From Russia, with drugs: athletics SCANDAL

[Raoul Duke]

Russia should be suspended from athletics competition, a World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) commission report has recommended.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/34765444

:sherlock:

[AE]

Absolute shambles. It's alltumbling down.

[Pepe]

I am shocked to hear the Russians might be involved in something dodgy.

[QE Harold Flair]

They rarely have any good track athletes, so maybe they don't care about that side of things.

[Lewis]

Does this mean the Chinese are better at covering their tracks, or that they're harder to sideline?

[Pepe]

I would guess both.

[DC]

After the fiasco with the Greeks 10 years ago it was obvious that there was a larger issue in the sport. The blow-out with Balco, the high profile failure of some American and British athletes, and the Greeks, took the attention away from the persistent failures by successive Russian athletes. The high profile cycling failures, particularly Lance Armstrongs, had USADA, WADA and all the doping commission clutching their pearls - but none of them made a move against Russia.

The usual patterns were there. Russian athletes failing to run at routine competitions, only to turn up at the big ones, and remarkable short term gains from otherwise middle of the road athletes.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Was reading about this in the paper this morning and it looks like shit is about to get real. Dick Pound (who is a bulldog and a half) tearing into Seb Coe as the latter performs the usual sports administrator manoeuvre of reacting to a crisis by closing ranks and seeking to protect revenue streams.

I can't see the sport surviving in its current form to be honest. Testers being secret agents of the dopers, FSB agents in labs posing as engineers, government complicity to ministerial level... there's no coming back from that. Clean athletes should break away from the IAAF I reckon, and anyone who chooses not to join them is obviously doping.

[ItalAussie]

I just hope they give Jared Tallent a well-deserved gold medal from London. The Russian guy who beat him in the 50km was a convicted doper, and the Russians had manipulated his ban so that he had a brief window at the Olympics to compete. It's just really terrible.


Tallent was beaten in the 50-kilometre race walk in London by convicted Russian drug cheat Sergey Kirdyapkin. Kirdyapkin was a banned drug cheat before the race and a banned drug cheat after the race, yet for inexplicable – now revealed as corrupt reasons – he was allowed to race in London and beat Tallent.

That never added up. Now the commission reports that bribes were paid not only to Russian doping officials but also to senior IAAF officials to contrive the farcical window to allow Kirdyapkin to compete in London between doping bans

I mean, that's just absurd.

[Kikó]

It's going to be fantastic to see Seb Coe sink. What a complete weasel of a man.

[ItalAussie]

The Spanish winner of the 3000m steeplechase in the 2013 world championships has been stripped of her title due to drug offenses.

Problem: the silver medallist is a Russian athlete who is currently in the middle of also serving a drugs ban.

[Davgooner]

679049804492750848

[Shindig]

The state of Coe and Davies.

[Yevrah]

I hope Seb Coe gets thrown to the Wolves over this and 'we' once and for all wake up the fact that it isn't just 'dirty forriners' up to no good and our 'good honest British lads' are balls deep in this shit too.

[Pepe]

The junior TT British champion admitted he doped. If he is in it then it is not a stretch to think some 'senior' British athletes are at it as well.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This is becoming increasingly entertaining/disgraceful and a slew of British favourites including Paula Radcliffe are coming out to try and save Seb Coe.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/35316909

Kriss Akabusi, though, is having none of it and is firing out awoogas of truth wherever he goes. What a man.

[niko_cee]

I'm struggling to deal with the fact that Akabusi use the term 'titular'.

[Disco]

Perhaps Seb should funnel a bit more business towards his own consulting agency, might as well make a few more quid while he's there.

[Yevrah]

Akabusi. :cool:

The more Radcliffe et al protest, the stinkier this whole thing gets.

[Raoul Duke]

Nothing dodgy going on here. Nope. Nope nope nope.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35575774

[Jimmy Floyd]

He probably overdosed.

[Shindig]

"Skiing" is code for sushi and tea.

[ItalAussie]

Australia just had our silver medallist in the 50km walk promoted to gold after the Russia guy was disqualified. Means we jump two places on the medal table, too. :D

The Russian guy was banned for drugs before the Olympics, and banned afterwards, but somehow permitted to race during. Such a farce, and Russia shouldn't be allowed to compete in athletics next time around.

[Jimmy Floyd]

There are now some 'whistleblowers' from Chinese swimming contacting the Times about mass doping being covered up, who are unable to contact WADA due to state surveillance :D

The Olympics is probably struggling a bit to be honest.

[John Arne]

How hard is it to buy a SIM card and send an email over 3G. Fucking troglodytes.

[Yevrah]

G'wan Mo.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Farah looks like he's on a jog on Saturday morning.

[Yevrah]

I find his ridiculously good race tactics to be absolutely fascinating.

[-james-]

Piece of piss.

