Beijing Olympics 2008

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Comey

The only problem with Bolt (aside from that he's likely never played football) is that it takes him time to get to that top speed. Once he's there, he's amazing. But he's not a James Jett, where he can accelerate quickly. His 40 time, while it'd be good, may look average for a wideout.

You could only really utilize his speed on a 90-yard bomb, or something that gives him about a 20-yard cushion to get going.

As soon as I saw the post about Bolt and the NFL, I thought it was a great idea...until I realized what I had read about his height causing him to start slowly. That could also be because he's really not a sprinter, and gets slow starts to begin with. But he's a loper, and that takes time to get top speed.

Even the threat of those 90 yard bombs would help your offense though. He'd get double coverage every time, so you are opening up the middle of the field.

Unless of course, he only runs his routes hard when the play is designed for him.

[miami_fan]

Funny. I started thinking about what position Bolt played on the soccer pitch.

Congrats by the way to Richard Thompson on getting the silver.

[NoMyths]

Relatively slow acceleration + cornerbacks jamming Bolt at the line = cross one receiver off the possible catch list.

[Senator]

He is 6'5 - alley oop corner pass.

and, I am not sure the "slow acceleration" means what we think it does in track terms versus football terms. I would be willing to bet he would have one of the fastest acceleration in the NFL.

[JPhillips]

The bigger issue is how he would react to a guy like Ed Reed hitting him under the chin.

[Senator]

Yeah, Jamaican track stars do not generally/ever equate to NFL players. Fun to dream about it, though.

[mtolson]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Indeed. To me, Bolt is the story of these Olympics.

What ?

Phelp's is a part of breaking 8 WR's and Bolt breaks 1 and he is the story of the olympics ? I think most are just tired of hearing about Phelp's but that does not change the fact that he broke 8 WR's using 4 different strokes (or something like that). When Bolt breaks the record in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 100 Hurdles THEN he would get my vote.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by mtolson

What ?

Phelp's is a part of breaking 8 WR's and Bolt breaks 1 and he is the story of the olympics ? I think most are just tired of hearing about Phelp's but that does not change the fact that he broke 8 WR's using 4 different strokes (or something like that). When Bolt breaks the record in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 100 Hurdles THEN he would get my vote.

Hell, Bolt's not even in the Long Jump, so whatever he does in these games, it won't be as impressive as Jesse Owens or Carl Lewis.

[gstelmack]

Was watching some rowing a bit ago and wanted to congratulate the Candians around here on finally getting on the board...

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

Hell, Bolt's not even in the Long Jump, so whatever he does in these games, it won't be as impressive as Jesse Owens or Carl Lewis.

I would like to hear Bolt's rendition of the Jamaican national anthem.

[ISiddiqui]

Wow... after Bolt's 100m run, the Jamaican women SWEEP the 100m dash, winning the gold and two silvers as the 2nd place was a tie. Something in the water there!

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by mtolson

What ?

Phelp's is a part of breaking 8 WR's and Bolt breaks 1 and he is the story of the olympics ? I think most are just tired of hearing about Phelp's but that does not change the fact that he broke 8 WR's using 4 different strokes (or something like that). When Bolt breaks the record in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 100 Hurdles THEN he would get my vote.

Uh yeah... he starts running the 100m like exactly one year ago and then is so damned fast that he can slow down during the last 15m and STILL breaks the World Record by 0.2 seconds. That's jaw droppingly incredible. And he never had to run full tilt in any heat. Hell, in the QF, he basically coasted the last 50m!!

Who cares about all the gold medals and records in the pool, that 100m race was absolutely incredible.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Who cares about all the gold medals and records in the pool, that 100m race was absolutely incredible.

This is the part that puzzles me. "Who cares?" Phelps has 14 Gold Medals. The 2nd place swimmer of all-time has 9. I mean, Bolt's performance in this race was remarkable and should be celebrated, but Phelps has FAR outdone every single competitor in his event in the history of the Olympic games. Seriously, no one is even fucking close.

"Who cares?" What the hell are you people smoking?

[Senator]

You two Georgia guys shouldn't be arguing. Instead, you should be helping your fellow citizens track down that bigfoot colony.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

Was watching some rowing a bit ago and wanted to congratulate the Candians around here on finally getting on the board...

Hey...hey...we were already on the board with a Gold and Bronze in Women's Wrestling!!!!!

RESPECT!!!!

