Sheena’s 2024 Athletics Thread

BoysForSeles said:
Nice input on the podcast Shee, never listened to them before as I’m not very podcasty but will definitely keep an eye out for more.

The new qualification system seems to be based on the swimming model, and I guess the idea is to make qualifying rounds more competitive or high level from a viewers/entertainment perspective but yeah, it doesn’t work for athletics.
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I get the idea- and in something like an indoor 60m, it’s a great idea but with byes and in races with wind being a factor it’s absolute nonsense.
 
Another two medals for Italy from the half marathon. They (and the French) seem to have done things right for their home champs.
 
wildchild said:
Another two medals for Italy from the half marathon. They (and the French) seem to have done things right for their home champs.
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The French? They’re appalling at the moment! They hardly have any medal chances past Cyrena.

But the Italians- it’s dodgy as fuck if you ask me.
 
Thank you, for saying it outloud! I mean who’s coaching them — Ma Junren? As for the French, Lazraq-Khlass’ Fani Halkia like record improvement and Samba Mayala caught my eye but true, not much behind them.
 
Charlie Dobson running the fastest European Champs SF time ever and almost jogging at the end.

Maybe it was coming after Spitz's shenanigans but he just looked SO SAD at the start too.
 
FetchFugly said:
Charlie Dobson running the fastest European Champs SF time ever and almost jogging at the end.

Maybe it was coming after Spitz's shenanigans but he just looked SO SAD at the start too.
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Alexander Doom is the big problem, but I think Charlie will win. He looked incredible.
 
Dina looked good too.

And pleased for Amy Hunt successfully escaping the seats of doom.
 
I haven't been keeping up much apart from the accounts i follow on X and Insta - so used to it being on BBC that I usually don't have to think about coverage.

I have noted the Athletics podcast and will give a listen this week :disco: I've always been fond of Seb Coe so I am glad he is nice in person.

The 400m women's final looks FIRE tomorrow
 
FetchFugly said:
Dina's 'I got away with that one' face after a not so great start :D
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without looking up the results hows that final shaping up? Surely in Europe she should be the front runner, the 'little runner'
woman is better indoors right? I take it Daryl is sitting these out @Sheena
 
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I shall be listening to the podcast this week and trying to get some sort of action on the TV-is it even on the red button I don't know.

I have just looked it up and Daryl is doing the 200m so she's in Rome :D I hope they both do the 4x100 :disco:
 
Halli said:
without looking up the results hows that final shaping up? Surely in Europe she should be the front runner, the little runner pocket rocket woman is better indoors right? I take it Daryl is sitting these out @Sheena
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They just ran the final. Dina got a not so great start but came through (visibly saying 'FUCK. ME.' after she crossed the line) ahead of Swoboda.

Daryl is doing the 200m.
 
Halli said:
I shall be listening to the podcast this week and trying to get some sort of action on the TV-is it even on the red button I don't know.

I have just looked it up and Daryl is doing the 200m so she's in Rome :D I hope they both do the 4x100 :disco:
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Yes evening sessions are on red button/iPlayer.

They are both down to do the relay, it would be nice to see them do it.
 
FetchFugly said:
They just ran the final. Dina got a not so great start but came through (visibly saying 'FUCK. ME.' after she crossed the line) ahead of Swoboda.

Daryl is doing the 200m.
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Right, getting on the red button to watch back, i'm just so out of it in terms of the schedules for these champs.
 
FetchFugly said:
@Sheena spotted on TV behind a BSB and Dina's mum
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I’ve never actually met Dina until tonight when her mum introduced me as “the famous Dan who always looks after me” :D

The “FUCK ME” was a joy. She basically told us she’d changed her blocks half an hour before the race (“never again” she said), not sure why, but it fucked her start up. Was impressed with how she came through.
 
Both the 400 finals didn't go quite how I hoped but can't complain with super fast times like that.
 
I love both Kaczmarek and Doom, though I’d have preferred golds for both silver medalists, yes.
 
Impressive times in the 400s for sure.

