FROM THE EIGHTLANE FORUM.....

Eightlaners respond to the crucial issue to dog the running world this week:

THE RETURN OF SEMENYA


Lookatherballs

Shes so obviously a bloke. Look at how she runs; cum on iaaf lets get this freek banned for life

Interested

What exactly does the test involve? I remember reading about it in an academic journal once, but I don’t think the IAAF have been exactly transparent on this

Fv4.

It is a complex and very interesting process. Physiologically, there can be no dispute that Caster is probably female. That is to say that the IAAF will have engaged in extensive tests to ensure that she is eligible to compete as such. The question is what does SHE see herself as. That would have fascinating psychological implications for the sporting world at large.

Milkman

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Tt_3

What more evidence do you need. SHE’S A GUY FOR SURE. She has a deep voice and runs better than everyone else.

We love simpson

It’s the girls that have to race her I feel sorry for. Imagine having to look at that just before you start.

Get a grip

I think you should all get a grip and go and do sum trainin

Cheatcheatcheat

It’s a common problem in African villages. Caster has clearly been offered enough money to feed her family for a lifetime just to keep quiet. She probably gets a testosterone injection once a week and providing she gets the right dose, the authorities will never know.

BNP Lover

Spot on ‘Cheatcheatcheat’, I am fed up wit them africaans coming and rewining are sport. When are the wimps at wada gonna get on top of this????????????????????????????????? BAN AFRICANS FOR LIFE

GBATHLETICSRULES

I think they should gender test all athletes who beat Semenya

Balls

Surely there is a very simple test that can be done: LOOK AT HER BALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RunnersLife

Really interesting interview on Runnerslife with Semenya. They ask her what her opinion is on steady runs, tempos and interval work. She give in depth answers lasting around 25 words. WELL DONE RUNNERSLIFE AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

Agreed

I don’t know the last poster in anyway and I am not from Wales, but have to agree- it’s a really really good read and I don’t think the creators get the respect they deserve.

Grow some balls and take the pace

I rekon the reason everyone h8s RL so much is cos that c*** mcloud posts on their. when is he gonna fuck off and get a reel job rather than post crap about not gettin payed to race abrord?????????

Daddys boy

That’s the best post all day ‘Grow some…’ It’s about time someone spoke up against that bully, McLeod.

Back to the point

But what about that cheat Semenya? Lets not forget that she is rewining are sport.

So is mcleeeeeeooooooddd!

I fink ryans to blame

African Violet

I think that this raises a pertinent question. Is the Loughborough regime responsible for the downfall of athletics in this world and the greater prevalence of drug cheats? Maybe if Gandy and his cronies took their responsibility a bit more seriously, then this would never have happened. I bet that if Semenya was a Gandy athlete, there wouldn’t have been any questions. Like when he shoe-horns shit athletes into the Loughborough International as ‘past’ students. They cheat just as badly.

Old Welshy

I am quite interested in Caster’s training. Although she can run a good 800m, I am not sure if she really has the kick to medal globally over 1500m+. Given that she has two years until the OG, perhaps it is time for her to focus primarily on the half mile distance? I know that she does a lot of ‘base’ work, but this might be wasted when it comes to the crunch

Homo

WHAT PLANET ARE YOU ON WESLSHY??????????????????????????????? Shes a bloke and so wont be aloud to the Olympics

Old Welshy

No reason to get personal. I was only commenting on her training as I know it well

Milkman

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Belgrave=evil

Wen r Belgrave goin to steel semenya for there bal team? Hahahaha!

Spot on

Love that last post. It is about time people publicaly slated Belgrave- they get waaaaaay too much support.

Iblameuka

I think that Stewart is to blame with his fuck of salary and shite dress sense. SACK STEWART, SAVE SEMENYA

Do some runnin

Has anyone ever thought that we may just be wasting our lives talking about things that don’t matter when we could be training and trying to emulate our heroes? Just a thought. Love the site though- well done Alan!

Athleticos????????????

Why haven’t those lazy aresholes at athleticos dun anythink on this? They claim to be passionate about the sport but this is reely crusial stuff and they aint got nuffink.

Cynical

I hate u all. Wen I was runnin in the 1950s loods of peeps wanted ter reed my blogs and now they only give a shit about lesbians and trannies. I nearly thru away all my v95 medals ve over day cos I fort whats ve point. Wife convinsed overwise.

Administrator

This thread is now locked.

