Anniversary Games Athlectics. Anyone Watching?

[Fishtigua]

A year after the Olympics, yet another packed house. Good to see.

There's sod-all else on telly, so will tuck into this with glee.

[jbudgie]

Yes, great stuff, last night and this afternoon.

Would have loved to have been there.

[john2443]

Watched it on TV Friday night, was there Saturday brilliant, Mo, Jess, Usain all in one session would have been enough but Johnson-Thompson winning the long jump, Uhurugu (SP?) 400m, one of our local lads in the Emsley Carr mile (Charlie Grice, got left behind a bit but is still only teenage).

I guess it was a record attendance for a non Olympic athletic event in the UK?

The view is better view on the TV unfortunately, it's such a big place you can't see everything, but the atmosphere's better than at home!

More to come today, channel 4, Dave Weir in the mile at 1714 amongst others.

[Regiment]

Was annoyed by the commentary and reporting of the 100m women's hurdles, Jess Ennis came 4th and another British athlete came 2nd, not one word about the British athlete who came 2nd, no interview at all, no mention.

[Otispunkmeyer]

As a heads up...

Swimming World Champs starts today. Finals on the Red Button at 5pm today.

Diving finishes today I think. Or yesterday.

Looking forward to see how we fare. No Addlington, and bizarrely, no Liam Tancock either. He qualified for his 50 m backstroke, but didn't for the 100 m and becuase the 50 isnt an olympic event (though is a worlds event) they didn't take him. I hope their thinking is to give him a do or die ultimatum to forget the 50 and make his 100 better, or now his place is "open" give someone else the push to fill it.

Jazz Carlin will be one to watch, as will Michael Jameson.

[john2443]

Regiment said:

Was annoyed by the commentary and reporting of the 100m women's hurdles, Jess Ennis came 4th and another British athlete came 2nd, not one word about the British athlete who came 2nd, no interview at all, no mention.

Tiffany Porter, whose main event is hurdling but not such a household name!

[Regiment]

john2443 said:

Tiffany Porter, whose main event is hurdling but not such a household name!

I know, but it came off as quite disrespectful that you'd interview a big British name that came 4th, then you interview the winner from Australia and then completely ignore the British woman that came 2nd.

[jbudgie]

john2443 said:

Regiment said:

Was annoyed by the commentary and reporting of the 100m women's hurdles, Jess Ennis came 4th and another British athlete came 2nd, not one word about the British athlete who came 2nd, no interview at all, no mention.

Tiffany Porter, whose main event is hurdling but not such a household name!

Sounds slightly american when interviewed.

[BraveSirRobin]

john2443 said:

Sounds slightly american when interviewed.

She was born in the USA (dual nationality) and didn't represent GB until 2010.

[Cheib]

Went on Fri and Sat with the Mrs and took my young lad today. The quality of the overall athletics was better on the Sat I think. Womens 100 sprint, women's 100m, mens 110 m, 3000 m steeplechase all had high class fields on Sat as well as Mo destroying the 3000m field. Great to see two world record attempts in the high jump and pole vault.

I think all the athletes were blown away by the crowd and you have to love Bolt for all he brings to the sport. He's a genuine entertainer every second he's out there.

They said the crowd for the recent "Paralympic" World Champ was 3,000...which makes today's crowd phenomenal on a global scale I would think.

Quite some legacy!

Really mixed crowd...massive age range. I was sat next to three ladies who must have been in there 60's and 70's yesterday in 100 quid seats!

[anonymous-user]

Great atmosphere in a fantastic stadium, its such a shame that football and politics will ruin this place. We were sat in row 7 and it would make a great football stadium, all the moaning that it would be too far away and lose its atmosphere is complete balls.... I appreciate there are issues that it isnt sustainable as an athletics venue alone but given the 2017 Worlds will be held in London, it beggars belief that we have to go through this expensive farce of rebuilding it just to accommodate removable seats/track to appease West Ham. I hope the club go bust... rant over...

Womens 3000m

[Cheib]

pablo said:

Great atmosphere in a fantastic stadium, its such a shame that football and politics will ruin this place. We were sat in row 7 and it would make a great football stadium, all the moaning that it would be too far away and lose its atmosphere is complete balls.... I appreciate there are issues that it isnt sustainable as an athletics venue alone but given the 2017 Worlds will be held in London, it beggars belief that we have to go through this expensive farce of rebuilding it just to accommodate removable seats/track to appease West Ham. I hope the club go bust... rant over...

Womens 3000m

What is definitely a shame is that the momentum that has been built up with the attendances this weekend will be lost....could have been something very special with an annual diamond league event with huge crowds.

The lower tiers definitely need to be closer. You look like you were at the end of the stadium so relatively close to the track....we had sets on the finishing straight in the lower tier, you are a long way from the track let alone the pitch.

Thing is they can't change is the view from the upper tier. They will be absolutely miles away from the pitch.

Edit Just found this on another forum http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=104... Wow the upper tier is going to be miles away from the pitch in football configuration.

Edited by Cheib on Sunday 28th July 21:25

[john2443]

Just a thought - if anyone questions whether IPC is a freak show (I think there was a thread about that on here some time ago) or doubts the value, Channel 4 showed the answer this aft - they interviewed a 5 yr old with one leg, his mum said that pre Paralympics he was getting down and had the p taken, but afterwards everyone thought he was really cool and he's hoping to compete in 2024. Whether he will is another question but if it gets him through childhood with a positive outlook it will be good.

If the paras make a difference to some disabled kids then it's worth it for that alone. IMO much of it stands up on its own as just as good sport as 'real' athletics with that as an bonus.

PS, The Last Leg (3 blokes with 4 legs I think they described it as today) starts again on Weds 31/7, terribly bad taste, but very funny!