[Yevrah]

What an absolute legend. I get goosebumps every time he comes round that final bend.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The Kenyan mob trying to trip him at the start of the final lap :harold:

[Yevrah]

A good mate of mine is Kenyan and the seethe about Mo Farah over there is truly something apparently.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What an absolute legend. I get goosebumps every time he comes round that final bend.
The speed at which he finishes is incredible, he seems to have so much more left compared to others.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

A good mate of mine is Kenyan and the seethe about Mo Farah over there is truly something apparently.

I'm surprised that they don't make more of an effort to try and take him out tbh.

You can see how they get in sly kicks as well as trying to block him.

[Kikó]

Those marginal gains for you.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It's the power of Quorn.

[John]

Farah consistently beating people faster than him is amazing. It's as if he has some spell over people that just stops them whizzing away when four or five of them probably could.

Speaking of Russian drugs, there's a documentary just out on Netflix which apparently has unbelievable access to the doping scandal. It started out as a guy doping himself up to see what would happen, so he contacted some Russian bloke to help him do it, then while he was filming his documentary the scandal broke and it turned out the bloke helping him was eyeball deep in the whole thing. It's called Icarus, and it's apparently very good.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXoRdSTrR-4

Does look good, although I can do without the horror film music.

[Lewis]

Who else would lol if Usain Bolt doesn't win?

[Magic]

He wasn't in my top 5 for no reason, you know.

[Giggles]

Can anyone really care about athletics?

[Henry]

Who else would lol if Usain Bolt doesn't win?

He was shit in his heat yesterday. If that happens again he'll be beaten.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's Johnson Thompson's medal hopes near enough over now, unless she's able to really produce in the long jump.

[Reg]

Just watched Mo's 10,000m and even though I knew the outcome the end was really exciting.

Did anyone else feel like the commentary was a bit silly at times? At one point they exclaimed, "MIND GAMES of the highest quality!" and it felt like they'd have called Mo a genius whether he'd upped the pace at a completely different stage, or even slowed down instead.

[Magic]

No I thought his tactics were spot on. I'd be interested to see his foot to ground success ratio in percentage form too.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I don't think Bolt will be able to pull it out later.

He looks like he's really having to try rather than it being 'natural'.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He looked like he was struggling to keep up with Coleman.

[Yevrah]

The rest of the field is absolute shit though, he'll be fine.

[Yevrah]

Greg Rutherford is such a tool.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

This long jump competition has started really well.

[John]

This girl Ayana is making the rest of the field look like non athletes.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I think she lapped everyone bar 4 or something.

She took the absolute piss out of the field.

[Yevrah]

46 second gap. :D

[John]

Given how far off her the rest of the field, including the fifth best ever was, presumably that world record nearly a minute quicker than what she just ran was the result of some hardcore steroid use.

[Yevrah]

It's her own record, isn't it?

[John]

Just checked and yes, it is. Fuck me, she must have sprinted it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It's about 15 seconds quicker than the previous record too isn't it?

I'm also sure that it stood for around 10 years or so.

[Yevrah]

Looking at the 100m odds, if anyone does fancy Coleman he's currently 10/3.

[Yevrah]

Just checked and yes, it is. Fuck me, she must have sprinted it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jemU_Q7mqMA

[Lewis]

Unless I'm missing something obvious, being a distance runner (from a lifestyle/training perspective) must be the dullest sport you could possibly devote your life to.

[Yevrah]

Paula Radcliffe, Marathon world record holder

"I'm not sure that I can understand that. When I saw the world record set in 1993, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. And Ayana has absolutely blitzed that time."

Brendan Foster, Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist and BBC athletics commentator

"You see things pushed along sometimes - you think of Bob Beamon in the long jump - but I'm not sure what to make of that to be honest. I will be interested to hear what Ayana has to say afterwards."

Steve Cram, Olympic 1500m silver medallist

"Unprecedented. Full stop."

Why don't they just say outright that she was roided to fuck?

[John]

Why don't they just say outright that she was roided to fuck?

Because then it's an accusation they could be asked to defend, and if it turns out she's clean they'll look like bitter twats. If they hedge their bets like that and she does piss hot then they can point back and say 'see, I fucking knew something was up'.

[Yevrah]

I understand the legality of the whole thing, but they look like bitter twats anyway as all those comments only translate one way.

If their insular brains can't cope with any other conclusion than "she must be cheating" then have the balls to say it rather than the snidey shit above.

I would imagine that, like cycling, (almost) everyone in athletics is at it anyway.

[John]

She could just be the Usain Bolt of that distance.

The most obvious case of massive steroid abuse was that fourteen year old Chinese girl who murdered about three world records in the swimming, and I don't remember anyone calling that out at the time either. Although it's possible she was just chased by sharks in training and her family was disappeared the day before the event started.

[Yevrah]

She could just be the Usain Bolt of that distance.

The most obvious case of massive steroid abuse was that fourteen year old Chinese girl who murdered about three world records in the swimming, and I don't remember anyone calling that out at the time either. Although it's possible she was just chased by sharks in training and her family was disappeared the day before the event started.

