Beijing Olympics 2008

If the Olympic Games were being held anywhere other than China this year there would be no doubting which event would be top of the bill when it comes to the track and field programme. Surely there can be nothing to match a 100 metres race featuring three of the only four men to have run under 9.80sec?

Hopes of a nation

Xiang LIU

But mention the name Liu Xiang, China’s first-ever male Olympic athletics champion, and strange things happen in the People’s Republic. He is quite possibly the most famous man in the country and the mere sight of him in public can cause a commotion. The Shanghai-born 25-year-old won the 110m hurdles in Athens in 2004, but he will be under pressure this time from Cuba’s Dayron Robles, who snatched the world record from Liu this summer.

Holy grail

Meanwhile Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay of the United States will be seeking sprinting’s equivalent of the holy grail. Down the years the 100 metres title has been taken by some of the most legendary names in sport, including Jesse Owens in Berlin in 1936 and, in Mexico City in 1968, Jim Hines, the first man to break the 10-second barrier. More recently Carl Lewis won it twice on his way to his record-equalling nine gold medals.

Carl LEWIS

Jesse OWENS

Women’s focus of attention

Along with Croatia’s world high jump champion Blanka Vlasic, Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo will be the focus of attention on the women’s side after her astonishing 800 metres performances this season. The slightly built 18-year-old has run only a few 800m races, but her time of 1min 54.99sec is a long way ahead of anyone else this season and the fastest in the event for almost 11 years.

Faint-hearted anti-feminists

Jelimo’s time is more than 20 seconds faster than that of Lina Radke when the German won the gold medal in 1928, the first time women were part of the Olympic track and field programme. Unfortunately the sight of several women dropping to the ground in exhaustion after the race in Amsterdam convinced the faint-hearted anti-feminist movement that races of more than 200m were not suitable for the fairer sex, and the women’s 800m did not return to the Olympic arena until 1960 in Rome.
source : http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/beijing/index_uk.asp

Rallying legend Colin McRae's 30-year career

There was a nice tribute to Colin recently in the form of a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daily Record/Sunday Mail Scottish Sports Awards 2007 in partnership with SportScotland.

The audience, at the star-studded gala event in Glasgow’s largest hotel, rose as one to give a standing ovation to Jim McRae as he stepped up to receive the award presented in memory of his son Colin.

Jim gave heartfelt thanks, on behalf of the family, to all those who had been of support over the last few difficult months including the 20,000 who turned out in Lanark for the Memorial Service.

TV sports presenter Suzi Perry handed over the award and there was also a video tribute from David Coulthard in an interview from Wembley stadium where the Race of Champions will take place this coming weekend. David also announced that he had arranged for the tribute helmet he had worn at the Japanese GP in memory of his good friend Colin McRae, to be signed by the entire F1 grid and forwarded to the Dinner. This unique tribute helmet was also presented to Jim McRae.

Gert Steegmans – “It’s great to win here…”

The final stage is often spent celebrating the events of the previous three weeks but there’s also a lot of prestige attached to victory on the Champs-Elysees. This year, the sprint was won by a team that lost its usual leader just before the race began but Gert Steegmans gave Quickstep a successful conclusion.

“The team has worked perfectly so that I could win this sprint. I knew very well the last turn and I knew I’d timed it well enough not to be harassed by anyone in the final expect perhaps the two or three who were right on my wheel. Matteo Tossato gave me a pace that was so fast that I could not even get around him.

“It’s great to win here. Tom [Boonen] is usually our leader. The fact that he is not here added pressure on me and also Stijn Devolder. It was not easy, and this victory has been a long time in coming, still, the team has consistently done its best and finally the work they were doing helped give me that little bit of extra confidence.

“Several factors have prevented the Quickstep team from winning. The first is, of course, Cavenish. And then, Barredo was a little too nervous when he had the opportunity to win the stage a few days ago. But the team did not need to save its Tour; we had a meeting yesterday and our managers have praised our work although we had not yet won a stage.”

Jorge Lorenzo back in action

Ten days of limited movement have been prescribed by Dr. Xavier Mir, with the goal of complete mobility in time for the next round of the MotoGP World Championship in Brno. Lorenzo will have a cast on his foot during that time, with a weight-relieving splint attached afterwards to allow him to walk thereafter.

The 21 year-old has commented that he was `in pain and angry that another crash had halted progression,´ but that he would be making the most of his layup to get back to fitness and indulge in one of his interests.

`Luckily I have time to recover before Brno, even if I won´t have any holiday. Right now I´m going to enjoy the Tour de France on television,´ said Lorenzo.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Fool

Old Trafford legend Eric Cantona has said that ace striker Cristiano Ronaldo would be "bloody stupid" to quit Manchester United for Real Madrid.

Cantona said the Portugal star's style is perfectly suited to the Premier League and Champions League winners.

Ronaldo, 23, is a long-time Real target and has expressed his desire to play for the Spanish champions.

But Cantona, who spent five glorious seasons with United before retiring in 1997, maintained he could never imagine leaving for another club.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world right now. He is a genuine artist. His style of play fits Manchester United's very well, and the reverse is true also. It is pleasing to see such harmony," he said.

"As for him wanting to join Real Madrid, I don't really know his personality. Maybe he had valid reasons that drive him to leave United. He is still young, and so maybe he wants to take on fresh challenges. I can understand if this is the reason why he wants to leave for Real," Cantona said.

"But if he were to leave because of something else, I think he would be doing something absolutely bloody stupid. When I was at United I never thought of changing clubs for one second. I could never have played for another club at that time,"