Our record: October 2005
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Saturday, October 07, 2006
The Official Nintendo Player's Guide:
CHALLENGE OLYMPIC COMPETITORS
Raw strength, lightning speed, split-second timing - eight grueling track and field events demand the best you have to give. How fast can you run without jumping the gun? Do you have a new angle on the Javelin throw? How sharp is your skeet shooting? Can you handle the hurdles, clear the triple and high jumps and go for the gold?
GAME PLAY: Pick your opponent - friend or computer. Either way, you'll sweat it out head-to-head against Olympic champions in eight events including long jump, archery, high jump, 100-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, javelin throw, skeet shoot, and triple jump. Start at the novice level and work up to the fast paced challenge of the experienced levels. Soon enough, you'll know the score when Jocular Pig, UFO, or the Mole come into the competition. Winning depends on your timing, speed, aim, reflexes, and mental muscle. Try to psyche out your opponents! It may work to help make you an Olympic star in the ultimate athletic contest.
Raw strength, lightning speed, split-second timing - eight grueling track and field events demand the best you have to give. How fast can you run without jumping the gun? Do you have a new angle on the Javelin throw? How sharp is your skeet shooting? Can you handle the hurdles, clear the triple and high jumps and go for the gold?
GAME PLAY: Pick your opponent - friend or computer. Either way, you'll sweat it out head-to-head against Olympic champions in eight events including long jump, archery, high jump, 100-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, javelin throw, skeet shoot, and triple jump. Start at the novice level and work up to the fast paced challenge of the experienced levels. Soon enough, you'll know the score when Jocular Pig, UFO, or the Mole come into the competition. Winning depends on your timing, speed, aim, reflexes, and mental muscle. Try to psyche out your opponents! It may work to help make you an Olympic star in the ultimate athletic contest.
Friday, October 06, 2006
CALVIN SMITH: World Record holder, Olympic Gold Medal winner, three-time World Champ
On the afternoon of September 24th [1988], 8 men nervously awaited the call for the start of the men's 100 meter final; perhaps the most eagerly awaited event on the Olympic program. Though there were 8 finalists, most eyes would be on but two: Ben Johnson of Canada and defending Olympic champion, Carl Lewis of the United States. Four years before in Los Angeles, Lewis defeated his teammate Sam Graddy (the silver medalist), and Ben Johnson, who finished third: it would be Carl Lewis' first of four gold medals. In the four years between Los Angeles and Seoul, Johnson had turned in amazing performances and challenged Lewis for the right to be called "the fastest man in the world". All but unnoticed at the start was 27 year old Calvin Smith, of the United States: his 5 year journey to this moment has been filled with glorious achievement, yet his exploits have been obscured by the Carl Lewis/Ben Johnson rivalry.
Calvin Smith: World Record holder, Olympic gold medal winner, three times a World Champ: Calvin Smith, who has given far more to sport than he has received.
In the summer of 1983, Calvin Smith gained international fame by breaking the 15 year old 100 meter world record. One month later, he won the 200 meter World Championship in Helsinki. Yet, outside his sport, he was little known; overshadowed by the worldwide publicity given to his teammate, Carl Lewis.
At the 1984 Olympics, Calvin Smith was selected to run the third leg on the 4X100 relay team. Injuries prevented him from competing in the 100 meters, which he held the World Record, and the 200 meters, in which he was the World Champion. The United States won and set a World Record: Calvin Smith now would have two world records - 100 meters and as a member of this relay team. Three years later at the 1987 Rome World Championships, Calvin Smith turned in an amazing performance in the 200 meter final. Coming off the final turn, Smith on the extreme left in 6th place, comes roaring down the stretch. At the finish, he has successfully defended his 200 meter World Championship, but again, it went unnoticed. The sports world was still heralding the 100 meter final four days earlier, when Ben Johnson broke Calvin Smith's four year old World Record and defeated Carl Lewis. Little known was the fact that Lewis and Calvin Smith still share a unique record: they are the only sprinters in history to run both the 100 meters in under 10 seconds and the 200 meter in under 20 seconds.
"The thing that has really bothered me, as well as many other sprinters, is that the media has already chosen a few people and they only key on those few people all the time. In reality, you have a number of very good sprinters, but the media seems to overlook them." (Smith quote)
Now as the runners get ready for the 100 meter final, Ben Johnson is again the subject of conversation. His heats were not impressive and in his semi-final he was just one false start away from elimination. Added to this, have been persistent rumors that Johnson and several other athletes have improved their performances since the Los Angeles games through the use of steroids.