Was that the one where people who didn't understand split times claimed she was faster than a man?

I'd love to read that thread again if so. Lewis?

[John]

Would have been old board so it's lost.

And with that I've just realised that great four or five pages from when Rutherford, Farah, and Ennis all donned it have also been lost with it. Shame.

[Reg]

Unless I'm missing something obvious, being a distance runner (from a lifestyle/training perspective) must be the dullest sport you could possibly devote your life to.
Seems more fun/interesting than sprinting to me. And running in general is more appealing than other athletics stuff.

[Yevrah]

What a day that was.

I was sat in front of the tv from dawn until dusk watching us smash the shit out of it all day. And the wanker footballers got knocked out too. :drool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Was that the one where people who didn't understand split times claimed she was faster than a man?

I'd love to read that thread again if so. Lewis?

It was.


Ye's time over the final 50m was compared to that of Ryan Lochte, the winner of the corresponding men's event, who swam it just under a fifth of a second slower in 29.10. This prompted allegations of doping against Ye. However, commentators pointed out that these two times were misleading. Lochte's overall time was 23.25 seconds faster, 4:05.18, than Ye's, and the times of all eight finalists in the men's 400m IM were at least 10 seconds faster than Ye's time. When Lochte hit the freestyle leg of the race, he had a comfortable lead over his opponents, whereas Ye was still a body length behind U.S. swimmer Elizabeth Beisel at that point in her race.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jul/30/ye-shiwen-world-record-olympics-2012

[Lewis]

We donned it because Mahow was away that night.

[Yevrah]

I've got the 2012 commemorative Blu-Ray somewhere. It'd probably be a disappointment, but I'm hankering to put it on now. It's all BBC footage too.

That opening ceremony. :drool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

£5 on Coleman.

[Yevrah]

Fuck it, it's going on after this.

[John]

:D

How long is it on for?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008VSHXEE/ref=s9u_simh_gw_i1?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pd_rd_i=B008VSHXEE&pd_rd_r=JF3DW6AWWB6PRHMHH7X0&pd_rd_w=AhysY&pd_rd_wg=oQk9n&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=71JMAZRS4X5RZA1XG03Y&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=e586113b-1187-49e7-b25c-760581bc9374&pf_rd_i=desktop

7 hours, lol.

Edit: Why does the front say 7 when it's much longer :\

[Yevrah]

Ah, it's 15 hours long. :moop:

[John]

How is that little Chinese lad in this with a personal best of ten seconds?

[Yevrah]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008VSHXEE/ref=s9u_simh_gw_i1?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pd_rd_i=B008VSHXEE&pd_rd_r=JF3DW6AWWB6PRHMHH7X0&pd_rd_w=AhysY&pd_rd_wg=oQk9n&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=71JMAZRS4X5RZA1XG03Y&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=e586113b-1187-49e7-b25c-760581bc9374&pf_rd_i=desktop

7 hours, lol.

7 hours is just the footage of actual sport.

But I'm forced into this as all the BBC's highlights seem to have been taken down from their own site and Youtube, replaced instead by 'official' clips on some wank Olympics channel.

[John]

That little superhero skit from Steve Cram. :D

[Yevrah]

How is that little Chinese lad in this with a personal best of ten seconds?

It's a shocking field. Probably the worst in a major final for over 20 years.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

ffs. Should have just gone for a lay of Bolt.

Gatlin though, lol.

[Kikó]

Shiii

[Yevrah]

Haha, Gatlin.

Fuck you cunt crowd.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He's probably coked up to his eyeballs.

[P_3]

Fuck off.

[John]

Fucking Gatlin. :moop:

The worst possible outcome.

[Dark Soldier]

Fucking beautiful stuff

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

According to Wiki, that's his first ever Bronze.

[Yevrah]

One has to wonder what Bolt's been doing all year to put in a performance as bad as that.

I thought he'd win because the other's would bottle it by chucking dreadful times in, which they did, but even then that wasn't enough.

[Kikó]

Bolts start finally mattered.

Gatlin's last 50 was unreal.

[Lewis]

lol

[Spikey M]

:D lol

[Kikó]

One has to wonder what Bolt's been doing all year to put in a performance as bad as that.

I thought he'd win because the other's would bottle it by chucking dreadful times in, which they did, but even then that wasn't enough.

9.92 being a dreadful time is a funny thing. I guess we were spoiled with doped Usain

[niko_cee]

Aye, so so good that Gatlin won.

Cry your eyes out boo-boys.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Coleman has such a blistering start, not the best finisher though.

[Lewis]

Not that it alters his standing or anything, but going out on a bronze, when he could have just quit last year, does look a bit shit. He must be SEETHING.

[John]

He clearly wanted to make it twenty, although he's still going out as the best ever and with an obscene amount of money, so he won't be that bothered.

