wowUsain Bolt – wow. I just had the impression that he was working up for something special as his ‘starts’ were a far cry from the languid impression he gave whilst playing to the cameras and crowd. He also provides something fresh – he wants to set (mind-bending) records at major championships, rather than the Harvard Business School model employed for years by Bubka and Isinbayeva: ‘1cm more per event, just send me the cheque!’ Just imagine being Tyson Gay; within 0.02 of a previously unbelievable world record, the second fastest run of all time – oops, actually it’s now already the 3rd fastest, and you’re not close enough to the winner to read which brand of shoes he’s wearing! I haven’t been so in awe of an athletic performance versus the records since Coe ran 800m in 1:41.73 – almost 30 years later most major championships are still won in around 1:44…
A simply amazing performance. The man is on a completely different level. And he seems to be quickly learning how to give his best when it counts most.
Speaking of Coe, a 9.58 100m is equal to a 1:38 800m according to the IAAF tables, for whatever that’s worth.
Interesting Arjun – but I’m sure the IAAF tables look at the relative difference between the new and old records – ie. to improve the existing 800m record by the same amount Bolt just improved the 100m record – I looked at it from the opposite perspective i.e going from 1:43.4 to 1:41.7 then, is like Bolt going from 9.7 to 9.6 today!
(I refrain from mentioning Kratochvílová…)
I never read that into it Arjun 😉
For me, Semenya is in a very different category – whatever has happened is not her fault – if it turns out that there is, let’s say, a chromosome imbalance, that will be very sad for all concerned. But only sad, not premeditated!
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A simply amazing performance. The man is on a completely different level. And he seems to be quickly learning how to give his best when it counts most.
Speaking of Coe, a 9.58 100m is equal to a 1:38 800m according to the IAAF tables, for whatever that’s worth.
Interesting Arjun – but I’m sure the IAAF tables look at the relative difference between the new and old records – ie. to improve the existing 800m record by the same amount Bolt just improved the 100m record – I looked at it from the opposite perspective i.e going from 1:43.4 to 1:41.7 then, is like Bolt going from 9.7 to 9.6 today!
(I refrain from mentioning Kratochvílová…)
Bill, I certainly didn’t mean to take anything away from Coe’s performance.
And speaking of Kratochivilova, how about that Semenya? 😉
I never read that into it Arjun 😉
For me, Semenya is in a very different category – whatever has happened is not her fault – if it turns out that there is, let’s say, a chromosome imbalance, that will be very sad for all concerned. But only sad, not premeditated!