Olympic Swimming inspiration
With just over a week until the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, I'm reminded of this classic moment in South African Olympic history from the Athens Games in 2004. Watch the video below - complete with visual effects and rocking soundtrack, or if you prefer, the more tame version with full commentary.
Men's 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay featuring Roland Schoeman, Lyndon Ferns, Darian Townsend and Ryk Neethling. 3:13.17 is the time to beat. Ah wah ah ah ah!!
And while on the topic of swimming, I just saw that both Natalie du Toit and Zim's Kristy Coventry made it onto TIME's 100 Olympic Athletes To Watch. Go girls!
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8 Comments
It’s sick. Makes me think of the Tour de Doping, what a non-event.
I remember watching a documentary a few weeks before the 2004 Olympics which highlighted the 4×100 freestyle event – it had always been hotly contested by the US and Aus and the upcoming race was billed as the event to watch for the fierce competition between the 2 countries etc etc. I sat down to watch the event not expecting anything from it just to see good swimming from the US & Aus but when Schoeman hit the first length a full length ahead my jaw dropped, & when Ryk was down the final length I was crying like a baby!
@Francois: Russia hit by doping suspensions :P
@Wezz: I remember watching it too thinking the same thing, and was blown away. What an amazing swim. I also loved how the American commentators changed their tune half-way through in the tame version, haha.
I know someone who was so excited about the tour de doping and i just couldn’t figure out why. I think it such a pointless sport with the constant doping ’scandals’. I think that doping has become so common place that the so-called ‘athletes’ don’t actually feel any shame.
hey guys WELL DONE! i just have to say im proud of our dream team! they didnt win a medal but they improved their time by 4seconds!! thats really awesome! WELL DONE ONCE AGAIN AND KEEP ON DOING WHAT YOU DO BEST
It was pretty intense! I couldn’t believe that daft newsreader on eTV who kept saying that they’d “choked”. They didn’t choke, they were just beaten by better teams.
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30 July 2008
Francois08:50 pm
This is slightly off the topic, and for the record – I’m five thumbs up for South Africans kicking ass in the Olympics!
However, I’m slightly disgusted with professional sport in general after reading an article about how common practice doping is (check out the latest Popular Mechanics) with so many professional athletes.
According to the author the authorities testing for doping are fighting a loosing battle and mostly playing catch-up with ever evolving and harder to detect cocktails.
In addition, most countries aren’t overly enthusiastic to help prevent it, simply because it will mean less medals for that country. And who wants that?
It puts a bit of a blanket on the whole thing for me. How do you know you’re cheering for an honest guy?