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

This is the part that puzzles me. "Who cares?" Phelps has 14 Gold Medals. The 2nd place swimmer of all-time has 9. I mean, Bolt's performance in this race was remarkable and should be celebrated, but Phelps has FAR outdone every single competitor in his event in the history of the Olympic games. Seriously, no one is even fucking close.

"Who cares?" What the hell are you people smoking?

I think Phelps was amazing, but that's absurd - swimming lends itself to far more medals than other sports. You have the 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500M races, along with one in each style (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly), along with the medleys and relays, etc etc. Running has far less.

[johnnyshaka]

Mark me down as somebody more impressed by Phelps' accomplishments than those by Bolt.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

This is the part that puzzles me. "Who cares?" Phelps has 14 Gold Medals. The 2nd place swimmer of all-time has 9. I mean, Bolt's performance in this race was remarkable and should be celebrated, but Phelps has FAR outdone every single competitor in his event in the history of the Olympic games. Seriously, no one is even fucking close.

"Who cares?" What the hell are you people smoking?

When it comes to a great story, I'm really interested by quantity. I want to see great stories in a competition. Lezak's come from behind win over Bernard in the 4*100m relay was a GREAT story. Phelps wins 8 GM with 8 WR, impressive, but doesn't really call to me that much as a story (thought his win in 100m fly was).

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

When it comes to a great story, I'm really interested by quantity. I want to see great stories in a competition. Lezak's come from behind win over Bernard in the 4*100m relay was a GREAT story. Phelps wins 8 GM with 8 WR, impressive, but doesn't really call to me that much as a story (thought his win in 100m fly was).

I think you might just not have a full understanding of the situations in all of those races then.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

I think you might just not have a full understanding of the situations in all of those races then.

Thanks for your condescension, but I believe I do.

[DaddyTorgo]

you're welcome

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

This is the part that puzzles me. "Who cares?" Phelps has 14 Gold Medals. The 2nd place swimmer of all-time has 9. I mean, Bolt's performance in this race was remarkable and should be celebrated, but Phelps has FAR outdone every single competitor in his event in the history of the Olympic games. Seriously, no one is even fucking close.

"Who cares?" What the hell are you people smoking?

Absolutely. Bolt's race was incredible, but Phelps is the story of this olympics. 8 gold medals ends all discussion.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Absolutely. Bolt's race was incredible, but Phelps is the story of this olympics. 8 gold medals ends all discussion.

+1

[ISiddiqui]

This is why I pick Bolt, btw (in case people are still confused):

BBC SPORT | Olympics 2008 blog

You knew from the moment he stood by his blocks, seconds before the start of the most hyped 100m in history, and posed like a man messing about in a club with his mates.

It's the Olympic final. You're supposed to be shaking inside, aware that you're about to go through the 10 seconds that could define the rest of your life.

There are 90,000 people staring down at you from all sides of the stadium, billions more watching around the world on television.

Usain Bolt's performance on Saturday night was unbelievable, in the most flabbergasted, mouths-agape sense of the word.

These races are won by hundredths of a second, by dips on the line, by the width of a vest. They're not won by chasms.

When Bolt's world record time flashed up on the in-field scoreboard at the Bird's Nest, people actually started laughing.

It was that astonishing, that implausible.

This was only the ninth competitive 100m Bolt has ever run. He wasn't even sure if he'd be running in this race a fortnight ago, and that was when his coach told him that he would.

To explode down the track and run that time, not even trying for the last 15 metres, holding his arms out wide and virtually talking to the crowd, simply defies belief.

But, from the moment he walked out onto the brightly-lit stadium floor, Bolt looked ready to rip up the rule-book.

When pounding, portentous music was played over the PA system as the athletes peeled off their tracksuits pre-race, Bolt started throwing dancehall shapes even as Asafa Powell looked sick with anxiety.

When the starter called the finalists to their blocks and a total hush fell over the rammed-to-the-rafters stadium, the only noise the clattering helicopter overhead, Bolt appeared to be singing to himself.

As he flashed across the line a few seconds later, the fastest human being who's ever lived, he punched his chest, pulled up his bright yellow vest to show off his sprinter's six-pack and roared with delight as the steepling stands roared back at him.

You can try to put this run into context, but there isn't one.

The closest you can get is Michael Johnson's 19.32secs for the 200m in Atlanta 12 years ago, also done in golden spikes. But that was achieved by a man aged 29, at the peak of his powers, after years and years of running the event.

