Happy New Year!

A Happy New Year everyone!
I hope it's either, better than last year, as good as last year, or worse than last year (if you had more joy than your heart could stand again!)
I wouldn't usually use this kind of forum for this kind of greeting, but there's no knowing the depth of the alcoholic haze on the 1st.!
Actually I don't really know how many of my acquaintances read this; there is one loyal reader in the US (my muse - but he may decline that title!), a couple of friends in the UK ( thanks especially to the Dude for his support), but an almost total absence of family - from the older end total disparaging of all blogs and bloggers (almost along the lines of "I hate that movie - but I've never seen it"!!), and from the younger end, "I thought it ended after you left Moscow"!
Probably a good job I write it for myself - so "a Happy New Year Malcolm" - "Thanks"

And so to London ...

          ... courtesy of ...

... Mr. Branson's transportation empire ...

... the London Underground ...

... SE Rail ...

... and my brand new Oyster Card

... and finally to Charlton ...


... eventually arriving at Chez Allison for an episode of Mrs. Brown's boys.
Yes, I'm finally home!

Once more unto the beach dear friends!

A final shuffle to see the sea (heading South tomorrow) - discombobulated a few parishioners in their walking frames and wheelchairs on the way to morning service, but they all passed me by the next corner!

My favourite Brother-in-Law!

Actually I only have one, but I overheard him telling someone that he didn't think I sounded very American any more - what a great guy - it made my day!!

No bedside manner eh?

From the San Diego Union-Tribune;

"Fibromyalgia is a complicated and often debilitating chronic pain condition that afflicts an estimated 6 million Americans. It is largely misunderstood because it affects the central nervous system, but symptoms can include joint and muscle pain, sleep disruption, mood disorder and decreased physician function"

Oh to be beside the seaside, beside the sea

Running (a gross exaggeration of course!) on the beach this morning, with frost on the sand - not David of course, but not with Sadie either, which was a shame!


Sadie Frost on the beach

Ah .... ugh

Ah   -  Just got back from the National Trust land  opposite my sister's home - one of my two favourite places to run in the whole of Britain (I know, I know - get over it!).
My run (here you would use a much looser meaning of the word than usual), which used to take 25 minutes, now takes nearly 40  -  ugghhh.

"Nothing’s Going On – Get Off The Computer and Spend Time With Your Family"

Best headline yet from 'LetsRun' - posted Christmas morning

It's So Good to be Home!

The beach at Wirral Countryside Park

We'll spend some time here ...

                                                              ... and here!

Merry Christmas!

On the "big bird" tomorrow to be home for Christmas and the New Year - the only place to be!

A strange admission!

"McDonald's Advises Its Employees To Stay Away From Fast Food"

http://news.yahoo.com/mcdonald-39-advises-employees-stay-away-fast-food-225500247.html

An untimely passing

Though no brain surgery is ever routine, this should have been a straightforward procedure.
By all accounts a very popular member of the U of A track team and an excellent student.

http://azstarnet.com/sports/college/wildcats/arizona-hurdler-dies-following-complications-from-brain-surgery/article_7b75587e-6a5c-11e3-a656-001a4bcf887a.html

and a tribute from the Tucson local newspaper,

http://azstarnet.com/sports/columnists/hansen/hansen-life-of-wildcat-was-more-than-just-hurdles/article_fa55f63b-29e4-5321-af0c-b4cebfc23ee1.html

Preparation!!

This very special memory written from Frank Keating, who left us January 25 this year

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/dec/21/david-coleman

RIP ColemanBalls!

The changing face of live broadcast television is often stated as a reason why we will not see his like again, but the fact remains he stands head and shoulders above each succeeding generation of commentators. The root of this lies in the fact that first and foremost he considered himself a journalist, rather than a TV celebrity or personality (boy, there's a misnomer for many of today's "talking faces"!).
Though we loved to mock his "ColemanBalls", his professional pride meant his gaffes pained him terribly, and it was many years before he could accept the "industry" he had spawned - it's hard to believe that today's generation review, or give a second thought to what spews out of their "pie-holes".
Many of the best known "C-Balls" and gaffes are in the links below, but my all time favourite concerned the 1968 Olympic 400m Hurdles; in the excitement of trying to adequately capture David Hemery's overwhelming victory, and trying to name the 3rd. placer from the rush of following athletes he said " oh, who cares who was third!" - John S probably didn't care about Coleman's gaffe either!
Known also for repeated "one-liners", particularly about football, his true journalistic ability was shown in his instantaneous response for what were often very fast and fleeting moments of action in athletics (his favourite sport), but his words subsequently held the memory for a lot longer - for me one of his earliest was one of his best;
"here is the best in the world, followed by the rest of the world" exactly portrayed Herb Elliott's run away victory in the 1960 Olympic 1500m.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/telegraphsportnews/10533020/David-Coleman-a-towering-figure-in-an-era-of-sporting-giants.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10532648/David-Coleman-obituary.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/telegraphsportnews/10532492/David-Coleman-dies-Top-20-Colemanballs.html
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/25480429
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/25475976
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/25476668

