Lack of athletic progress is a worry for Scots
I wish they'd break more records at the Games and show they are moving forward.
When here in Delhi he did so in a time of 10.12 secs. Come on. Allan Wells, the Scottish sprinter, won a gold medal thirty years ago at the Moscow Olympics, and he was faster. His time was 10.11 secs.
The Commonwealth record for the 100m is held by Ato Boldon at 9.88 secs and was set in 1998.
Debbie Ferguson from the Bahamas holds the women's equivalent from Manchester in 10.91 secs. Aussie Sally Pearson won this year in 11.28 secs.
By the way, long jumper Myra Nimmo is the current Scottish record holder at her event and she set the mark way back in 1973 at 6.43m.
And no Scottish woman has run faster than Helen Golden did over 100m and that was way back in 1974 when she clocked 11.4 secs.
So a Scottish woman's time from 36 years ago means that she would have finished fourth in Delhi, beating both English finalists in the process.
Scotland's Allan Wells ran to 100m gold at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow
Trouble is I knew who Myra Nimmo was when she was a schoolgirl and she set her record at 19 years old straight out of school, and no Scot has jumped further.
And as for the other records holders it is worth stating that they have not been banned for any reason.
It's probably true that some records in books were drug-assisted, but we will never know which ones.
Here's my perspective. We found a school outside Delhi called The kids wear tartan, they are members of clans not houses, they have bagpipes every morning, and each child must learn to play golf.
Amazing. But true. Yes, they all play golf.
But that's a top international school. In most places in the world athletics, when the whole basis or running jumping and throwing should be the core of what we teach, is well down the pecking order.
Which is wrong.
Anyway, let's get this rolling. Here we are at a Commonwealth Games we will remember all our lives for many different reasons.
Why are there so many old records, and what can be done about it?
Or, as a Brit, or more particularly a Scot, is it really just my country's problem and not yours?
I was born in Borneo, spent my formative years swinging from the trees, and you might know me as an international rugby player, but now I'm off to London to give you my opinion on all things Olympic as part of the 91Èȱ¬ Scotland Sport Nation Olympic team.
Comment number 1.
At 7th Oct 2010, BakedBeans wrote:>>>> When Jamaica's Lerone Clark won the men's 100m gold here in Delhi he did so in a time of 10.12 secs. Come on. Allan Wells, the Scottish sprinter, won a gold medal thirty years ago at the Moscow Olympics, and he was faster. His time was 10.11 secs.
Common wealth is second rate event ,comparing it to olympics is stupid
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Comment number 2.
At 8th Oct 2010, John Beattie - 91Èȱ¬ Sport wrote:Baked Bean, Allan Wells was a Scottish and Commonwealth athlete.
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Comment number 3.
At 8th Oct 2010, LittleRew wrote:A lot of the problem I think is down to the way PE and games lessons have been taught in schools over the last 30 years. When I was in school this whole thing about taking part rather than winning was only just coming in and I remember taking part (badly) in schools sports days and being part of a team. Getting the acknowledgement from my house when I came in 2nd from last in the 400 metres but those 2 points meant that we won the house cup - that is competition and healthy competition and still ensuring people take part!
This whole idea of not giving prizes to winners is daft and has not helped sports in Scotland, Wales and England.
Agreed that with the real youngsters the emphasis should be on enjoyment and taking part however I think as you get older the emphasis is on competition and taking part. I played in a 32-6 drubbing the other week but we competed hard and were unlucky not to get more points - disappointed not to win but pleased with our performance.
The emphasis on competition within schools has to come back and you'll see the benefits in future years.
If you look at Australia, USA, China, Russia, Canada, New Zealand, to various degrees the emphasis is on competition, winning and enjoyment (Not sure about China - But I hope I'm proved wrong).
I think the talent is out there but it is not being properly nurtured.
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Comment number 4.
At 8th Oct 2010, Michael Selby10 wrote:Yeah, I don't know all the reasons, but it is undeniable that emphasis and focus has moved away from track and field to other sports. Here, in the US, college track and field competition never anymore gets the spectators that weekend football does.
I agree too that we can't blame it on the track. It is hard to imagine that the track condition in Moscow 1980 was better than in Delhi 2010.
I believe the empty stands might be one reason, if they are still empty. It can't be much fun running in an empty stadium. Giving free tickets to the underprivileged kids, like the ones you wrote about in yesterday's blog, might be one way to jump start India's flagging interest in track and field.
The rich kids I saw in stands in one of the pictures yesterday looked too blase to be agents of that change.
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