Thread: USAIN BOLT AT MR BIVER'S HOME

I go drinking with a buddy of mine who loves to order shots of Louis XIII cognac, i thought that was bad but £80,000 that's just crazy.

I hope that champagne is smooooooooooth

You gotta admit from strictly a marketing and branding perspective... could his last name been ANY better? The guy is amazing on track... the commentary while he was making his runs during the Olympics were talking about how his stride is large enough he takes approx. 2 steps (I think that was the figure) less than all the other competitors, so he is big and that is harder to coordinate and motivate than a smaller runner but he is physically also doing slightly less work to achieve the same or better results. He has definitely been gifted amazing attributes, I too wish and hope he remains more grounded.

Compare the history Bolt is up against.

It is astonishing. And no - the ancient Greeks and Romans would have no chance - even with supplements.

Originally Posted by Plackslayer

It is astonishing. And no - the ancient Greeks and Romans would have no chance - even with supplements.

Do you have anything at all to back this statement up?

If athletes in the past had access to the same advanced health and exercise science (including supplements, nutritional understanding, training methodology and regiment, etc.) and technology (the ultra-precise timekeeping instruments, the gear sprinters wear and train with, and even the track itself) or hell, even the ability to train full-time as a career that modern-day athletes do, I don't see why athletes in the past couldn't possibly have a chance against modern-day sprinters. Please also keep in mind that starting blocks weren't introduced until the 1930's (prior to that sprinters would have standing starts) and they raced on dirt tracks until the 1960s, both of which would provide markedly slower sprint times than with today's starting blocks, synthetic rubberized track surfaces, and equipment.

The graphic you posted is pretty and does a good job illustration how the sport itself has advanced over the years, but it does nothing to compare these athletes "as if they are on a level playing field".

Originally Posted by i1800collect

Do you have anything at all to back this statement up?

Nope speculation is all we have. Something like this isn't measurable but height is.

Global Height Trends in Industrial and Developing Countries, 1810-1984: An Overview

Here is a study gathering anthropological data (and interpolating where it was not available) on height in 165 different countries from 1810 until 1984. The general trend is that we are getting taller - I personally believe (because I have done no such studies nor have I read any) that along with this trend the human body is more capable of greater feats of strength and speed.

Again just my meandering thoughts, personal speculation, and assumptions.

There is some "wall" or limit of human performance. Modern runners (as well as other athletes) have the luxury to train exclusively for their events, and have the latest scientific research on nutrition, exercise, etc to support their efforts. This is why the top performers are always within a fraction of a second of each other in these competitions. It wouldn't surprise me if, 50 years from now, Bolt's records from this year are still within a half second of the world record.

Originally Posted by i1800collect

The graphic you posted is pretty and does a good job illustration how the sport itself has advanced over the years, but it does nothing to compare these athletes "as if they are on a level playing field".

I am going to hypothesize that if you were to calculate the force it would take each footstep of the ancient runner on a loose surface like a dirt track to accomplish their record time (based on their individual mass), you could translate that force per footstep on the modern day surface where there isn't soo much energy lost in propulsion to approximate their time in a modern day event.

This obviously doesn't take into account all the science, diet and other elements that are available to the modern athlete but I think it would be a much more accurate comparison than the video shown (although that video is still pretty cool to watch IMO).

Originally Posted by Race Minded

I am going to hypothesize that if you were to calculate the force it would take each footstep of the ancient runner on a loose surface like a dirt track to accomplish their record time (based on their individual mass), you could translate that force per footstep on the modern day surface where there isn't soo much energy lost in propulsion to approximate their time in a modern day event.

This obviously doesn't take into account all the science, diet and other elements that are available to the modern athlete but I think it would be a much more accurate comparison that the video shown (although that video is still pretty cool to watch IMO).

It would be a good start.

Usain looks at Biver like he's a headcase during the interview hahaahaa...