Say It Ain't So!

I thought the whole point of the "biological passports" (which use markers from both urine and blood samples) was to catch athletes who avoid testing positive in regular testing - what could the Turkish Federation be possibly claiming.
Hopefully the IAAF will pursue this.

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2013/12/asli-cakir-alptekin-turkey-2012-olympic-womens-1500-champ-cleared-doping-turkish-federation

That's a Cross Country course?

One doesn't get to say /write this very often, but the course for the recent NCAA Championships was far tougher than the one for today's Euro X-C.

Mix those metaphors!

Gillian Anderson speaking about her role in "The Fall";
"I'm used to rattling feathers"!!
Whatever next - "ruffling cages"??

Who you calling a Quack?

A good read; now if only she would turn this "doctor" in to the authorities!

http://lauryn-williams.com/the-good-the-bad-and-the-hgh/
(thanks to "the dude")

Good luck with that!!

Sebastian Coe: "I want to to use my Olympic experiences to help Roy Hodgson and England at the World Cup finals"

How strange ....

... are life's coincidences.

I think he might have been proud it was this day.

Sprinter McDonald Bailey dies aged 92

December 5 - Emmanuel McDonald Bailey, the Trinidadian sprinter who competed for Britain in the men's 100 metres at the London 1948 Olympics, has died at the age of 92.

After finishing in sixth place in the final in London - he got laryngitis two days before the race - he went on to win a bronze medal for Britain at the Helsinki 1952 Games in the same event.

The athlete jointly held the 100m world record for five years after equalling American Jesse Owens' 10.2sec in Belgrade on August 26, 1951, as well as holding 16 British sprint titles between 1946 and 1952.

Bailey was also a member of Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) but returned to Trinidad in 1963.

He was subsequently awarded Trinidad and Tobago's gold Chaconia Medal in 1977, and Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) President Brian Lewis paid tribute to the eminent athlete.

"The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee extends sincerest condolences to the family of Emmanuel McDonald Bailey," Lewis told insidethegames.

"Mr Bailey's contribution to sport and sport history in Trinidad and Tobago is significant and a testimony to his dedication and passion.

"His dignity, determination and courage in triumph and adversity served as a worthy example."

In recent years, Bailey suffered from loss of sight and ill health.

He died in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

The Day After

                                    Remembering the Father of the Rainbow Nation

                   What we can achieve when we are guided by our hopes rather than out fears

At a time of remembrance and celebration of an extraordinary life, how sobering to be in this country that prides itself in its democracy, but who's extreme right wing are actively trying to reduce the right to vote; where the hatred (not too strong a word!) of the President is clearly driven by racism. The hypocrisy by Fox news and the like, who love to set the "record straight" about black people and can't stand having a black president, is quit staggering. Thankfully more sober reflections exist!


"Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father. He is now resting, he is now at peace" Jacob Zuma 

"And like so many around the globe, I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set, and so long as I live I will do what I can to learn from him." Barack Obama

"I am deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Mandela. His was a life filled with purpose and hope; hope for himself, his country and the world. He inspired others to reach for what appeared to be impossible and moved them to break through the barriers that held them hostage mentally, physically, socially and economically. He made us realize, we are our brothers' keeper and that our brothers come in all colors. What I will remember most about Mr.Mandela is that he was a man whose heart, soul and spirit could not be contained or restrained by racial and economic injustices, metal bars or the burden of hate and revenge. He taught us forgiveness on a grand scale. His was a spirit born free, destined to soar above the rainbows. Today his spirit is soaring through the heavens. He is now forever free." Muhammad Ali

"A great light has gone out in the world. Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our time; a legend in life and now in death - a true global hero. Meeting him was one of the great honours of my life." David Cameron

