Tom Ashley, you're a legend.

Xin xilan, jia you!

Surely shot-put is also a 'bona fide blue riband Olympic event.'

Not to detract that even getting to the?

Valerie Vili beat the world record holder and the rest of the field with four of her five throws

Actually, the silver medallist, Natallia Mikhnevich (Belarus), beat two of Valerie's five throws. But she was the only contestant to beat any of Valerie's five throws !?

Ahem. Blue Riband?

There were only 3 Africans in the final, and one of them got the Silver. It does not make any sense at all. The gold medallist was from Bahrain.

Rashid Ramzi was born in Morrocco and emigrated to Bahrain for an undisclosed sum.

Usain Bolt had better not be on any performance enhancers because he is just too cool.

Totally read my mind.

The Willis vs Vili thing is just dumb. Both are commendable achievements but Vili's simply is the best possible outcome, surely the end of any discussion occurs when a demonstrable?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Riband_(disambiguation)

:-)

@Haydn:
Thanks for the awesome panorama shot. May I politely request that you do that thing that the other PA writers do to make their links open in a new window?

19.30 seconds over 200m is insane by the way.

I've never been a big fan of calling the winner of the 100m "the fastest man in the world". As this shows (and as has been the case in the past) the winner of the 200m is often faster.

Graeme wrote :

As this shows (and as has been the case in the past) the winner of the 200m is often faster.

I assume that you're doing the maths of multiplying the 100m time by 2 and seeing that?

The Kenyans >> the East Africans >> the sub-Saharan Africans >> all Africans, including Algerians, Moroccans etc?

@Andrew:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Riband_(disambiguation)

Yes, thanks for that Venetia – I was presuming he meant some form of "blue ribbon". SO glad I didn't make some unfair comment about sub editors.

I must admit if I was looking for the fastest man in the world I'd be looking at the orbit speeds of manned space missions

But then you'd be looking at the man in the fastest vehicle. I think the fastest person from human power is some downhill cyclist (though?

Noticeably missing from the dim-witted racial anlysis of Nick Willis' achievement is any mention of athletes' names.

To be fair, this is from the Willis article:

So as Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi strode to gold, with Kenya's Asbel Kipruto Kiprop hard on his heels, there was the famous black singlet coming?

Nick Willis is the first white man (or politely, "Western athlete") to win a medal in the men's 1500m since ... the 2004 Olympics.

I'd love to see a NZ journo tell his audience that. But it doesn't fit the?

Actually, that's unfair. To the intellectually disabled, to whom I apologise unreservedly.

(I must admit if I was looking for the fastest man in the world I'd be looking at the orbit speeds of manned space missions).

Strictly speaking, I don't think those people are in the world.

...the fastest man in the world...

Skydivers?

Skydivers?

Yeah I don't think they count either.

He was trapped on the inside when the pace went on at 300 m to go. As Ramzi hit the front Willis had to fight his way out and when he had done this was 20 m off?

Racism and religious triumphalism in hyping the bronze.

Sadly, I think you're right. Interestingly, Slate mag did carry a story that attempted to explain why biologically and culturally, Jamaican runners have fared so well. The fact that, IMO, they managed to do so without queuing racist responses is commendable. The?

They were about halfway down the homestretch when a "DQ" — disqualified — suddenly appeared on the scoreboard next to Spearmon's name. When made aware of it, Spearmon touched his own chest as if to say, "Me?" Then his?

Olympic spirit.

DQ

Bummer for Martina. It looks like he might never have been pinged if not for Spearmon's disqualification.

I hate to bang on, but yet another TVNZ wtf? moment as the commentator suggested that Spearmon knew he'd been DQ'ed, but was jumping up and down, waving the flag around, and?

Gold is always better than a Bronze.

Well yes, in the sense that no one can ask more than that you beat the competition who turn up on the day. But otherwise, I'll call bollocks on that.
Put it this way – which is the greater achievement; winning the World?

...(b) he didn't beat Morcelli or Kip Keino or Filbert Bayi or any other superstars with significantly better times and records.

Simon, the only reason you can name-drop Bayi and Keino is that 30+ years ago when those guys were around, NZ had athletes who could compete with them. Now?

Sticking glues on the bat, in other words. The effects on the players of those glues were rather harsh.

But then you'd be looking at the man in the fastest vehicle. I think the fastest person from human power is some downhill cyclist (though that sounds dubious).

Base-jumping surely, if you're going to let gravity do the work but exclude machines. And on land I think it's cyclist followed?

Baala, like the winning "Bahraini" has North African origins, which is athletics shorthand for "drug cheat". ;-)

May I encourage you to elaborate on or qualify this comment. I would hate to get snippy over a misunderstanding.

Where do you even start? "Almost a missionary"? To, like, Africa? That's almost, uh... metaphorical??

May I encourage you to elaborate on or qualify this comment. I would hate to get snippy over a misunderstanding.

Probably all you need to know is that Ramzi and Baala (like Marion Jones and Nick Willis) have never failed a drug test. So snip away!

Alternatively, ten minutes on?

Sorry, the more I think about Willis?s comments the more I?m uncomfortable with them.

Does anyone know?

From wikipedia "New Zealand is the current Men's World Champions, having won the last three tournaments".

???

It was kind of sad to, I am a romantic?

Rightly so too.

Olympic softball is competed by women only, with men competing in the similar sport of baseball.

Qualifying for the women was at the 2006 ISF World Champs, where we finished 5th in our pool, so didn't even get through to the playoff rounds (where the top 4 got to qualify).?

Any insight into why Softball is played in NZ by the men, rather than Baseball?

Businesses in Wellington were particularly active in this; Gear meats in Petone and Todd Motors in Porirua. That?s why those areas are the traditional strongholds of softball in?

Probably all you need to know is that Ramzi and Baala (like Marion Jones and Nick Willis) have never failed a drug test. So snip away!

Which is what I hoped you would say. I have grown quite weary over the last few weeks poining out to people that it?

Not just the four words we New Zealanders cling to – "per head of population" – but also medals based on GDP, medals based on the size of the team sent to compete etc?

The plain fact of the matter is we do not know who is and who is not cheating until they get caught, and that using culture, race or indeed google as a basis for argument is a pretty poor means of making such determinations.

True. Annoy your workmates with this?

Which nice little country has had its last two Olympic gold medal winners busted after the drug tests?

Well yes, but then again her husband was a banned drug-cheating discus thrower, and her pattern of avoiding tests and sudden improvement at a relatively advanced age is template stuff. It's not?

Softball is a women?s only sport at the Olympics. Baseball is the men?s sport.

Rightly so too.

Dude, are you picking fights?

There is no reason why softball is a sport for women and baseball is a sport for men. Softball is an "easier" sport (larger ball, slower pitches, smaller?

I'd submit that East German + woman + 1970's + gold medal is actually a pretty good basis for making a determination...

In an isolated context this example appears pretty compelling, but place it against any number of Americans, Russians, Brits et al. and the issue becomes not one of?

There is no reason why softball is a sport for women and baseball is a sport for men. Softball is an "easier" sport (larger ball, slower pitches, smaller field) and as such is played more by amateur sportspeople who would quickly become disenfranchised if they had to play baseball.

Women?

The other option would be to drop softball and rounders altogether and just play baseball. Both genders.

Just because it is a sport NZ men win by default, it doesn?t mean it has any credibility.

The other option would be to drop softball and rounders altogether and just play baseball. Both genders.

See, until I read Paul's comment I would've stuck to my guns on the "it's easier for amateurs" line.

Both sports are on my "cut" list anyway.

And IOC committees down the years are not too well known for that.