UKA MUST SHARE THE LOVE IF RECOVERY IS TO CONTINUE

The 2010 athletics season will be largely remembered as the year that British distance running remerged from its hiatus of nearly three decades. The performances of Mo Farah and Chris Thompson in Barcelona were no doubt inspirational and Farah’s imperious performance in relieving Dave Moorcroft of his 28 year-old British 5,000m record was one of the season’s many highlights. Strangely, after a cross country season where UKA were lambasted from pillar to post (deservedly so in some cases), something appears to have gone at least half-right over the summer. The performances of Stephanie Twell and Michael Rimmer also show that the middle distances are, whilst not thriving, making solid progress under Stewart, Gandy et al. Whilst it is important not to get carried away – the European Championships are a fair way from World Class as was demonstrated at the Crystal Palace hangover – the British performances in a scandal-free Barcelona will have gone someway to reengaging the British public at large with Track and Field athletics. The only risk being that televisions across the nation are quickly turned off again when the viewer is forced to endure a tortuous interview by Phil Jones or some useless analysis from Denise ‘110%’ Lewis.

With the top level of the sport doing fine (if not well), attention will no doubt shift to the up and comers. It is here that excitement can perhaps be tempered. With some very notable exceptions (Niall Brooks, Richard Goodman and several female 800m runners), this has been a summer without significant breakthroughs. The number of men who are regularly running under 3:40 for 1500m this summer has been lower than ever before and promising winters (and proclamations of 3:36 not being a problem) have come to very little. Whilst bad luck, injury and illness has to take at least some of the flack, the British Milers Club too has seemed a little jaded this summer. This scribe has been one of the BMC’s most outspoken advocates and did himself enter into a pointless dispute on Eightlane about the organisation of the Watford Grand Prix. However, now looking back over the course of the season, it has become clear that all is not what it was.

The aim of the BMC is to advance the performances of the middle-distances by producing a number of quality races throughout the summer. There are many who will question the efficacy of paced races and their role in developing the racing instincts of an athlete, however there is no doubt that this is a sport that is fundamentally judged by time. Therefore, you would think that an organisation that nobly claims its raison d’être is to advance the sport would do their best to ensure that timing was accurate. Alas, timekeepers have been repeatedly embarrassed by the wonderful new initiative that is Athleticos. It has been clear to everybody except those who matter that the timing at several races was completely wrong and yet little has been done to rectify the problems. This culminated in the ultimate humiliation of one evening’s race times being completely void after protocol had been thrown out of the window; several athletes made personal breakthroughs to no avail. One is well aware that this sport relies upon volunteers to run it and it is with a heavy heart that they must be criticised. But the fact remains that when you pay £5 to enter a race, the very least you expect at the end of it is a time that counts. For a timekeeper to allow a race to be run without a starting pistol is the equivalent of a football referee arriving without a whistle. However voluntary, it is unacceptable.

Having alluded to pacemaking, it seems prudent to evaluate it. There are mixed feelings surrounding whether such races are really a good thing. Do they teach the athlete to actually race, or simply teach them to brainlessly follow? Either way, it is irrelevant; the BMC advertise Grand Prix and Gold Standard races on the premise that they will be paced to suit the athletes within each race. Why then were there, in some cases, only 2 pace makers to cover 7 events? Why were ‘A’ 1500m Gold Standard races going with a pacemaker who could only go as far as 500m and some without a pacer at all? It cannot be disputed that quality pacemakers are difficult to come by, but it costs money to enter and it is generally understood that this money is used to pay pacemakers.

Perhaps the BMC has been a victim of its own success. More and more athletes are seeking places with less and less willing to take on the burden of pacemaking. The blame should not be laid squarely at the door of those in charge. The high standard of this organisation means that when these standards slip ever so slightly, it is jumped upon. It has been a fabulous summer and the BMC has no doubt played its part in that. With UKA deservedly patting itself on the back for a job well done in Barcelona, perhaps a little of that good will should cascade down to a bit of funding for an organisation that will doubtless continue to offer a quality platform of British distance talent across the country. Such funding might just make that quality a little higher.

McCORMICK FURY AT WALL OF FAME SNUB

Nick McCormick has said that he is “very upset” not to have been asked to sign the Teddington Wall of Fame. The Wall was the subject of a documentary on Echo backed site Athleticos.org and is said to feature some of the best athletic talent in the world. “I can’t believe I wasn’t asked to sign,” thundered McCormick from a hastily arranged press conference in Loughborough, “have you seen the no hopers that have got to sign it? I was in Teddington just last week and no one said a word. It’s very poor.”

Scott Overall, who shares his house with the Wall, revealed that there was a careful screening process for anyone who wanted to sign. “We’ve had problems with some,” said the Blackheath and Bromley man, “the Kenyans haven’t seen a pen before and some of the St. Mary’s lot didn’t know how to spell their name.” Overall said that McCormick’s request would be given “due consideration” but warned against the Morpeth man getting his hopes up. “I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were him,” said the GB International, “we have standards around here and I’m not sure that we can let someone sign it just because they threw their toys out of the pram. The only time that has happened was when Andy Baddeley threatened to bring the universe to an end if we didn’t back down.”

