Non-Olympic Sporting Review

While were all rightly ensconced with the Olympics, not totally insignificant events have occurred in the sporting world outside of the London Games. Here’s a brief overview of the more important ones :

Rory McIlroy convinced a lot of doubters (including your truly) that he is truly destined for greatness with a dominant triumph at the US PGA Championship to claim his 2^nd career major title. Rory’s CV now reads 2 major victories at the age of 22, with one victory each in the last 2 years. More important was the style of each of his wins. Akin to Tiger of old, the Northern Irishman won his latest major with a 6 stroke lead.   As for Tiger, it was a deep sense of déjà vu, where he placed himself firmly in contention over the first 2 rounds before horribly losing the plot over the weekend – a malady which has plagued him in each of the last 3 majors.

McIlroy : A New Face to Fear in Sunday Red

The other pantomime which served no one well (with the possible exception of the South African squad) was the Kevin Pietersen fiasco. Just days after playing one of the more memorable test innings in recent times , KP was yet  again embroiled in the whole brooding ‘no one loves me’ saga with some alleged texts about his teammates sent to the opposition players. The ECB considering the scenario had pretty much no choice but to drop him in spite of an all too late public video pledging his career to England. Watch this space , but it will be one of the travesties of cricket if this supremely gifted batsman does not play test cricket again.  

The other big news headlines were of course made in the transfer market. The big headline of course being in the NBA where star center Dwight “Superman” Howard was finally traded to the LA Lakers , to give Kobe Bryant the suitable arsenal to launch one final title assault while he can still be ‘Kobe’ , especially given that the Miami fortress is now firmly entrenched.  While all and sundry were crying foul about the in justice of the whole affair and the case of making the rich-richer, unlike last year’s Chris Paul scenario , the NBA powers that be could not hijack this deal.

Superman moves to Hollywood

The other major travel has of course been in football where the European season is days away from kick-off. In England , Arsenal protected their legacy of selling a major player every year with Captain Robin van Persie joining Manchester United , the first time since 1981 that the Gunners have sold a player to Man U. The Luca Modric transfer sage to seems to have concluded , though no official deal with Real Madrid has yet been announced. More detailed analysis on the entire transfer season to follow shortly. 

Memories of London : Part II

DISAPPOINTMENTS

(Was tempted to title this section losers , but something called Olympic Spirit and words uttered by Baron Coubertin more than 100 years back drove better sense into me)

1. Ryan Lochte : Ok ,  what right in  the world does a guy who won 2 Olympic gold medals (and a total haul of 5 medals) have to be disappointed. The answer is every right. If Beijing was his team-mate and great rival Phelps’ showcase, London was supposed to be Lochte’s. While not attempting that audacious 8 gold medal haul , he would have been disappointed to come home with anything less than 5 especially after famously claiming that this was ‘his time’. Under the circumstances, 2 golds seems like a pittance, especially considering the way he blew the field r(including Phelps) away in his opening event , the 400 m IM.  Thereafter he was repeatedly relegated to being second best, by Phelps in the 200 m IM, by Yannick Agnel in the 200 m freestyle, and by team-mate Tyler Clary in the 200 m backstroke. Lochte also somehow contrived to being overtaken on the finishing leg of the 4x 100 m freestyle relay by an inspired Agnel, after having being handed a significant lead over the first 3 legs. Poor Ryan was not even fielded by the Americans in the final 4x100 m medley relay win.

 Lochte : Lurching in Phelps' mighty shadow

2. US Men’s Sprint Team : Spearheaded by Gay and Gatlin ,they were supposed to overwhelm Jamaica , with allegedly, the best US sprint team in years. There were boasts, shadow-boxing and various allegations, by US sprinters, past and present. Yet on the track all pre-match talk proved a whole lot of hot air as Messers Bolt, Blake and co demolished all and sundry winning 5 out of the 6 available medals in the 100 and 200 m followed by a clinical 4x100m relay victory. The US misery was compounded by the fact that for the first time in Olympic history they did not have a finalist in the Men’s 400 m relay, not to mention that they were agonisingly pipped to the finishing line by the Bahamas in the 4x 400 m relay.

3. Team Australia: After a decade of dominant performances, the Aussie challenge whimpered to a close with only 7 gold medals ; this after garnering a  total of 57 gold medals in the previous 3 editions(16,17 and 14 in Sydney, Athens and Beijing respectively). Hockey and swimmers were the chief disappointments with some late consolation salvaged by the sailing teams.

