but mainly for his emotional interview afterward!!)
W (Karsten Warholm. Anita Wlodarczyk! Tom Walsh!! And Ajee Wilson!!)
X (Had to hunt this one down, but how about Xenia Krizsan, who ran the fastest 800--2:07.17--in the Heptathlon??!!)
Y (Forgive me, Taoists everywhere, but this one goes to the Yang & Yin of the Women's 50K Walk--Hang Yin and Shuqing Yang!!)
Z (The Men's SP Bronze winner, Stipe Zunic!!)
WHEW!!
Always hate to do categories like this one, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!!
The WORST FAILS!!
Jenn Suhr's No Height!!
Raven Saunders imploding in the SP!!
The Gold winner of the OG 1500 not even getting to the Semi's here--Matthew Centrowitz!
Jeff Henderson & Marquis Dendy in the LJ!
Trey Hardee confirming he should have retired before he did!!
Shamier Little!
Gwen Berry!!
Renaud Lavillenie and Bogdan Bondarenko!
Ryan Crouser & Thomas Rohler!
Vashti Cunningham--and NO, she can't use her youth as an excuse!!
The 4-pack of the Women's 100H team!
We got a medal, yes!
But the others were just 4th, 5th, and LAST!!
Jamaica!
There's a T&FN MB discussion of Jamaica's Team Fail!!
Interesting stuff--to which yours truly contributed!!
Which was the Best Day of the 10?
I choose the Morning Session of Day 10!
It had all 4 Walks--including that Historic Women's 50K!!
(See my post dedicated ENTIRELY to that event!!)
Then comes the Morning Session of Day 3--BOTH Marathons!!
And how about August 9th--Day 6?
It had the Women's 400 and SP, and the Men's 400H Finals!
But it also had the Heats of the Women's 3000SC!!
I could be WITNESS to the IAAF's total FAIL re the Quigley DQ!
(And see how strong the US duo of Coburn and Frerichs were!!)
Which Events EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS??
Obviously, the Women's 3000SC.
The Relays--all 4 of them!!
Again obviously, the Women's 50K Walk!!
And the Men's 10000, for being FAST, while also being strategic!!
And the WORST Events?
The Men's 200, 400, 110H, and HJ, despite Mutaz Barshim!!
The Women's 800--for reasons already stated!
I have a few more, but we're near the end, so thank you for sticking around!!
IMHO, my Blog's Best Posts??
Steeplechase Stunner & An Historic Event in T&F!
They treated those events with total respect, by giving each their own separate post!!
All of my Previews--for Bravery Under Duress!!
I try not to talk about one's appearance too much!
After all, what we have are genetically and God-given!!
But some folks are just TOO MUCH for this fairly liberal person to handle!!
Inika McPherson's almost-FULL BODY series of tattoos!
But also for her hair style, and rings in places they shouldn't be!!
The garish green lipstick worn by Christina Manning!
I LOVE Women wearing lipstick, but this was too over the top!
And, with all due respect to the PERSON that is Caster Semenya, but I just can not LISTEN to "her" talk!!
I've known and heard MANY Women who had DEEP BASS voices!!
That's natural, normal, and okay!!
But Semenya's voice is TOTAL MALE, no if's, and's, or but's!!
The Most REVEALING Moment of these World Championships??
NO, it wasn't the many camera shots of Women's butt cheeks peeking through their briefs!!
But you're close!!
See that guy who STREAKED onto the track before the Men's 100??
(I "streaked" once when at HSU in the 70's!!)
Loved it, Mate!!
Finally!!
My last category is--
Wish they'd Make a Movie about it!!
The Women's 3000SC & 50K Walk!!
The Women's 800!
The entire Isaac Makwala episode--including his SOLO race, his being FORCIBLY banned from the track, and the virus that befell him!!
Last by not least---
The Stories of Usain Bolt and Tianna Bartoletta!!
Bolt for his ENTIRE LIFE!!
Bartoletta for her sad but courageous admission that she had escaped from an abusive marriage just 3 months ago!!
Yet she seemed quite together and happy in her 90 minute Tea Time visit with Natasha Hastings---who was flabbergasted to hear Tianna's admitting to it at the start of that video!!
Bartoletta later put out a statement about it on Instagram and Twitter!!
She's my HEROINE!!
See you next after the Birmingham DL!!
Great post! Especially loved the alphabet!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the world-class blog, suitable for a World Championship track and field meet!
Emma and Courtney were my favorites too!
Under-appreciated: Brittney Reese (four-time world champion, Olympic gold medalist, hardly ever mentioned). Her form looks awkward, she fouls a lot, but she nearly always wins the big ones!
When you're the best---AND consistent---people might start taking you for granted!
DeleteI think that's one reason Reason might seem "under-appreciated"!
I think she's great---but yes, maybe I too take her for granted!!
But if she'd only learn to hit that board, she could get over the 24 foot mark!
In this WC, however, I was more into Bartoletta---because of her revelation about her abusive marriage!!
Anyway, thanks again for the praise!!
