Sheena’s 2024 Athletics Thread (1 Viewer)

[Sheena]

Yeah, that’s true, I just think if there’s been an exceptional circumstance such as injury, illness or a freak incident in qualifying a defending champ only, if they’ve proven fitness and times by a cut off point, might be worth wild carding in in the interest of the sport. I guess I just really want to see the match up.

Different sport different scenario but in tennis if Ivanisevic hadn’t received a wild card the year he won Wimbledon he would never have been a grand slam champion.

They have it at Worlds, just not Olympics. I guess there is probably an issue in a multi sport event like that making it fair across the board. I don’t know much about other sports but what happens if something like this happens in a team sport, it could make a lot more difference.

This goes back forever- there was talk about defending champions getting wild cards back in Seb Coe’s day.

 

[FetchFugly]

Despite some miserable looking weather, the last stretch of the trials in particular was very entertaining. DAS, MHS, Dobson and Anning all looked very good, and WOW at Phoebe Gill.

Drama in the men's 800m and steeplechase, with a rough outcome in the latter... and Alistair Chalmers got a good result eventually.

 

[BoysForSeles]

There was just too much going on this weekend with Glasto and other sports being on. I did tune in a couple of times but it all seemed a wee bit drab with the weather and turn out but glad the key players came out unscathed.

 

[Sheena]

Despite some miserable looking weather, the last stretch of the trials in particular was very entertaining. DAS, MHS, Dobson and Anning all looked very good, and WOW at Phoebe Gill.

Drama in the men's 800m and steeplechase, with a rough outcome in the latter... and Alistair Chalmers got a good result eventually.

Dina looked phenomenal. She’s back in 2019 form by that run- in those conditions it was PB territory.

BUT!

We also said that last year after her 100 win.

 

[Sheena]

Imagine if Athing is out, Keely gets another silver…behind Phoebe Gill.

 

[BoysForSeles]

World record of 50.65 for Sydney in the 400H in the US trials. Ridiculously good time, so fast.

 

[Sheena]

World record of 50.65 for Sydney in the 400H in the US trials. Ridiculously good time, so fast.

Femke really needs to move to the flat. Her indoor times suggest she’s a 48. athlete at this point and I still think it’s her best chance of (individual) gold, considering Sydney is in ridiculous form.

 

[BoysForSeles]

That women’s 1500 in the Paris Diamond League was out of this world, I think the Games are going to produce some amazing times and performances.

Laura Muir running 3:53.79 which frankly is a Soviet era or Ma Junren era kind of time and coming third is incredible. 3.56 for Georgia Bell is so impressive too.

 

[Sheena]

That women’s 1500 in the Paris Diamond League was out of this world, I think the Games are going to produce some amazing times and performances.

Laura Muir running 3:53.79 which frankly is a Soviet era or Ma Junren era kind of time and coming third is incredible. 3.56 for Georgia Bell is so impressive too.

Do not get me wrong- incredible indeed- but people just need to recalibrate. A sub 4 minute run is just not the standard it was since the shoes changed.

 

[Sheena]

I was far more excited by a 2.10 high jump.

 

[Sheena]

So much athletics content out right now. I’ve just finished the Netflix documentary, Sprint, in which I can’t believe the edit they gave me…



But actually, I loved it, even if it was a bit too US- centric.

There’s another one I’m yet to see called Chasing Glory on Discovery+, Daley Thompson had one on last night on the BBC, Linford Christie next week and a road to Paris style one on GB athletes on Channel 4 at the weekend.

I AM SO EXCITED FOR PARIS!

 

[BoysForSeles]

Yes, I’ll watch the Daley one this weekend, I heard the discussing it on the radio. Will also check out that Sprint one. The documentary I really want is one on the 80s and early to mid 90s sprint queens. I can dream. I saw a short interview with Gail Devers recently, she came across so well.

 

[Sheena]

Yes, I’ll watch the Daley one this weekend, I heard the discussing it on the radio. Will also check out that Sprint one. The documentary I really want is one on the 80s and early to mid 90s sprint queens. I can dream. I saw a short interview with Gail Devers recently, she came across so well.

One day I will write a book about 90s sprint queens. I’ve already got the idea. It will focus on the 92 100m final, rhe greatest race ever. A chapter on each Queen, interspersed with a focus on the races themselves. Though finding Amelia Nuneva is going to be tough…

It’s the greatest era- Merlene, Gwen, Gail and Irina, and then great supporting cast like Juliet Cuthbert, Mary Onyali, Pauline Davis, Marie-Jose Perec etc.

