Reflection on Women's 100-m (Sydney)

[Historian]

My interest in track and field started about 2006 before then I only watch the big races on race days. I had a deep interest in the SAF because she was connected us here in this city. Our folks had heard rumours that the JAAA wanted to toss out SAF in favor in VCB. I am no expert like you and Paul so I only have three questions. Did you foresee Tayna Lawrence beating Merlene Ottey in the 2008 final? Can you say for sure that a fit PGD could not have beten Tayna Lawrence for 3rd in 2008? Did you foresee the gold from SAF in 2008?

Time, although the posts are all pertinent and certainly interesting, the thread down the bottom was nevertheless getting a bit crowded. This is why I’m taking my effort to answer your question into a new thread. Everyone, of course, is most welcome to chip in with facts and viewpoints .

Before I say anything more, let me tell you that I genuinely appreciate your track and field posts here. Your late start (2006) is not a problem, as you can always catch up through reading and watching tapes (thankfully as well, YouTube has some gems from the past). But your posts are very much appreciated, Time, and more so because there are apparently very few diehard track and field fans on this primarily soccer message board.

It’s somewhat challenging to answer your questions, and thankfully Sickko has provided some relevant comments.

In the case of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, that women’s 100-meter dash was certainly not as clear-cut as that of the Sydney Olympic Games eight years before. We cannot ignore the extenuating factor in 2008, and I’m referring here to Torri Edwards’ infamous shift in the blocks as the gun went off in the finals. That shift certainly affected several athletes, as they clearly hesitated, awaiting a recall.

Now to Peta-Gaye Dowdie and the 2000 Olympic Games:

Let’s look at Peta-Gaye Dowdie’s season’s best time and then compare it with the 2000 season’s best times of the ladies who ran in the finals of that 100-meter dash in Sydney. Bear in mind that Peta-Gaye is not a sub-11 runner; her personal best in the 100-meter dash is 11.03 seconds, which she ran in Texas in 1999.

The 2000 Olympic Games, Sydney
Results: Women’s 100-meter Final (wind: - 0.4 m/s)
Marion Jones 10.75
Ekaterini Thanou 11.12
Tayna Lawrence 11.18
Merlene Ottey 11.19
Zhanna Pintusevych 11.20
Chandra Sturrup 11.21
Sevatheda Fynes 11.22
Debbie Ferguson 11.29

COMPARATIVE SEASON’S BEST
Peta-Gaye Dowdie
1999: 11.03 (personal best)
2000: 11.13 (Kingston; July 21)

Ekaterini Thanou (Greece)
1999: 10.83
2000: 10.91

Tayna Lawrence
1999: 11.37
2000: 11.07

Merlene Ottey
1999: 10.97
2000: 10.99

Zhanna Pintusevych (Ukraine)
1999: 10.94
2000: 10.93

Chandra Sturrup (Bah)
1999: 10.96
2000: 10.86

Debbie Ferguson (Bah)
1999: 10.98
2000: 10.96

Sevatheda Fynes (Bah)
1999: 10.91
2000: 11.03

[Sickko]

Those times serve only to a point and it would be instructive to know under what conditions they were achieved, for example as I was discussing yesterday Ottey seem to run fastest in the first and second rounds.

Also these times might have been set in one of those one off races on the European circuit and we cannot account for how the athletes would perform after rounds and having to run hard twice in under 90 minutes in the semis and finals

[Historian]

Yep, You're Making Sense

Those times serve only to a point and it would be instructive to know under what conditions they were achieved, for example as I was discussing yesterday Ottey seem to run fastest in the first and second rounds.

Also these times might have been set in one of those one off races on the European circuit and we cannot account for how the athletes would perform after rounds and having to run hard twice in under 90 minutes in the semis and finals

And I fully agree with you on all points here. The original question posed by Time was a very difficult (albeit interesting) one to answer, and so I figured that the closest I could get to providing what could constitute an answer was to post the season’s best time of each athlete. To try and provide some sort of balance, I also included the previous year (1999) season’s best time for each athlete.

But you are perfectly correct in that season’s best stats cannot really be used as a useful tool in answering the question, because variables such as the rounds come into play.

The bottom line, though, is that I would have been absolutely astonished if Peta-Gaye had taken part in the finals and placed second behind Jones.

[Sickko]

and yes I do agree that Dowdie was a long shot to medal at the 2000 Olympics and i do agree that she is by far one of the sweetest looking athletes we have had in a while.

She was in the stands in New York when Bolt first broke the WR and I have photos of her smiling and applauding, what a wonderful sight.

[Exile]

Please post said pic. Thanks. (sound like Jawge)

[Historian]

Photo

Please post said pic. Thanks. (sound like Jawge)

Here you go, Exile. Meet my beloved princess, Miss Peta-Gaye Dowdie, one of Jamaica’s most talented sprinters!