Falling from glory
Monday, August 29, 2011
Usain Bolt had hoped the run would earn him another medal, one step closer to becoming a true sporting legend. Yet his false start would perhaps now be considered the lowest point in his career. Just moments after he had sped off from the starting blocks before the rest, he slowed to a walk and immediately realised his mistake, which had cost him a disqualification from the race. This, owing to a recently established rule that runners would not be able to get a second bite of the cherry should they commit a false start.
The photo was more interesting in ST, which showed him ahead of the rest, but clearly at a slower pace now, in despair as every other competitor in the 100m race had their heads and eyes turned to the legend now dethroned.
Some were wondering if a review of the new rule should be conducted, but the newspaper article cited that others had committed this mistake before too, and had no chance of recourse. Besides, ample time had been given to all affected athletes to adjust to the rule. It's just a tragic shame, then.
***
Another thing that cropped up were the two fastest finishers of the recently concluded Adidas KOTR. They both were sponsored by Nike and wore Nike's sportwear during the race, but were told that they'd only be able to wear special Adidas wear tailored for the run during the finals. This would cause them to breach their contract, and they took issue with this, saying it would be a shame if they, the fastest runners of that leg of the race, were not representing the best of the rest for the run.
I feel it's a simple case of anticipating the stipulations in such a brand-name race. These runners can't not be seasoned, they should know the ropes when it comes to such branding issues. If they clash as such, don't start making a fuss when the race is over.
posted by joseph at 9:49 AM
Monday, August 29, 2011
Going along with the upcoming Army Half Marathon, I thought I'd do a post on sports. There were two pieces in the sports section today which I found quite interesting, one was of Usain Bolt's false start in the World Championships Men's 100m final, and the other on the Adidas King Of The Road run.
Usain Bolt had hoped the run would earn him another medal, one step closer to becoming a true sporting legend. Yet his false start would perhaps now be considered the lowest point in his career. Just moments after he had sped off from the starting blocks before the rest, he slowed to a walk and immediately realised his mistake, which had cost him a disqualification from the race. This, owing to a recently established rule that runners would not be able to get a second bite of the cherry should they commit a false start.
The photo was more interesting in ST, which showed him ahead of the rest, but clearly at a slower pace now, in despair as every other competitor in the 100m race had their heads and eyes turned to the legend now dethroned.
Some were wondering if a review of the new rule should be conducted, but the newspaper article cited that others had committed this mistake before too, and had no chance of recourse. Besides, ample time had been given to all affected athletes to adjust to the rule. It's just a tragic shame, then.
***
Another thing that cropped up were the two fastest finishers of the recently concluded Adidas KOTR. They both were sponsored by Nike and wore Nike's sportwear during the race, but were told that they'd only be able to wear special Adidas wear tailored for the run during the finals. This would cause them to breach their contract, and they took issue with this, saying it would be a shame if they, the fastest runners of that leg of the race, were not representing the best of the rest for the run.
I feel it's a simple case of anticipating the stipulations in such a brand-name race. These runners can't not be seasoned, they should know the ropes when it comes to such branding issues. If they clash as such, don't start making a fuss when the race is over.
Labels: opinion, sports, thoughts
posted by joseph at 9:49 AM