Olympics issue thread: Jamaican sprinters?

[Socrates]

Hi
I've watched the Olympics, and, I came away with a few questions.
First: What are the odds on a country with 2.8 million people, like Jamaica, all of a sudden dominating sprinting, pretty much out of nowhere, in the last 10 years????

Does anyone else find it suspicious that a guy comes from out of nowhere, and all of a sudden runs the best sprinters in the world into the ground?

Just the percentage and odds of one little country, all of a sudden producing a bunch of world class sprinters that are faster then countries with 1.2 billion people, and, the U.S. with about 350 million people, not to mention Russia, seems that just by the mathmatical odds of the situation, rather unlikely to happen.
My other issue was the gymnastics floor for the girls event.
It appeared that the floor fell away at the edges, with the result that a whole bunch of the world's best all of a sudden were going out of bounds. That is, everyone but the Chinese, who's routines seem to be designed to keep them away from the edges of the floor.

Comments? Observations?

 

[Saab1911]

I think that there was definitely some funny business with the judging
especially in gymnastics, like the Chinese girl who touched her knees to
the mat after her vault but still managed to get very high marks.
And of course, some of those Chinese "women" gymnasts were still in
pre-school. I bet youth provides for an advantage in that the young
girls are more flexible than teens and physical differences between
elementary school girls and teenagers allows for more maneuverability
partly due to lower moment of inertia.

But I think the Jamaicans were for real. Jamaica just doesn't have the
scientific or monetary resources for a Balco type of operation.

 

[Recon7]

a whole bunch of the world's best all of a sudden were going out of bounds.

I missed that, but I saw 2 sprinters run on the line and get disqualified for it.

Also saw plenty of dropped batons in the relay races.

I don't think there is anything to it though, we should probably be talking about underage gymnasts and drugged up north Koreans

 

[Socrates]

The rain, in both the volleyball finals, and, the sprints made me wonder. The Chinese said they would seed clouds to make sure that they had no rain during the opening, or ending ceremonies. In the sprints, the added rain certainly was one more factor the teams were not used to working in.

If I was faced with an overwhelming favorite, like the men's volleyball, beach wise, throwing in rain may take them out of their comfort zone, as it certainly did the relay teams.

I do start wondering if the lines were the right width for the track. I've NEVER scene so many fouls in sprinting...

After the Australians screwing over http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svetlana_Khorkina
with a horse being the wrong height...

 

[Recon7]

The rain .... made me wonder

oh Socrates, you make us all wonder.

So the George Bush Halliburton hurricane Katrina weather machine is now in the hands of the Chinese

Seriously though they coulda put a retractable roof on that birds nest and delayed some of the outside events.

 

[TheFacts]

Does anyone else find it suspicious that a guy comes from out of nowhere, and all of a sudden runs the best sprinters in the world into the ground?

Maybe it`s raw talent...or superhuman drive...or plain, old-fashioned, 100% USDA drug power...just ask Marion Jones (not Jamaican).

Not to go off on a rant here, but the Olympics, unfortunately, are obsolete. The performance-enhancing drug culture is all powerful and has been infiltrating top-performing athletes for decades. Chances are, the competitors that are testing positive for being walking pharmacies are the stupid ones.

To those athletes that choose to compete honestly, I salute you. However, to say that the athletes of today are of the same caliber as the athletes of yesterday (eg: Mark Spitz), well I have to say nay on that one.



Curiosity yields evolution...satiety yields extinction.

 

[SecDef]

First: What are the odds on a country with 2.8 million people, like Jamaica, all of a sudden dominating sprinting, pretty much out of nowhere, in the last 10 years????

Out of nowhere? Umm, I think you just haven't been paying attention. Note the last paragraph below...

From http://www.jamaicans.com/culture/sports/track.shtml:

Jamaica has the prestigious honor of having the most success per capita of any country world in track and field. This great honor started when Jamaica's first track Gold Medallists Dr Authur Wint won the 400m in 1948 Olympics. He along other greats Herb McKenley, Leslie Laing, and George Rhoden put Jamaica on the map in one of the greatest relays when the team won the 4 x 400 relay in the 1952 Olympics.

Jamaica's success at the Olympics and international competitions continued through out years with athletes like Donald Quarrie (gold 200m, silver 100m, in the 1976 Olympics), Bert Cameron (silver, 400 relay, 1988), to Grace Jackson (silver, 200m, 1988), to Winthrop Graham (silver, 400m hurdles, 1992), Raymond Stewart, Juliet Cuthbert (silver, 100, 200m, 1992), Deon Hemmings (gold, 400 hurdles, 1996) and perhaps the most popular athlete track Queen Merlene Ottey who has more International and Olympics medal than any other Jamaicans.

Track and Field is ingrained in Jamaica as the majority of the schools in Jamaica have a track program in their curriculum. The annual National Boys and Girls Championship (Champs') which is held at the National Stadium in Kingston is the premier event for Track and Field in Jamaica where future track athletes showcase there skills to the rest of the island and also to the many overseas recruits who attend this event. The athletes who dominate this event are eventually selected to represent Jamaica in annual Penn Relays in Pennsylvania, USA. This is event had been "dubbed" the Jamaican Relays because of the Jamaican dominance in winning the most medals.

Our track and field athletes are acknowledged to be among the best in the world and many of them have gone on to represent other countries Donovan Bailey, Linford Christie, Juliet Campbell, Merlene Frazier, Ben Johnson, and Maria Jose.

 

[TheFacts]

Our track and field athletes are acknowledged to be among the best in the world and many of them have gone on to represent other countries Donovan Bailey, Linford Christie, Juliet Campbell, Merlene Frazier, Ben Johnson, and Maria Jose.

Ben Johnson...did I see Ben Johnson listed among those fine athletes. The same Ben Johnson who was disqualified at the `88 Olym. for being an walking pharmacy? Maybe that was a different Ben Johnson?



Curiosity yields evolution...satiety yields extinction.

 

[SecDef]

Ben Johnson...did I see Ben Johnson listed among those fine athletes. The same Ben Johnson who was disqualified at the `88 Olym. for being an walking pharmacy? Maybe that was a different Ben Johnson?

That's right. Just like some other top atheletes.

The point being that the Jamaicans haven't exactly exploded onto the scene all of a sudden. They've been there for a long time.

 

[JuanCarlos]

Not to go off on a rant here...

I read these words, and instantly looked to see if you'd end it with, "...but that's just my opinion, I could be wrong!"

I was disappointed.

Agreed on your rant, though.

 

[dresden8]

Ben Johnson...did I see Ben Johnson listed among those fine athletes. The same Ben Johnson who was disqualified at the `88 Olym. for being an walking pharmacy? Maybe that was a different Ben Johnson?

Ahem, just for a touch of balance;

Carl Lewis has broken his silence on allegations that he was the beneficiary of a drugs cover-up, admitting he had tested positive for banned substances but claiming he was just one of "hundreds" of American athletes who were allowed to escape bans.

"There were hundreds of people getting off," he said. "Everyone was treated the same."

Lewis has now acknowledged that he failed three tests during the 1988 US Olympic trials, which under international rules at the time should have prevented him from competing in the Seoul games two months later

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2003/apr/24/athletics.duncanmackay

 

[TheFacts]

I read these words, and instantly looked to see if you'd end it with, "...but that's just my opinion, I could be wrong!"

I was disappointed.

Damn...I knew I forgot something.



Curiosity yields evolution...satiety yields extinction.

 

[Al Norris]

Related to the Olympics? Certainly. Related to Drugs? Yup, got that too.

What Legal or Political issue is involved? Don't see it.