It was just all so…BITCHY!

 

[Apoca]

It’s the greatest era- Merlene, Gwen, Gail and Irina, and then great supporting cast like Juliet Cuthbert, Mary Onyali, Pauline Davis, Marie-Jose Perec etc.

It was just all so…BITCHY!

It's interesting how this was basically the same in late 90s / early 2000s women's tennis. Insane star quality, insane tennis and plenty going on off court.

 

[Sheena]

It's interesting how this was basically the same in late 90s / early 2000s women's tennis. Insane star quality, insane tennis and plenty going on off court.

Pre social media, innit. That sanitised everything, sadly.

 

[BoysForSeles]

^Nuneva’s a blast from the past. She was having a great run in the Seoul 100 final (as Vetchernikova) and was likely going to medal before she popped her hammy in the 2nd half of the race. I’m going to have to YouTube the great Bulgarian hurdlers Donkova and Zagorcheva now, YouTube rabbit hole imminent.

 

[Sheena]

^Nuneva’s a blast from the past. She was having a great run in the Seoul 100 final (as Vetchernikova) and was likely going to medal before she popped her hammy in the 2nd half of the race. I’m going to have to YouTube the great Bulgarian hurdlers Donkova and Zagorcheva now, YouTube rabbit hole imminent.

There is an AMAZING interview with Donkova somewhere on YouTube where her voice is deeper than a heavyweight boxer's

More than anyone in that final, Anelia has zero social media presence so will be hard to track her down, though there's a few recent (ish) pictures in Bulgarian media. The thing with that 1988 race is she was a great starter and often blew up in the last 20. If you watch the race, literally in the step before she breaks down, Drechsler and Ashford both close her RIGHT down. I think she'd have likely been 4th in the end. She was with Flo-Jo to 50m though. What a fucking line up, though- every single one of those athletes in the 88 final is legendary too. Only missing Merlene, who was injured and so withdrew to concentrate on the 200.

 

[Sheena]

OT: I've also decided I want to start athletics podcasting. I think it would be good for my work brand and I REALLY enjoyed the little taste I got. I just can't work out a unique angle that might be of interest to anyone at all.

 

[BoysForSeles]

OT: I've also decided I want to start athletics podcasting. I think it would be good for my work brand and I REALLY enjoyed the little taste I got. I just can't work out a unique angle that might be of interest to anyone at all.

Are you looking to appeal to the broader audience on the whole or a small niche market such as the ageing queen?

 

[Sheena]

Are you looking to appeal to the broader audience on the whole or a small niche market such as the ageing queen?

I don't really know to be honest. I had an idea ages ago to do a historical "Life Stories" style podcast, but a journalist has started that (and I don't think he's very good to be honest!) and gets lots of good guests and my good friend Chris Brown does a "My Defining Moments" one, which is general sport but lots of athletics, so that kinda feels covered.

Maybe a "Greatest Races" podcast? That's the best I can think of.

 

[BoysForSeles]

I’m not too podcasty so it may be already out there but you’re onto something with the classic race angle if it’s factoring in the personality profiles and feuds and shade angles. Interviews would be great, there’s also plenty of snippets and sound bites out there such as Merlene being asked if she felt bad for Gwen being disqualified after winning the 200m worlds in 1995 and responding with “well…she shouldn’t have tried to cheat.”

 

[BoysForSeles]

Completely on a tangent but am I the only one who ever wished Marita Koch had opened her sports shop in a more accessible German city so they could pop in and sneak a look if she was there? yes? Just me then….

 

[Sheena]

I’m not too podcasty so it may be already out there but you’re onto something with the classic race angle if it’s factoring in the personality profiles and feuds and shade angles. Interviews would be great, there’s also plenty of snippets and sound bites out there such as Merlene being asked if she felt bad for Gwen being disqualified after winning the 200m worlds in 1995 and responding with “well…she shouldn’t have tried to cheat.”

SHE CHEATED! In a Jamaican accent. The greatest athletics moment in history immortalised on my desk as we speak:

 

[Apoca]

If I was to do a tennis podcast, I'd probably call it "Formal Education" ( @BoysForSeles will know ) to teach the kids about the stories, characters and the chaos of the past (so anything pre-covid at this point). I honestly think something similar could also work in athletics, football etc. Very niche but if you done in an entertaining way, that could find its audience.

 

[FetchFugly]

I just finished Sprint. I thought it was pretty effective.

