RussellEbertHandball
Flick pass expert
Thanks for the compliment and the video. I reckon that is only the 3rd or 4th time I have seen video of that 1989 indoor WR run. Saw it on one of the general sports stations in Canada before I returned home after 12 months working there. A mate sent me the link 12 or 18 months after it was put up and I remember looking at it after Rudisha's gold in London to compare their bursts.
Agree that I have missed the women, but that's partly because when I grew up as a kid Oz had some heroes I could read, see, hear being interviewed about in those 2 races, and the women stars were in the sprints, Marjorie Jackson, Betty Cuthbert, Raelene Boyle, Shirley Strickland, etc.Don't forget the women too (the non eastern bloc ones). Hassiba Boulmerka was my favourite and an absolute legend. Pretty sure I recall reading how she had to dodge the extremists throwing rocks at her when she was out training.
Hassiba Boulmerka: Defying death threats to win gold
How Algeria's greatest sportswoman, Hassiba Boulmerka, won Olympic gold in 1992 in the face of death threats from Islamists.www.bbc.com
And in the 1980's as I watched the African males started coming thru but the women lagged 20-25 years behind and the drug fuelled East Europeans dominated these 2 events so they didn't grab my attention as much.
Still remember the extraordinary Olympic final and whole season in 2008 by 19 year Kenyan Pamela Jelimo getting so close to Jarmila Kratochvílová's drug fuelled 800m record from 1983 a couple of times and another Kenyan Faith Kipyegon is great in the 1500m, back to back Olympic golds in Rio and Tokyo and 2017 and recently 2022 Eugene World Champ
I guess its only been recently that the African women have had longevity in the events so that you get lots of seasons of dominance or being top 3 for a long time.
Haha I was waiting for Bruce to say, you've joined the club, now do what Herb did, and win in Paris 2 years after Birmingham. Now that would really be something spppppppppppppppecial.
I agree we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves but its dam exciting to know we have someone who can/has a kick to go with the best of them. Stewart McSweyn had a great season in 2021, ran some fast times in the Diamond League meets, and was a little disappointing in Tokyo, but I didn't expect a win as he doesn't possess a strong kick. He has speed, but not great acceleration, so he winds up rather than bursts thru. Ollie has shown he has enough of a kick to match with the fastest in the world.
World Champs in Budapest next year will tell us a lot about Ollie's chances in Paris.
I'm not sure Peter Bol will win at an Olympics or World Champs. Can medal but don't think he can win. You have to be regularly running 1.43s and the odd 1.42 i reckon, to have a chance to out kick the field to win. Bol has run only 3 or 4 x 1.44s in his career, never under 1.44. So for him to win he would need a bit of luck and a slowish final.
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