On the first truly beautiful day of the Olympics (high 20s, bright blue sky, air so clear that you can actually see the hills that ring the city) I went to check out the start of the track and field competition this morning. Jessica Zelinka had a strong start in the Women’s Heptathlon, placing second in the 100m hurdles, and jumping a personal best 1.77 m in the high jump, good enough for 7th place going into this evening’s competition. Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops, BC, moved into tonight’s finals with a 5th place showing in qualifying. And even more impressive was the fact that he did it with just one shot, then walked off the field.
On the first truly beautiful day of the Olympics (high 20s, bright blue sky, air so clear that you can actually see the hills that ring the city) I went to check out the start of the track and field competition this morning. Jessica Zelinka had a strong start in the Women’s Heptathlon, placing second in the 100m hurdles, and jumping a personal best 1.77 m in the high jump, good enough for 7th place going into this evening’s competition. Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops, BC, moved into tonight’s finals with a 5th place showing in qualifying. And even more impressive was the fact that he did it with just one shot, then walked off the field.
But the morning provided two highlights for me. The first was the very cool, Flash Gordon-style remote control cars, painted in the red and gold colours of the Games, that officials are using to return the shots and hammers to the athletes. The second, was the spectacularly errant hammer throw by, I believe a Latvian, that came within inches of decapitating two on-field photographers, who, staring intently down their lenses, never saw it coming.
I can’t really do it justice, but this is close.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlf5CyKvy5w