Aussie Aussie Aussie - 2013

[Tuariki]

Aussie aths has just lost an Olympian to rugby (SPer Dale Stevenson): http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-union/un ... 285s8.html

The Wallabies certainly need some power and strength up front.

However, Stevenson still won't help the Wallabies beat the All Blacks. And I predict he will get squashed by the All Black front row - if he ever gets that far.

[El Toro]

Looks like Jana is going OK with her new sport and we won't see her over the sticks ever again. Story in the courier mail.

Jana achieves best ever result

[Speedster]

Looks like Jana is going OK with her new sport and we won't see her over the sticks ever again. Story in the courier mail.

Jana achieves best ever result

She's really suited to it with her height and build, you've got to have that mass behind you and she's naturally really strong. For these reasons I always found it funny that Lolo and Tianna Madison where both trying the sport, who are both much shorter with slighter builds.

[mal]

Looks like Jana is going OK with her new sport and we won't see her over the sticks ever again. Story in the courier mail.

Jana achieves best ever result

Amusing how she was surprised Pittman 'rose' to the occasion.

When she (the driver) has never achieved in an occasion like Pittman.

[El Toro]

Amusing how she was surprised Pittman 'rose' to the occasion.

When she (the driver) has never achieved in an occasion like Pittman.

To be fair to the driver, I think she was referring to on ice performance not sporting performance generally. Although, push, push, push, jump, sit, shit yourself for 30 seconds doesn't seem too hard to me.

I am wondering how this sort of explosive work on an unforgiving suface works with her toe injury. Will it hold up or was it only a result of her less than straight line hurdling action?

[mal]

I think the ice thing changes the game re her toe. On the track or turf you get degrees of purchase. On the ice you get purchase or no purchase. I'd like to see the shoes they wear.

I would think they are less flexible than track shoes which are really designed to weigh nothing and put spikes on the balls of your feet. I don't think there'd be as much give in ice shoes. Hence, less pressure on the toes. Maybe.

[El Toro]

Here's a close up of a set of spikes. They seem to have multiple pivot points rather than a single plate like track spikes: Spikes closeup

Some more info on the variety of shoes needed for bobsleigh. Make sure to read the section on the spikes and preferred spike etiquette when getting into the sled.

What's in the bag?

A photo of some old style shoes in this explanatory diagram - loving the sleekness!

Bobsleigh basics

The spike structure may have been derived from the track brush spikes banned by IAAf in the late sixties. This article by Len Johnson speculates that it may have been as a result of Willie Davenport taking up the sport around that time.

[El Toro]

Sunday Telegraph had a big two page spread today. Apparently the driver, Astrid Radjenovic, trained for hurdles with Jana years ago. I had a quick look and couldn't find any reference to her on the performance lists, so can't say how good she was.

[El Toro]

Interesting story about Nova Peris being preselected as Labor candidate for NT in the Senate.

PM slammed over Peris pick

[AS]

Nice distance news:

"Ballarat's Collis Birmingham won the Marugame half marathon in Japan on Sunday in 60.55, beating Olympic silver medallist Abel Kirui and posting an Australian and Oceania record."

And Mitchell Watt opens his summer: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/athletic ... 2dsoq.html

[Marlow]

Thread Title Expiration Notice

[AS]

Very good point...

Although it might still be 2012 down here!

[El Toro]

Yeah, 2012 was a good year and I'm going to enjoy it a while longer, or at least until vault-emort emerges from his lair to update it.

Some random bits of info: Former sprinter, Matt Shirvington, has got a new job as a rugby league commentator for TV and Asafa Powell is supposedly running at Stawell this year. I'm assuming he'll be off scratch, so it'll be interesting to see if he can cope at all with this situation. If I was his coach, I would have mandated he do the entire circuit each year to break him of his bad habits. Oh, and Steffensen is suspended again for six months and misses Moscow. I'm not sure if his comments really match the egregious conduct that AA has imposed on the sport at times - who is really bringing the sport into disrepute?