Tasha’s Epic Quadrennial Olympics Analysis
Day 12
The work that pays me largely got in the way of my Olympics watching yesterday, but I still managed to squeeze a few events.
- Out at the Stade de France, there was a little bit of drama during the 400m hurdles semifinals. I didn’t realize that you could raise your hand to get an extra minute to ready yourself, even after the runners are lined up in the blocks. But you have to do so before the gun goes off. Even though Team USA’s Anna Cockrell got her hand up in time, the officials didn’t see her and the gun went off. She wasn’t penalized but I think the confusion threw off the rhythm of the race. I have never run track but if I was one of the runners in this heat, I think I’d be feeling some type of way.
- Ever since the old Dan and Dave thing (my more “seasoned” Olympics watchers will know the reference), I’m always skeptical of those athletes that get super hyped up by the media before they’ve even arrived at the Olympics Village.
- Gabby Thomas is one of those athletes that’s received a lot of attention leading up to these Olympic games. But let me tell you, Gabby proved that she didn’t come to play with y’all! She handedly won the 200m, becoming the first member of Team USA to win a gold medal in this event since Allyson Felix won it in 2012.
- Another one of those athletes is hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone from Team USA. This is how fast she is. As she was competing in the women’s 400m hurdles semi-finals yesterday, NBC juxtaposed her race with the 400m non-hurdles race in Tokyo. Her finish was faster than any of the runners in the 400m that ran without the hurdles. She’s another athlete that didn’t come to play with y’all.
- Major upset alert. At the other end of the spectrum, the lead up to the men’s 1500m featured several video montages of the rivalry between Team Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Team GB’s Josh Kerr. Nobody expected Team USA’s Cole Hocker to sneak past both of them to win a gold medal and set a new Olympic record. Team USA’s Yared Nuguse won the bronze medal, making this the first time since 1912 that Team USA has placed two runners on the podium in this event.
- Just an aside, the 1500m upset now has me hearing Flava Flav singing Don’t Believe the Hype in my head.
- Back at the aquatics center, I’ve decided that I’m officially done with platform diving. It was all fun and games until NBC showed one of the diver’s hair brush the platform as she was completing her dive. That’s just a little too close for me. I’ll be over at springboard diving if you need me.
- I’m not a huge soccer fan but I did catch the end of the match up between Team USA and Team Germany just in time to see Sophia Smith kick a goal in extra-time, sending Team USA to the finals.
- I decided that I like park skateboarding more than I like street skateboarding. Park skateboarding reminds me of the old school empty swimming pool skateboarding with Stacy Peralta and the Lords of Dogtown.
- When I retire, I want to go out like Mijaín López. The Greco-Roman wrestler from Team Cuba won his fifth straight gold medal and then left his shoes on the mat to symbolize his official retirement from the sport. I need to figure out what the equivalent for me will be. Dropping the mic after my last lecture just doesn’t seem like a big enough gesture.