The Greatest Show on Earth – the 2008 Olympics Games, With Emphasis on Track and Field

glenford whitter asked:


I have been following the Modern Olympic Games from as far back as the Montreal and the Moscow games in 1976 and 1980. Never have I seen so much interest and anticipation leading up to these games. Inspite of the cloud that surrounds polution in Beijing, China, the intrigue and interest continues to soar. None of the participants wants to get injury. Everyone is playing safe. Athletes are closing monitoring their progress day after day. As the clock clicks, so are our athetes working out in the gyms, jogging here and there , pondering their moves, strategies and action. No matter how effecient the authorities execute their plans in running the event, without a good show from the athletes themselves, the event will be of no avail.

EXTREMELY FAST TIMES

One reason there is so much hope is because of the extremely fast times that athletes are runnning on the track for the past three years. This along with other factor has forced the world governing body to improve its drug testing procedures to catch drug cheats. Athletes are tested at every international meet fhat they attend and there is mandatory test done on the first three athletes who past the post in that order. There are also out of competition testing available. A number of prominent athletes have tested positive which either results in two year to life ban or imprisonment.

However, athletes continue to run faster and faster. As recent as June 29, 2008 Tyson ran sizzling wind aided 9.68 seconds for the 100meters dash at USA Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

He also ran a smart 9.77 seconds over the same distance ealier in the heats. At the same meet, all three women in the 100 meters final went under 10.90 seconds with Muna Lee winning in 10.85 seconds. Another point to note in the history of the trials, the first five women in the same event went under 10 seconds. In the 200 meters sprints it was a simiilar story. The first three men went under 20 seconds with Walter Dix obliguing in 19.86 seconds. In the women’s event, all three women completed the course in less than 22.21 seconds with Allyson Felix declared the winner in 21.82 seconds with a following wind of about 4.72 meters per second.

Meanwhile at the Jamaica Track and Field Trials all four women dipped under 10.90 seconds in the 100 meters dash . Kerron Stewart won in a new personal best of 10.80 seconds with Veronica Campbell-Brown, the world champion relegated to fourth, in 10.88 seconds. However, in the 200 meters Veronica Campbell-Brown turned the table on Kerron Stewart. Campbell- Brown won in a world leading time of 21.94 seconds with Stewart close behind in 21.97 seconds. The 100 meters for men also lived to expectation. Usain Bolt, the record holder over the same event won in 9.86 seconds and Asafa Powell followed him with a 9.96 seconds run. In the 200 meter sprint for men, Bolt returned to win in 19.86 seconds.

IT MAY BE A TWO HORSE CONTEST

Based on the Statistics above, the sprints at this year summer games in Beijing, China may literally liken to be a two horse contest, “The Track and Field Power House” of United States of America verus “The Sprint Factory of the Carribean,” Jamaica. These two nations as it were have stamped their class on the sprints as if they own them. It appears as if the other participating countries are not a part of this contest. We may well have Tyson *** versus a Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell in the men’s 100 meters. In the women’s 100 meters, Muna Lee, Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams versus Kerron Stewart and company.

These duels seem to be main issues of talking point among those fans in the athletics circle. The world awaits with eagered breath for these type of contests. I refuse to predict the athletes who will emege as winners in their individual events., But one piont I will clearly state is that, the athletes will run some of fastest times ever run at an Olympic Game. It will be a feat to behold. It will have patrons on the edge of their seats. Record up records will be erased. It will attract the largest viewing audience ever to watch an Olympic Game.

I believe it will be emerged as the best ever Olympic Games ever held especially for Track and Field.

Will you be watching?