by Larry EderThe sport of athletics is, arguably, the oldest and most primal sport on the globe. Kids run, kids jump and kids throw. There were organized races nearly 4000 years ago, around the walls of Babylon. In the ancient celebrations in Olympia, there was the stadia, a race of nearly 200 meters. There was even a distance race of nearly 12 and 1/2 stadia at the time.
My belief is that the sprints have always been of interest. Who is fastest? Kids run against each other. Whose the fastest kid on the block?
Since 2008, we have known who the fastest man in the world was, and, with the exception of 2011, when Yohan Blake won the 100 meters, Usain Bolt won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m in 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, but not 2017.
In the men’s 100 meters, which lived up to the hype, Christian Coleman, the young un, went out hard and battled Usain Bolt to the very end. Usain Bolt, who had not raced any of the real guns, was short of training and short of racing, and he ran valiently, but he was not going to beat Christian Coleman.
But, out on the other side of the track, was Justin Gatlin, winner of 2005 World Champs, who was running a brilliant race all by his lonesome. By the time Coleman and Bolt knew it, Gatlin had won the race.
And, in story book land, Usain Bolt was the fan’s favorite. And that is wonderful. But, this is a sport, and not pro wrestling or roller derby. And as the IAAF allowed him to race (due to European and US jurisprudence) as well as Gatlin taking his ban (cut from 8 years to 4 years). European meet directors, since 2010, have been bringing him to their races (not in UK, except in Olympics).
The booing of Justin Gatlin was bush league. As the announcer at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics had to remind American audience in the 5,000 meters with Ralph Hill and some very physical Finnish runners, ” Ladies and gentleman, these people are our guests.”