"He was a great unifier and a very, very special man in this regard beyond everything else he did. This emphasis on reconciliation was his biggest legacy,"  F.W. de Klerk

"Today, I am very saddened. Nelson Mandela was one of the most influential people in my life."Edison Arantes do Nascimento
"He wasn't one of the great men of the last century, or of this. He was head and shoulders above anyone else from the last century." Malcolm Fraser

"Through his dignity, grace and the quality of his forgiveness, he made racism everywhere not just immoral but stupid; something not only to be disagreed with, but to be despised. In its place he put the inalienable right of all humankind to be free and to be equal." Tony Blair

"As president, I watched in wonder as Nelson Mandela had the remarkable capacity to forgive his jailers following 26 years of wrongful imprisonment - setting a powerful example of redemption and grace for us all," George H. W. Bush

"To suggest that South Africa might go up in flames - as some have predicted - is to discredit South Africans and Madiba's legacy. The sun will rise tomorrow, and the next day and the next... It may not appear as bright as yesterday, but life will carry on. As we enter the mourning period, as a nation, we do so with the greatest dignity and respect because that is what we owe Madiba and ourselves." Bishop Desmond Tutu

"All of us are living in a better world because of the life that Madiba lived. He proved that there is freedom in forgiving, that a big heart is better than a closed mind, and that life's real victories must be shared." Bill Clinton

“What an honor it was to step into the shoes of Nelson Mandela and portray a man who defied odds, broke down barriers, and championed human rights before the eyes of the world,” Idris Elba

"Today, the world lost one of the true giants of the past century... a saint to many, a hero to all who treasure liberty, freedom and the dignity of human kind," Morgan Freeman

"President Mandela was one of the great forces for freedom and equality of our time. He bore his burdens with dignity and grace, and our world is better off because of his example. This great man will be missed, but his contributions will live on forever." George W. Bush

"We as a society, have been blessed to live in a time that Nelson Mandela has lived, loved, and led. What he has done for his country, his countrymen, and everyone on this planet may not be achieved again… ever.”  Dennis Haysbert

"The people of South Africa and human rights advocates around the world have lost a great leader. His passion for freedom and justice crated a new hope for generations of oppressed people worldwide, and because of him, South Africa is today one of the world's leading democracies" Jimmy Carter

Free at last, Free at last

RIP

           

Farewell to a very, very great man, and an even greater life.

Few men get to transform a nation let alone the world - never was the exhortation to "turn the other cheek" clearly shown by a man's actions and life. 

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
"It always seem impossible until it's done"
"I am not a saint unless you consider a sinner who never gives up a saint"
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart."
"We can't afford to be killing one another."
"No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated."
"Forget the past"
"There is no such thing as part freedom"
"Sometime, I feel like one who is on the sideline, who has missed life itself"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela

http://archives.nelsonmandela.org/home

RIP One and All

                                         
                                           Armistice Day

                                      The Dedicatee - December 25, 1909-November 11, 1995

Making a good start

Brian Clarkson delivering on some of his promises "out of the gate"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/24489977

Makes you wonder ...

... where these people trained!!
A basic application of the principles behind any "arousal and performance" psychology course would have given them a clue!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/in-bad-news-cheating-feels-good/?_r=1

Little Budd's sprouting!

Mum stays ahead - just!

http://www.myhorrynews.com/sports/high_school/cross_country/article_df415712-2075-11e3-aaa0-0019bb30f31a.html

Still wonder why he's tough to beat!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/10361912/Mo-Farah-a-first-fight-with-a-stranger-while-training-in-Richmond-meant-it-was-not-a-very-merry-Christmas.html

They just keep coming!

Remember when the Russian Sports Minister said this was all a British conspiracy - well I think we're doing pretty good!

http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/summer/athletics/1016343-european-5-000m-champion-becomes-32nd-russian-athlete-this-year-to-test-positive-for-drugs

It must be the Diet!

From "The Oklahoman" magazine.

