Clueless writing about our sport

[dukehjsteve]

Pardon me while I ask a simple question. HS shot is 12 pounds, regular shot is 16. What is junior shot ?

[gh]

Here's a really bad one:

>>Dominant high school performer Jordan Geist, a future University of Arizona athlete and Knoch (Pa.) High graduate, wins his first Pan American Junior Championship with a toss of 22.02 meters, which qualifies him for the IAAF World Championships (entry standard is 20.50 meters).<<

Of course, the implement used in the Pan-Am Juniors was the junior implement, and the mark could not possibly be accepted as meeting the World Championships qualifying standard. And in any event, Geist finished 16th in the US Nationals, and would have no chance of making our team no matter how far he threw.

http://www.milesplit.com/articles/21...ionship-action

also fails to mention it was a national HS Record

[tandfman]

Someone at the University of Iowa thinks that if you win an event at the Pan-Am Junior Championship, that makes you a "World Champion".

https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/...d-field-discus

[tandfman]

Here's a really bad one:

>>Dominant high school performer Jordan Geist, a future University of Arizona athlete and Knoch (Pa.) High graduate, wins his first Pan American Junior Championship with a toss of 22.02 meters, which qualifies him for the IAAF World Championships (entry standard is 20.50 meters).<<

Of course, the implement used in the Pan-Am Juniors was the junior implement, and the mark could not possibly be accepted as meeting the World Championships qualifying standard. And in any event, Geist finished 16th in the US Nationals, and would have no chance of making our team no matter how far he threw.

http://www.milesplit.com/articles/21...ionship-action

[Powell]

And the writer actually states Kenya has a shot at a medal in the relay. That claim probably came from him, not the Kenyan federation.

There was also an article from the Kenyan media I read during the World U18s where they speculated about the Kenyan javelin thrower's chances of taking gold. Considering he had the worst PB by far of all the entrants (63.68, compared to 66.24 for the next worst and 81.48 by the best of the bunch), I thought that was pretty far fetched. Too bad I don't know how to locate the article now.

[tandfman]

This has been mentioned in the Current Events board, but it really should be added here, just for the record:

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/spor...-championships

The article explains that Michael Saruni was dropped from the Kenya 800m team at the World Championships, but would be added to the 4x400m relay team. Just one problem--Kenya will not have 4x400m relay team at the World Championships. Even if the Federation official said it, the writer should have known better and called him on it.

[TN1965]

It's hard to beat "1500m hurdles." (The caption during the NBCSN coverage of Monaco DL.)

Compared to that, calling Obiri the Olympic silver medalist in 1500m looks innocuous.

[exdrake]

Were there dinosaurs in Kenya?

[KDFINE]

This is only peripherally about clueless writing / broadcasting but it does relate to speed. Tonight the CBS Evening News reported on a study concluding that the T-Rex wasn't very fast - that in Spielberg's Jurassic Park its speed was exaggerated. The scientific basis was the loads on its bones from running. O.K. as far as it goes. Then they claimed that it could only go at, I believe they reported, a fast walk, of about 12 miles an hour and left it at that. Nothing about how long a T-Rex could keep up that pace, obviously because they haven't any idea. Being cold blooded, it couldn't be very long, but not too many humans can keep up a 5 minute / mile pace for very long.

[Atticus]

Her time lead three under 53 minutes and six under 54 minutes, and her time of 52.64 was the fastest time ever run in North America." (emphasis added)

Other than spelling 'led' incorrectly, she DID lead others under 53 minutes!! Far under.

[TN1965]

"Last month, Dalilah Muhammed ran the fastest time in the world, 52.64, over the 400 meter hurdles in the USATF Outdoors. Her time lead three under 53 minutes and six under 54 minutes, and her time of 52.64 was the fastest time ever run in North America." (emphasis added)

http://www.runblogrun.com/2017/07/de...uart-weir.html

[tandfman]

This isn't exactly writing, but it certainly is clueless:

https://www.vividseats.com/sports/ia...2-2383122.html

This site is offering tickets for the August 12 morning session of the "IAAF World Indoor Track and Field Championships" in London.

[KDFINE]

re the above, maybe a slight mistake... Styron's time i think was 21.9

Thanks for the correction. Roughly back then, the difference was about a half second faster in both races for the straight versus the curve.

[NotDutra5]

Even Ato Boldon seemed confused about the effect of running the 200 on a straightaway, as though it should be slower than around a curve. Of course, those of us who were following track back in the 60s know that the straightaway record was always faster than the curve record. At my high school (Canoga Park, CA), we used to run everything out of the the "chute", even the mile, so, "one-turn 440", etc. My vague recollection is that Tommie Smith ran 19.5 on a straight.
Cheers,
Alan Shank
Woodland, CA, USA

I'll guess Ato's never run a straight 200m and may be confused by it. There was one track I competed on which ran a 220y straight (I think it was Midwood Field for those from Brooklyn) and my best friend was our best sprinter. He told me he didn't like the straight 220y because it made the race seem longer than going around the turn. He never ran as fast on the straight as he did around the turn but it was a small sample of a couple of races and it was a cinder track. The rest of our meets were on synthetic tracks of some sort.

[booond]

Even Ato Boldon seemed confused about the effect of running the 200 on a straightaway, as though it should be slower than around a curve. Of course, those of us who were following track back in the 60s know that the straightaway record was always faster than the curve record. At my high school (Canoga Park, CA), we used to run everything out of the the "chute", even the mile, so, "one-turn 440", etc. My vague recollection is that Tommie Smith ran 19.5 on a straight.
Cheers,
Alan Shank
Woodland, CA, USA

Why would anyone, especially a person as experienced as Boldon, think running on a curve would be faster?