Noah Lyles is definitely best in small doses, though his mum was fun. The show did not make me warm to Sha'Carri any more.

 

[BoysForSeles]

SHE CHEATED! In a Jamaican accent. The greatest athletics moment in history immortalised on my desk as we speak:

View attachment 28284

Oh that’s amazing. I want one.

That whole 1995 200 metres Gothenburg WC final was already iconic before they even made the track. There had been reports that Torrence had been fuming at the warm up track and causing a scene about her spikes having gone missing then ,in an interview the next day, saying she had been angry and insinuating one of the other athletes had stolen her spikes adding….”or perhaps I misplaced them” as an afterthought.

 

[Sheena]

Oh that’s amazing. I want one.

That whole 1995 200 metres Gothenburg WC final was already iconic before they even made the track. There had been reports that Torrence had been fuming at the warm up track and causing a scene about her spikes having gone missing then ,in an interview the next day, saying she had been angry and insinuating one of the other athletes had stolen her spikes adding….”or perhaps I misplaced them” as an afterthought.

The whole era is just a delight. There was so much shade. Again, it’s worthy of a book!

 

[Halli]

Looking forward to the London Diamond League today. Due to commitments I may be watching an hour behind

 

[FetchFugly]

Well that was a fun day. The M&W 400m and W 800m

Also very pleased for lovely Laviai.

 

[Halli]

Some of those times

Lovely to see such a large packed stadium for Athletics in London

 

[Sheena]

Well that was a fun day. The M&W 400m and W 800m

Also very pleased for lovely Laviai.

I’m pleased it finally came for Laviai. She’s actually really frustrated me as she’s felt like an athlete that should be running those sorts of times for a while.

I said elsewhere, but I don’t think there’s ever been a Diamond League where the Brits have done so well. It was a bloody good day for us.

 

[BoysForSeles]

I watched the Daley doc last night. The clarity of the LA games footage was amazing. I knew much of the story but it was super impressive how he ended up where he did and overall I enjoyed it. I would have liked a bit about Siggi Wentz too, a stud.

I’d forgotten about the horrible Carl Lewis gay baiting T-shirt he wore after winning in LA, it was 1984 I guess but even so…

I thought he came across badly in the snippets with his decathlete son, I guess he was going for cheeky but it just felt demeaning. Could have also done without Sharron Davies on as a talking head trying to lie semi sprawled across a sofa attempting to look seductive.

 

[Slave]

@Sheena - what are your thoughts on this?



The news reported it as an unfortunate mishap, but it looks totally intentional. Without knowing any other context, is something like this not treated as a bit suspicious?

(Some people speculated he mistook the wrong line as the finish, but I'd assume someone sprinting at that level knows the track well enough to identify where the finish line is)

 

[Sheena]

@Sheena - what are your thoughts on this?



The news reported it as an unfortunate mishap, but it looks totally intentional. Without knowing any other context, is something like this not treated as a bit suspicious?

(Some people speculated he mistook the wrong line as the finish, but I'd assume someone sprinting at that level knows the track well enough to identify where the finish line is)

He’s 16 years old! First championships, just bravado. Thought he’d ease up, like many athletes do, and just did it too soon/ too much. It’s happened to far better athletes than him.

More appalling is the way it’s been reported. He’s 16 years old! It’s been all over athletics press and he’s got so much horrible stick for it. He won’t make the same mistake again.

 

[Sheena]

I watched the Daley doc last night. The clarity of the LA games footage was amazing. I knew much of the story but it was super impressive how he ended up where he did and overall I enjoyed it. I would have liked a bit about Siggi Wentz too, a stud.

I’d forgotten about the horrible Carl Lewis gay baiting T-shirt he wore after winning in LA, it was 1984 I guess but even so…

I thought he came across badly in the snippets with his decathlete son, I guess he was going for cheeky but it just felt demeaning. Could have also done without Sharron Davies on as a talking head trying to lie semi sprawled across a sofa attempting to look seductive.

I’ve just watched it now. I really enjoyed it. He was flawed, yes, but a brilliant athlete.

 

[FetchFugly]

The Channel 4 Path to Paris documentary was a good watch, though the TV guide listed 1/2, but I can't see part 2 scheduled (and it covered right up to the team being confirmed).

Thought they made the most of contrasting Jake and Josh's differing approaches - I hope that Jake comes out of the games with a performance he is content with in the circumstances. Keely is just a star, and hearing Robbie Grabarz talk about Morgan with such pride and admiration was quite heartwarming.