"Although Oklahoma has relatively small Amish and Mennonite populations, members of the religious cultures have been growing"

"Much Ado About Nothing"

After a lot of "huffing and puffing" from 'Fat Tone' (note his comments in the article were made before the upgrades) - and Mrs Hill having the good sense to keep her mouth shut - it looks like a fine place to train.
I'm sure the one with commonsense will prevail!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-24420366

"She Comes in Colours Everywhere ... She's a Rainbow"

A cool way to get around the IOC rules! (but maybe not the music [Thomas] Bach would appreciate)

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/10/german-olympians-will-wear-rainbow-colored-uniforms-in-sochi/

10 Years After

Interesting read on PR's marathon WR.
Though the article mentions the second fastest runner, it fails to mention that PR also has the 2nd. and 3rd. fastest times.
Jack Daniels physiological constructs are always thought provoking - it would have been valuable had he used his "formula" to state what the men's WR should be - that might have put to bed all the nonsense about a 2 hour marathon being "impossible"

http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/why-paula-radcliffes-marathon-record-has-lasted-10-years

Baby steps

The lines are becoming more and more blurred!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2013/10/04/olympic-shot-putter-prohibited-substance/2924561/

Is that all yours!?!

This woman obviously not as impressed with the LV rear as Eldrick is!

      

Food, food, food

http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/changing_american_diet_13.pdf

Good news

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/athletics-jamaicas-campbell-brown-escapes-ban-positive-dope-023635437--spt.html

Not so good news!

Hodgson told a news conference: "As far as I'm concerned, Joe Hart is my number one."

Really!

I guess this will be money well spent if we don't have to endure another half empty dump like the Moscow Olympic Stadium! And as charming as the citizens of both Osaka and Daegu were, vast empty stadiums for evening sessions are not appropriate for World Championships.
After the sad mistake of Edmonton, Paris, Helsinki and Berlin were fine - the fact is WC have to go where the fans are - unlike the Olympics that will draw crowds wherever they are held (OK, Athens not a good example!).

http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/summer/athletics/1016268-iaaf-launch-review-of-bid-city-process

So now we know ... ...

... what Mr. Mahon's mad scamper out of the UK was all about!
At least when listing his accomplishments they had the decency not to suggest he actually achieved anything during his short stay.
Suggestions that he wanted to take his group (of US) athletes back to Mammoth Lakes (for those of you on the right side of "the pond" it's at altitude in the mountains of California) proved inaccurate; and what to make of the stories that the group didn't like the British weather - they're going to Boston for crissakes!!
Probably too much to hope there were penalties for skipping early!

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2013/09/b-recruit-sponsor-high-performance-group-sponsored-adidas-coached-terrence-mahon/

The 27 Get Their Due (see "More for the Hall of Shame" post, Sept. 26)

Courtesy of "the dude" here are the infamous 27 - more late I'm sure!
http://www.iaaf.org/download/download?filename=c0fb1b13-3757-492c-9229-430db318ceba.pdf&urlslug=NEWS%20146%20-%20August%2FSeptember%202013

A Little Sick Humour

I may be wrong but I think you can only commit suicide once!

From 'The New Yorker' June 24,2013

"The latest statistics show Greenland to be the most suicidal country in the world, ... Greenlanders currently kill themselves three times as often ..."

Tough place!!

Hissssssssssssssssssssssssssss ...

... the sound of my ego deflating!

I was happily minding my own business, when an old lady shuffles up to me and asks,
"Are you Gary?"
"No" I replied (because occasionally I tell the truth),
"Oh", she said, "You look exactly like someone I retired with".
Now I'm not sure if I feel more sorry for me, or the poor bastard that looks like me!

Who says "cross training" doesn't work

Having previously marvelled at the exploits of Anezka Drahotova (winner of the 10k. walk at this year's European Juniors, and also a steeplechase finalist; 7th. in the Moscow WC 20k. walk; and in 2012 had been 6th. in the World Youth 5k. walk, as well as running the heats of the 1500m.!!) - now comes news of her performance in another sport - cycling! (you get today's theme folks??) - 19th. in today's World Junior Road Race!! (part of a pack from 5th.-22nd. that was 34" behind the winner)
She's only 18 - whatever next! (probably the triathlon is too obvious)

When Lance Armstrong calls you "pathetic" ...

... then it's time to go!
Thankfully, despite the pantomime of rules change, Pat McQuaid did not get a third term as International Cycling Union President.
Heavily implicated in the Armstrong cover up, cycling faced a very real threat of being banned from the Olympics had he continued ion the role.
The new President, Brian Cookson, enjoys a great reputation in the sport, and as the head of the BCF since the mid 90s, has overseen the complete "turn around" of British cycling.

More for the Hall of Shame!

