Braff Zacklin

Well, if you think about it, all you can really say is who was the fastest that day ... and the Olympics trumps all other events. Even three- or four-time world champions would trade every one of those medals for an Olympic gold if that were the one they were missing.

Norman looked good in his heat just now. Best I've seen him run in a couple of years. He's been coming back from injury, and to casually crank out a 44.10 is a great indicator of what's to come. (His PB of 43.45 came back in 2019.) EDIT: Commentators just said it's the fastest prelim ever. Like, he looked amazing. Doesn't necessarily translate to the final, but a great sign. Also, chance to catch two of my favorite islanders in these heats--Stephen Gardiner of the Bahamas and Kirani James of Grenada. Kirani has the rare distinction of winning every shade of Olympic medal in the 400m--gold in London 2012, silver in Rio 2016, and bronze in Tokyo 2020(21). He likely won't medal this year but he's still an all-timer. Gardiner is the most fluid 400-meter runner ever. He's the reigning champ but has been dealing with injuries the past two years. Hoping he comes back to form because he's a joy to watch--the Rudisha of the 400m as far as form and fluidity.

You magnificent bastard! That looks sublime. Where'd you snag it?

Usually, short, powerfully built sprinters like Sha'Carri are quick out of the blocks (think Ben Johnson, Christian Coleman or Ewa Swoboda), but Sha'Carri seems stuck in sand at times. Her top end speed, lift and turnover are among the best, if not the best. Start is the only thing I worry about for Noah Lyles. Once he gets into his steps, nobody can match him.

She has matured immensely over the past three years. Very happy for her. Now if she can only improve on that start ...

Agreed. It'll just be super funny (and embarrassing) if the guest teams finish top two in every group and no CONCACAF side advances to the knockouts.

That's not how it works. Whomever wins the World Championships or Olympics gets billed as the fastest man/woman in the world ... until the next World Championships or Olympics.

Another gold for the 'Horns.

OMG, derp! Thank you!

Leo got silver in the decathlon. Julien is now the fastest woman in the world, and Scottie is the Olympic champ. Whom am I forgetting?

That's four medals for Longhorns in less than 24 hours--one silver and three golds? EDIT: Updated cuz I stupidly forgot the 🐐. Thanks @UTexasFight and @Underdog.

I think he's proudest of his victory over the Louisville PD.

I'm all for it, with the caveat that all eight of those teams have the potential--nay, the probability--of placing better than every CONCACAF side.

So, yeah, South Sudan is out and Royal is not happy about it. https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40718638/serbia-holds-south-sudan-earn-quarterfinals-berth-greece-advances

I’m trying to figure that out as well https://sports.yahoo.com/paris-olympics-freddie-crittenden-preliminary-jog-in-110-hurdles-was-all-about-avoiding-injury-131322107.html

Nick Wright, aka homeless Adam Driver.

Gabby Thomas (who did post-grad in Austin and trains there under Tonja Buford-Bailey) looked good this morning. And by "looked good," I mean she comfortably won her 200m heat ... and flashed that wonderful smile of hers. (Pic is from Tokyo.) In related news, Jamaica's Shericka Jackson scratched again. This is terrible news for Jamaica and for the sport in general but great news for Gabby, Julien and Great Britain's Daryll Neita. And because I'm a good man and thorough, here's another Gabby pic.

Anyone watch the South Sudan-Serbia game? Looking over the box score, Serbia sure got a lot of free throws--31 to South Sudan's six. I didn't see the game, and South Sudan plays an aggressive style but, man, that is a huge disparity. Royal's crew was only down five going into the final period and closed to within two early but Jokic & Co. pulled away down the stretch to win, 96-85. Still hoping South Sudan can advance as one of the best third-place teams.

X-posted from the Olympic T&F thread. In case anyone missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6oC2mxGVrU YT has restricted embedding, so here's a thumbnail preview:

In case anyone missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6oC2mxGVrU YT has restricted embedding, so here's a thumbnail preview:

This is one part "very cool" and two parts "holy shit!" Backstory: A landslide on July 31 complete dammed up the Chilcotin River, resulting in a lake forming upstream and the river essentially drying up downstream. Canadian authorities have evacuated areas downstream all the way to the Fraser. As of today, the lake continues to grow. At some point, something has to give.

One minor thing to note--Norwood's 44.5 and Deadmon's 44.7 might seem virtually identical, but Vernon's is actually quite a bit faster because he lacked a running start. aggy jokes aside, I was very surprised with Deadmon's performance. He's a solid, seasoned pro. Believe he split 44.1 in yesterday's world record, so to run more than half-a-second slower today hurt immensely. Still, credit to Femke for an all-time anchor and to Holland for putting all their chips in the mixed relay basket.

And all this time, I thought "pole vault" referred to the tool they held in their hands!

I'll give her credit for speaking English so well. I just like to grief her a bit cuz I've been a Sydney fanboy since her debut at Rio 2016. I do think that Femke's flowers only come in Sydney's absence, but they are both generational talents for their countries and all it takes is one clipped hurdle and, boom, Femke could finally beat Syd.