"The main thing that I was looking at was that would be running against at least 3 or 4 people that were going to be on drugs. I had my suspicions that Ben was going to be one of those that I felt was on drugs and that when it came down to it, he was going to be able to run as fast as he wanted to." (Smith quote)
Carl Lewis is in lane three, Calvin Smith in lane five, Ben Johnson along side him in lane six. Johnson is third from the left. Ben Johnson 1st, Carl Lewis 2nd, Linford Christie - Great Britain 3rd, Calvin Smith - United States 4th.
This is how Calvin Smith experienced the race:
"When the gun went off, I just ran - I could see that there were a couple of runners in front of me but I was able to catch most of them. With about 10 meters to go, I saw that Carl, Ben, and one other runner were in front of me...but I wasn't able to catch Christie. I saw the replay and there was a great deal of disappointment that I had finished 4th." (Smith Quote)
Calvin Smith: World Record holder, Olympic gold medal winner, three times a World Champ: Calvin Smith, who has given far more to sport than he has received.In the summer of 1983, Calvin Smith gained international fame by breaking the 15 year old 100 meter world record. One month later, he won the 200 meter World Championship in Helsinki. Yet, outside his sport, he was little known; overshadowed by the worldwide publicity given to his teammate, Carl Lewis.
At the 1984 Olympics, Calvin Smith was selected to run the third leg on the 4X100 relay team. Injuries prevented him from competing in the 100 meters, which he held the World Record, and the 200 meters, in which he was the World Champion. The United States won and set a World Record: Calvin Smith now would have two world records - 100 meters and as a member of this relay team. Three years later at the 1987 Rome World Championships, Calvin Smith turned in an amazing performance in the 200 meter final. Coming off the final turn, Smith on the extreme left in 6th place, comes roaring down the stretch. At the finish, he has successfully defended his 200 meter World Championship, but again, it went unnoticed. The sports world was still heralding the 100 meter final four days earlier, when Ben Johnson broke Calvin Smith's four year old World Record and defeated Carl Lewis. Little known was the fact that Lewis and Calvin Smith still share a unique record: they are the only sprinters in history to run both the 100 meters in under 10 seconds and the 200 meter in under 20 seconds.
"The thing that has really bothered me, as well as many other sprinters, is that the media has already chosen a few people and they only key on those few people all the time. In reality, you have a number of very good sprinters, but the media seems to overlook them." (Smith quote)
Now as the runners get ready for the 100 meter final, Ben Johnson is again the subject of conversation. His heats were not impressive and in his semi-final he was just one false start away from elimination. Added to this, have been persistent rumors that Johnson and several other athletes have improved their performances since the Los Angeles games through the use of steroids.
"The main thing that I was looking at was that would be running against at least 3 or 4 people that were going to be on drugs. I had my suspicions that Ben was going to be one of those that I felt was on drugs and that when it came down to it, he was going to be able to run as fast as he wanted to." (Smith quote)
Carl Lewis is in lane three, Calvin Smith in lane five, Ben Johnson along side him in lane six. Johnson is third from the left. Ben Johnson 1st, Carl Lewis 2nd, Linford Christie - Great Britain 3rd, Calvin Smith - United States 4th.
This is how Calvin Smith experienced the race:
"When the gun went off, I just ran - I could see that there were a couple of runners in front of me but I was able to catch most of them. With about 10 meters to go, I saw that Carl, Ben, and one other runner were in front of me...but I wasn't able to catch Christie. I saw the replay and there was a great deal of disappointment that I had finished 4th." (Smith Quote)
The victory platform ceremony takes place: Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis, and Linford Christie receive their gold, silver, and bronze medals. The grandeur of these moments would be temporary. Within a few days, the announcement would be made that Ben Johnson had been disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance - steroids. The disqualification of Johnson had profound effect on the principle actors in this drama. Carl Lewis would be later be awarded the gold medal and with it, make Olympic history: the only man to win the 100 meters twice. Linford Christie would be moved from third to second, the winner of the silver medal. And the bronze medal awarded to Calvin Smith would be filled with irony; for with the world-wide implications of the disqualification, the humanity of sport would be disregarded.
It would be decided that there would not be a victory ceremony honoring the three new winners. Calvin Smith would be given his medal beneath the stadium, out of sight of the thousands in the stands and television audiences throughout the world. For Calvin Smith, the decision is poignant. For as before, he has always given far more to his sport than he has received.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
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