The following was released by AP, but darn near impossible to find any details on the IAAF website (it has to be one of the worst sites to navigate!) - I would like to give all 27 their due ignominy
It would appear these are a result of the blood analysis for 'Athlete Blood Passports' that was mentioned in a previous post (Sept. 23 "More Good News")

IAAF bans Russian race walker

Updated: September 24, 2013, 10:00 AM ET

Associated Press

• 1
• 3
• 0
• EMAIL
• PRINT

MONACO -- A Russian athlete who placed fifth in the 50-kilometer walk at last year's London Olympics has been handed a lifetime ban by the IAAF for a second doping offense.

Track and field's world governing body says Igor Erokhin was one of 27 athletes to be given doping suspensions in the past month.

Erokhin previously served a two-year ban after testing positive for EPO in 2008. The IAAF says his latest doping offense was an "athlete biological passport case."

Ukrainian heptathlete Lyudmila Yosypenko and Romanian marathon runner Simona Raula Maxim were given four-year bans, and the rest handed sanctions ranging from six months to two years.

Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press

Evolution!

  

No Thanks!

From the Albuquerque (NM) Journal.
"Estate Sale Glenwood Hills North, 60 yr. marriage, 9 children, everything must go."

Winning's Not Enough!

http://news.yahoo.com/bolt-signs-10-million-deal-stay-puma-083720515--spt.html

Though there is probably no great surprise here - a little surprised it's not more as the previous contract was for $9 million - later in the article is the news that Puma is ending its sponsorship of Oracle Team USA (see previous post).
In addition they are set to replace Nike as Arsenal's kit sponsor - last time I checked Bolt was a huge Man. U. fan!!

"Big Ben" rings the changes!

If you thought Ben Ainslie's winning of his 4th. Olympic Gold was worthy of Houdini, then his latest "escape act" defies belief!
Brought in to replace the American tactician on the Oracle Team USA yacht in the 'America's Cup' with the score 8-1 to Team NZ, the boat proceeded to win the next 8 races to retain the Cup 9-8 (Oracle had won in 2010).
As both the skipper and strategist are Australian there was precious little about the effort that was US, though the yacht was bankrolled by Larry Ellison and named for his software company.
Britain has never won the race, but Sir Ben is exploring the possibilities of putting a team together for the challenger series (the Louis Vuitton Cup).

Where's the sense?

http://www.dyestat.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=news&news_id=178153

It is claimed that 2 adults (the child's parents, and both former athletes) are involved in this decision!
There is a reason that the half marathon is the longest distance in World and Area Championships.
She may well get the qualifying standard in November - the qualifying period began August 1 for the US Trials - but if she really is running 100-110 miles/week, she'll be injured before the Trials!

"Anything you can do ..."

If you follow the comments to the blog you will have seen this - 

http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/2013/09/23/Italian-athlete-0-used-fake-penis-dodge-doping-test-_9347394.html

Let's see the girls top this!!

More Good News!

I generally tend to view the reporting of failed drug tests as good news -
http://www.iaaf.org/news/press-release/more-than-1900-blood-samples-collected-mosc
Though the guilty 7 did include a male javelin finalist and a female sprinter from Ukraine (no comment from the ex-pole vaulter yet!) the results do suggest that the testing of urine is usually only going to catch the relatively unsophisticated - the other five are not exactly from athletic "hotbeds" (a male marathon runner from Guatemala, a Kazakhstan female walker, a female sprinter form Turkmenistan, an Iranian male walker, and a male sprinter from Afghanistan).
We must wait a little while longer for the results of the blood that are conducted as part of the 'Athlete Biological Passport'; meanwhile we had another example of how "seriously" the major US professional sports (American Football, Basketball, Baseball, Ice Hockey) take drug testing. A player for the Denver Broncos was found guilty, together with a "urine collector" (what qualifications does that job require??), of trying to "corrupt the NFL's drug-testing programme", and the news reports talk of "the severity of his penalty" - 6 games!! - I think someone's "taking the piss" rather than just "swoping" it!

You Can't Make This Up!

While in Moscow I received a call from a colleague in Tucson who happily told me that he had been watching "... the Olympics I was at."
Imagine my surprise the other day when he came into the office carrying an older version of this bag

which also had this logo  on it        

He had been part of the civilian representation on the City's joint terrorism and disaster task force and was given the bag by the FBI members (who he described as "complete wackos"!!) who told him it stood for "United States Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms" !!!