4. Brazilian Football team: Yet another Samba stumble – this was the Brazilian equivalent of the dream team: Neymar, Hulk, Oscar , Pato, Thiago Silva and company are supposed to be the ‘Spain’ of the next decade . On the basis of their final performance, that boast needs a lot of work to be validated.  Put early on the back foot by an inspired Mexico, coupled with some shambolic defending, the Brazilian gold medal jinx was agonizingly prolonged. 2014 (world cup) and 2016 (Olympics) are both hosted by brazil, and the absence of a top prize in at least one of these might force these players to seek asylum in Europe – in Brazilian football , being 2^nd best is simply not an option.

5. Indian Men’s Hockey team: Some might argue that India doesn’t deserve its place in this list as it has long ceased to be a top world hockey team. While that may be true, a total of 6 matches with 6 losses (including those against Belgium and South Africa) is a shocking return from one of the big names of hockey. India was more to hockey than the erstwhile West Indies was to cricket; it was probably equivalent to what Brazil and Argentina combined is to football. What the games displayed was a through ineptitude with terrible standards of fitness, motivation and commitment. Even more shocking was the fact that the Indians were actually technically inferior to most of the teams they were pitted against. It is high time the age old excuse of astro-turf and the western conspiracy is buried and people accept that India is a 3^rd rate hockey nation.

Indian Men's Hockey Team : Had no business being in London

Notable Mentions :

-Roger Federer, who’s trophy cabinet now seems destined to lack that Olympic singles gold medal.

-Mark Cavendish , who’s team GB (Wiggins , Froome and co)  just did not have tactical wherewithal and ultimately the legs to pull back the breakaway group in the men’s road race.

-Asafa Powell, the only unhappy Jamaican after the Olympics , having pulled up in the 100 m final with a hamstring injury which subsequently precluded him from taking any further part.

-Yelena Isinbayeva , the queen of the pole vault could only manage an uncertain looking bronze, failing to clear a height way below her personal best. 

Memories of London : Part I

There was something about the London games which will not ever be replicated in the future , not least the number of stirring venues and backdrops – whether it be the football at Wembley , the Archery at Lords , the Tennis at Wimbledon or the road events finishing on the Mall with the backdrop of the Buckingham Palace. Tears were shed in joy and sorrow , dreams were fulfilled and dashed cruelly , pre-emptive boasts came up both justified and exceedingly hollow, stars and legends both,  engraved their names deeper in history and were extinguished without a final blaze, youthful pretenders , both made history and came up woefully short of the mark. To list out all the heroes and heroines at the games would probably entail another fortnight’s work – so right out of the hat , are the names (individuals and teams) of both the superstars in these games and those who left for home with disappointment and disquiet.

WINNERS

1. Michael Phelps & Usain Bolt :

As in Beijing, so in London, when the dust settles and the hullabaloo is long over , these are the 2 names that will linger on as the icons of these games. People wrote Phelps off and surprise, surprise , at the end of the Games , guess who stood atop the individual medal tally , both in gold medals (4 -  shared with Missy Franklin) and total medals (6). The legacy of Phelps is probably destined to go down as the closest thing to the statistically unmatchable in sport since Bradman’s 99.94.

As for Bolt – 6 Olympic events contested: 6 gold medals, 4 world records, 1 Olympic record. Wonder what the future holds in store if he decides to come back for the 400m and the Long Jump at Rio.

2. Team Great Britain : You got to be kidding me – 29 gold medals , 4 in track and field, 6 gold in a single day. Ahead of traditional powerhouse Russia and way ahead of Australia in the medal tally, GB will be hard pressed to reproduce even half of its tally in 4 years time. It diffucult to single out British athletes individually - From Chris Hoy to Mo Farah ,  from Jessica Ennis to Andy Murray , from Bradley Wiggins to Ben AInslie: this was a veritable dream team for the Brits : (Poor Mark Cavendish would be banging his brains out.).

