If athletics is the quintessential Olympic sport, then the sprints are the piece de resistance of the track and field programme. From Jesse Owens down to Carl Lewis, even the greatest of all-round athletes have found themselves celebrated principally for their skills over the shortest of racing distances. An OFF-BEAT LOOK at why sprints are so fascinating.
Although man has always been awed by speed and has attached a near-superhuman aura to the speed merchants in all areas of human activity — from the ones who inhabited caves and chased animals on a breakfast run through to the gunslingers who were the quickest on the draw — the appeal and influence of speed has never been as widespread and universal as it is today.
Speed, after all, is the leitmotiv of the era in which we live. Anybody who is a somebody in this world, and anybody who dreams of becoming a somebody, has to necessarily worship at the altar of speed at one time or the other in this age of the Concorde and the Bullet Train.
AND SPORT IS NOT ONLY LIFE in miniature but it also adds a new dimension to speed and its influence. What is true of life is true of sport too, but only in a much more emphatic way. Especially so as we reach the turn of a century.
These are days of 142 mph serves in tennis, 95 mph deliveries from bowlers and over 130 mph laps by Formula One drivers. This is an era in which technology has redefined the meaning of speed and power in almost every sport and the redefining is something of a continuing process. Things that were thought of as impossible before the birth of the 21st century— a sub 9.9 in 100m or an 8.95 metre long jump—are now part of history.
On the choked city roads in most parts of our over-crowded world, speed may kill more than it thrills, but in sport speed is often synonymous with excitement, both for the performer and for the spectator.
“THE FEELING OF RUNNING fast is unforgettable. The exhilaration you feel round a bend, it’s like you’re in charge, you are a Ferrari,” says the former British sprinter Alan Wells, who won the 100m dash in the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
This story is from the August 5, 2017 edition of Sportstar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 5, 2017 edition of Sportstar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Tokyo Marathon Cancelled For Amateurs On Coronavirus Fears
Organisers in Japan cancelled the amateur portion of the Tokyo marathon, affecting around 38,000 runners, on fears about the spread of the new coronavirus in Japan.
Right Criteria To Pick The Tennis GOAT
What should the criteria be? What weight should be attached to each criterion? And what should not be considered as valid criteria?
The making of a batting behemoth
If Steve Smith dominated the Ashes in England in a dramatic, blockbuster fashion then his like for like a replacement, Marnus Labuschagne, is the Next Big Thing after an exciting summer of run-glut.
WHEN ACES WERE REWARDED...
It was an evening of nostalgia and celebration when the Sportstar Aces awards were given away in Mumbai.
A question of recognition
After a week of awards, one wonders if it’s only a departed player that one will be named after.
Thinking straight, thinking right!
“A lot depends on when I am bowling and what is required from me. That’s something I do when I play for India and I try to follow the same thing in the domestic circuit,” says Yuzvendra Chahal.
The Big Three and the Next Gen
Though the Big Three are very unlikely to retire during the same year, Judy Murray, mother of Andy, echoed the sentiments of many fans worried about the impact of their departures.
WAKING UP TO MENTAL HEALTH
Sport at large and cricket specifically has taken an inordinately long time to address the elephant in the room — the dark abyss of depression.
Like sunshine in a gloomy dressing room
Bangladesh quick Abu Jayed Rahi is new in the red-ball arena, but his swing brings back old memories — of James Anderson on green tops.
The league of the masses
With traditional clubs locking horns with the hard-working nurseries of the game, the I-League will continue to keep the beating heart of Indian football alive despite official apathy.
