by Stuart WeirThe 2020 Inspiration Games, by any account, were a success. Stuart Weir provides us with a postscript on this athletic marvel.
Christophe Lemaitre, 200m, photo by Inspiration Games / Wanda Diamond League
Postscript
The Inspiration Games lived up to their name. Of course, it wasn’t a totally “fair” competition with people competing in different countries in different conditions etc. But it was fun for the athletes, provided a much needed payday for some and was fun for us to watch.
North America took the team competition winning six of the eight events, with Europe’s second. And Noah Lyles would have won if he hadn’t started at the wrong place.
The event winners were:
100 yard dash men
Andre de Grasse 9.68
150 Meters women
Allyson Felix 16.81
200 Meters men
Christophe Lemaitre 20.65
300 Meters hurdles women
Georganne Moline 39.08
Triple jump men
Pedro Pablo Pichardo 17.40m
Pole vault women
Sandi Morris 4:66
Pole vault men
Sam Kendricks 5.81m
3 by 100 relay women
USA (Candace Hill, Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix) 32.25
As a postscript, I was intrigued by the Lane allocations. In the 100 yards, with the three runners on the same track Lanes one, three and five seemed very sensible to allow a social distancing. In the 150, Allyson Felix was in lane four but her opponents both in lane five. In the hurdles Lea Sprunger in Zurich was in lane five, are two opponents in lane three. In the relay Switzerland were in lane five, the others in lane three. Is there something special about lane five in Zurich?
Swiss 3x100m, photo by Inspiration Games / Wanda Diamond League
Finally in the 200m, Martina was in lane three. Lyles and Lemaitre in lane five. But should Lyles have been in lane three – was that the problem? If, if, if.
Churandy Martina, photo by Inspiration Games / Wanda Diamond League
