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A few observations about the 2008
Olympics
I'm not going to lie; I spent way too much time watching the 2008
Olympics. And the 4 to 9 channels of live streaming on www.cbc.ca
certainly didn't help matters. The internet option facilitated
hard core fans like me going overboard. I mean, who watches the
entire qualifying round of the Mens Hammer anyway?
That being said, at the end of 16 days of witnessing the world's
greatest athletes go head-to-head in the world's greatest competition,
I offer the following observations:
1. Genetics matter.
There's only one Micheal
Phelps. With a 6'9" wingspan and size 15 feet, he truly is a
freak of nature. Sure the hundreds of lengths he swims per day he
swims (apparently his cool down swim is 3000m) cannot be discounted as
a path to his success, but the starting point is his perfect swimmer's
body.
2. All things being equal,
the difference is mental toughness. Simon Whitfield should have
finished fourth in the Mens Triathlon. He got dropped 3 or 4
times in the final 5 km of the run, but each time he clawed his way
back to the leaders using sheer will power. When he started to
sprint for the win, the Spanish and Kiwi triathlete were beat
mentally: no one in triathlon beats Simon Whitfield in a
sprint. No one except the German who won; he wasn't "smart"
enough to know that little factoid.
3. Challenge conventional
wisdom - Extremely tall men cannot run a fast 100m.- they can't
get out of the blocks - at least that's what conventional wisdom tells
us. At 6'5", Usian Bolt put that notion to rest coasting to a
world record of 9.69 in the 100m final. (He also added golds and
world records in the 200m and 4 x 100m relay later on in the
week.) Mover over basketball, sprinting will be the next
sport recruiting those freakish tall athletes.
4. Nothing's a lock -
that's why we run the races. It happens in every Games - the
odds on favourites find a way to lose. In Bejing, we saw a mild
upset in the mens 400m, an unexpected winner in the womens 100m
hurdles, and a total upset in the womens high jump (the silver medalist
had her 29 meet win streak snapped. You gotta love those upsets!
5. Olympic Track and Field
finalists are amazing athletes. Approximately 200
different countries entered athletes in the Olympic Track and Field
competition. Just qualifying to get to the starting line is truly
an amazing feat. And to get down to the final 8 or 12 or 15 among
this elite is mind boggling. These are really exceptional
athletes.
There's only 4 more years to go until the next Games ... ok, less than
2 if you count the Vancouver 2010
Winter Olympics. I can hardly wait.
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