3. David Rudisha : Not just because he set the first Track and field gold medal in the games – but the manner in which he won the 800m. There was no shadowboxing, no tail-gating , the Kenyan seized the lead early and simply demolished the field – the perfect example an athlete at the top of his game and

4. Russian Men’s volleyball Team : Winning the gold in a final which was easily the game of the entire Olympics (any event) . Firm favourites Brazil , leading by 2 sets to love and  22-19 in the third , offered themselves the luxury of  sending on injured captain Giba for the medal winning play. Whether the Russians took it as an insult and raised their game or whether it made the South Americans lose momentum is a matter of debate, but what followed was one of the greatest comebacks in the history of any team event in any sport. Seizing the 3^rd set 29-27 , the Russians proceeded to demolish a shell-shocked Brazil and claim their first volleyball gold since the days of the Soviet Union.

5. A multi-cultural trio of Women Swimmers : A teenage American named Missy Franklin who equalled Phelps’ haul of 4 gold medals) ; Ranomi Kromowidjojo , a Dutchwoman of Javanese Surinami origin who blitzed the pool in the blue riband sprints (the 50 and 100 m freestyle) and a 15 year old Chinese girl , Ye Shiven , whose performances in the medley swims were so astonishing that they promptly brought out accusations of doping. The best part is that all 3 ladies have age on their side and mere contemplation of what they might end up achieving by the end of their careers sets the pulse racing.

Kromowidjojo , Franklin and Shiwen : New Kids on the Block 

Honourable Mentions: US women’s relay teams (track and pool) , Chinese badminton and table tennis teams and the US basketball teams (for maintaining their fearsome monopoly) , all women boxers (medallists or otherwise) for winning a battle stretching over decades to have their event included in the games

Olympic Diary : day 15

Penultimate Day fireworks , Russians storm the Arena , a British Legend , Samba-stumble and (Yawn) another Jamaican Victory.

Records....crazy celebrations....tears.....shock......double extra-time....and gallons of adrenaline.... the penultimate day of the games could n0t have seen  better action.

The jury is now out on the sportsman who will be knighted earlier...Bradley Wiggins or Mo Farah....Farah added the 5000m gold to his 10000 m title in a searing home-stretch finish. Not content to simply cross the line in first place, he promptly did a Usain Bolt and added a few crunches for good measure.

That celebration probably woke Bolt up for good as he anchored a spectacular Jamaican 4x100 m relay effort home becoming the first team ever to break the 37 s barrier. Halfway through , the race the Americans seemed ahead , before Tyson Gay was slowly reeled in by Yohan Blake , who handed the baton to Bolt, right on the shoulder of the American anchor and the conclusion from that moment on was foregone.

Bolt does the Farah Salute

The country of the day however was Russia , who made a late gold medal surge winning the men’s and women’s race walks , the women’s high jump and 800m as well as a creditable if distant silver (from an awesome US team) in the 4x 400m women’s relay. The Russians won a total of 6 gold medals with Evegena Kanaeva imperious in her defence of the all-round rhythmic gymnastics title. 

If track and field event went as per predictions, all hell was let loose in Wembley where an inspired Mexico toppled a cocky and ultimately a defensively inept Brazilian team 2-1 thanks to Oribe Peralta’s brace (the first goal coming in the 1^st minute of play). Chelsea recruit Oscar had the chance to tie the game with virtually the last piece of notable action but headed above the cross-bar from point blank range. The Brazilian women’s volleyball team fared considerably better winning 3 sets to 1 against the USA with a comprehensive performance after being whipped in the first set.

In a another upset, though not of such epic proportion, Germany yet again pulled the rug from under the feet of perennial rivals Holland to win the gold in the men’s hockey.

Honourable mentions for India’s Yogeshwar Dutt who came through 3 rapid repechage rounds to take bronze in the 60 kg freestyle wrestling and Brit Tom Daley who finally repaid some wild home expectations by winning the bronze in the men’s 10 m platform diving event.

Performer of the Day : Elena Lashmanova of Russia , who won the women’s 20 km race walk in world record time in an astonishing race, pipping her compatriot and defending gold medallist Olga Kaniskina. Kanishkina had led the entire race bar the final 100 odd meters where Lashmanova took over, astonishingly after at one point having been more than a minute behind her.

Lashmanova : Leading a Late Russian Charge

Quote of the Day : Brazil are turning ‘living dangeously’ into an art form in this final. 

