Athletics Thread

[kinboshi]

Was going to start this the other day as I think there's enough interest in athletics to have a thread dedicated to it.

Live the heavyweight division in boxing, the men's 100m always attracts a lot of the interest. Tal's just posted about Gay withdrawing from the World Champs after testing positive for a banned substance http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/23307913).  Then, there's the GB Men's 100m selection headache for the World Champs - with 4 pegs to fit into 3 holes (surely Gemili gets one of the spots?).

[Tal]

If Gay fails the B test and it's a performance-enhancing or masking drug, where does this leave US sprinting? BALCO did a lot of damage, but seemed to leave behind the 7-10 split of Tyson Gay, who refused to be implicated, at least in the eyes of Joe Public.

How long will it take for the USA to recover? Will Jamaica now be left to dominate for this generation or, dare I ask, is there one more big revelation to come?

The eternal counter-argument is that testing is now so much better, although that leaves more unanswered questions.

As for the positive good news, 9.91 is a major championship final time and we suddenly have a group of potential sub-10.1 sprinters, which gives us a fighter's chance of relay medals going forward.

[kinboshi]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/23299764

Dasaolu with the second-fastest time by a British runner ever (2nd only to Christie).  However, Dasaolu has been plagued with injuries and seems to struggle in comps with qualifying rounds (which will obviously be the case in the Worlds).  Gemili, a 19-year old who switched to athletics from playing football for Dagenham & Redbridge, didn't run in the British Champs, which are the 'qualifiers' for the Worlds.  He hasn't run an 'A' time yet, but the selectors might decide he's worthwhile including.  His time in 2012 of 10.05 put him ahead of Bolt, Powell, etc., when they were the same age - so he's definitely a prospect.  He also just missed out on reaching the final last year in the Olympics, which would have been some story.

So Dasaolu obviously has a place, as does the cheat Dwayne Chambers who won the event with an A-time.  Mark Lewis-Francis, Adam Gemili and Harry Aikines-Aryeete are left contesting the third spot in the team.  Lewis-Francis will definitely miss out (imo), and it's between the other two for me.

[kinboshi]

If Gay fails the B test and it's a performance-enhancing or masking drug, where does this leave US sprinting? BALCO did a lot of damage, but seemed to leave behind the 7-10 split of Tyson Gay, who refused to be implicated, at least in the eyes of Joe Public.

How long will it take for the USA to recover? Will Jamaica now be left to dominate for this generation or, dare I ask, is there one more big revelation to come?

The US have Gatlin, so their squeaky-clean image will be fine

Would be devastating for the 100m if one of the big Jamaicans was tested positive. Some think it's just a matter of time, but you can just hope that isn't the case.

The eternal counter-argument is that testing is now so much better, although that leaves more unanswered questions.

Unfortunately, there'll always be doubt in the eyes of the public.  I'm sure many are pointing fingers at Dasaolu's 9.91 and asking where the hell that came from.

As for the positive good news, 9.91 is a major championship final time and we suddenly have a group of potential sub-10.1 sprinters, which gives us a fighter's chance of relay medals going forward.

Relay team should be a shoo-in for a medal, if they can manage the small matter of getting the baton round the track...

[DaveShoelace]

Glad you started this, the big takeaway from London 2012 for me was it got me into Athletics (to watch not do obv) love the Diamond meets and such on the beeb.

[kinboshi]

Yeah, the BBC are putting a lot into their coverage this year.  Even covering it on the radio, etc.

[outragous76]

Lol athletics  -are you cycling in disguise

Not surprising nobody cba to watch it with results like the Gay test - he has basically admitted guilt by saying "I put my trust in someone I shouldn't have"

There really is no point in watching a sport where it feels like its 50/50 that is 3-5 years a winner will get busted

[MintTrav]

Would be devastating for the 100m if one of the big Jamaicans was tested positive. Some think it's just a matter of time, but you can just hope that isn't the case.

The Jamaicans are up to their necks in drugs.

Two of the big Jamaicans, Mullings & Blake, have already had drugs bans.

On the women's team, Campbell-Brown & Fraser-Price have had positives.

Today, two Olympic medalist Jamaican sprinters have reportedly tested positive for banned substances. Odds-on that Blake is one of them. A second offence could mean a major ban. Mullings, the 8th-fastest man ever, World Championship relay gold medalist, got a lifetime ban for his second.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jul/14/jamaican-sprinters-fail-drugs-test

[DaveShoelace]

Why can't we just have a steroid Olympics? Surely we would get a sub 8 seconds 100m with that.

