100m final

[gingergenius]

Ok Usain Bolt's run was incredible. 9.69, smashes his world record by .03 and slowed down and celebrated for the last 10m. He can go much faster. 7 guys in the world who are all seriously fast were made to run their own race for silver.

Anyway, in the 1990s, Michael Johnson ****** all over 200 and 400m. Roger Black won an Olympic silver medal and celebrated as if it was Gold cos he knew he could never beat Johnson. While world records elsewhere have tumbled, Johnson's 200 & 400m WRs remain untouched. Few have even got close.

I'll say now, I expect Bolt to dominate 100m for a considerable time in the future, like Johnson's name still dominates his events. He's moved into his own world in 100m and I'm not sure how much man can do to catch up. Though Bolt may touch Johnson's 200 WR...

 

[fcukernaut]

Anybody else getting the suspicion that all these athletes are on a performance enhancer that is undetectable. I mean, 9.69 100m, the 4x200m relay in mens swimming getting broken by 5 seconds. I'm calling bullshit.

 

[melon]

Bolt started slowing up on his own accord during the last 20m then threw his arms up with 10m to go. He could have made 9.59 instead of 9.69.

What I saw makes me think he is on something, but meh, I suppose he might just be a freak!

I hope he's clean though.

 

[shtove]

Are you sure it's right to compare Bolt to Johnson?

Johnson is the greatest sprinter of all time, a guy above and beyond any suspicion.

100m has been dodgy for almost thirty years - the last legit Olympic gold in my view was 1980. Breaking the WR slowing down? Hmmmmm.

That event used to be my #1 favourite. Not so much any more. Anything below 10s makes me wonder, and the rate that Bolt is heading towards the 9s mark bears comparison to Florence Griffith Joyner's ridiculous record on the women's side.

 

[fcukernaut]

Are you sure it's right to compare Bolt to Johnson?

Johnson is the greatest sprinter of all time, a guy above and beyond any suspicion.

100m has been dodgy for almost thirty years - the last legit Olympic gold in my view was 1980. Breaking the WR slowing down? Hmmmmm.

That event used to be my #1 favourite. Not so much any more. Anything below 10s makes me wonder, and the rate that Bolt is heading towards the 9s mark bears comparison to Florence Griffith Joyner's ridiculous record on the women's side. [/b]

Well, didn't Jesse Owens run a 10.3 in '36? Something tells me with modern training they can get under 10. With that being said, I have to say again, that this is bullshit and he's not clean. No way.

 

[jonathanumpherville]

Doping is possible, look at Marion Jones, years later admitted to using performance enhancers.

Phelps, anyone?

 

[An Tarbh]

I love when people jump on the Olympic bandwagon and start crying foul every 4 years then **** off for another 4 years only to do the same. Always the same with any Olympics. How many of you will watch the Weltklasse???

Usain Bolt is clean as far as I'm concerned, if not then he's been doping himself for the last 6 years, which nobody would get away with and given that he's always been training in Jamaica and not the States would also lead me to believe that he's clean because it's in the States that these undetectable labs are found for the most part, last year alone 59 of them were shut down. Getting back to Bolt he's not just arrived on the scene, he was an awesome junior beating 19 year olds at the age of 15.

I do believe he can be compared to Johnson if he takes his world record in the 200 final cause in doing so he'll have produced 2 performances of the same quality as opposed to 1 by Johnson in the Olympics.

We've had freaks of nature throughout sport without suspicions being casted against them, the likes of Owens and Spitz in particular, we now just have a modern version in Bolt and Phelps.

 

[DC]

Any other time i would say Tyson Gay for the gold considering he ran the fastest ever recorded 100m (wasn't considered a record because the wind was too strong or somethin) but i still don't believe he is 100% from his hamstring injury and i think that will keep him from defending his world championship gold.

 

[fcukernaut]

I love when people jump on the Olympic bandwagon and start crying foul every 4 years then f*** off for another 4 years only to do the same. Always the same with any Olympics. How many of you will watch the Weltklasse???

Usain Bolt is clean as far as I'm concerned, if not then he's been doping himself for the last 6 years, which nobody would get away with and given that he's always been training in Jamaica and not the States would also lead me to believe that he's clean because it's in the States that these undetectable labs are found for the most part, last year alone 59 of them were shut down. Getting back to Bolt he's not just arrived on the scene, he was an awesome junior beating 19 year olds at the age of 15. [/b]

Well, here in Canada we pretty much think everyone is on steroids since Ben Johnson.

On a side note, it's interesting how Ben Johnson has become a sympathetic character recently, when he was absolutely villified for years. We also know now that there was no one clean in the greatest race ever run and its not fair what happened to winner considering what didn't happen to the others.

 

[shtove]

I love when people jump on the Olympic bandwagon and start crying foul every 4 years then f*** off for another 4 years only to do the same. Always the same with any Olympics.[/b]

That's not fair. In fact, why should anyone give a **** about the Olympics? They depend entirely on state planning, which is the ideal environment for manipulative goal-setting. China leads the medals table. Nuff said.

Bolt is not a pumped up muscle-man like Ben Johnson or Lynford Christie. But then, neither was Carl Lewis. Maybe Bolt is unique - Michael Johnson seems to have no problem with him, and that's a huge endorsement.

