I was actually amazed to see that Flojo's WR is still holding up after 30+ years, and her OR was just broken this Olympics. Although from what Usain Bolt was saying, evidently there's something about the spikes in the shoes they're using or something.
The men's 100m was where I thought the US would really rip it up with Bromell taking gold, but he barely got past the initial qualifying round and then got eliminated by running a 10. He was eliminated by something like a thousandth of a second (?!). Unreal. Not sure what was up with Bromell. He was running 9.7's and 9.8's during the season. Oh well. Congrats to Kerley moving from the 400m to 100m and getting a silver which is also kind of nuts. And Italy is the new 100m champion... what a crazy world these past couple of years. lol.
Prime time Sunday afternoon sports day and the damn horses are the most interesting thing on all the olympic channels rn. A horse just quit because it's too hot which is kind of humourous.
Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya says she was taken to airport against her wishes (espn.com) TOKYO -- A Belarusian sprinter said she was taken to the airport against her wishes on Sunday to board a flight back home after she complained about national coaches at the Tokyo Olympics. Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who was due to compete in the women's 200 meters on Monday, told Reuters she did not plan to return to her home country. She said she had sought the protection of Japanese police at Tokyo's Haneda airport so she would not have to board the flight. "I will not return to Belarus," she told Reuters in a message over Telegram. The Belarusian Olympic Committee said in a statement that coaches had decided to withdraw Tsimanouskaya from the Games on doctors' advice about her "emotional, psychological state." The Belarusian Olympic Committee did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment. A Reuters photographer witnessed the athlete standing next to Japanese police. "I think I am safe," she said. "I am with the police." A police officer at Haneda airport said they were with a female Olympic athlete from Belarus at Terminal 3. A source at the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation, which supports athletes jailed or sidelined for their political views, said Tsimanouskaya planned to request asylum in Germany or Austria on Monday. Tsimanouskaya filmed a video that was published on Telegram by the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation, in which she asked the International Olympic Committee to get involved in her case. The IOC, which has been in dispute with the Belarus National Olympic Committee ahead of the Tokyo Games, said it had intervened. "The IOC is looking into the situation and has asked the NOC for clarification,'' it said in a statement. Tsimanouskaya, 24, said coaching staff had come to her room on Sunday and told her to pack. She was taken to the airport before she could run in the 200 meters and 4x400 meters relay on Thursday. She said she had been removed from the team due "to the fact that I spoke on my Instagram about the negligence of our coaches." Tsimanouskaya had previously complained she was entered in the 4x400 meters relay after some members of the team were found to be ineligible to compete at the Olympics because they had not undergone a sufficient amount of doping tests. "Some of our girls did not fly here to compete in the 4x400 meters relay because they didn't have enough doping tests," Tsimanouskaya told Reuters from the airport. "And the coach added me to the relay without my knowledge. I spoke about this publicly. The head coach came over to me and said there had been an order from above to remove me." Tsimanouskaya added that she had reached out to members of the Belarusian diaspora in Japan to retrieve her at the airport. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has kept a tight grip on Belarus, a former Soviet state, since 1994. Faced with mass street protests last year over what his opponents called rigged elections, he ordered a violent crackdown on protesters. Lukashenko denies the allegations of vote-rigging. Unusually in a country where elite athletes often rely on government funding, some prominent Belarusian athletes joined the protests. Several were jailed, including Olympic basketball player Yelena Leuchanka and decathlete Andrei Krauchanka. Others lost their state employment or were kicked off national teams for supporting the opposition. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The worst thing about this Tokyo production is they purposely wait until primetime; they dont even show it live on television for the people who are okay staying up or waking up early to watch. You can run this sh*t twice, man..
How could anyone possibly avoid spoilers for the biggest event at the games? And isn't the 100m always one of the last events why did they schedule it so early?
I think it's the lack of star power IMO. when the Americans failed to qualify (no star power in this race for USA too) they just punted and are waiting for Alison Felix and other more marketable athletes to feature. I've been saying there is a serious lack of personality this Olympics. Great this Italian dude won, but there are no stars for us casuals. Usain Bolt 100 and 200 were some of the last events followed by the relays.
I thought Kerley might shock the world but he did hit another personal best in the final which is impressive.
It's so strange they keep running the commercial with Richardson, but I've yet to hear or see anything about Gabby Thomas who could become one of the biggest stars of the games. She literally has a real chance to win one of the biggest events and possibly set a record.
Give Olympic Horses Their Damn Medals Already https://www.theringer.com/2021/8/1/22604492/give-olympic-horses-their-damn-medals-already
I agree. they dont know what their doing. Maybe its because they already had their stuff done and couldnt make anything extra because of COVID. I think Gabby winning the 200 was a surprise.
My track crush. lol. Fine as hell, has brains, and she'll run you down if necessary. So much marketing potential with this girl, but I agree, you don't see her enough. Maybe that'll change if she wins gold, but she'll have some competition from Jamaica. She really just started peaking, though, tbh. I think a lot of it has to do with people not really caring about the Olympics or following athletics as much during COVID (?). No idea.