[CJay]

It was weird watching that. Bolt always starts slow but usually catches up and breezes past the field, but like Mahow was saying he looked like he was having to try so hard during the heats and the final.

Gatlin won, but the cameras have barely left Bolt. 😁

Disappointing that the 9.58 from years ago looks as far away as ever.

[Kikó]

He can focus on his united career now.

[Yevrah]

9.92 being a dreadful time is a funny thing. I guess we were spoiled with doped Usain

Times were much better than that even before Bolt came along.

[John]

He's only thirty. Any guesses how Gatlin is still doing it at thirty seven?

[Yevrah]

The first disk is in. Quick brew and let's attempt to recreate 4th August 2012.

[niko_cee]

Finding out that Bolt is 30 is the biggest shock of the night.

That's Kanu level shit right there.

Gatlin is 35. I knew that one and probably just transplanted it across to Bolt.

[Yevrah]

Is Bolt running in the 200m and/or relay?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Times were much better than that even before Bolt came along.

Indeed.

Gatlin did 9.8 to take silver 2 years ago (9.92 was the Bronze time).

2011 was the last time 9.92 won gold in the Worlds (Blake when Bolt got disqualified) and 2003 was the next time it would have been enough for gold.

At the Olympics you're looking at 1992 when Linford won with a time of 9.96.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Is Bolt running in the 200m and/or relay?

Relay yes, 200m no.

Edit: He hasn't even run a 200m race this year apparently.

[Yevrah]

Indeed.

Gatlin did 9.8 to take silver 2 years ago (9.92 was the Bronze time).

2011 was the last time 9.92 won gold in the Worlds (Blake when Bolt got disqualified) and 2003 was the next time it would have been enough for gold.

At the Olympics you're looking at 1992 when Linford won with a time of 9.96.

Christie also finished 4th in the 1991 World Championships with a time of 9.92.

[Yevrah]

The opening ceremony alone is on two discs. Must be the whole thing. :drool:

[Magic]

Gatlin winning is hilarious but tragic at the same time.

[GS]

It's unfortunate that Gatlin won, but the commentary in the immediate aftermath really was a bit much.

[Giggles]

The crowd and the TV coverage of that tonight was a fucking embarrassment.

[Henry]

Unless I'm missing something obvious, being a distance runner (from a lifestyle/training perspective) must be the dullest sport you could possibly devote your life to.

I realise I'm nowhere near elite, but I spend several hours a week at it, and it isn't remotely dull. It's quite addictive and it would be great to do it full time.

[Giggles]

It's dull as fuck to watch anyway.

[Spikey M]

I find distance running (especially the track distances) to be the opposite of Cricket. Cricket is intolerable to watch, but quite fun to play. Where as I'll happily watch Mo and his kin, but doing a 10k run can fuck right off.

[Shindig]

Seems like one of those things that grabs you hard. When it comes to watching, I only really wait for when they kick on. Something Mo Farah's built his game on to the point where it's bulletproof.

[Giggles]

Why do you all like Farah so much anyway? Did you not all vote so as his like can be put on a boat and fucked as far away as possible?

[Magic]

When a gold is on offer
Colour of skin does not bother

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Paula Radcliffe is such a twat.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Farah is a drugs cheat and so is Bolt. Keep this post for future reference.

[Spikey M]

Why do you all like Farah so much anyway? Did you not all vote so as his like can be put on a boat and fucked as far away as possible?

52% did.

Although I'm not sure how Sir Mo would be shipped back to the great EU nation of Somalia.

[Giggles]

Farah is a drugs cheat and so is Bolt. Keep this post for future reference.

There's that too. Which makes all the high and mighty BBC coverage last night even more of a lol.

[Giggles]

52% did.

Although I'm not sure how Sir Mo would be shipped back to the great EU nation of Somalia.

Forrina is forrina innit.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

There's that too. Which makes all the high and mighty BBC coverage last night even more of a lol.

They're still going on about it, especially Radcliffe.

I turned it on 30 minutes ago and nothing else has been talked about.

Should we vilify all former drug cheats? Merrit in the 110m, Manyonga who won gold in the long jump (his was crystal meth though so lol), Yoann Blake etc.

[Spikey M]

If they set up a proper boarder between North and South Ireland. :drool:

[Giggles]

If they set up a proper boarder between North and South Ireland. :drool:

For athletics? Right thread?

But yeah, fingers crossed that it happens.

[ItalAussie]

Should we vilify all former drug cheats? Merrit in the 110m, Manyonga who won gold in the long jump (his was crystal meth though so lol), Yoann Blake etc.
Anybody found guilty of taking performance-enhancing drugs should be banned forever. No takebacks.

[Spikey M]

Just let them take what they want. I for one want to see a coked up triple jump.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

KJT has dropped big points again here.

She can go just under 7 and she's jumped less than Thiam who is crap at the long jump.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Anybody found guilty of taking performance-enhancing drugs should be banned forever. No takebacks.

I'm a three strikes guy.