But the records he's beating have been set by drug cheats for years and years. If Bolt really is clean, then he's light years ahead of the other greats you cite and belongs in the same class as Michael Johnson. I wish.

 

[dullonien]

I watched a programme the other night where Colin Jackson was researching why he was such a good athlete, was it genetics, training or where he grew up.

Well in the end, testing his muscles in his legs they found that he had 50% more fast twitch musicle then the average person, but even more astonoshing was the levels of super fast twitch musicle. Where normal people would have ~ 3%, he had something like 30-40%, by far the most ever tested! This made him perfect for the 110 hurdles with his acceleration between gates.

Goes to show that every now and then a freak is born with the potential to be better than anyone gone before! Phelps is an example, has size 14 feet and unnaturally flexible ankles, making them flipper like, must help.

I give them the benefit of a doubt, their innocent until proven guilty, so as An Tarbh said, their clean in my eyes.

 

[gingergenius]

I watched a programme the other night where Colin Jackson was researching why he was such a good athlete, was it genetics, training or where he grew up.

Well in the end, testing his muscles in his legs they found that he had 50% more fast twitch musicle then the average person, but even more astonoshing was the levels of super fast twitch musicle. Where normal people would have ~ 3%, he had something like 30-40%, by far the most ever tested! This made him perfect for the 110 hurdles with his acceleration between gates.

Goes to show that every now and then a freak is born with the potential to be better than anyone gone before! Phelps is an example, has size 14 feet and unnaturally flexible ankles, making them flipper like, must help.

I give them the benefit of a doubt, their innocent until proven guilty, so as An Tarbh said, their clean in my eyes.
[/b]

Hit the nail on the head. Innocent until proven guilty.

Plus, if any of you watch the BBC's coverage you'll see Johnson as a pundit, and he's always right. Basically what he is saying is that because Bolt is 6'5" his stride length is huge compared to the other sprinters. So why can't Yao Ming win 100m medals? Because normally tall people are less well coordinated and can't get their legspeed fast enough over the shorter distances. Bolt could easily run 400m.

Bolt has a combination of things going for him. He's of West African origin so as we all know has a natural sprinting advantage compared to most humans. He's clearly also got a lot of talent for speed which obviously helps... He's been developed in the Jamaican system, which is second only to the USA in terms of sprinting depth - look at all the men/ women they'll have in the sprint finals. But Asafa Powell has all of this. What sets Bolt apart is he's 6'5".

This is why I compared him to Johnson. Usually 200m and 100m go together. Johnson was a rarity, he did 400m and 200 - he just had a different running style which was really upright and suited him round the bends. Watch the two race - Johnson stands out cos of his running style, Bolt because of his height. And those are what makes them so much better than everyone else.

 

[Gay-Guy]

Bolt is also not a BIG man for 6'5"...when you look at his muscle and frame there is not a lot of bulk to carry as opposed to the other sprinters. Yep his skinnier build hints to a man who did not take steroids lol!
Did anyone see the semifinal that he ran? He really eased up at the finish line....I think it was then that people started to realise that Bolt might blitz the field.
Watching that final again you can see that in the first 30 metres when they are going through the initial takeoff that Bolt looks average. It is only when he raises his head and changes from takeoff stride to sprint stride that suddenly he has faster and longer steps than everyone else and literally powers away.
I think in the 200 Bolt also has the chance to make a name for himself and possibly end Johnsons record.

 

[candybum]

Its hard to tell if he's on drugs, because as GG said, he aint that bulky nor veiny. But for someone so tall who can and i believe can run faster! beat the WR with relative ease is insane! It was an awesome run by him. He doesnt have the best acceleration but his speed generated by his long legs and the fast movement is wowsers! lol

Has the 200m been on yet? I'd like to see him run the 400m for pure pleasure of Bolt smoking everyone.

Loved his dance at the end lol

 

[An Tarbh]

200 hasn't been on yet, the heats get underway tomorrow, not sure if he'd smoke the field given how class an athlete Wariner is.

 

[Charles]

What was Ben Johnson's time in Seoul ?

 

[Gay-Guy]

Yeah if he was 6'1" he would not be the world record holder. He is taller than Jonah Lomu but without any of that weight to carry. So if a freak like Lomu who is shorter by a couple of inches and is a lot heavier can be a winger and run so fast...then of course another freak who is taller with less weight to carry is gonna blitz everyone. There are no short guys who are in 100m finals anymore...it is the balance of stride length, speed and balance that make a great sprinter....and short guys will always miss out on stride length which is more important that speed. Really tall guys often struggle with balance in sprinting because they have a higher centre of gravity which is not in proportion due to having longer limbs and an average torso and extra weight to carry. However when you look at Bolt he has a proportional body with a longer torso to balance his long limbs and he is not heavy set with his bones which makes him light footed.

 

[An Tarbh]

What was Ben Johnson's time in Seoul ?
[/b]

He ran 9.79 and had previously set a world record of 9.83 which was also stricken from the records.

 

[Caledfwlch]

Astonishing finish. But i'd say this is one of the more bathetic finals. Wasn't so much of a thriller i was hoping for.

 

[Dmx#1]

I think he's a natural super athlete combined with some sort of drugs. Imagine what Lomu would have been like if he took roids? Thats pretty scary thing to imagine.