Athletics

Athletics on this Friday on BBC2 at 7pm. Bolt is going to go for it.

Oh the men's relay - argh. I dont think they do normally mess up, they seem to have won more medals over the years in this event than any other. Harry's muscles too big and nerves got the better of him too i think.
I think Phillips was in great shape, just someone else popped out a huge jump on the day. Poor old Grey Rutherford who lives near here v disappointed not to be in the long jump final - injured hamstring. I was just reading his comments in local rag.
I have got tickets! Just for one day at the start of the athletics!
Best of the athletics will be in the evenings of course with heats and field events during office hours.

Shame about the relay though - the mens' - why do they always manage to **it up? Phillips too. He looked in such good shape. The coach seemed pleased overall. Can't wait 'til; the Olympics - the BBC normally do it, so they'll do it this time, won't they? Hope I'm not at work, though - I'll have to throw a major sickie!!

Different body types for different events. The distance runners tend to be skinny with long muscles; sprinters' muscles are more bulky and as for high jumpers - what amazing legs those girls have! My 19-yr-old GD has watched the events and decided she wants a physique like those sprinters - the women, I hope - and has accordingly spent time in the gym last week. I wonder how long that's going to last.

Didn't our Mo do well.
No more athletics until next August .
Well only a little bit.
Please someone tell me it will be the BBC not CH4 that does the coverage?

They are in a different zone to the rest of us shysal. Normal health advice for long term is that a bit of fat is a good idea. But if you are running competitively every kilo slows you down I suppose. I guess it is also the body type that makes a good runner or jumper - skinny. The throwers tend to be well-covered! The men are the same.
I've noticed that they do round out a bit once they retire e.g. Denise Lewis.
It's possible that they put on a kilo or two when it is not the middle of the season. I don't think we need to worry about them.

I have been too busy with grandchildren to watch the athletics, but on the highlights yesterday I was struck by the thinness of the women - quite emaciated I thought. I hope it was only the few I saw,it can't be healthy.

Dai Greene waited until the last few seconds didn't he... phew. First welshman to get a gold since Colin J?
Lovely Dai who comes from my neck of the woods and looks like my DS2 I am so pleased for him.
I thought Hannah would do well when she was in the heat - it was a bit of a cliffhanger though with her on the curb all that way.

I note from Jacey's link (thankyou) that one of the presenters has had the push already but the one left not much better. Johnson is struggling as a consequence because he gets asked stupid questions. Oh and has his hand shaken at the start of the programme! Incredibly amateur. And too many London accents. And the race commentator whose voice keeps breaking at moment of tension !!!
Will Phillips have a good games or not... Will any of the relays get a medal this time... I am not hopeful about the relays.

Well, we are now 4th on the medal table ...out of the 34 countries who have so far won medals
As it may not last for long ...I raise my glass to our athletes ...well done!

Yes, the coverage is crap. Like something you'd find adolescents doing to show off on Youtube. The presenters should be shot. I think the BBC go over the top perhaps, but at least you feel it's a significant event when they do it. Even Michael Johnson isn't making much sense. Well done Dai Greene!! Well done to Hannah England too. Funny how the commentators ignored her until practically the moment she actually won!

We've got a gold!! ...that'll lift us up the medal table.

Oh right. Explains why he was so hopeless.
The other guy possibly even worse though... and amazingly badly dressed.
Reminds me of the time Keith Chegwin asked Eric Clapton what he felt about being on the same stage as a really famous drummer like Charlie Watts.

JessM ...you may be interested to read this ...all about changes to Channel 4 coverage

uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/31082011/58/world-athletics-championships-channel-4-drop-deley-main-athletics-presenter.html

Know what you mean Jacey. Watching the news on a channel you don't usually look at e.g. Al Jazeera, is fascinating and you get a different viewpoint.
Once though i made the mistake of going to Italy when the Olympics was on. Truly terrible coverage - lots of arty studio shots of people discussing the fact that Italy had won a silver medal in shooting. and not much else.
I was very struck last night (just to be totally shallow and trivial for a moment) by the sight of a truly epic naked male torso with a hairy chest. Just behind the French Heptathlon coach. Aided by the telephoto lens... Did you spot that! Never saw the attached head.
Also - the gold medal for eyemakeup goes, without question, to Isinbayeva. She may have gone out of the pole vault but... she must have had it done professionally surely - and it didn't even run when she cried afterwards. That's what high-def is for!
And finally did anyone else notice there seemed to be a competition going to see how many times they could get in the words "coach Toni Miniciello" ref Ennis. I wish I had been counting! Closely followed by the words "Birchfield harrier" every time they talked about Louise Hazel.

Totally agree ...one of reasons prefer watching Eurosport coverage ...as they don't just focus on one country and their expectations.

Hear hear! (or is it here here.... the first I think)

I object to the way the news media announced that Jessica Ennis had 'failed' to retain her world championship. Never mind that her points score was higher than when she won it. They weigh down our successful athletes with high expectations and shoot them down when they come second!

Rest day today. Media convinced it is a failure so far. So silvers are failures... hum. Don't think it very realistic to think we are going to get loads of medals, given the bigger or more sports - orientated nations...
I was bowled over when i went to Sydney just how sports focussed they are.
The US too - and it is a route to college scholarships if you are a "jock".
In NZ you see whole Maori families playing rugby in the park while the BBQ cooks.
And I once saw some info on why Jamaica produces sprinters are so many and so good - it is at the core of school sports - there was a huge junior championship with loads of spectators . And of course it is a route out of poverty for the most successful.
The kids round here have a nice safe park opposite and they spend very little time playing outdoors. Even on a snowy morning - they are all indoors! In terms of organised activities it is rare to see any kids playing footie or cricket but is usually our ethnic minority kids, and their parents, that will be involved. We are breeding a nation of couch potatoes I'm afraid, not a nation of athletes.

You've more will-power than me JessM

Robles knew he was going to get disqualified - hand went to head as he crossed the line, no celebratory body language. Turner has done well to get the bronze without funding for his training, so he showed 'em. But it is not the way he would have liked to win a medal.
Right, i have stuff to do, after being away for over 2 weeks. Must resist athletics until tea time...
And keep the radio and BBC website off as they will tell me what happened before i see it!!!

Blatant cheating! Jacey, with a 'hand-off' like that the offending athlete would make a great rugby player!!!
I think they should have re-run the race without him as the 'new' order is not quite as it should be.
Great games tho!

Actually ...following on from another post ...

I've seen some of the medal ceremonies for the athletics ...they often don't even know the words to the first verses of their anthems ...or are mouthing words that don't fit the music

On theoff chance ...next summer... I hope all our Olympians make the effort to know the first verse of our anthem

Oh ...we've just got a bronze medal ...but by default

Well ...I've been quite happy this morning ...watching Day 3 live. heven't Jamaica been doing well to get so many in the finals
Just been wondering ...they are a smaller country than us?

well yes that's the trouble! I get irritated and then i feel sorry for her for as it is probably a deep seated psychological issue. But hasn't her coach told her?

I feel exactly the same about Lisa Dobriskey but your rant almost makes me feel sorry for her, Jess!