1st - like a year or something
2nd - around 4/5 years
3rd - they're a mong and can't compete again.

[Spikey M]

You'd do pretty well to reach 3 strikes under that system.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Well yeah, that's the point.

The second is meant to punish you by losing your prime years.

[Yevrah]

I too would be one strike and you're out, but what the moron crowd and BBC don't seem to realise is that it's not Gatlin's fault that that hasn't happened in his case.

Did the first part of the opening ceremony last night, up to Mr Bean. The pastoral setting, forging the rings, Bond and the queen. All top shit.

[Giggles]

Twats :face:

https://www.balls.ie/amp/athletics/justin-gatlin-medal-370776

[Spikey M]

Lol

[Lewis]

I don't think Bolt is a doper. If he is then he must have started at eleven, and he must have access to something that nobody else knows about. Everyone else yes.

[Spikey M]

They're all on the stuff. All of them. They'll just be paying a fuck tonne of money to Dr's and mad scientists to stay ahead of the banned substance list.

[Lewis]

He was running the 200m in close to twenty seconds when he was fifteen. He is the one in a billion freak.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Christ, Vetter just smashed the javelin there.

'KJT' has lost all hope of the bronze with that throw but the Dutchie.

[Baz]

He was running the 200m in close to twenty seconds when he was fifteen. He is the one in a billion freak.

Indeed. Imagine if he did dope.:drool:

Mike's always championing the idea of a drugs-allowed Olympics. To be fair, it would be a good watch possibly seeing a sub-19 200m etc.

[Magic]

He was running the 200m in close to twenty seconds when he was fifteen. He is the one in a billion freak.

Luck of the draw. Could have easily been a 'how type freak.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Commentators are saying that Holly Brandshaw needs a stiffer pole, lololololololol.

[Spikey M]

He was running the 200m in close to twenty seconds when he was fifteen. He is the one in a billion freak.

Freaks do exist, so maybe. It does make you wonder if / how many unrecognised Ronaldo's are currently sat suffering in Sudan or working a shit desk job in Swindon with the slugs.

[GS]

Commentators are saying that Holly Brandshaw needs a stiffer pole, lololololololol.

I thought it somewhat unnecessary that, after realising she'd descended into tears, they went to an on-track reporter as if it was dramatic breaking news and then kept the shot on her for several minutes. Because clearly she'll benefit from having that particular episode broadcast to millions whilst those in the box commentate on it. The sport itself isn't enough now - we have to engage in 'human interest' and have NARRATIVE.

To use Jimmy's phrase, the Scouseification of the country at large continues apace.

[-james-]

I find it a lot easier to believe Bolt has been using PEDs than Farah. Farah is just a case of East African genetics + GB training/facilities. Not like he's ever really been close to a world record.

Bolt has consistently taken the piss, and blown away records of other world class athletes who were up to their eyeballs in it, while living/training in fucking Jamaica and exhibiting Flo-Jo style sudden performance jumps. Its hard to believe he's not broken the rules.

[-james-]

Also the whole sport goes down the pisser immefiately if Bolt gets done for doping.

[Magic]

I find it a lot easier to believe Bolt has been using PEDs than Farah. Farah is just a case of East African genetics + GB training/facilities. Not like he's ever really been close to a world record.

Bolt has consistently taken the piss, and blown away records of other world class athletes who were up to their eyeballs in it, while living/training in fucking Jamaica and exhibiting Flo-Jo style sudden performance jumps. Its hard to believe he's not broken the rules.

He trains in America.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Mo has a dodgy coach ergo he is dodgy.

All the Kenyans/Ethiopians are bang at it as well so just another Lance Armstrong argument.

[GS]

Farah's coach, and training partner, were all heavily implicated in doping recently. It doesn't mean he is, but you have to wonder.

You have to wonder with Bolt, because it seems the entire Jamaican team - with the exception of him - have been done at some point including Blake and Powell. His stature and youth records suggest he probably is a freak, but there's a good statistic that only nine of the thirty fastest times ever recorded haven't been recorded by a drug cheat and they're all him. You can only hope he's clean, for the sake of the sport itself.

Gatlin recording some of his best times in his mid-thirties just doesn't make much sense, either.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I thought it somewhat unnecessary that, after realising she'd descended into tears, they went to an on-track reporter as if it was dramatic breaking news and then kept the shot on her for several minutes. Because clearly she'll benefit from having that particular episode broadcast to millions whilst those in the box commentate on it. The sport itself isn't enough now - we have to engage in 'human interest' and have NARRATIVE.

To use Jimmy's phrase, the Scouseification of the country at large continues apace.
Yeah I found that a bit awkward, it was hard to watch.

[John]

I find it a lot easier to believe Bolt has been using PEDs than Farah. Farah is just a case of East African genetics + GB training/facilities. Not like he's ever really been close to a world record.

