FINAL!!! Canada has 18 medals! 3 Gold 9 Silver 6 Bronze

[EagerBeaver]

He could have ran 9.60 or sub 9.60, who cares, he'll do it eventually. He wasn't obsessed about time, he was just happy to win.

I totally agree, plus the 100 is not his specialty, the 200 is and he runs that on Wednesday morning 10:20 a.m. EST. In the 100 no need to exert unnecessary energy and tear a hamstring going for a record with other races still to be run. He had the race in the bag, and did not need to do anything else, and anyone who does not understand that is a geek who has never played sports.

 

[Ben Dover]

Pushing one's body to the extremes required to succeed at the Olympics has nothing to do with health. Any public money available for amateur sport should be put into local recreational facilities that all can use, not just a handful of elite athletes. Winning medals shouldn't be a government objective.

Great post. Great point.

I am a little sick of seeing these freaks of nature (in many sports, that's what they are) getting lauded simply because genetics and ridiculous inhumane training and steroids etc have turned them into machines.

I mean look at the female swimmers? look at the marathon runners? Do we applaud these people who have reached such a level that their bodies are no longer able to bear children? Or what about the gymnasts who have purposely attempted to stunt their growth for competitive reasons? Or the cyclists who have legs like tree trunks and tiny upper bodies? Does it even really send a good message to children?

Like most people, I find the olympics to be "cool" in a lot ways, but I agree that public money would be much better spent getting average and below average people to be fit.

BD

 

[Ben Dover]

He had the race in the bag, and did not need to do anything else, and anyone who does not understand that is a geek who has never played sports.

So true. Nothing like an armchair quarterback (or armchair sprinter in this case) to poo-poo a guy who just broke his own world record for not trying hard enough. Maybe "geek" is too strong. I might have just said "dork".

I found his fun-loving attitude to be almost as impressive as his performance given the incredible pressure he must have been under. If all athletes "enjoyed" the olympics as much as him, it would be better for everyone. There was no show-boating in my view. Carl Lewis is the king in the dept.

BD

 

[JustBob]

I agree with your list of most deserving Olympians although I would add Owens and drop Carl Lewis who was the Oscar Mayer of hot dogs in his time. I also think he was dirty although he was never caught.

Lewis had a pretty lean physique, not bulked up like most sprinters so he gets the benefit of the doubt from me. Florence Griffith Joiner on the other hand, was doped to the bone.

 

[JustBob]

Pushing one's body to the extremes required to succeed at the Olympics has nothing to do with health. Any public money available for amateur sport should be put into local recreational facilities that all can use, not just a handful of elite athletes. Winning medals shouldn't be a government objective.

Kids emulate. Without "heroes" to emulate how would you get kids to even use these facilities? There are a number of studies on this issue, and all of them conclude that having elite athletes has a tremendous impact in promoting a culture of sports.

 

[Possum Trot]

So in the equestrian events - don't you think the horse should get the medal instead of the rider ?

And a lifetime exemption from being shipped off to Purina.

PS Korbel

C'mon you know he was juiced and it's no cheaper a shot than implying Bolt is undeserving.

 

[korbel]

Lewis had a pretty lean physique, not bulked up like most sprinters so he gets the benefit of the doubt from me. Florence Griffith Joiner on the other hand, was doped to the bone.

Hello JB,

As we all know, there has been rigorous testing for a long time. Some are tougher to catch, but accusations are easy...often the last resort of disreputable desperate lawyers with no other way to win a case except to slander. Every athlete with any standing often faces such charges just because of their success. Why not accuse all the dominant figures at these or any games. Remember once when someone crushed the competition in the 100 meters in the Olympics he did turn out to be guilty of doping. The truth often comes out eventually as in the case of Marion Jones. But, without proof it`s just an opinion that means nothing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Johnson_(athlete)

Ben "Johnson would later remark that he would have been even faster had he not raised his hand in the air just before he finished the race. However, Johnson`s urine samples were found to contain Stanozolol, and he was disqualified three days later."

I don`t believe Bolt has done anything wrong and I won`t accuse anyone without some evidence. But, some people love to entertain themselves with speculation regardless of the lack of facts or proof. So "don`t let the facts" or lack of, "get in the way of your postings."

Cheers,

Korbel

PS Korbel

C`mon you know he was juiced and it`s no cheaper a shot than implying Bolt is undeserving.

Hello Possum Trot,

You are joking I hope? I never implied Bolt was undeserving. Yes, we all know he had other races. I just don`t like showboats...never have of any type or place.

 

[Possum Trot]

Korbel

C'mon man, Flo-Jo was really juiced as was her sister. Poor Flo paid for taking the juice with her life. Not taking the juice was the exception back in those days. These were the days before random testing months prior to the games. The testing would hardly be called rigorous back then.

Johnson got caught mainly because he was just plain stupid.

I'm guessing you think Marion Jones, Montgomery got a raw deal and McGwire, Clemons and Bonds were always clean.

As I recall before we got sidetracked here I did express an opinion that there was no bigger showboat in his era than Carl Lewis. So if you don't dislike him for being juiced at least dislike him for that

 

[JustBob]

Sorry Korbel but that's a fairly naive and/or uninformed point of view. Testing was far from rigorous in the 80's. The real efforts in that regard didn't come until the 90's. And Ben Johnson (there's no doubt he cheated) was essentially the perfect "fall guy". Conservative estimates later showed that 25-30 % of the athletes at the Seoul Olympics were doped. Some even argued that the figure was as high as 50%. Just on the women's side, 12 world track records established in the 80's have never been broken. That's just astounding. And the 90's saw a decline in women's running performances just as drug testing was getting more rigorous. Hmmm...

