Just some comments after watching the Berlin meet and reading the latest
digest post (#3167).
First, who is Willy Beamon? Obviously from LA, is this really someone named
"Bill Beamon"? Coach, official, agent, athlete?
Thank goodness for ESPN and the Golden League series. I was really looking
forward to hearing Larry and Lewis (LewJo?) present us the meets this year.
They did a great job all year.
I am still not convinced that Donovan Bailey lines up for his race thinking
"nah, I don't need to try and win this race". Now, Ato is the one that has
me scratching my head. However, just like Capel, I expect to see him on the
stand in Australia.
I agree with someone's comment that the start lists could stay up longer on
the TV coverage.
Boy, I thought I was watching the Giovanni Evangilisti re-make in the
Women's LJ. Although it is dangerous to use the "distance boards" as a
guide, especially when you only watch one jump, but it looked like Kotova
went about 6.85 on the final jump! But, lo and behold, she got 6.96!! Just
enough to win some gold???
As far as the men short relay goes, I have no problem with the USA selecting
the HSI group to run. Ever since 1988, I have been a huge advocate of
keeping the same 4 guys together in all rounds. At the TAFWA luncheon this
year in Durham, USA Team Coach John Chaplin made it crystal clear that his
intention was to keep he same four runners in all rounds! Of course, if you
assume a gold medal, he acknowledged that we may leave two medals "on the
table" (as other can run in the rounds). For this reason, he said, he will
be getting pressure from athletes' "coaches, agents, trainers, wives and
spiritual gurus" to include "their guy" on the team. Resisting that
pressure was going to be a full-time job. My take is this: Gold for 4 is
WAY more important than other colored medals for 6 - and I think everyone
here agrees with that. The time run by the HSI group (37.65) says good
things about what they might be able to do down under.
The resistance, from the track cognoscenti, will be allowing the HSI group
to "brag" about their "relay gold in Sydney" should they win. It may sound
a little "un-team-like" to the entire American squad for them to say "look
at how great we are, we (HSI) won the gold by ourselves". Although I like
the HSI group and what John/Darrell/Emmanuel are doing, who here thinks we
wouldn't hear that in the months (years?) that follow? Bottom line, the
politics of keeping that group together or breaking it up just "because they
all are on the HSI team" worry me.
Hey, 38.18 for our second team. Each country gets two sleds in bobsledding
("bobsleigh"), so can we have two relay teams? Okay, okay, okay, no other
country would EVER agree to that. Well, maybe we could get the Chinese to
concur after we dangle the "Beijing 2008" carrot in front of them!!
For those of you that are not impressed with my posting here, I am sorry.
But age-graded, it is a personal best!
See you in Sydney,
Bob Bettwy
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Director - Program Control
Washington Group
SRS Technologies
(703) 351-7266
P.S. Does anyone know the status of HJ'er Marc Chenn competing for Hong Kong
in Sydney. That was his earlier plan had he not made the US team.
