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By Martin Samuel
Last updated at 12:01 AM on 29th August 2011
To observe Usain Bolt on the start line in Daegu was to feel the charismatic charm of sport’s greatest showman since Muhammad Ali.
Bolt posed, he preened, he exuded humour and confidence. His bearing displayed a sense of drama and occasion. He looked perfectly at home there; he knew who he was and what he was about.
Spying his image on the giant screen, he looked those by his side up and down and shook his head, pityingly. No chance, he was saying. Against me? Not a prayer.
Empty victory: Eventual winner Yohan Blake (left) and silver medallist Walter Dix start without Usain Bolt, who was distraught to be disqualified
And then it was over; and not in a fraction under 10 seconds as usual, either. Bolt wasn’t even in the race that long this time.
Blink and, quite literally, you would have missed it as he was led away, the latest to be disqualified for a false start. Dwain Chambers went for a twitch in the semi-finals, a foot adjusted on a sensor pad. A single error is no longer allowed these days.
Now rules are rules, but there really doesn’t seem much point in gathering the greatest athletes on earth in one city and then disqualifying them on technicalities.
More from Martin Samuel...
False starts are irritating and, plainly, there must be limits, but suddenly those paying a top price of £725 to be in the stadium when Bolt runs at the London Olympics next summer must be regarding their investment rather anxiously.
Some think pride comes before a fall. There will be those who revel in the karmic justice of seeing Bolt’s ego brought tumbling down to earth by an early break from the blocks; but none in the stadium were hoping for a crash course in Buddhism for beginners.
They were there to watch Bolt run faster than any man before and the majority, plus millions watching around the world, will only have felt a sense of emptiness and bewilderment at the void in lane five.
Bolt’s great rival Tyson Gay predicted this farce, more than a year ago.
In June 2010, when the instant disqualification rule was introduced, the second fastest man in history said: ‘If Usain Bolt false started it would be a wake-up call. If it happened at the World Championships or Olympics, the result is going to need an asterisk by its side. Without him, it wouldn’t make sense.’
And it didn’t. Yohan Blake is the new world champion, but we know this is an equally false reading.
Perhaps it will take Blake’s ascent in a thoroughly depleted field — already weakened by injury to Gay and Asafa Powell — to make the International Association of Athletics Federations see sense.
There must be compromise. Instant disqualification seems a devilishly harsh punishment in the sprint events, particularly if nice, clean broadcast timings are the prime motivation for the rule change, as many athletes suspect.
Despair: Bolt went through the emotions as the enormity of his mistake hit home
The previous rule, which put the entire field on a disqualification warning after one false start, was also imperfect.
A runner who was naturally slower out of the blocks could false start deliberately, at no personal cost, to put his sharper rivals on the brink of ejection, nullifying their advantage. There seemed little wrong with the original rule, two strikes and out: apart from appearing untidy to the commentary team.
Yet, what looks a bigger mess than an Olympic sprint that starts without the fastest man in the world? Hear that? It is the sound of a billion off- buttons clicking as the man who makes human movement a work of art is reduced to the role of bystander.
How can the International Olympic Committee let this happen again in London next year? It is quite simple: after yesterday’s events, they cannot.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/art...#ixzz1WTE3wkYy
Last updated at 12:01 AM on 29th August 2011
To observe Usain Bolt on the start line in Daegu was to feel the charismatic charm of sport’s greatest showman since Muhammad Ali.
Bolt posed, he preened, he exuded humour and confidence. His bearing displayed a sense of drama and occasion. He looked perfectly at home there; he knew who he was and what he was about.
Spying his image on the giant screen, he looked those by his side up and down and shook his head, pityingly. No chance, he was saying. Against me? Not a prayer.
Empty victory: Eventual winner Yohan Blake (left) and silver medallist Walter Dix start without Usain Bolt, who was distraught to be disqualifiedAnd then it was over; and not in a fraction under 10 seconds as usual, either. Bolt wasn’t even in the race that long this time.
Blink and, quite literally, you would have missed it as he was led away, the latest to be disqualified for a false start. Dwain Chambers went for a twitch in the semi-finals, a foot adjusted on a sensor pad. A single error is no longer allowed these days.
Now rules are rules, but there really doesn’t seem much point in gathering the greatest athletes on earth in one city and then disqualifying them on technicalities.
More from Martin Samuel...
- Martin Samuel: United shot Bambi and even Fergie felt the pain 28/08/11
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- Martin Samuel: He's nuts, but the FA must let Joey make a tweet of himself 16/08/11
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- West Brom 1 Manchester United 2: Ashley saves De Gea after another goalie gaffe 14/08/11
- VIEW FULL ARCHIVE
False starts are irritating and, plainly, there must be limits, but suddenly those paying a top price of £725 to be in the stadium when Bolt runs at the London Olympics next summer must be regarding their investment rather anxiously.
Some think pride comes before a fall. There will be those who revel in the karmic justice of seeing Bolt’s ego brought tumbling down to earth by an early break from the blocks; but none in the stadium were hoping for a crash course in Buddhism for beginners.
They were there to watch Bolt run faster than any man before and the majority, plus millions watching around the world, will only have felt a sense of emptiness and bewilderment at the void in lane five.
Bolt’s great rival Tyson Gay predicted this farce, more than a year ago.
In June 2010, when the instant disqualification rule was introduced, the second fastest man in history said: ‘If Usain Bolt false started it would be a wake-up call. If it happened at the World Championships or Olympics, the result is going to need an asterisk by its side. Without him, it wouldn’t make sense.’
And it didn’t. Yohan Blake is the new world champion, but we know this is an equally false reading.
Perhaps it will take Blake’s ascent in a thoroughly depleted field — already weakened by injury to Gay and Asafa Powell — to make the International Association of Athletics Federations see sense.
There must be compromise. Instant disqualification seems a devilishly harsh punishment in the sprint events, particularly if nice, clean broadcast timings are the prime motivation for the rule change, as many athletes suspect.
Despair: Bolt went through the emotions as the enormity of his mistake hit homeThe previous rule, which put the entire field on a disqualification warning after one false start, was also imperfect.
A runner who was naturally slower out of the blocks could false start deliberately, at no personal cost, to put his sharper rivals on the brink of ejection, nullifying their advantage. There seemed little wrong with the original rule, two strikes and out: apart from appearing untidy to the commentary team.
Yet, what looks a bigger mess than an Olympic sprint that starts without the fastest man in the world? Hear that? It is the sound of a billion off- buttons clicking as the man who makes human movement a work of art is reduced to the role of bystander.
How can the International Olympic Committee let this happen again in London next year? It is quite simple: after yesterday’s events, they cannot.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/art...#ixzz1WTE3wkYy
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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