Thompson Hera leads athletics | Basque newspaper

Igor Barcelona Special Envoy to Tokyo

Sunday August 8, 2021, 01:45

There were expectations and doubts about athletics at these Olympics. Once the Usain Biolt era is over and another great champion like Mo Farah is gone, we haven’t yet seen athletes respond to coverage of these incredible absences, from athletes so media-savvy that they represented not only an era in athletics but in sports in general. But after a week of great tests and better marks, athletics is arguably acquitted and out of Tokyo strong. “It’s the games of a new generation of athletes,” Sebastian Coe said in an interview with this newspaper and lauded the overall performance that removed the concern of the head of world athletics.

In these games, in addition, athletics had a female role, because if a person shines above all, it is Eileen Thompson-Hera. Jamaica, who won the 100-200 double in Rio, extended their reign by adding Japan’s win with their country in the short relay. Thus, Thompson-Herah concluded his participation with three golds and an Olympic record in the 100 meters, which is undoubtedly the main correct name for these games.

But behind her is a group of athletes who have given a lot for their sport this week. “The records in these games are very important because after all we’ve lived they create illusion,” said the head of world athletics. And at the Olympics, we’ve seen as many as three world records, Yulimar Rojas in the triple jump, Carsten Warholm and Sidney McLaughlin in the 400m hurdles, as well as several Olympic records, all within a very high level.

the reasons? You can talk about three. On the other hand, the development of the material, the shoes, is a topic already accepted by all parties but as both Sebastian Coe and midfielder Adel Meshaal explained, “a debate that must be left because all athletes have the same conditions.”, he said after going to the 1500 final after a series he achieved She has an Olympic record and a personal best with 3.32.15. He explained, “Every time you run faster, it’s a fact, but the benefit is for everyone, all companies have worked in the same direction, so now there are no flaws,” while the global athletics leader was in the same sense “because innovation is for everyone,” and instead From it he referred to the second section, the motive.

“After what we lived through last year, the athletes realized the time had come. Coe said the games are where they should perform at the highest level and give their best version, not in a crowd in a few weeks.” The truth is that none of the main characters spared no effort. The aforementioned world records, Sivan Hasan’s effort to fight for three more – it was two and one bronze -, two golds in Jacobs’ Italian speed, Uganda’s revenge in the 5000 after failing in the 10000. The medals of the greats Alisson Felix or the exceptional shot competition made it clear that no one was hiding in Tokyo.

And one last factor, the track. Mundo invested one and a half million euros to purchase state-of-the-art equipment for the happiest athletes, a highly interactive floor that was clearly noticeable in the Olympic stadium signs that leave a very good taste in the mouth.

Re-certification of athletics is coming soon, with 2022 due as the postponement of the Games until 2021 has caused a displacement from the World Cup until 2022 which will coincide with the European version. It will be an intense programme, but a good opportunity to see if all the good things these games left in athletics have been confirmed by Jamaica and Elaine Thompson-Herrah.

Spain is in a very good condition

For medal purposes, Spain lowered their level compared to Rio 2016. From a Ruth Petya gold and Orlando Ortega silver, to a bronze Ana Pelletiero in 2021. But it’s an unfair reading of the national athletics, which with a young team in which they competed at a very good level, has risen from the day The first disappointing and the only thing missing is that the rally saw his work and effort rewarded to lock down Tokyo with some metal. Because in addition to bronze, Spain took three fourth places – Eusebio Caceres, Alvaro Martin, Marc Tour and Maria Perez -, two fifths – Adrian Benn and Adel Michel -, two sixths – Aser Martinez and Diego Garcia – and the eighth, from Mohamed Cater.

Besides walking, this discipline which is an inexhaustible source of talent, Navarrese’s 110-meter hurdles were an example of Spain’s improvement in these games. Shortly before his start, the blow to Orlando Ortega came in the form of an injury, a solid advantage on the podium. But it turned out that Martínez took center stage completely by winning his initial series and slipping into the final, where he was sixth contending against the biggest and after two back-to-back character marks. This fighting spirit was also embodied by Marta Pérez in the 1500m by finishing ninth and staying one step closer to breaking the four-minute barrier that only Natalia Rodriguez has managed to achieve in history. At the same distance, Adel Mishaal saved his best version to finish fifth in a massive final, vying with the best because it hasn’t happened for a long time, and predicting great things for the World Cup, he said afterwards and that’s 3.30 .77 that leaves you refreshed.

And of course Adrian Penn at 800 metres. Having finished sixth at the last World Cup, he won in Tokyo a spot to finish fifth, once again in a display of his knowledge of how to compete and not to ignore the best. And that’s when you’re 23 years old. Mo Cater is the same age, who in eighth left mixed feelings after the expectations created by his three national records, but true, he noted, that it was his first appearance in a major competition, that he fought against the best in. the world and that the best awaits its progress. Such a young Spanish team is ready to compete at all stages.