OK, so this weekend I've been glued to my TV, heart pounding, anxiety mounting, but feeling on top of the world. This weekend was the start of the World Championships in Berlin, Germany. if you know anything of Jamaica you'll know we are athletics (esp track) fanatics....we also have the calibre athletes to justify our love of the sport.
Biggest treat today?
USAIN BOLT BROKE THE WORLD RECORD AGAIN!!!!!!
This means he has lowered the mark from 9.69 to 9.58...is that even conceivable? Also, my personal favourite, Asafa Powell, placed third in a race which saw him running the best in a long time. What can i say, I'm proud of my Jamaican boys.
Only negative to the 100m race was Tyson Gay cursing at the end as if he thought he would have won Bolt. I think it would have been more in keeping with the spirit of sports, if he enjoyed the moment and thanked God his name would be a part of history, after all he was in a history-making race. To make things worse, the guy ran the best race of his life, lowering the American record, running faster than he would have dreamt of running a year ago, yet he was too vexed to even celebrate his achievement. I really hate sore losers.
Anyway, I'm signing out now, cause i gotta rest so i can catch some more races tomorrow! two medals to down, many more to come!!!!
6 comments:
I always appreciate women who are into sports since its always seen as a male thing!:P I'm trying to play more sports; I really like tennis. I'll see if I can take some classes;)
Sadly, i have to admit that i watch more sports than i participate in. When i was an undergraduate though, i used to play football and do track ( i have a medal from track). I've also participated in basketball, hockey, netball and badminton. I'm a dabbler! lol
I would enjoy Bolt's performance more if he carried himself with more dignity.
Yeah, I know the issue has been kicked around; "he's just a kid having fun","It's just his personality", "He's got the WR he can do what he wants" etc., and to be honest I have noticed an improvement in the kinds of comments he makes since the Olympics,but he still comes across a bit clownish.Not a good image.
As a former sprinter myself who has experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat I just don't care for his act.
Edward, I fully appreciate your point, because I perhaps would make similar comments if it was an American who was carrying on like that, lol. However,I don't understand your point about his comments, because while his on-track antics leave much to be desired by some, I believe he has carried himself well in interviews (except for the fake accent he sometimes uses, which annoys the hell out of me).
But you know, in many other sports, athletes are allowed to show a little flair, why should athletics remain in the past and remain boring for young fans? Also, if his personality can bring some attention to the sport and to other athletes, how does it hurt? How does his clownish actions hurt the sport part from making HIM look like a clown.
PS. Thanks for the debate, i love these things
As Black men, the two things that are most consistently expected of us by others are:(1) criminality, and (2)clownishness.
I for one (among many other of similar thought) see no reason to feed either of those stereotypes.
While no one has ever actually accused me of having a personality per se, I HAVE experienced the spontaneous fountain of jubilation that erupts from within when I snatch the victory that lies between a flash and a heartbeat, and I can tell you it involves nothing like the posturing, and posing he deposits on the track.
Most disturbing to me, though, is the efforts I've seen of youngsters to emulate and exceed his showboating- taunting slower competitors during races, boastful behavior that loudly shouts insecurity, immaturity, and poor sportsmanship.
Powell always had my respect for both his performances and his bearing. But watching him before the start of the recent World 100 final ...I guess the sponsors got to him too. Problem is he doesn't pull off "silly" very well.
Being fed a steady diet of Bolt and his prancing antics, the casual athletics fan may fail to appreciate and may never see the determination of the last runner to enter the stadium and finish the Olympic marathon. The true spirit of sport shows that greatest victory comes when you conquer yourself.
I've never been much for drawing attention to myself, but at every youth track meet, I am usually the one to clap first, loudest and longest for the skinny kid in the long distance race who struggles home to the finish line...and I am always inspired by it. And there you have it.
Incidentally, I was born in London and my parents are from Lambsriver westmoreland and Shooter's Hill Manchester.
Post a Comment