For his part, McCormick has said that he “isn’t interested” in a pity signing. “It’s their loss in my opinion,” said the 3:33.9 1500m runner, “that wall will always be lacking something and they’ll have to deal with that.” Rumours that he was going to start his own wall in Loughborough exclusively for those who have been rejected from the Teddington Wall have so far proved wide of the mark.

EIGHTLANE FURY AT NORMAN APPROACH

The Chief Executive of Eightlane has expressed his anger at the "blatant theft" of one of their lead contributors by Runnerslife. Dave Norman has signed a lucrative deal with the Welsh based website- rumoured to be worth somewhere in the region of £3m spread over three years. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, the Sale Harriers man revealed that he had achieved a "life-long dream" by signing up. "I often used to look at the guys writing for Runnerslife and think how much I would like to be on here," beamed the marathoner, "I was so pleased to be asked. I jumped around the house for several hours."

However, Norman has left a good deal of damage in his wake. Furious Eightlane chiefs slammed the tactics of Runnerslife in securing their man. "They unsettled Dave with these approaches," said an insider, "I know that they have been after him for a while and I must admit I thought he was stronger than that....we are very disappointed." Of more concern for the popular running forum is the genuine feeling that Eightlane legend Luke Cragg could be on the verge of securing a switch of his own. "We are in advanced talks with another big name," said a Runnerslife source, "it is a very exciting time for our site." Eightlane have refused to comment on the rumours but have said that they will be looking at the legality of the Norman move. "We may yet report this to Offorum [the running forum watchdog]", continued our insider, "enough is enough. Runnerslife cannot keep getting away with these bully tactics."

Both sites have been criticised of late, with many pointing out that they are losing viewers fast in favour of the latest sensation to hit British athletics, Athleticos. "It is a desperate time for sites such as Runnerslife and Eigtlane," said a City source, "shares are plummeting and there just doesn't seem to be an appetite for this sort of thing anymore. They really do need to modernise, else the likes of Athleticos are going to clean up."

ATHLETICOS ‘BETTER THAN FLOTRACK’: OBAMA

Barrack Obama has launched an extraordinary attack on American Track and Field website Flotrack this lunchtime. The Commander-in-Chief lambasted the site’s head honchos for “letting their guard slip” and “unquestionably losing their place at the top table of Track and Field related websites.” The President spoke of an “unqualified tragedy” but heaped praise on the new British version of the site. “Athleticos is everything that Flotrack wants to be and more,” said Mr. Obama, “it encapsulates all that is great about our special friends in Great Britain. Athleticos is a truly great site for a truly great nation.” Flotrack insiders have revealed how website chiefs have been left seething by the snub: “it’s been very tense around here [at Flotrack HQ] the past few days,” said a site technician, “we knew that the President was going to say something about us, but had no idea that it would be so harsh.” Obama has refused to retract the comments or apologise for the upset that they have caused. His press secretary said that the President was "ashamed" of Flotrack's fall from grace. "He looks back to the glory days of a couple of years ago and wishes it could be the same," said the communications chief, "it is a sad day for American sport generally."

Obama was speaking to the Wall Street Journal just days after he refused an interview with Flotrack and whilst many will argue that the Democrat is just carrying out a politically motivated vendetta (Flotrack’s founder is a prominent Republican), few can argue that this is another fantastic coup for the British Athleticos. From humble beginnings in a Loughborough shed, the site has proved in recent weeks that it is ready to take on the world by securing exclusives with the likes of Chris Thompson and Lisa Dobriskey. “To be honest,” said a website source, “we don’t have to go looking for the interviews anymore. We find that the athletes’ agents all want to get on our site. It’s going great”. Athleticos has had a presence at every major European meeting this summer and has been rumoured to of snubbed approaches from the likes of Steve Cram and Brendan Foster. Our source went on: “we are presenting something new and fresh. Whilst it is nice that they want to work for us, I only think that it would alienate our core demographic.” There is no question that the site has been an unqualified success and the company's shares on the FTSE 100 rose to record highs just minutes after Obama’s interview was published.

Alas, the same cannot be said for the American counterpart, which was branded “tired” by American Marathoner Ryan Hall just last week. Viewing figures have reached an all-time low and it is rumoured that the site is in desperate talks with Athleticos in a bid to form some kind of alliance. “It is the only way Flotrack can survive” said a Wall Street analyst, “their stocks have taken such a beating in recent weeks, it is hard to see them being afloat without this merger past Christmas.” In an Emergency meeting of the site’s board last week, the Chief Executive was stripped of his $250,000 bonus and told that if things did not improve he could be out of a job by October. “Job losses seem inevitable,” said the site’s Human Resources Director, “the trick will be to do it sensitively. We have to realise that there are other players out there now and if we can’t beat them, we might just have to join them.”

Obviously, this is fantastic news for the Lufbra Echo as it was us that first brought the world’s attention to Athleticos via our side panel advert. We are delighted for Athleticos, but are particularly delighted for ourselves. Well done us!