Monday, August 18, 2008
The marathon for girls
The absence of Noguchi Mizuki and the long odds against a British podium finish meant that I only tuned in for the last hour or so of the women's marathon. Having forgotten to don my white "no drugs" wristband before setting off for the Media Cafe, naturally the first thing I saw when I switched on was a hulking Romanian man-witch, who looked like she had more testosterone than the Welsh pack, commanding what looked like an, ahem, insurmountable lead.
As expected, the first Brit home was Mara Yamauchi. Paula Radcliffe, amongst tears and trauma, finally made it to the finishing line of the Olympic marathon: four years and ten minutes late, by my reckoning.
Thankfully, I was spared whatever the BBC made of this. I was, however, witness to Reiko Tosa (Japanese bronze medallist in last year's world champs) out-Radcliffeing Radcliffe, struggling horribly from 10k to 25k in obvious pain before dropping out.
It was quite the most harrowing thing I've seen in ages: the spent athlete, barely able even to stand, pushing her way between the road-side spectators to collapse into the arms of her support team, sobbing piteously and- which is worse- audibly. This was due to the diligence of the TV crew who circled the poor woman, feeding on her agony and beaming her distress to the world as- limp and wasted- she was loaded into the back of an ambulance, one wet towel draped over her face, another over her right foot.
How despicable some people can be, I thought, as I watched every last second.
As expected, the first Brit home was Mara Yamauchi. Paula Radcliffe, amongst tears and trauma, finally made it to the finishing line of the Olympic marathon: four years and ten minutes late, by my reckoning.
Thankfully, I was spared whatever the BBC made of this. I was, however, witness to Reiko Tosa (Japanese bronze medallist in last year's world champs) out-Radcliffeing Radcliffe, struggling horribly from 10k to 25k in obvious pain before dropping out.
It was quite the most harrowing thing I've seen in ages: the spent athlete, barely able even to stand, pushing her way between the road-side spectators to collapse into the arms of her support team, sobbing piteously and- which is worse- audibly. This was due to the diligence of the TV crew who circled the poor woman, feeding on her agony and beaming her distress to the world as- limp and wasted- she was loaded into the back of an ambulance, one wet towel draped over her face, another over her right foot.
How despicable some people can be, I thought, as I watched every last second.
Labels: NEWS