He was so proud of that bag I didn't have the heart to spoil his illusion.

"If the Shoe Fits" - more history

Some interesting stuff if you've known nothing but plastic spike plates and screw in spikes

http://www.designboom.com/design/adi-dasslers-first-shoes-an-exhibition-by-adidas/

and more here on the split between the Dassler brothers that gave us the Puma brand

http://www.oki-ni.com/daily/2013/05/history-of-running-shoes-part-2-adolf-and-rudolf-dassler

Another One Bites the Dust!

Anyone know if this guy ever did anything - he certainly managed to keep his name out of the headlines!

<a href="http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/media/news/2013-news-page/september-2013/20-09-13-terrence-mahon/" target="_blank">

I certainly hope these contracts have penalties in them as I'm sure they were for at least the length of the Olympiad, if not till 2017.
No mention yet of  what has lured him away.

UPDATE:
'LetsRun' tried to do some digging but essentially Mahon "stonewalled" them, and would not say anything beyond the press release. Asked what his athletes were doing he only made reference to 2 US athletes that had moved to the UK with him (who are both back in the US)  - no mention of the people he was paid to coach!!

Who's playing on which team?

The Cost

I am not a big fan of the person or the athlete, but I think this was an incredibly brave admission.One can only imagine how many other athletes have gone through this pain.
I hope she appreciates if the governing bodies take note and at least one person gets help because of this revelation, then it has been worthwhile

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/24082414

“Deep inside, I have a kind of grudge against the Olympics.”

You may have seen the article on "Deadspin" about the unfortunate Japanese man, Kohei Jinno, who is about to lose his home for a second time because of the Olympics in Tokyo. Jinno is quoted as saying,  "I don’t want to see the Olympics at all"

What caught my eye was a couple of responses to the article

"Man. Between this and Sochi, the IOC must really hate fags."
This doesn't play so well on the left side of the Atlantic as there is no knowledge of the slang for cigarettes

" 'I don’t want to see the Olympics at all'

Might I suggest watching nothing but NBC for those two weeks then."

It may not be so well known on the right side of the Atlantic how awful and fraudulent the NBC coverage of the Olympics has been - never carrying any of the major events live (always saved for "primetime"), even in 1996 when the Games were in the US.
Unfortunately they have the broadcasting rights for the next 4 Games through to 2020.

Many Happy Returns to ...

... RWA, who I hope has taken the day off work and has the good sense to be doing something other than reading this blog,
Cheers!

Another shitty day in USA!

While families come to terms with the fact that a loved one is not coming home this evening, already the social media is full of the same old stale messages, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people", "If everyone was armed no one would have been killed", etc., etc., etc.
The power of the so called "gun lobby" is a wonder to behold, and  its stranglehold on politicians unbelievable to those outside of the nation, whereby it is not considered "reasonable" to register legal gun owners, or to require buyers at so called "gun shows" to have background checks.
It seems not a month goes by without a "mass" shooting, and subsequent surveys of the public regularly show upwards of 80% want background checks and a gun registry, and yet the House of Representatives would rather table a Constitutional Amendment to prevent "gay marriage" (which to this point hasn't killed anyone!) rather than "touch" the precious Second Amendment (I defy anyone outside of the US to show me where the second amendment says an individual has the"right to bear arms regardless" {my italics}- see below for the wording). Scholars like to refer the Constitution as a living document - but Congress seems to want to allow the Second Amendment to Rest In Peace!
This child like, and sometimes childish nation often insists that its democracy is the best (and of course it likes to "impose" it on other parts of the world) - but where nations have followed their own course to democracy they have overwhelmingly chosen a parliamentary system - the failing of the US system is there is no "penalty" for the Government (or in this case Congress) if it doesn't listen to its constituents or if legislation is defeated - its members get to serve its full term regardless. Next year sees mid-term elections (that is the mid-point between Presidential elections) - it will be interesting to see if Representatives financially supported by the "gun lobby" modify their position in the face of public opinion - they are more "scared" of having the "gun lobby" money used against them than they are of their constituents that voted them into office!

God help us!

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed"

I am certainly not a grammar expert (as anyone reading this blog has no doubt found out!) but I believe the comma (in red) joins the two statements - it doesn't make them separate statements!

