2009 World Athletics Championships - Berlin

driftingtiger8 said:Can someone remind me what that heptathlete from Sweden was called? 😕

Carolina Klüft

Nicholas Lee said:Just watched a replay of the 200m. It’s wild—everyone else is out there giving 130% just to keep up, while Bolt looks like he's basically cruising through those last 50 meters. I guess that's just how it goes. 🙏🤣

And honestly, it’s pretty much the same thing at 100.😁

Aaron Kim2 said:The hype around Bolt seems a bit much, though I guess it makes sense since he's such a huge star right now. But is he really more legendary for his 100m or 200m records than what Bekele does in the 5k or 6.2 miles??? If you haven't realized, Bekele runs his final lap of a 10,000m in about 55 seconds!!!! I wonder how many people could actually manage just starting and finishing those last 400m without having already run 9,600m before them.

Maybe take a second to think things through before jumping to conclusions. I don't think Usain Bolt is just a "hit"; he’s more like a once-in-a-lifetime athletic phenomenon. A celebrity is someone the media builds up, but Bolt doesn't really need that because his stats speak for themselves. Once you look at the numbers—and it isn't hard, we're talking about 9, 5, and 8—you might see why "legendary" is actually an understatement. That said, I’m a little skeptical because I’ve noticed that Americans, especially folks on internet forums, tend to be pretty quick to tear down anyone who is truly elite. It feels like this might be one of the few places where legends like Phelps or Bolt get criticized just because their sheer excellence is intimidating. Honestly, even if you gave Bolt two full pages in a newspaper, it wouldn't even begin to cover the significance of what he's achieved, even if it is just sports.

It’s going to be an uphill battle for Bolt to break that 200m record when he doesn't have anyone even breathing down his neck to push him

Sandra Perković hit 62.16 in the discus final—she took 3rd in her qualifying group. With that mark, she would've landed at 6th place in Osaka.

Jeremy Johnson30 said:Sandra Perković hit 62.16m in the discus final, taking 3rd in her qualifying group. That would have put her at 6th in Osaka.

👋

Anyway, where the hell is Begić? I checked the roster this morning and didn't see her at all. Maybe she's in a different group?

Daniel Cooper40 said:👋

Anyway, has anyone seen Begić? I was checking the results this morning and couldn't find her anywhere—maybe she's in a different heat?

She's actually in the second group, which just kicked off a minute ago. She's throwing near the end of the set.

EDIT: Bummer, Vera didn't make the cut. She hit 58.25, which would've landed her at 24th, but you needed at least 61.08 to squeeze into the finals.

On the bright side, Sandra Perković is by far the youngest one to make it into the finals with her total score. 🙏

way to go Sandra!!! 👋

When is the men's 200m final scheduled to take place?

Anthony Scott93 said:When's the men's 200m final?

tomorrow at 8:35 PM

Daniel Booth37 said:Maybe think for a second before you start talking nonsense again. Usain Bolt isn't just some "hit"—he's a sporting phenomenon unlike anything we've ever seen. A "hit" is someone the media manufactures into a star. Fortunately, Bolt doesn't need that because his numbers speak for themselves. Once you actually dive into the data (which isn't hard, since we're talking about those three digits—9, 5, 8), you'll understand what "magnificent" truly means. Though, I'm a bit skeptical because, in my experience, Americans—especially the ones on internet forums—tend to love tearing down and belittling everything that's actually great. This might be the only country where people try to diminish legends like Phelps or Bolt just because their sheer excellence gets under people's skin. Bolt isn't even overhyped; two pages in a newspaper don't even begin to cover the significance of what he achieved, even if it is "just" sports.

But it really comes down to what you're running in the 100m. It would be almost impossible to get that kind of media spotlight with equally magnificent results in something like hammer throw. The 100m is just naturally more captivating than the 10,000m, and I doubt Bolt's 9.58 would draw nearly as much attention as if someone ran a sub-26 minute 10,000m (which would still be a massive achievement)

Of course, Bolt is a magnificent athlete 🙏

Comparing Bolt and Bekele really comes down to this—they’re both basically untouchable in their respective lanes. We're talking about world records that feel pretty much bulletproof right now, like nobody else is even in the same zip code. That said, Usain still has some catching up to do if he wants to match Kenenis (or Haile Gebrselassie) when it comes to the total haul of World Championships and Olympics titles.

