Did anyone see 'Sprint' last night? - It was a profile of the GB Sprint Team.

[Melinda]

Really interesting stuff. 'Fly on the Wall' Doc following the runners and riders for the three 100metres spots in the team.
It featured those who trained for years 'only' to run in the relay or perhaps not even make the team at all.

This profile followed the ridiculous training schedules, sacrifice, terrible disappointments and money worries elite athletes have.

After watching this, who out of Simeon Williamson, Craig Pickering, Tyrone Edgar would have been ok about losing their place in Beijing to Dwain Chambers?

 

[baldrick]

Sadly not, I was writing an essay. Was it good? I'm not going to see much of the build-up of the Olympics, nor probably much of the Olympics.

Is this one of the series they were doing on various athletes?

 

[Melinda]

Initially I thought it was one of those BBC1 athlete profile shows.

It was much, much better- it focused on Craig, Simeon and Wade Bennett-Jackson amongst others.

It was a lot more warts and all than the fluff pieces in some of the other profiles Ive seen abd over a longer eriod of time. It looked such a slog. Wade didnt make the team.
There was quite a bit about the transition from junior/ student athletics to the senior circuit.


It had Craig after his 100 metres (individual) disappointment in Osaka at the Worlds last year, just despairing about the 2/3 tenths which seperated him from athletes who made the final. The utter dejection.

Wade who didnt make it to Osaka was watching Craig from him sofa at home. He was worried for his mate/rival and talking about the 'imposibility' of going from being a student to racing Asapha Powell- "It just aint gonna happen."


Simeon went to the World Student Games in Bangkok instead of the Worlds. We saw him almost DQ after his victory in the 100metres final.
He got off to a flyer, no false start as called and they ran the race.

IAAF made the athletes re-run the race the next morning. 8 races in 4 days. It was great seeing behind the scenes, actually with the coaching team in the stands.

 

[baldrick]

That sounds ace. We'll be very lucky if any of them make the final though.

 

[Melinda]

That sounds ace. We'll be very lucky if any of them make the final though.

Agreed. Simeon is the quickest of the trio, but his PB is only 10.03 (I think).

There is so much bravey /pathos involved in watcing them slogging their guts out in dingy surroundings at 6am day after day for incremental improvments in performance.

Despite what they would say because of their pride, Olympic semis would be an achievement. They are all so very young.

I find their doubts and worries terribly moving, competing as an individual must be TERRFYING.

 

[Lord Camomile]

An old friend was round last night so didn't really pay attention, but have just watced it on iPlayer and it was very interesting. One of the things I thought was particualrly interesting was the 'rivalry' between Pickering and Williamson. Pickering started off as the one to beat, and then Williamson, well, did. According to the BBC Williamson was the only 100m runner to be selected before the Chambers ruling, having finished second to Chambers at the UK trials, with Pickering having to wait it out.

Pickering's clearly been trying hard though, in this photo he's been pumping his arms so hard that his right one has done something very wrong indeed