With the recent results of the rowing World Championships and the earlier successes of cycling, our two most successful Olympic sports have essentially re-invented themselves. With retirements and some taking a year off, neither "new" team missed a beat in maintaining the UK's position as the top of each sport. Other sports needed to make changes because of their lack of success (swimming comes to mind) but these two sports rang the changes while at the "top of their game".
And where is British Athletics as we enter the next Olympiad? With the resignation of CVC as Head Coach (and to those sceptics who thought he was "grandstanding" and had another job lined up - he is still unemployed in athletics), we were assured that a 10 year plan was already in place to accommodate such an eventuality. Some Canadian-Swede was appointed (he didn't stick around long enough for me to learn his name!) who claimed after a few months that he needed to go home for family reasons, and promptly walked into the top Canadian job! The ensuing transition at top appeared seamless, but what about at the "coal face" where the real coaching work is done?

Here is the "Independent Review of Coach Education Delivery"
http://www.theinsidetrack.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Review-of-Coach-Education-Delivery-21Dec2012-1-1.pdf
It will take some reading, but here are some "lowlights" (courtesy of Gwenda Ward);

“Forecasting is consistently over optimistic. It is not informed by appropriate insight from across the sport nor translated into appropriate delivery models. Forecasting appears to rely predominantly on reviewing and replicating the delivery from the previous 12 months.”

“There are no overarching coach workforce plans, identifying current and future coaching capacity, driving coach education and delivery. Instead coach education planning occurs as a discrete exercise.”

“The delivery model follows a rigid “one size fits all” approach that does not cater for “real life athletics”.

Coaching materials appeared to be delivered in isolation, where one would have thought that a basic tenet would be a connection between education and development.
And how about those coaching materials? The much pilloried "Elevating Athletics' and 'Athletics 365' (commissioned at extraordinary cost) are being used as ways of teaching athletics in clubs and schools despite almost universal condemnation.
What about the expected explosion of interest expected from the Olympics - UK:a (as it was then) did NOTHING! - there was a rumour of a position within London Athletics to "recruit and train" new coaches in the 2 years leading up to the Games, but nothing came of it. Even a sport like rugby (which is not in the Olympics till 2016) had/has a programme in place.
We bemoan the appointment of foreign coaches - but maybe they're better educated!
I realise that the nexus of skills involved in athletics is far more complex than in the 2 sports cited at the beginning of this piece, but the nation of Geoff Dyson, Wilf Paish, Tom McNab and Frank Dick should be showing more responsibility towards its coaches, and their development.
If you don't develop coaches how can you develop athletes!

A Little History - and a few degrees of separation!

This guy - Gary Cohen - gets some marvellous interviews; somehow the simplest or most straightforward of questions elicit wonderful answers.
Remigino at the age of 80 has very clear memories; his quotes about the 1952 100m. final closely match those attributed to the 3rd. placer MacDonald Bailey, regarding his (Bailey's) nervousness - Bailey was probably favourite for the final. Clearly at some point point Remigino mistook/misheard the pronunciation of Bailey's name, referring to him several times as 'Ian'. Known usually as MacDonald Bailey his first name is Emmanuel and he was generally announced as 'E. MacDonald Bailey'. For those who know their history, or are old enough to remember, will know that the Jamaican athlete referred to as Arthur Wendt is Arthur Wint.
I have a client here in Tucson who is originally  from New Jersey, and is an old friend of Lindy Remigino - he (the client) also happens to have been the starter for the 100m. at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Each year he jokes about not having received a Christmas card from Linford, but of course by the 1996 Games the staring recall was fully automated, and essentially out of the starters hands.
http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Remigino.aspx

Did They Know?

I am enough of a conspiracy theorist to believe a "little bird" let the delegates know this was about to happen.
The IOC, like FIFA doesn't like surprises.

"This Would Have Been Untimely News If Madrid Had Won 2020 Bid: Spanish

Distance Runners Alberto Lozano, Sergio Sanchez And Angel Mullera Test
Positive"http://www.athleticsweekly.com/news/alberto-lozano-and-sergio-sanchez-suspended/

Old Body, New Body and a New Pair of Shoes!

There was a time when it was fairly easy to know what was "natural", what was "unnatural"; what was "legal", what was "illegal"; what was "performance enhancing" and what should be "tested".
Now the lines are very blurred!!

