Big C said:
DiabloWags said:
Cal88 said:
There were a lot of ups and downs in these Olympics, but one thing's for sure, they have produced the best memes...
Far MORE UPS than downs.
Swimming and Track & Field were even more powerful for Team USA than I thought. No bigger proof than in the Mens 1500 (1st, 3rd, 5th) and Mens 5000 and Mens 10000m (Both Bronze via Grant Fischer of Furd)
Cal amassed 23 medals.
12 of them GOLD.
DW, I know we're supposed to be talking about Nazis and stuff, but I have a Track & Field question: Can you point to a reason why the US might've done better in this Olympics, or was it just an anomaly? In any event (pun intended, I guess), I liked it!
Yes, far be it from me to actually discuss the TOPIC that I originated this thread on.
Thank You for being a
Winner and not the typical Bearinsider Whiner that has nothing better to do than to inject their argumentative pantywaist character on a thread devoted to a once every 4-year international sporting event.
We won 34 medals in T&F.
14 Gold.
This was the BEST SHOWING SINCE 1984 in LA where we won 40 medals, 16 of which were gold.
We reached the podium in 20 out of 35 track and field events.
The Men medaled in 9 of 10 individual track races, the most for any country since all these events were part of the Olympic Program in 1920.
Could probably add another Gold given that pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis (who broke the world record again at 20 feet 6 inches) is actually American (born and bred in Louisiana) but he prefers to compete for his mother's home country of Sweden.
In answer to your question, I think that 10,000m runner GRANT FISHER (Stanford) set the tone on Day #1 when he reached the podium in the meet's first medal event. You just don't see Americans on the podium in the long distance events, especially the Men's 10,000m. The very next day, the American's followed with 6 medals, including Crouser's Gold in the Shot Put and Sha'Carri Richardson's Silver in the 100m.
It also did not go unnoticed that Americans came in 1st, 3rd, and 5th in the Men's 1500m Final.
You just don't see that happening and I think that it speaks to a resurgence in American Distance Running.
Said Rai Benjamin (USC) the Gold Medalist in the Men's 400m Hurdles:
"How my teammates set the tone on Day 1 kind of dictated subconsciously what the team would do throughout the rest of the championships," said Benjamin, who won a second gold here Saturday as part of the 4x400 relay. "… It's very infectious. When you're down there and you're mingling with everyone, you kind of get the sense, okay, the ball is rolling here. Everyone is doing it."
Fisher felt it. He got the podium parade started Aug. 2 with his bronze and returned Saturday night with a third-place finish in the 5,000. Late in the grueling race, "I honestly thought I was toast," he said. But he kept pushing. He remembered his American teammates coming from behind and stealing wins Hall in the 400, Richardson in the 4x100 relay, Hocker in the 1,500. In the 5,000, Fisher was running seventh with about 120 meters to go and willed his way to third down the stretch.
"Maybe fighting for a podium is contagious," he said. "You see guys getting medals fighting for a higher position than they were projected, and when you see that, you think it's possible for yourself."
Thanks for asking the question Big C.
"Cults don't end well. They really don't."
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