I'm not entirely sure how they came up with this, but I was listening to a segment on RTS yesterday where a group of data analysts were running simulations to see how other track and field results would stack up if you compared them directly to Bolt's 9.58. All I really managed to catch was that they claimed a high jump of 2.52m would be the mathematical equivalent of that 9.58 run. I have no idea how anyone calculates something like that... 🤷

Benjamin King2 said:Comparing Bolt and Bekele makes sense because they are both completely untouchable in their respective events. They hold world records that (right now) nobody else seems capable of breaking, though I guess Usain still needs to catch up to Kenenis (or Haile Gebrselassie) when it comes to the total number of World Championships and Olympics titles.

While Bekele and Gebrselassie are truly magnificent athletes (though maybe they have a slight edge due to where they're from), they haven't really shifted the paradigm the way Bolt did. For decades, the gold standard for the 100m was the 10.00 mark. Any sprinter dipping under 10 seconds was considered elite, someone fighting for medals at the World Championships or the Olympics. Even Kim Collins was a world champion, despite never running sub-10. If you ask any American track athlete what 10.00 means—really, if you ask almost any white or Asian runner—they'll tell you. But Bolt established an entirely new benchmark; he was the first sprinter in history to truly redefine the limits. Sprinting is one of the most fundamental disciplines, dating all the way back to the first Olympics in ancient Greece. It’s the purest form of competition: getting from point A to near point B as fast as possible. Bekele might be the greatest distance runner ever, but he didn't reset the bar in quite the same way. Running 9.58 in the 100m feels a bit like running 25:00.00 in the 10,000m.

Anyway, I won't ramble on too long. Just enjoy it while we can, because there's probably a new show starting tomorrow.

EDIT: I guess Kim Collins did run a 9.98 once.

Where has that man disappeared to, and is he even scheduled to compete?

Jesse Hernandez13 said:Where's that guy at? Is he even running today??

🤦

Daniel Booth37 said:Sure, Bekele is arguably the greatest long-distance runner we've ever seen—no argument there—but he hasn't actually shifted the goalposts for the sport. I mean, comparing his records to something like a 9.58 in the 100m is just... well, it's apples and oranges.

Look, time will eventually decide what counts as a real benchmark and what doesn't, so let's please stop trying to compare things that simply aren't comparable. 😉

Daniel Booth37 said:Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie are magnificent athletes (even if they have a geographical advantage), but they haven't done anything on the level of Bolt. For decades, the benchmark for the 100m was 10.00. Any sprinter running under 10 seconds was elite class, fighting for medals at any World Championships or Olympics. Kim Collins was a world champion, yet he never broke that 10.00 barrier. Ask any American athlete what 10.00 means—actually, ask any white or Asian athlete. Bolt set a new standard; he was the first in sprinting history to truly shift the goalposts, and sprinting is one of the most primal disciplines, dating back to the first Olympics in ancient Greece. Moving from point A to nearly point B as fast as possible is the essence of athletic competition. Bekele might be the greatest long-distance runner ever, but he didn't redefine the benchmark. A 9.58 in the 100m is comparable to a 25:00.00 in the 10,000m.

I won't linger; enjoy it while it lasts. There's a new spectacle starting tomorrow.

EDIT: Kim Collins did run a 9.98 once.

That said, I’ll add a few lines.
Bolt's results are fantastic, even if such numbers inevitably invite doping suspicions. But that's a conversation for another time.
The reality remains that in the 100m, 10 seconds is still the benchmark, and anyone running sub-10 can realistically hope for a medal at the World Championships or the Olympics. You don't need to run sub-9.60 just to stand on the podium.
I'd compare it to ski jumping. The 200m mark was surpassed ages ago with a record of 239m, yet that 200m figure remains a sort of "magic number."
And regarding 6.2 miles, 25 minutes is nothing more than a round number and nothing else.

Anyway, there are plenty of other interesting things happening at the World Championships that I notice aren't getting any discussion around here.
For instance.
There's no denying he looks like a man.

Chris White14 said:So, I'll just add one thing.
Bolt's numbers are insane—though obviously, results like that always bring up the doping talk. But that's a whole other debate.
Still, hitting sub-10 in the 100m is still the benchmark—if you can run under 10, you’ve got a shot at a medal at the World Championships or the Olympics. You don't need to go sub-9.60 just to get on the podium.
It's kind of like ski jumping. Everyone knows the 200m mark was blown through ages ago and the record is sitting at 239m, but people still obsess over that 200m "magic number."
And as for 6.2 miles, that 25-minute mark is just a random number, really. Nothing more.

True, and people still talk about how Powell is the guy who has clocked sub 10 s more than anyone else.
Does anyone actually know how many people have ever officially run under 10 seconds in history?
Also, does anyone know anything about that guy they called "Bullet"—he was an American football player and a world champ in the 100m. I think I read somewhere that maybe 30 or 40 years ago he was running a 9.69 or something like that?