Originally Posted By: Gboyz
My question is "which event do you think other athletles will use as a yard stick to determine their full potential. Gay's world championship over Asafa or Asafa's new world record. There are alot of "hurry come ups" who gives vary oponions without knowledge of the sports. Track and field is like horse racing. Youll have a long shot that always come and spoil the broth for the favorite but I guarantee you would not put a cent on the long shot(Yo'ull cheer for him but thats about it). Why? because you know deep down, the favorite had an off day and it was a fluxe. Yes, Powell had an off day, but Gay must be saying "Damn, I need to start training harder because if Powell is ready on his day, there is no way I can beat him" 9.74 , shit, Ill take that anytime over the world championship. IT is the bench-mark on which athletes (including Gay) will be judge (PERIOD)


Only problem with your "informed" race-horse theory is that Asafa has had issues at the last two major events. Thus far, his successes have come against the clock, not against his rivals on the biggest stage.

Viewed another way, we can put Asafa on a track with a bunch of high school kids running 10.6 for the rest of his career. Hell, we can put him on a track by himself and have him race the clock and lower the record. Who wil be remembered more, the person running by himself who beats a clock, or the person who engages in real competition and beats the other legends around him. Which one will you talk about more, the meet in Rieti, or the World Championships/Olympics in Beijing.

Yes, lowering the world record is a mark of greatness, but if you want to be truly great in the minds of people you have to beat other great people while everyone is watching. That's why to this day Carl Lewis is the benchmark and is King. That's why Greene is great. That's why MJ is great (though I am not a big fan - too many questions in my mind about him). Just an opinion just the same.
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