P.S. Were you turned OFF by my endless criticism of (& rants about) the Quigley & 50K Walk fiasco's??
Did you read my posts devoted specifically to each??
BTW, the entry list is up for Birmingham!
Lots of great line-ups!!
Quigley's going in the 1500!!
(She'll probably be running the SC in Brussels or wherever it's held, so wants to build her speed! I'm predicting she's gonna SIZZLE in the SC---maybe 9:05!! Definitely has that kind of potential!! Wouldn't that be sweet!!!)
"....that's one reason REESE might seem....."
DeleteNOT "Reaspn!!!!
LOL
NOT reason....!
DeleteI'm tired!
I read all your posts, and agree with you about the Quigley fiasco. I wish she could have been in that incredible final. It very well could have been a USA sweep, with a big PR for Colleen as it was for Emma and Courtney. But I try not to get too worked up over these things because things just are what they are, I have no power over the officials, and it can been too upsetting.
ReplyDeleteI don't really follow the walks. I do scan what you write about them, but just "once over lightly". I have never been interested in the walks, even though I knew Ron Laird all those years ago.
I also agree with you about the issue of "men" competing in women's events. This trend, if it continues, will not only destroy women's track and field, it has the potential to destroy all women's sports. It's totally insane. There ARE very real differences between boys and girls, and the sport needs to acknowledge this with specific rules. The fact that such rules are currently absent is a catastrophic failure by the governing bodies.
As a result of this, I consider the w800 to be something of a non-event currently. Too bad, because I really like Ajee Wilson. But her event has been consigned to the garbage heap.
I propose that if a person has ANY ONE of the following three characteristics they SHOULD NOT be allowed in any women's competition, in any sport.
1) Presence of a Y chromosome. This should disqualify anyone from women's events, even if their testosterone is low. This also applies to XXY individuals, a rare condition but one that does exist. To compete in women's events the athlete must have the normal female XX configuration.
2) Testosterone levels above a certain pre-determined threshold -- a little higher than the average female (to allow for natural variations) but WAY BELOW levels characteristic of even low-testosterone males.
3) Presence of any male organs, such as testes whether descended or not.
Again, if a person has ANY ONE of these three characteristics, they should not be eligible for women's competition. Of course they are not ruled out of the sport. They can always compete in men's events, where they belong.
There was a leaked document several years ago that Caster Semenya has male testes (un-descended, but still active), no ovaries and no uterus. If this is true (and many believe it is) by my criteria above, CS is not eligible to compete in women's events.
I have never heard of a genetic test of CS, but if it was done (it may have been but not made public) I would not be at all surprised if there is a Y chromosome there. By my criteria, this would be another disqualifying factor.
Do you see any deficiencies or omissions in the criteria I have suggested? Just "seeming rather male" is not specific enough. The criteria I have suggested are rational and scientifically verifiable.
As you know, I'm FAR from being scientifically smart!
DeleteMuch closer to "totally dumb" in that area!
But yes, I totally agree with you!!
The problem in dealing with Semenya (but also with Wambui & Niyonsaba) is NOT in the science or genetic make-up or whatever, it's more the "humanity" or "human decency toward other humans"!
We can't speak what we REALLY feel, because WE would be labeled as haters or whatever!
I DO reveal my feelings in my blog---to the extent that I ignore those 3, their "records", or their marks!
Look at my Top 24 list for the OUTdoor Women's 800, and you will NOT find Semenya's name, even though "her" time WOULD make my list!!
Same with Meet, Age, Place, and National Records!!
I DO have some sympathy for them, but NOT in the athletic sense!
They should be able to compete, but in some "new" category created solely for people who fit your above description!!
Just as they have a Para-Olympics for disabled people!
I LOVE Tatyana McFadden, but if they tried to put her in a "running" race---AS a runner---I'd object as strongly as I do with "those 3"!!
Luckily, she is very happy in the field she's in!!
(I was--and am---also against people with "blades" competing in "fully abled" races!!)
What was that guy's name---Pistorius??
Wasn't he the same guy accused of murdering his wife or girlfriend by shooting her through the bathroom door??
I digress!
LOL
The authorities need to "man up"----or "woman up"---and ACT on the FACTS----those 3 do NOT belong in all-Women's events!!
As for your lack of interest in the Walks, I too didn't follow the walks for decades---except to see the results.
I became familiar with the leading names---your pal Laird, Teresa Vaill & Joanne Dow, and so on!
But starting with the '13 WC---or maybe the London OG---when that young Russian woman won in WR time, I started to like it.
I think she became one of the banned, but she was pretty (Shoot me!! LOL), and the finish of that race was exciting!!
Same with the Beijing WC in '15, when the 2 Chinese Women finished in a virtual tie, the younger "letting" the older win---out of elder respect!!
Also excited by the kids coming along---Taylor Ewart, Lauren Harris, and Cameron Haught!!
I don't have DDD's for the Walks---yet, but I might start them!!
One more point---as I noted in my "Worst & Best"---I consider my post on the 50K Walk to be one of my best of the WC series!!
"can be too upsetting", not "can been too upsetting"
ReplyDelete