Athletics in General

WRITTEN November 2010 INTRODUCTION I used to be an ardent fan of athletics in the 1970s. But that enthusiasm has waned a little now. Due to the sands of time, my memory is not what it used to be. I have trawled through a few web sites trying to rekindle my memories. Some of this op is more personal for me and meaningless for anyone else. But I hope that the amateur psychiatrists amongst you will be able to glean the workings of my mind. EARLIEST MEMORIES My earliest sporting memories were in South Wales of my parents discussing the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. I can still remember the distinctive ... more

Berlin Olympic Stadium The World Athletics Championships August 15th-23rd Jessie Owens and all that... Athletics has a new hero, Usain Bolt, but if he fails a drug test then the sport is dead in the water, make no mistake. That's why he won't fail a drug test. Think of that statement as you please. I'm sure all the wonderful bravado and laid back Jamaican showbiz cool is the real man but it may also be a front to distract from that horrible truth. I think he's clean and I'm praying he's clean, and what a star he is, the 100m final the highlight of this week championship in Berlin, this guy ... more

*Usain Bolt – The current World Record Holder 100 metres* Men's 100m result 1 Usain Bolt JAM 9.58 (WR) 2 Tyson Gay USA 9.71 (NR) 3 Asafa Powell JAM 9.84 (SB) ------ ----- ------ USAin Bolt? Over the last month we’ve been overly spoon-fed what the Doctor’s involvement was to do with Michael Jackson’s departure. This ultimately beams the magnitude of how the West has depended on drugs. Drug taking; whether prescribed or otherwise, is available for the rich and famous, and most definitely to the super-human whose sport makes it their livelihood to give their very best while on the world stage ... more

With the 2012 Olympic games being held in London Great Britain has at last a major opportunity to challenge and succeed in the field of sport. Over the years Britain has performed well and sometimes even excelled in many disciplines but it is probably in Athletics that most people will associate Olympic success. The names of Coe, Ovett, Thompson, Christie, Holmes still fire the imagination of athletes today. But if Britain is going to really challenge at the London games and perform to the high levels that other Host countries like Australia, Spain and Greece have in recent Olympics where are ... more

As someone who – as a photographer – covers Athletics all over the country from Top Junior Level to International meets, I ask : What has happened to our great 'milers', 1500m runners ? Gone are the great days of Seb Coe, Steve Ovett, Steve Cram and Peter Elliott. Our seeming world domination at the distance has disappeared. Now the world is led by runners from the African nations. They have taken over the middle/long distance races. The Portuguese and the Spaniards have some decent runners, but even they are well behind the Kenyans, Ethiopians, the odd Somalian and Morroccan ... more