[MintTrav]

Why can't we just have a steroid Olympics? Surely we would get a sub 8 seconds 100m with that.

We already have. Gay's result means that the 2nd, 3rd & 4th place finishers in last Summer's Men's 100m have all had postive drugs tests.

[kinboshi]

Lol athletics  -are you cycling in disguise

Not surprising nobody cba to watch it with results like the Gay test - he has basically admitted guilt by saying "I put my trust in someone I shouldn't have"

There really is no point in watching a sport where it feels like its 50/50 that is 3-5 years a winner will get busted

The 100m = athletics in the same way as heavyweight boxing = boxing. 

Would much rather watch a good 1,500m, 5,000m or 10,000m race than the 100m.  Of course, as a spectacle it's good to watch, but it's certainly not the be all and end all of athletics.

When you say nobody can be arsed to watch it, you basing that on viewing figures and attendances or on your household viewing figures?

[Doobs]

Lol athletics  -are you cycling in disguise

Not surprising nobody cba to watch it with results like the Gay test - he has basically admitted guilt by saying "I put my trust in someone I shouldn't have"

There really is no point in watching a sport where it feels like its 50/50 that is 3-5 years a winner will get busted

The 100m = athletics in the same way as heavyweight boxing = boxing. 

Would much rather watch a good 1,500m, 5,000m or 10,000m race than the 100m.  Of course, as a spectacle it's good to watch, but it's certainly not the be all and end all of athletics.

When you say nobody can be arsed to watch it, you basing that on viewing figures and attendances or on your household viewing figures?

And all drugs= steroids obv.

Was anybody else arsed enough to get tickets for the anniversary games in a couple of weeks?

Got 3 for the Saturday.

[outragous76]

Lol athletics  -are you cycling in disguise

Not surprising nobody cba to watch it with results like the Gay test - he has basically admitted guilt by saying "I put my trust in someone I shouldn't have"

There really is no point in watching a sport where it feels like its 50/50 that is 3-5 years a winner will get busted

The 100m = athletics in the same way as heavyweight boxing = boxing. 

Would much rather watch a good 1,500m, 5,000m or 10,000m race than the 100m.  Of course, as a spectacle it's good to watch, but it's certainly not the be all and end all of athletics.

When you say nobody can be arsed to watch it, you basing that on viewing figures and attendances or on your household viewing figures?

feel free to quote viewing figures for athletics pre June 2012 and ill listen to what you have to say re audience participation

There was a huge link between positive drugs tests from 1988 onwards and the decline of the sport (you can make you mind up as to whether is was causal)

I personally don't watch athletics (outside of Olympics) because im not that interested, but the lack of interest is compounded by continual failed drugs tests of former champions

[kinboshi]

Lol athletics  -are you cycling in disguise

Not surprising nobody cba to watch it with results like the Gay test - he has basically admitted guilt by saying "I put my trust in someone I shouldn't have"

There really is no point in watching a sport where it feels like its 50/50 that is 3-5 years a winner will get busted

The 100m = athletics in the same way as heavyweight boxing = boxing. 

Would much rather watch a good 1,500m, 5,000m or 10,000m race than the 100m.  Of course, as a spectacle it's good to watch, but it's certainly not the be all and end all of athletics.

When you say nobody can be arsed to watch it, you basing that on viewing figures and attendances or on your household viewing figures?

feel free to quote viewing figures for athletics pre June 2012 and ill listen to what you have to say re audience participation

Feel free to quote the figures yourself.

There was a huge link between positive drugs tests from 1988 onwards and the decline of the sport (you can make you mind up as to whether is was causal)

You talking about the 100m again?

I personally don't watch athletics (outside of Olympics) because im not that interested, but the lack of interest is compounded by continual failed drugs tests of former champions

You talking about the 100m again?

[outragous76]

Not just the 100m but without doubt that is both the marquee event of any meet and where most high profile failures have been

But the reality is 100m also equals 200m and long jump

You can also put EVERY throwing event into the list

So that leaves long distance running and some jumping events. I'm fairly sure that there was high profile failures in both Decathlon and Heptathlon within the last 5 years

But the simple fact remains, that in the hierarchy of drug failures (especially high profile ones) athletics is heavily smeared.