Bolt is 21. It's the first senior 100m final of his life.

The 100m world record isn't generally broken in Olympic finals. Of the last eight records set, only one came at an Olympics - Donovan Bailey's 9.84secs in 1996.

In Beijing, Bolt had a start that was at best average, with six of his opponents reacting quicker to the gun that he did.

There wasn't even a following wind, unlike in May, when he was blown along by a tailwind of +1.7m/s as he ran 9.72secs in New York.
On Saturday night, the Olympic flag hung limply from its pole.
How fast could he have run with a breeze at his back, pushing hard all the way to the line? 9.66? 9.65?

These are numbers that seemed utterly impossible even a few days ago. Now, for Bolt, they're within reach.

Maybe we shouldn't be surprised. Bolt has been a sprinting phenomenon ever since he went through puberty, shot up to 6ft 5in and started running times that created waves far outside his native Jamaica.

As a lanky 15-year-old from Trelawny, he became the youngest ever gold medallist at the World Juniors, storming to the 200m title and repeating the trick a year later.

Injury delayed his progression a little, as did the depth of 200m talent at senior level and the careful nurturing of his coach Glen Mills, but for most judges it was simply matter of when, not if.

For Bolt's two great adversaries ahead of Saturday's showdown, it was a night to throw away and forget about forever.

Powell, for three years the fastest sprinter in the world, the man who's gone under 9.80 seconds more times than anyone else in history, once again failed to deliver in a major championship final.

Even in his worst nightmares he couldn't have imagined running 9.95secs in the Olympic final, not even finishing on the podium.

For Tyson Gay it was even worse. Despite his claims to be back to his best, he failed to even make it through the semis to witness his rival make history first-hand.

Bolt now stands head and shoulders above every other sprinter, both physically and metaphorically.

Like Michael Phelps, he came into these Olympics as a mere sports star but will leave them as a global icon.

And let's not forget - the event he considers to be his best is still to come

[gstelmack]

The reason I'd pick Phelps is Phelps uses his entire body, swam FAR more races, and shattered records in similar manners. Bolt may have run the most ridiculous 100 ever, but it's such a specialized thing compared to what Phelps did.

[QuikSand]

Phelp's

Phelp's

Please stop this.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

I think Phelps was amazing, but that's absurd - swimming lends itself to far more medals than other sports. You have the 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500M races, along with one in each style (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly), along with the medleys and relays, etc etc. Running has far less.

Right, but as I said in the very post you quoted, Phelps is FAR ahead of anything any other swimmer has ever done, all of whom had the same advantages of multiple events. We can compare performances agaisnt historical competitors in other events.

Phelps has outclassed every swimmer ever, both in a single Olympics, and especially in an overall Olympics. However, there are two Track & Field athletes that have won more Golds in a single Olympics than Bolt is even eligible for this year.

[QuikSand]

If the way to put Phelps into perspective is by way of Mark Spitz (and I think it is) then it's at least possible that the way to put Bolt's 100m into perspective is by way of Bob Beamon and the 29-2 from Mexico City. Yes, it was only a ten second event, and doesn't demonstrate the breadth of accomplishment that Phelps has shown with his amazing effort - but it's possible that his 100m will stand as a singularly unbelievable accomplishment.

The thing is... there's plenty of reason to think that Bolt hasn't even shown us what he can really do. So, unlike Beamon and his totally jaw-dropping world record in a signature event...Bolt may just be introducing a new standard in his.

There is no easy way to try to measure these two accomplishments relative to one another, especially right now. But to the extent that track and field matters as a sport -- Bolt has the potential to be a sort of Mike Tyson (try to remember the young knockout artist on his way up) or Tiger Woods figure, I'd think. That's pretty exciting. You don't have to diminish Phelps in any way to see that.

[MIJB#19]

As huge as Michael Phelps achievement is (kudos to him), it quickly shows how messed up the medals distribution is. The only group of events where you can set or break his record is at swimming or ski walking. In other sports, players need to compete in more heats and can win only one medal, unless they start competing in two different sports).

14 distances is still way too much. Sure, for world championships swimming it's nice and all, but at the Olympics they should trim it down to (edit: almost) half of that:
short distance (100m)
long distance (400m?)
100m butterfly
100m backstroke
100m breast stroke
medly (400m?)
4x100m relay
4x100m medley relay

And while they're at it, nuke the double bronze medals in the fighting sports, let those two people play one more time for that single medal!