Old Body
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2013/09/09/130909crat_atlarge_gladwell

New Body
http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/building-the-new-super-athlete-20130729

New Pair of shoes
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/10306178/Mo-Farahs-super-shoes-could-lead-to-world-record-challenge-in-London-Marathon-says-his-coach.html

Hattrick! and Music to His Ears!

And the third vote at the IOC meetings also went the way of the favourite!
No clear majority in the first round led to the elimination of the sixth place, but in the second round Thomas Bach composed a clear majority with 49 votes to the combined total of 44 for the remaining candidates.
Last of those candidates with just 4 votes was Sergei Bubka (one time pole vaulter and now model for bespoke suits) which now leaves him clear to challenge for the IAAF Presidency in 2015.
Out of the gate Bach, himself a Gold medalist fencer in 1976, will have his hands full trying to ensure a smooth delivery of the Sochi Winter Games beset by delays, budget over runs, the possibility of no snow and Games Ambassadors with little notion of the civil rights enjoyed by the "free" world. After that he hardly gets a breather, as the next Summer Games in Rio are suffering many of the same problems plus general civil unrest by Brasilians over expenditure on the Games. Bach should get a good idea what faces him after the FIFA World Cup next summer!
Also among the nine newly elected Council Members is the well respected Paul Tergat, giving the main decision making body a total of 112 members.

A Matter of Perspective?

From the La Crosse Tribune (Wisconsin)
"Plagued by alcohol abuse, obesity and mental illness, increasing economic insecurity and limited access to health care, child care and public transportation, residents of the Coulee Region say it's a great place to live"

Wrestling Takes It To The Mat!

Wrestling, which was due to be cut from the Games after 2016 has been re-instated for 2020 and 2024.
The result of the secret ballot showed it received 49 votes, more than the combined totals for Baseball/Softball (24) and Squash (22).
The federation finally got its house in order after numerous warnings about their operations, administration, rules and gender equity - re-inforcing the idea that excluding wrestling was really just a ploy to get them the straighten up.
Now it will interesting to see if there is any effect on the voting for the new President as a result of the votes for Tokyo and Wrestling. 

"Come On In My Kitchen"

Another thing the Dedicatee and I shared was the love of good music - we just couldn't agree on what that was! As a kid I was sick to death of only being "allowed" to listen to classical music and opera - now I couldn't be more grateful for the education.
That being said, he "introduced" me to Stephane Gappelli and Django Reinhardt -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpmOTGungnA
and to "negro spirituals" (possibly a distant relation of gospel music) and the outstanding voice, intellect and athletic grace of Paul Robeson who suffered horribly form the vileness, bigotry and scaremongering of McCarthyism -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoJB_JiG1RM
(a much longer link here - by a happy coincidence in Moscow - if you read the comments the Soviets clearly got more than they bargained for!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rK1ZZ_SpyU
One Christmas my brother and I got an old windup gramophone (look it up kids!) complete with "trumpet" speaker and "one time" use steel needles, and some 78 rpm bakelite (look this up as well!) amongst which was a version of "St. Louis Blues" and that was as close as the Dedicatee and I got on the blues.
One of the (many) joys of sitting in the (Moscow) Peter1 Hotel lobby in the early hours of the morning was the music played - at least once on every occasion I heard a version of "Come On In My Kitchen" - I was never able to work out who was singing (maybe Buddy Guy and one other, but I have not been able to find the recording), only that it wasn't the Man

In Tucson I have been lucky to become friendly with two excellent Blues musicians - Tom Walbank (an Englishman!) - http://www.tomwalbankmusic.com/look-listen/videos/ - a fine writer and excellent interpreter of the "classics"; and Stefan George - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHw7PnT6hw8; and here they are together - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBiJt5_ytrE (Stefan playing my favourite guitar!)

But for me, right here in Tucson, is one of the best guitarist I've ever seen/heard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR4DQBKnXmc&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T9GnTefck4&feature=youtu.be
he played with MC5 years ago back in New Jersey, but he is his own worst enemy and can never keep a band together, so no one has ever heard of him!

The Moscow Seen

Irena Szewinska,        looking as elegant as she did during her competitive career

Sergei Bubka      must be putting his tailor's kids through college

Igor Ter-Ovanysian    hard to recognise, unlike Lynn Davies and Ralph Boston

Hicham El Guerrouj      wouldn't be out of place on the track now

Marie-José Pérec     M-J staying very fit chasing after her kid in the hotel lobby

Steve Ovett                  a very slim SJO looking like his old self.