Bolt has consistently taken the piss, and blown away records of other world class athletes who were up to their eyeballs in it, while living/training in fucking Jamaica and exhibiting Flo-Jo style sudden performance jumps. Its hard to believe he's not broken the rules.

Farah's best time ever is miles off the world record and generally slower than the personal bests of several of the people he's up against. If he's doping he's doing it badly. It's nothing to do with genetics or training facilities, he just does something in his 'race management' that's different from everyone else.

Of the men who've run the top fifty or so 100m times ever Bolt is the only one who hasn't been caught doping. It would be a bit of a coincidence for everyone else to be getting pinged for it while he, with his shanty in 'fucking Jamaica' somehow had the technique down so well he was getting away with injecting himself with all sorts. He's just a freak.

[Giggles]

When Farah finally gets done I hope they gather up all those sanctimonious cunts off the BBC to discuss it :drool:

[Lewis]

I think one thing you could say in defence of Justin Gatlin in relation to how he is still doing it at an older age is that he will have far superior technique (starting and running) to Bolt, which could help to spread any decline he would expect to experience better than Bolt, who would be at a comparative disadvantage once he began to lose the ability to just freak people away, which he hasn't done for a few years now (as in when he was starting shit but still sauntering over the last ten yards).

[ItalAussie]

The thing that Bolt has going for him is that his body structure is very, very different to most other sprinters. He's able to get a much larger frame moving, which explains the difference in speed between him and others. His stride length is significantly longer than any of his competitors.

I actually suspect that we'll start to see more sprinters like him in the future, as the tall, lanky athletes start to realise they can make a go of sprinting if they put the right amount of muscle onto their frame.

[Shindig]

Bolt's PB was at 23. Gatlin's PB is at 35. Whether doping has some long-term effects, I've no idea.

[Spikey M]

How long was Gatlin banned for? Presumably the bans have acted as a break and allowed for some longevity?

[Kikó]

I don't think hamstrings work like that.

They're all gaming the system, whether it be blood spinning, micro dosing or some other not yet banned set of drugs. It ruins the sport if it boils down to having the best doctor.

[niko_cee]

Gatlin was 33 when he ran his PB.

How old was Linford when he won in Barcelona?

[Shindig]

Aye, I got that number mixed with his age. Linford was 32 in Barcelona.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They could have given Sophie Hitchon another 5 minutes or so to gather herself together. They started the interview whilst still crying ffs.

[Yevrah]

I had to skip a bit of the swimming (it was fucking interminable), but have finally arrived at what this Blu-Ray is dubbing 'Super Saturday'.

First gold of the day in the men's 4. Rowing I think.

[Yevrah]

Second gold (more rowing) and then a silver, which saw Jon Inverdale tearing up. Don't even think we're at lunchtime yet and five years ago I'd already grown roots.

[John]

The three big ones came within about two hours of eachother, if my memory is correct.

[Yevrah]

They've fucked around with the chronology of the day, in that they've got the wank footballers and the cycling out of the way before showing any of the track stuff.

[Yevrah]

45 minutes between Ennis and Farah (with Rutherford inbetween) apparently.

They only showed two and a half laps of the 10k though, disappointingly.

[Yevrah]

Rutherford was still a twat back then too.

[7om]

I found out tonight that Caster Semenya's name is an anagram of 'yes a secret man'.

[randomlegend]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2017/08/07/italys-sara-errani-suspended-just-two-months-blaming-mums-tortellini/

Yeah, right.

[Reg]

Oh dear. If they believed her, why ban her?

[Disco]

There must be backhanders galore to get some of these defences to stick, unless it really is traditional to pop round to Nonna's place for a nandrolone carbonara.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The IAAF are dicks.

#LetMakwalarun.

[Spikey M]

Reminds me of the time my horses tranquillisers fell in my Special K.

[Shindig]

"Sorry to hear about your mum's breast cancer."
"What? Oh. Right."

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Makwala trying to get into the stadium :D

[Giggles]

Makwala trying to get into the stadium :D

Is there more to the story that he pulled out because he was sick?

[bruhnaldo]

I found out tonight that Caster Semenya's name is an anagram of 'yes a secret man'.

holy shit

[randomlegend]

Is there more to the story that he pulled out because he was sick?

Sounds like he was banned from attending because he has suspected norovirus (which is highly contagious).

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

But he was seen by no medical team and he has been training etc.

There was a triple jumper who fainted due to illness and was allowed to compete in the triple jump final.

The IAAF is a mess.

[randomlegend]

There was a triple jumper who fainted due to illness and was allowed to compete in the triple jump final.

It doesn't sound like he's banned for his own protection, rather as an attempt to prevent him infecting others.

As to whether he really has norovirus or not who knows.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It doesn't sound like he's banned for his own protection, rather as an attempt to prevent him infecting others.

As to whether he really has norovirus or not who knows.

I believe he's still allowed to knock about the athlete hotel though.

They haven't moved him out.

[Giggles]

All sounds legit.

