London Olympics

Thanks for that Bill! Appreciated! :)

there's a nice interview with Coach Wright and Lai Chun Ho from British television posted on YouTube. Some shots of their (very easy) training

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MavcLGul-1w&feature=player_embedded

Bill Purves

Start lists are up for the "preliminary round" at

http://www.iaaf.org/Mini/OLY12/Results/ResultsByDate.aspx

Fong goes at 10:54AM London time on Friday, meaning evening in HK. But will it be streamed (or perhaps even televised)?

The preliminary round is only tenuously part of the Olympics. All the small and weak IAAF members like Hong Kong get to send one man and one woman to the Olympics without any qualifying time. Many choose to send a sprinter because, however bad, they won't be more than 50m back at the finish, so not too embarrasing and quickly forgotten. There are 4 prelims this time picking 2+2. Those who go through get a place in the heats a few hours later.

In fact, Fong may get through. She's up against Laos, the Cook Islands and other places you've never heard of. She has the second fastest PB in her heat, and it was set this season. So you may have to get up again in the wee small hours of the morning (19:05 London time) to watch her in the heats. But at least that will leave you ready for the women's 10,000, which goes at 21:25.

Heung Gong, Ga Yau!
Bill Purves

Next up after Fong are the men's 10,000 and 20K walk, both on Saturday evening London time. If you're not too clear about the walks and how they work, the IAAF has published a very clear, 2-page spectators' guide at

http://www.iaaf.org/mm/Document/06/61/22/66122_PDF_English.pdf

Bill Purves

Well, it wasn't quick, but she got the Q. Who's getting up at 3:05 to watch the heats?

Bill Purves

First heat, lane 2. She had to get some seeded stud and she drew Kelly-Ann Baptiste. Fong has the slowest PB by a good bit, but she had a good start in the prelims. They're picking 3 +3, but that's too much to expect. Let's see if she can beat somebody.

Heung Gong, ga yau
Bill Purves

The two 5K's were approximately 15:32 and 14:48 !!
Her last 3000 was about 8:44 !
Her final 1K was 2:45.68, and her last lap was 62 according to the BBC.

Bill Purves

Gutsy tactics by those Japanese. A shame they got nothing for it.

Bill Purves

"De boyz" (as they say in Jamaica) are up tonight at 2:45AM. They're in the second (better) heat up against Oz, Germany, Poland, France, Trinidad, Japan and (I almost forgot) the US. They're in lane 8 chasing Japan in 9, which should help. Picking 3 + 2.

Trinidad, Germany and the US have all run quite a bit faster this year. HK is world number 6 this year, so on paper they should make it. I hope they do, but I'm not confident. They need to be smooth and aggressive in stretching the zone, but that will be hard to do under the pressure of their first Olympics. I'm guessing they don't have enough big meet experience. Anyway,

Heung Gong, ga yau
Bill Purves

perhaps some other countries will drop the baton and HK will get through.....