Olympic Diary : Day 14

An Ancient Record Smashed , Bracing for a Storming finale

The American quartet of  Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter set the track ablaze knocking out the stuffing of a 27 year old world record in the women’s 4x100 m relay , held previously by the erstwhile East Germans. There was immediate talk in the air about how this relay might inspire the US men in their event 24 hrs later. However, the US men’s 4x 400 m relay team suffered a shock defeat over the home stretch of the final leg against an inspired Bahamas. With both Jamaica and USA setting scorching times in the men’s 4 x 100 m  semi-finals without one main man each (Bolt and Gay respectively), the track is set for a rip-roaring finish tonight.

Other team events set themselves up for fascinating gold medal matches with Brazil set to encounter Mexico in the men’s football final , while the Gasol brothers’ Spain come up against the US dream team in the basketball final. The Netherlands men’s hockey team will be hoping for a double delight to follow up last night gold medal winning triumph of the women’s team.

Gaff of The day: Great Britain’s relay team finished comfortably 2^nd behind Jamaica in the relay semi-final but bungled up the final baton exchange to be disqualified. The British media have already dubbed the baton exchange a bane equivalent to the football team’s penalty shoot-out. 

Olympic Diary : Day 13

Usain Upstaged

Usain Bolt was actually upstaged on the track yesterday...only it was it an event different from his. Kenyan David Rudisha blitzed the 800 m field securing the first athletics world record in the London games – ironic (or perhaps poetically just) that the first (and probably the only) track and field record should come in the Chief Organiser of the Games , Lord Sebastian Coe’s pet event.

If Rudisha was the toast of the day – the Jamaicans were 2^nd only by a photo finish. A magnificent , unprecedented 1-2-3 in the men’s 200 m ensured the reggae boys had earned 5 of the 6 available medals in the men’s sprints. Bolt, after looking like he was under pressure from Yohan Blake at the halfway stage , pulled away over the final meters , slowed down, looked left and right and raised a finger to his lips – all this while equalling Michael Johnson’s best ever time. In a typically unpredictable Bolt celebration, he went down and crunched 10 push-ups immediately after crossing the finish line, before he and Blake clowned around for the crowd with a borrowed camera – in your face to the taciturn doubting Americans, no doubt.

Performer of the Day : Neither Bolt nor Rudisha but the American Manteo Mitchell who actually completed the final 200m of his 4x 400 m relay leg with a broken leg – I kid you not...now that’s a true Olympian.

Thrashing of the Day : Great Britain who were well and truly humbled by an inspired Dutch team in a 9-2 mauling – in a semi-final game , mind you !!

Olympic Diary : Day 12

American Athletes wake up , A hockey Innovation , Anticipating another Bolt Blake 1-2

With barely 3-4 days of action left in  the Olympics, the Americans would have been getting seriously worried about their track and field performances. Comprehensively outsprinted by the Jamaicans (men and women) , for the first time ever they failed to produce a finalist in the men’s 400 m , a fact which generated outrage from the greatest ever over that distance – Michael Johnson.

That was till yesterdays, that is – last night the Americans awoke from their slumber to set Olympic park ablaze with gold medals in the Women’s 200 m (Allyson Felix) , Mens 110 m hurdles (Aries Merrit) and the Women’s long jump (Brittney Reese). To add to this , Lashida Demus almost pipped Russian Natalya Antiyuch to the finish the women’s 400 m hurdles , with the Russian holding on by a few hundredths of a second. The natural order of things is likely to be restored on Thursday if the semi-final performances of Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in the Men’s 200 m were any indication. Bolt pretty much cruised the last 80m and still managed a time of 20.17s – all sure shot markers that this event might see the first track and field world record in these games.

A Hockey Novelty : Hockey introduced a new method to break a deadlock in knock out games. Abandoning the old penalty stroke tie-breaker, the new system requires a player to dribble the ball from outside the scoring area and attempt to beat the goalkeeper within 8 seconds. The women’s semi final between Holland and New Zealand made history as the first Olympic game to be decided by this system with the Dutch pulling off a 3-2 victory after the game was tied at 2-2 with a scoreless extra-time. The method did create a bit of chaos, but still seems a better option as a tie-breaker as it gives more opportunity to showcase skills (both scoring and goalkeeping) – Perhaps football should try this sometime.

Images of the Day : 

Nicolas Batum loses it (France) against Juan Carlos Navarro (Spain) in the mens basket ball quarter finals

Lee Daehoon of South Korea on the receiving end against Jose Gonzalez (Spain) in the men’s Taekwondo.