I see Sydney ran her first 400 flat of the year in 48.75 in the US, I wonder if she’ll be tempted to double up in Paris even though she said she’d no plans to. She did sound vaguely interested in her post race interview. Also ran a very handy 22.07 in the 200 a few weeks ago.
 
FetchFugly said:
That was a big triple jump... and the dramatics with Tamberi's busted shoe :D
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Yeah I thought he was going to miss the Olympics for a sec the way he reacted.

Quite an improvement from the Italian 10K winner to go from 16th to 1st in less than a year but she’s young so I guess improvements like that are possible.

Victoria Hudson is the least Austrian sounding Austrian competitor ever, nice gold for them in Javelin. I see she has an English father.
 
Was hoping Darryl would get a little moment in the sun there but can’t be mad with Kambundji.
 
BoysForSeles said:
Was hoping Darryl would get a little moment in the sun there but can’t be mad with Kambundji.
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It’s this really. I love Kambundji too much to be upset.

But serious questions for Daryll . She should have won that by a distance really. She keeps underperforming in major championship finals.
 
And yes, I know we haven’t prioritised these champs, but it just feels like it isn’t going our way.

Interestingly, talking to (sorry, sorry, I KNOW) British- Italian megastar Fiona May today, she said about how everyone in Italian athletics is paid by the state and their salary depends on them turning up, which they all have done here in abundance. The UK lottery is skewed in a different way.
 
Halli said:
Why didn't we have women's 4x4 or Men's 4x100?
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The women decided they wanted to abandon as trials are so close and it’s so competitive.

The men ran the 4x100 but lost a couple of people last minute through injury, so were unpracticed and fumbled the baton, coming last in their heat.
 
As for me, I’m utterly exhausted but have had the BEST champs. Terribly organised but just hanging out with old friends and new ones (SORRY/ NAMEDROPPING INCOMING AGAIN) has been great- I befriended Amy Hunt’s parents and we spent all week with them and after the other night’s fleeting introduction, properly got to properly, properly meet Dina tonight after YEARS of being mates with her Mum, and she was, as you can imagine, an absolute fucking delight.

It’s now 2:40am, I’m half cut stumbling back to my AirBnB and have to be up for my flight in four hours. What could go wrong?
 
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Sheena said:
As for me, I’m utterly exhausted but have had the BEST champs. Terribly organised but just hanging out with old friends and new ones (SORRY/ NAMEDROPPING INCOMING AGAIN) has been great- I befriended Amy Hunt’s parents and we spent all week with them and after the other night’s fleeting introduction, properly got to properly, properly meet Dina tonight after YEARS of being mates with her Mum, and she was, as you can imagine, an absolute fucking delight.

It’s now 2:40am, I’m half cut stumbling back to my AirBnB and have to be up for my flight in four hours. What could go wrong?
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I tell you what could go wrong- a THREE CUNTING HOUR DELAY, that’s what!
 
I was surprised to see no 4x4 in the women’s too, could have used it almost as a training block (I know once you’re in competition that mindset goes) as a medal here was more likely as opposed to having much impact in Paris. Totally get it though.
 
So Athiing Mu falls at the US Olympic Trials meaning she won’t be in Paris. Interesting news for Keely…
 
^ That sucks tbh but it’s the US system’s own fault. Pity there’s no wild card system like other sports where a defending champion can be wild carded in if they have a qualifying time before the Games.
 
Agreed it's a pity- you want the best athletes at any champs for sure- but there's an argument against that for me, in that it would only benefit the likes of the USA anyway. Not many countries have qualifiers deep enough to field 4 athletes in an event (maybe Jamaica etc. in the sprints and us in the middle distances, I guess).

The US system is cutthroat, but it's not like we haven't been here before- Dan O'Brien in 1992, Gwen Torrence over 200m in 1996, for example.
 
Yeah, that’s true, I just think if there’s been an exceptional circumstance such as injury, illness or a freak incident in qualifying a defending champ only, if they’ve proven fitness and times by a cut off point, might be worth wild carding in in the interest of the sport. I guess I just really want to see the match up.

Different sport different scenario but in tennis if Ivanisevic hadn’t received a wild card the year he won Wimbledon he would never have been a grand slam champion.
 
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