Was he expected to win whatever he's in? Has betting increased on anyone else?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I doubt he would have beaten the South African Van Niekirk but he was probably looking at a silver.

[randomlegend]

I believe he's still allowed to knock about the athlete hotel though.

They haven't moved him out.

Fair enough, don't know enough about it to have an opinion to be honest :sorry:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Fair enough, don't know enough about it to have an opinion to be honest :sorry:

No one seems to really.

The IAAF have released a short statement and a doctor/physio/medical person from Botswana is calling them out as liars. He's just said he's got photos of 'Makwala on his table' at the time the IAAF are saying they were giving him a medical.

[Disco]

Botswanan? Botswanian? Botswanista?

[randomlegend]

Botswanaman.

[Giggles]

Botswanamania.

[randomlegend]

Botswanamaniac.

[Disco]

Botswanamania.

This is the one.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Renaud Lavillenie is such a stereotypical Frenchie.

World record in the pole vault yet struggles so much at bigger 'meets', especially the World Championships.

Four bronzes and one silver at the Worlds.

[ItalAussie]

Four bronzes and one silver at the Worlds.
And an Olympic gold.

It's hard to consistently dominate the pole vault.

[Shindig]

Unless you're a Russian athlete who retired before the ban dropped.

http://www.cscsquestions.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/russian-athlete-203x300.jpg

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Or Sergey Bubka, although he had that Olympics curse.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This Makwala stuff stinks to high heaven, clearly absolutely bent as fuck from the governing body as well as incompetent.

[Disco]

It takes something to be beaten in the credibility stakes by a Botswanamanian doctor.

[Shindig]

What over athletes are affected? When this first broke, the BBC described it as an outbreak among some of the competitors. If a hotel was at fault, you'd expect other team members to be struck with it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Makwala :cool:

He's going to win it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Yohan Blake off the drugs :harold:

[P_3]

He seems to have been training for the shot put.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Van Niekerk almost dumped out.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I got on Makwala to win gold @ 6.

Only £2.50 but I'm confident.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Christ that's an upset.

Kerron Clement is great and he's just been humped by a 21 year old Norwegian who is in his first major final.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I had money on Shaunae Miller and she does that :face:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Pro tip: don't bet on bent sports.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

German in the Javelin has decided to lob one out at over 91m with the qualifying mark only at 83m.

Proper mind games stuff.

Edit: Would have been enough to win gold at every Olympics bar 1976.

And enough for gold in the worlds for every year bar 2015 and 2001.

Imagine if he fucks the final now.

[Yevrah]

Throwing something, even something aerodynamic, nearly 100 metres is quite nuts when you think about it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Over in the case of one East German.

104.80 before they started changing rules.

[Yevrah]

Did they change the rules or the javelin?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

A bit of both.


On 1 April 1986, the men's javelin (800 grams (1.76 lb)) was redesigned by the governing body (the IAAF Technical Committee). They decided to change the rules for javelin design because of the increasingly frequent flat landings and the resulting discussions and protests when these attempts were declared valid or invalid by competition judges. The world record had also crept up to a potentially dangerous level, 104.80 m (343.8 ft) by Uwe Hohn. With throws exceeding 100 meters, it was becoming difficult to safely stage the competition within the confines of a stadium infield. The javelin was redesigned so that the centre of gravity was moved 4 cm (1.6 in) forward. In addition, the surface area in front of centre of gravity was reduced, while the surface area behind the centre of gravity was increased. This had the similar effect as feathers on an arrow. The javelin turns into the relative wind. This relative wind appears to originate from the ground as the javelin descends, thus the javelin turns to face the ground. As the javelin turns into the wind less lift is generated reducing the flight distance by around 10% but also causing the javelin to stick in the ground more consistently. In 1999, the women's javelin (600 grams (1.32 lb)) was similarly redesigned.[11]

Modifications that manufacturers made to recover some of the lost distance, by increasing tail drag (using holes, rough paint or dimples), were forbidden at the end of 1991 and marks made using implements with such modifications removed from the record books. Seppo Räty had achieved a world record of 96.96 m (318.1 ft) in 1991 with such a design, but this record was nullified.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YPjh_WwWas

The old one which Hohn set his record with looks like it was almost floating at the end.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Also, the triple jump final is pretty damn exciting.

Don't think we're going to see Edwards' record going though.

[Shindig]

They must have to reset the records. EDIT: Mahow's got it covered. I want Edwards' record to remain for our lifetimes. It felt daft at the time and remains daft.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Really annoying seeing Shaunae Miller running seemingly fine tonight after pulling something yesterday to cost me money.

[Yevrah]

A white bloke won the 200m?

This must be about as low as sprinting's been for years.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ramil Guliyev?

Turn up for the books that.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

A white bloke won the 200m?

This must be about as low as sprinting's been for years.

An Azerbaijani born Turk too, lol.

[Yevrah]

20.09 as well.

