Tokyo 2020: Athletics Thread

yerwanthere123

Really excited about the men's steeple and women's 5k later today. The steeple should have El Bakaali, Wale and Girma on the podium, but in what order?

If the conditions weren't so hot and humid I think the WR would be challenged in the women's 5k. Nevertheless I think Tsegay might still try and make it fast and a sub 14:20 could be on. Gold should be between Hassan and Tsegay, whilst Obiri, Tirop, Taye and Teferi should duel for the bronze. Exciting!

yerwanthere123

Womens 1500 heats on the way, fingers crossed for Ciara Mageean. I'd be very surprised if she doesn't make it out of this heat, top 6 qualify automatically plus 6 fastest losers.

yerwanthere123

Oh wow, Mageean nowhere near. Far and away from her Doha form. Has to wait and see if she can snag a time qualifier now.

Strazdas

That was disappointing - she found very little in the last 250m and looked fairly well below par.

hawkwing

Wonder is she overtrained..:-(

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117693808#Comment_117693808

It's a bit of a concern that the entire athletics team seems to have underperformed so far, bar the 4 x 400.

Fingers crossed young Sarah Healy can do something.

hawkwing

Hassan falls and wins and doesn't look out of breath, :-(

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117693823#Comment_117693823

Definitely doping then..

yerwanthere123

Holy F*CK! The triple was almost off

YFlyer

How the fcek do athletes fall off after 800m

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117693841#Comment_117693841

If you mean Sarah, she wouldn't be used to injections of pace like this. It would be like throwing a League of Ireland player into an English Premiership match.

She's a bit harsh on herself in her interview. She thinks she ran a bad tactical race but I thought she did well for an inexperienced 20 year old.

yerwanthere123

Gabby Thomas is smoking hot. Beaten by Christine Mboma in her heat though, an athlete banned from the 400m and above for elevated testosterone levels. Seyni the same, and she qualified for the SF's too.

Strazdas

The athletics team is not performing at all - Phil Healy last of five in her heat.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117693896#Comment_117693896

Ha was thinking same thing about Gabby Thomas.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117693808#Comment_117693808

Yeh, we’ll go with that..

athletes need to make things happen. Heats are all about running against the clock. Making sure you get a fast enough time. Tactics should mean eff all. Racing vs opponents should mean eff all. That’s all for finals..

deisedude

As a collective our athletics team are so far off the pace it's embarrassing. I don't really blame our athletes. They have probably got this far in spite of Athletics Ireland

Joe_ Public

Heat must be getting to George. Seemed to be labouring under the impression Ta Lou had equalled the WR in her sf and then followed up by referring to Gabby Thomas as "Thompson".

yerwanthere123

Aww so thrilled for El Bakaali! That was a long time coming. And he made it look so easy!

Wale though, that was some disaster.

And now on to the Women's 5k 😍 First Olympic gold for Hassan?

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117694172#Comment_117694172

Out of interest, what do you think AI should or could do?

Btw I'm no fan of AI,

HeidiHeidi

Bloody hell, that Hassan is an absolute machine!!

Two races (including a fall and recovery) in the one day 😱

Joe_ Public

That was really just ridiculously easy.

Liam2590

she made that look so easy!

yerwanthere123

Hassan wins in a canter! The triple is on.

Delighted for Obiri getting another silver, surprised it's only bronze for Tsegay. A faster pace would've gotten her a silver at least.

UpTheSlashers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117693825#Comment_117693825

O'Rourke keeps going on about hers shoes on the RTÉ coverage, is that a euphemism?

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117694172#Comment_117694172

Don't think it's embarrassing. Probably about as expected for the population and resources thrown at the sport in Ireland. Just have to spot the once in a decade or so super talent that does make it to world standard in one specific event, but can't really expect much to actually be built on that afterwards if nothing much is being done to find the next talent.

So you're just left sitting around waiting for the next person who makes it through on their own despite the system.

Outside of Athletics is there any Olympic event that Ireland does well at, mostly just boxing consistently. But should do better at horses, except Ireland focuses on the betting side of horses rather than the Olympic side of it. Other sports will make breif appearances in the public consciousness every now and again, but its not down to any targeting of those sports. It's just people with exceptional talent doing it themselves.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117695172#Comment_117695172

"Just have to spot the once in a decade or so super talent that does make it to world standard in one specific event, but can't really expect much to actually be built on that afterwards if nothing much is being done to find the next talent.

So you're just left sitting around waiting for the next person who makes it through on their own despite the system."

I've asked this question already. What more do people expect AI to do?

YFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117695127#Comment_117695127

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117693845#Comment_117693845

Coaches introduce fartlek sessions. Injections or surges have been part of racing for ages.

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117695609#Comment_117695609

Not a lot more really, at least not without throwing loads of money at people to fund them when they are found and to make it a viable option for people to follow for a few years between uni and getting a real job.

The national lottery was what turned things around for the UK, that and actually targeting other sports.

YFlyer

What was this hooking that affected Barr?

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117696069#Comment_117696069

It didn’t affect him in the end. Protest dismissed. Italian lad cited by Ireland for hooking in his heat. Had our protest been successful, Barr would be in the final