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

The reason I'd pick Phelps is Phelps uses his entire body, swam FAR more races, and shattered records in similar manners. Bolt may have run the most ridiculous 100 ever, but it's such a specialized thing compared to what Phelps did.

If you don't think sprinters/runners use their whole body, you haven't competed in track events much.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Please stop this.

hahahahaha

[miami_fan]

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Right now, this seems like the Bolt is the new flash (pun intended) while Phelps is the guy who we have seen and heard already. Most people already know the Phelps story. Most people are tired of the Phelps story. Not many people know the Bolt story. This is the first time, those who have don't watch track and field have seen him run. Bolt has been a world class sprinter for years now and was the world record holder in the event. I think Bolt may be the better story just because he is the unknown. However, to me, the greater accomplishment of these Games so far has to be Phelps.

[Senator]

Bush praises swimmer Phelps’ Olympic performance

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP)—President Bush praised Olympic champion Michael Phelps on Sunday for his performance in the swimming pool and outside it.

“If you can handle eight gold medals, you can handle anything, get ready for Iraq” Bush told the record-breaking medalist in a telephone call to Beijing from his Texas ranch.

Phelps won eight gold medals, eclipsing Mark Spitz’s seven-gold performance at the 1972 Munich Games. Phelps now has an astonishing 14 golds in his career, five more than any Olympian ever.

In the call, Bush said he and first lady Laura Bush were thrilled by Phelps’ achievement and that the swimmer had handled himself with “humility,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

“He told Michael ‘Laura and I are proud of you. Our family is proud of you, but most importantly, America is proud of you. We’re excited for you,” Johndroe said.

Bush was in Beijing, cheering from the stands, when Phelps claimed his first gold medal by smashing his own world record in the 400-meter individual medley. Afterward, the president and his father, George H.W. Bush, the 41st president, posed for a photograph with Phelps’ mother.

“Give your mom a big hug for me,” Bush told Phelps on the phone. “Forty-one and I were honored to get a picture with her.”

[samifan24]

Originally Posted by Senator

“If you can handle eight gold medals, you can handle anything, get ready for Iraq” Bush told the record-breaking medalist in a telephone call to Beijing from his Texas ranch.

What a strange thing to say.

[MikeVic]

Hahaha that Iraq line cracks me up. What the hell.

[Radii]

I kinda like that he refers to his dad as "forty-one" in casual conversation.

[ISiddiqui]

He's probably only half kidding about the Iraq line. Phelps is on his way over there right now .

[Vegas Vic]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

However, there are two Track & Field athletes that have won more Golds in a single Olympics than Bolt is even eligible for this year.

Getting back to track & field, and quantifying great performances in different sports, the guys who excel in the decathlon are still without peer, in my opinion. Take a look at these marks from the current world record holder, Roman Šebrle:

100m - 10.64
400m - 47.76
1,500m - 4:21.98
110m hurdles - 13.68
high jump - 7'1"
pole vault - 17'1"
long jump - 26'7"
shot put - 54'
discus - 162'
javelin - 233'6"

For someone to be able to excel in ten events over a grueling two day period, requiring speed, strength and endurance, is more impressive than anything else I've ever seen in the Olympics.

[stevew]

There's no incentive for Bolt to run 9.59 and break the record by that much. Now he can smash it 2 or 3 more times and keep making bank.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by stevew

There's no incentive for Bolt to run 9.59 and break the record by that much. Now he can smash it 2 or 3 more times and keep making bank.

Someone else has to break it first to make him setting a new record relevant.

[stevew]

Eh, Bubka broke the pole vault record 35 times and was still considered relevant. Even though he shit the bed in 2 different olympics.

[Thomkal]

Anyone watch the woman's vault a little while ago? Pretty wild event with one girl getting no score for one of her vaults for going before the light went on, to the Chinese girl almost landing on her knees, yet getting a better score than our American girl Alicia who only had small hops on her landings, to a 33 year old getting the silver.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Absolutely. Bolt's race was incredible, but Phelps is the story of this olympics. 8 gold medals ends all discussion.

I'll happily admit to the fact that it takes all of the first day of swimming heats at the Olympics to make me never want to watch swimming again (until 4 years later, when I seem to forget and need to be reminded again) might make me a little biased when I say this, but what Bolt did (shatter a record, destroy the rest of the pack, and still have more in the tank) is far more impressive than any of the WRs or ORs that Phelps set in the pool - A pool which is scientifically engineered to be the "fastest pool" the Olympics has ever seen.