John Regis would have been in with a chance.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Brilliant that he's representing Turkey but only has an Azerbaijan flag draped round him.

[John]

That's a dismal time to be winning the 200m with. That would put the bloke at about 10.4 in the 100m.

[randomlegend]

Really annoying seeing Shaunae Miller running seemingly fine tonight after pulling something yesterday to cost me money.

She said she just tripped.

[Yevrah]

It was so shit a Brit finished fourth.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Only slower times for gold were in 2003 (20.30), 1987 (20.16) and 1983 (20.14).

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

She said she just tripped.

Yeah, I posted before she said that.

I assumed she had done in her hamstring.

I'm even more annoyed at her 'looking up at the screen and dragging her foot' tbh.

[Yevrah]

20.30 in 2003? Were they running in a fucking sandstorm?

[Jimmy Floyd]

2003 was when Kim Collins won the 100m wasn't it? A golden time for sprinting.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

20.30 in 2003? Were they running in a fucking sandstorm?

It was so bad that a Japanese geezer won bronze by edging out Darren Campbell.

[niko_cee]

I'm even more annoyed at her 'looking up at the screen and dragging her foot' tbh.

That stinks to high heaven. I mean, she's a professional runner. Her job is to run. How do you manage to botch the act of running given those facts? Can you bet in play on athletics?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lol at Kori Carter talking about how she loves spastic squirrels on BBC in the studio.

'I see a lot of myself in squirrels they're sort of, they're really intelligent but they're also kinda fun and spastic, a little bit of crazy.'

[bruhnaldo]

I can relate a lot to that sentiment if i'm honest

[niko_cee]

Quentin Bigot throwing the hammer for France.

Someone get that man a column in The Sun.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Martyn Rooney is absolutely shit. I don't understand how he manages to qualify every time, looks good and then manages to look like crap in any meeting that isn't strictly for Europeans.

Possibly the most overrated runners ever. Pundits/commentators love him to death.

He's a massive twat too.

[Yevrah]

G'wan Mo.

Very slow first five laps, the useless twats are playing into his hands again.

[Yevrah]

Fuck, he's in trouble here.

[P_3]

Aww, poor Mo. That was brutal.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Fuck :(

[Yevrah]

Don't know what he was doing by letting himself get boxed in for the final 200m, but it didn't look like he had enough gas in the tank anyway.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

You could see how much that meant to him on his face :(

[Giggles]

I might turn it on to bask in the studio analysis.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Still, we might as well change the country name to 'Mo Farah' in the medal table as HE IS our medal tally.

Edit: Actually, just change it to 'Sir Mohamed Muktar Jama "Mo" Farah' in the table.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Might be a bit harsh as she's only 24, but Kendra Harrison is a proper bottler and might go down as the worst world record holder ever.

In 2015 she qualifies for the World Championships but false starts in the semi final of the actual event
In 2016 she was heavily favoured to win the US trials but finishes 6th and thus doesn't qualify for Rio. A few weeks later at the Anniversary games (with nothing on the line) she breaks the world record beating 3 of the 5 who beat her in the US trials.
This year, heavily favoured to win here in London (she has the fastest time this year) but finishes 4th.

She hasn't done much better indoors either getting the fastest qualifying time in the 2016 World Champs, being heavily fancied in the final and then crashing into the first hurdle in the final.

It's not a huge catalogue of evidence but you'd expect a world record holder to have at least a bronze indoor or outdoor but has always failed whenever she had any sort of pressure on her.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

A medal from someone other than Mo?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Bet wish Bolt had retired prior to this, shame he went out like he did.

GB did amazingly well there. All four of them ran seriously well.

[P_3]

Oh, fucking yes!

[Yevrah]

That was awesome and we were 16/1 to win.

Absolute waste of time Bolt turning up here. Seriously, why did he bother?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Third fastest time ever too? Christ.

I'd like to see the splits there as all 4 ran hard.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That was awesome and we were 16/1 to win.

Absolute waste of time Bolt turning up here. Seriously, why did he bother?

I was thinking Paula was on crack when she said we'd do it.

[P_3]

I could watch those replays all day long. :drool:

Shame about Bolt though.

[Yevrah]

Experienced a ping of sadness watching Bolt pull up then.

[Yevrah]

Third fastest time ever too? Christ.

Is it the third fastest time ever if you only count the best time from each nation or genuinely the 3rd fastest time ever?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

lol at France finishing so poorly with Christoph 'Fastest White Man ever' Lemaitre.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Is it the third fastest time ever if you only count the best time from each nation or genuinely the 3rd fastest time ever?

BBC have been saying third. It's the third fastest team.

http://www.alltime-athletics.com/m4x100ok.htm

14th fastest ever if that list is correct.

[Yevrah]

Is it the third fastest time ever if you only count the best time from each nation or genuinely the 3rd fastest time ever?

Yeah, it's the former.

My bullshit detector was running wild when I heard Jackson claim that.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Really is annoying by the BBC.