My mind is still trying to grasp the enormity of what I saw Sunday on the track in Berlin. A man that big shouldn't be able to start that fast and destroy a world record by such a large margin. Excuse me while I remain skeptical.
Usain Bolt has been something of a sprinting wunderkind since he came on the scene as a 16 year old sensation in the 200. What he accomplished last year in Beijing rivals the exploits of Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics and Carl Lewis at the 1984 Olympics. But images of Ben Johnson keep popping into my head.
So I take what I see from Bolt and for that matter Tyson Gay with a grain of salt. Such is the state of track and field in this day and age. I want to believe that 9.58 is possible but history has proven that world records of this magnitude usually don't come without some sort of chemical assistance.
Whatever the case, Bolt is a freak of nature. Taking the 200 meter crown later in the week is a forgone conclusion. The race of races will be the 4x100. The showdown between Jamaica and the United States should be one for the ages.
John,
ReplyDeleteI must disagree with you, track and field is known for being the cleanest sport in the world. These are some of the finest men and women in the world. They would never, never take any sort of chemical assistance. You should take your comments back. Right now we're watching the women's 100 meter. The women that look like men, they are just gentically gifted. So get back to your doubles, and go see your doctor for some epo, hgh and I'll see you at the senior olympics.
Mike
He is fascinating to watch though, isn't he? As someone who is terribly slow, I simply can't get enough of the folks who run like the wind.
ReplyDelete