And yes, Florence Griffith Joiner was doped to the bone, even though she never got caught:

For example, in both the 1984 Olympics and the 1987 World Championships, a very slender Florence Griffith-Joyner finished a frustrating second in the 200 meters to suspiciously "ripped" women. To prepare for the 1988 Olympics, she radically changed her training regimen, took advice from Ben Johnson, and emerged looking like a comic book superheroine. That year she obliterated all the sprint records and won three gold medals. She then promptly retired before tougher drug testing began in 1989. While the secret of how Flo-Jo did it died with her, she made herself a household name at a single Olympics.

Actually, even if, because of his physique, it's extremely unlikely that Lewis was pumped up on steroids, he wasn't a shining example of cleanliness either and should not even have competed in Seoul:

United States Olympic Committee documents released in 2003 show he (Lewis) had originally been banned after testing positive to stimulants earlier in 1988.

A lot of athletes from that period (like a bunch of baseball players, and everybody in cycling in the past 20 years) have long lost the right to be "innocent until proven guilty".

 

[korbel]

Sorry Korbel but that's a fairly naive and/or uninformed point of view. Testing was far from rigorous in the 80's. The real efforts in that regard didn't come until the 90's. And Ben Johnson (there's no doubt he cheated) was essentially the perfect "fall guy". Conservative estimates later showed that 25-30 % of the athletes at the Seoul Olympics were doped. Some even argued that the figure was as high as 50%. Just on the women's side, 12 world track records established in the 80's have never been broken. That's just astounding. And the 90's saw a decline in women's running performances just as drug testing was getting more rigorous. Hmmm...

And yes, Florence Griffith Joiner was doped to the bone, even though she never got caught:

Actually, even if, because of his physique, it's extremely unlikely that Lewis was pumped up on steroids, he wasn't a shining example of cleanliness either and should not even have competed in Seoul:

A lot of athletes from that period (like a bunch of baseball players, and everybody in cycling in the past 20 years) have long lost the right to be "innocent until proven guilty".

Hey JB,

It's not a matter of being naive or uninformed. We all know what is going on and the difficulties of proving it in the past. But that doesn't make pointing the finger at every big stat or body right. And, if you believe so little is genuine then why bother with sports at all?????

Korbel

C'mon man, Flo-Jo was really juiced as was her sister. Poor Flo paid for taking the juice with her life. Not taking the juice was the exception back in those days. These were the days before random testing months prior to the games. The testing would hardly be called rigorous back then.

Johnson got caught mainly because he was just plain stupid.

I'm guessing you think Marion Jones, Montgomery got a raw deal and McGwire, Clemons and Bonds were always clean.

As I recall before we got sidetracked here I did express an opinion that there was no bigger showboat in his era than Carl Lewis. So if you don't dislike him for being juiced at least dislike him for that

Hello Possum Trot,

You seem like a good guy and you are right. We are side-tracked here and it's silly. But, it wasn't the showboat label that got my attention, it was the slander. For the record, I believe in merit. If someone is dirty I have no sympathy. I think a saying "Johnson got caught because he was stupid is beside the point." Regarding the other names you mentioned, I take each case individually. But, what anyone believes is not proof. If people want to make speculation it's little more than the kind easy cheap entertainment made in bars to impress girls and others of their ilk, and just as worthless. Many enjoy it, that's why the Enquirer does so well. I am going to leave it the indulgers.

Cheers,

Korbel

 

[Techman]

Hey guys...let's stop fighting about who was or wasn't using performance enhancement drugs and get back to the important things like this:

Silva Lucimara - Brazilian Track Star

http://img18.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=84027_St0855_945_122_1189lo.jpg


http://img167.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=84034_St0855_055_122_791lo.jpg

There. All better now.









And there's no way Carl Lewis was running clean.

Techman

 

[korbel]

Hello Tech,

You always bring straight talk and common sense to the board. Thanks for bringing us back to what really counts if life...a fabulous set of cheeks and a heavenly place to lay my "head".

You Rule,

Korbel

 

[Techman]

Hey Korbel, I try to do my best!

 

[seymourhass]

Conte:World Anti-Doping Agency needs to beef up offseason steroid testing

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/2...orld_antidoping_agency_needs_to_b.html?page=0

 

[korbel]

Conte:World Anti-Doping Agency needs to beef up offseason steroid testing

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/2008olympics/2008/08/18/2008-08-18_conte_world_antidoping_agency_needs_to_b.html?page=0

Hello Seymour,

Yes, I saw the three women from Jamaica, I think, sweep one race easily. Still, it's speculation.

Cheers,

Korbel

 

[korbel]

Hey guys...let's stop fighting about who was or wasn't using performance enhancement drugs and get back to the important things like this:

Silva Lucimara - Brazilian Track Star

http://img18.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=84027_St0855_945_122_1189lo.jpg


http://img167.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=84034_St0855_055_122_791lo.jpg

There. All better now.









And there's no way Carl Lewis was running clean.

Techman

Hey Tech,

Ya know, I bet a lump of coal could turn into a diamond very fast in there...lol.

http://img18.imagevenue.com/img.php?...122_1189lo.jpg

Ummmm baby,

Korbel steaming

 

[seymourhass]

Agreed

Hello Seymour,

Yes, I say the three women from Jamaica, I think, sweep one race easily. Still, it's speculation.

Cheers,

Korbel

Korbel,

It seems as though both Jamaican men and women are head and shoulders above the rest of the field with minimal effort. Who am I to judge without a positive test?

 

[mlpcmd]

10 medals now 2+4+4

 

[Possum Trot]

There. All better now.


Techman

Thanks. The poor 100 metre hurdler from Sweden who blew a tire on her first heat was smokin hot as well.

 

[voyageur11]

Canadian team is doing better up to 13 medals now.