Having said that, all swimmers were obviously facing the same conditions and Phelps (and, when applicable, his teammates) was better than the rest of the pack. I'm not trying to steal any of the shine from his 8 golds - he's an amazing swimmer, and clearly the best in the world.

Running records are just a lot more "sacred" to me, and Bolt just absolutely blew me away.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

14 distances is still way too much. Sure, for world championships swimming it's nice and all, but at the Olympics they should trim it down to (edit: almost) half of that:
short distance (100m)
long distance (400m?)
100m butterfly
100m backstroke
100m breast stroke
medly (400m?)
4x100m relay
4x100m medley relay

I completely agree. Even though it likely means less medals for my country, I'd happily sacrifice that for more TV time for other non-swimming related events. I mean jeezus, over here the first week of Olympics coverage is basically just swimming after swimming, with the very occassional snippet of coverage of the other events.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

I'll happily admit to the fact that it takes all of the first day of swimming heats at the Olympics to make me never want to watch swimming again (until 4 years later, when I seem to forget and need to be reminded again) might make me a little biased when I say this, but what Bolt did (shatter a record, destroy the rest of the pack, and still have more in the tank) is far more impressive than any of the WRs or ORs that Phelps set in the pool - A pool which is scientifically engineered to be the "fastest pool" the Olympics has ever seen.

Having said that, all swimmers were obviously facing the same conditions and Phelps (and, when applicable, his teammates) was better than the rest of the pack. I'm not trying to steal any of the shine from his 8 golds - he's an amazing swimmer, and clearly the best in the world.

Running records are just a lot more "sacred" to me, and Bolt just absolutely blew me away.

why are they more sacred though? aren't they

1) statistically more likely to be doping
2) also utilizing technology - tracks designed to be "faster", as well as scientifically-designed shoes that are both lighter and designed to aid the runners in all kinds of ways with cushioning and stuff like that (that I freely admit I don't totally understand)

??

the answer to both of those questions is: "yes"

The difference is that the advancements in track-and-field in that sense get less airtime than the changes in the swimming.

There really aren't any "sacred" sports anymore where you don't see the impact of technology - maybe something like discus or shot-put is the only type of event.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

why are they more sacred though? aren't they

1) statistically more likely to be doping
2) also utilizing technology - tracks designed to be "faster", as well as scientifically-designed shoes that are both lighter and designed to aid the runners in all kinds of ways with cushioning and stuff like that (that I freely admit I don't totally understand)

??

the answer to both of those questions is: "yes"

The difference is that the advancements in track-and-field in that sense get less airtime than the changes in the swimming.

1) Call me cynical, but I'm pretty much operating under the assumption that there is a ton more doping going on across many events than we'll ever know about.
2) Yeah sure, but it's not even close to the work that has gone in to the pool. It's been studied less on the track because it's record after record in the pools that are getting smashed on an hourly basis, not those on the tracks.

[aran]

Anyone watching fencing?

I've watched probably 4-6 hours of Sabre fencing over the past three days. I fenced sabre for a couple of years and really enjoy watching it. What a challenging sport to watch and keep up with.

[Cringer]

I just want to say that gymnast Alex Ardemev (sp?) quickly became one of my favorite guys at this Olympics and it sucked to see him fall tonight on the pommel horse. He tried to make it even harder then normal and I don't know if the extra hard part wore him out like the commentator suggested, but it would have been great to see him win a medal. He was without a doubt to me the most exciting guy I saw in that event, he just pulled some very cool moves.

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

I think Phelps was amazing, but that's absurd - swimming lends itself to far more medals than other sports. You have the 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500M races, along with one in each style (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly), along with the medleys and relays, etc etc. Running has far less.

If its so easy, why don't runners do the 100, 200, 1500, 3000, maybe throw in some hurdles and the steeple chase? People complaining about the events need to really think about it. The strokes are ENTIRELY different (why most swimmers specialize) and the distances make the race entirely different (why you don't see many runners doing multiple distances). Are the number of events in swimming a little out of control? Sure. But stop saying that T&F is superior and its harder to switch distances -- why is it supposedly easier to do in swimming than T&F?

[ISiddiqui]

Liu Xiang achillies prevents him from running the 110m hurdles. Big news for China!