Here are a podium of my favorite quotes/journalist reports from the first few days...
Third, Amby Burfoot on Tomescu's awesome Women's Marathon Gold...
She stole the marathon, but she didn't break any laws. She simply challenged everyone else to run as hard as she was running, and they all declined the invitation. I don't understand why, but that's their problem, not mine. One of the things I like best about Tomescu is her ragged running form. Some people think form is important in the marathon and they even give form lessons, sometimes with a substantial price tag attached. But form is a surface issue, like the color of your eyes and hair. It has essentially nothing to do with marathon performance. If you want to get faster in the marathon, I'll give you some free advice: Move your legs faster.
Second, from a story on Shalane Flannagan's poisoning and recovery to medal in the 10k...
“I probably should have brought her out early,” he added about his decision to let her stay in Dalian.
Flanagan’s doctor, Alan King of Sarasota, Fla., said Flanagan was abruptly hit with dry heaves, vomiting and diarrhea at 2 a.m. on Monday. King was in Florida at the time and arrived in Beijing on Thursday night.
Bob Adams, a doctor for the United States Olympic team who treated Flanagan throughout the week, gave her an antibiotic to kill intestinal bacteria, King said.
“He was the reason she did so well,” King said, referring to Adams.
Flanagan’s husband, Steve Edwards, said he thought the illness had turned out to be a blessing. “She had forced rest, which was a good thing,” he said. “And she was able to sleep 10 to 12 hours a night.
“It was good for her eating the poisoned soup,” he added. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”
And the gold medal quote winner thus far, from our favorite runner Fam, Anthony Famiglietti after his inspiring as hell frontrunning performance in the Mens 3000 steeple semi's.:
"I went out hard like that because this could have been my last steeplechase. I didn't want to run it with tactics. I wanted to run it with heart, and go after it. At the Athens Olympics, I fell. I didn't want that to happen again, so I figured I should just get out there and run on an open track. I kept looking up at the JumboTron to see where everyone was, but all I ever saw was the race walk video. It takes a lot of discipline to run solo. You have to push, push, push. It's not easy to keep grinding it out in the steeple. I'm really happy with my time, personal best, and the way I did it. Shalane inspired us all last night, and I tend to run well in the meets where she runs well. I've got the engine, I've got the hurdling technique, I've got the water jump. It comes down to having the guts to run fast between the hurdles. I can run 8:05. Even if I run under 8:15 in the final, that would be another PR. I've got a lot in me. I'll be disappointed if I don't get it all out in the final."
Let's hope he's right. Come on, Fam!!!
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2 comments:
i'm trying to find some post-run thoughts by Fam, but he seems to be lying low. have you come across anything yet?
his semi-final run was still one for the history books if you ask me. and i wish i could have seen the finals regardless of his placing.
yeah, here is what i found from fam post race...My legs felt like mud. I just didn't feel good. I tried to lay back, but no one would take the pace. So I thought, Okay, why not make it honest? Besides, I was wasting so much energy moving out to the second lane or third or fourth for the hurdles, and all the pushing around. I was worried I would fall. Once I got to the front, my game plan was to wait until they went past, then tuck in and hope to maintain and kick in and maybe grab third. But I was over the lactic acid edge. It would have been worse if I didn't fight. I'm satisfied that I interjected some energy into the race, even if it didn't work. It actually would have been easier for me to go to the front right from the beginning like I did in the prelim. I'm a Prefontainesque runner--mentally and physically I run better from the front. That's the way I've got to continue to run, it remains to be seen whether in the steeplechase or not. It was tough tonight. I put my whole heart into the race, but my legs didn't want to go. It's every runner's worst nightmare."
I did catch the race, you could tell it just wasn't all there for him, he had the lead with three laps to go, but even then he never quite looked like fam. he definitely gave it a go. it just didn't work out.
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