Sunday, August 23, 2015

Beijing Buzz - Sunday Evening, 8/23 - Day 2

So, there was a 100m race?!

Usain Bolt answered the skeptics with a narrow but decisive with over Justin Gatlin in tonight’s 100m final. The future is well-represented in a third place tie by collegians Trayvon Bromell, who attends Baylor, and Andre De Grasse, who is from Canada and attends USC.

The semi-finals featured an in-control Bolt winning his semi; in spite of much discussion that he almost lost, he didn’t. Look closely at the tape: in the last 5-7 meters he looks left at the field repeatedly and runs just well enough to win. An in-your-face I’m-still-here kind of move.
Which he proved beyond the shadow of a doubt in the final.

The men’s hammer throw was won by Poland’s Pawel Fajdek by 2.33 meters over Tajikistan’s Dilshod Nazarov. A surprise 3rd placer was Poland’s Wojciech Nowicki.

Joe Kovacs (US), the heavy favorite in the shot put, pulled out a 5th round winner over Germany’s David Storl. O’Dayne Richards (Jam) set a national record to beat out the area record set by New Zealand’s Tomas Walsh and win bronze.

Jessica Ennis-Hill (GB) won the heptathlon while Canada’s Brianne Theisen-Eaton won silver. Theisen-Eaton tried to steal the victory in the 800m but came up short in the final 100m. Latvia’s Laura Ikauniece-Admidina set a national record in a bronze medal winning performance.

It was an electric the atmosphere in the Bird’s Nest before, during, and after the men’s 100m final. Nine advanced to the final as three had tied at 9.99 in qualifying for the 7th and 8th spots. So, the 9th lane was used to accommodate a historic final in which all had qualified under 10.00. 

Femi Ogunode of Qatar ran 10.00 flat in his semi-final and did not qualify. Tough company, indeed.


No comments:

Post a Comment