Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Shooting His Bolt - World Athletics/Para-Athletics Championships 2017

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Shooting His Bolt - World Athletics/Para-Athletics Championships 2017

    A major world sporting event in London this summer but not sure there is much anticipation of it currently, which probably sums up the position athletics is in with the media and public at the moment.

    The Athletics Worlds start on August 4th in the Olympic Stadium and the main story is Usain Bolt's last major championship. He's running in the 100m and 100m relay but not the 200m this time out. British interest will revolve around Mo Farah in the 5,000m and 10,000m with Laura Muir a genuine contender in the 1,500m and 5,000m. Chances of home Golds look pretty scant aside from those two.

    Other major draws are the amazing Wayde van Niekerk in the 200m and 400m, Rudisha and Amos in the 800m, Elaine Thompson in the 100m and 200m and Caster Semenya in the 800m.

    More details here

    Starting this weekend is the Para-Athletics in the same venue. It will be difficult to match the success of 2012 (as it will be for the Athletics Worlds themselves) but apparently it's the best selling staging of the event already. British interest will revolve around the established stars like Hannah Cockroft, Jonnie Peacock and Richard Whitehead with David Weir retiring from the track after a disastrous Paralympics in Rio.

    Further information here.

    I'm at every night of the Worlds and a handful of the sessions in the Para-Athletics (which suffers a little for my family for being staged in the school term for most people - which I presume is West fucking Ham's fault) and very excited about it.
    Last edited by Ray de Galles; 25-07-2017, 08:28.

    #2
    Looking forward to this, I'm at the Tuesday and the last evening, taking in eight track finals in all including an 800m on each day and both finals of my favourite event the 4x400. Can't wait to see David Rudisha.

    Comment


      #3
      There's been a terrible start to the para-games.

      Comment


        #4
        Farah confirms that the Worlds will also be his final major track appearance, with a farewell gig later in the month.

        Comment


          #5
          Johannes Floors wins the 200m T44 gold, beating Pistorius' championship record. Good.

          Comment


            #6
            I had tickets for the para athletics last weekend, but having injured my knee the weekend before, I couldn't go, as I can't walk too far at the moment.

            But, I've got tickets for all sessions for the athletics, and I can't wait. As an event, it won't hit the heights of Japan 1991, but what could?

            Ray - fancy a pint before one of the evening sessions?

            Comment


              #7
              That sounds like a good idea, probably one of the midweek ones will be best. Will PM you closer to the time.

              I had one great night at the Para Athletics (the first Saturday where there was a combination of an impressive 30,000+ crowd as there were most weekend nights, multiple GB golds/World Records and fantastic performances from other nations' athletes) and one frustrating one midweek where the excellent competition on show was offset by a sub-10,000 crowd.

              That said, it appears there are moves to have London host again soon, possibly as early as the next edition in 2019, as the organisers and athletes feel that London can't be matched by any other city in terms of crowds and facilities.
              Last edited by Ray de Galles; 25-07-2017, 11:24.

              Comment


                #8
                Astounding run from Mo Farah tonight especially when it looked like the pace of the race, team running of multiple athletes from other nations and physical nature of the jostling & clipping looked liked making it very difficult for him.

                I didn't get to any of the big ticket events in the Olympic Stadium in 2012 but the atmosphere tonight was pretty special, up there with the Olympics in the opinion of a few people who did both.
                Last edited by Ray de Galles; 05-08-2017, 12:11.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Crystal Staples View Post
                  Looking forward to this, I'm at the Tuesday and the last evening, taking in eight track finals in all including an 800m on each day and both finals of my favourite event the 4x400. Can't wait to see David Rudisha.
                  You probably know he's pulled out but I couldn't really see him challenging Amos and Korir anyway.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I'm trying not to read this thread because I've got the replay broadcast going on my laptop while I work.

                    And, for once, the US broadcast coverage is not too terrible. While it's not as good as the BBC used to be with Michael Johnson, it's better than US coverage of sports normally is. But I have a complaint - don't I always. How annoying is it that they give all the field event distances and heights in imperial, yet all the marks on the field, and all the text on the screen, are in metric. So it's impossible to understand what the commentators are going on about.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I cannot fucking believe that cunt-face Gatlin wins.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        The BBC commentators sound like their dog just died

                        Comment


                          #13
                          I dislike Gatlin due to his former crimes but i did get a kick out of seeing him shoosh the booing crowd. He doesn't appear to have gone on a lap of honour but he got to the ultimate fuck you moment so i am sure he isn't bothered.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Just leaving the stadium and there's an air about the place that Athletics has taken a(nother) really big blow.

                            I was quite up for seeing Coleman win (and for a second, thought he had) to remind people that it's sport not showbiz but that felt fucking terrible.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              What was the reaction to Ayana?

                              In 50+ years of watching athletics, I've never seen anyone destroy a quality field like that.

                              She reminded me of Secretariat in the Belmont.

                              Comment


                                #16
                                The response to Ayana was mainly astonishment, pretty much half the race was a dozen victory laps.

                                Hard to tell how much scepticism there is as well as that, you do have to wonder.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Radcliffe didn't express anything negative on air, which I find interesting given that she was very skeptical after Rio.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    I've always found Radcliffe's vehement anti-doping posturing rather annoying, and even a tad suspicious. There was always something about her I didn't like. A bit of a Lance Armstrong vibe.

                                    Two times drugs cheat Justin Gatlin becomes the oldest ever 100m champion at 35, replacing Two times drugs cheat* Linford Christie, who was 33 in 1993.
                                    Must be something in that ADD medication/testosterone gel accidentally applied by a masseur that keeps him in shape. Anyway, fuck him.
                                    * Christie only got one ban, but did fail a test in 1988 in Seoul, but was "given the benefit of the doubt".

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
                                      You probably know he's pulled out but I couldn't really see him challenging Amos and Korir anyway.
                                      Actually I didn't, nor that his superiority was under threat, what a shame.

                                      Also I've become fascinated with Laura Muir's rapid blinking during interviews.

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        Crystal, you are going to love watching James Galway or Richard Osman.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          I forgot to mention, that on the NBC coverage yesterday, that Ato Boldon basically called Katarina Johnson-Thompson, a bottler.

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            Well done NBC for taking my criticism on board and moving to talking about the field events mostly in metric, with just occasional nods to imperial.

                                            This is all very enjoyable so far (apart, obviously, from the mens 100m).

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              Torey Bowie wins the 100 for USA, ducking to beat Talou of CIV.

                                              DAFNE GETS A BRONZE!

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                If only Katarina Thompson-Johnson could throw...

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  What's with these sleeves that a lot of athletes are sporting, often on one arm only?

                                                  Comment

                                                  Working...
                                                  X