OLYMPICS USE INSTANT REPLAY NOW
So the Olympics use instant replay now. Sometimes. What? That’s right, it’s confusing just like our American sports scene.
For the men’s 100 meter track event, officials needed every tool in the drawer! Instant replay, photography for a photo finish, rule books… they needed it all.
OLYMPICS USE INSTANT REPLAY
American sprinter Noah Lyles won the Olympic men’s 100 meters by .005 of a second with a personal best 9.784! That is flying! At 40 meters he was in last place after a typical slow start. But he started gliding. Fast! But with two strides to go he still looked lost in a 7-way pack. However, it was his lean with his lanky torso at the finish that won him gold!
It looked like a 6 way tie and to the naked eye it appeared Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson was the winner. But after a review of video, photos and use of a rule book, Lyles won the gold. It was the first time in 20 years an American stood at the top podium in the Olympics in this event.
We also learned, unlike horse racing, where the winner goes to the horse with the first body part to cross the line (horse’s nose), the track winner is the one with the first torso to cross the finish line. Who knew. And who knew the Olympics use instant relay? Well sometimes.
In team GB shooting the Olympics decided not to use instant replay and it seemed to cost Amber Rutter the gold. See, just like American sports, sometimes the Olympics use instant replay and sometimes they don’t. Confusing.
For more on the Olympics tune in every weekday to Craig Shemon and Company on ESPN Southwest Florida from 2-6.
Olympic Preview From A Southwest Floridian In Paris
I just returned from the City Of Love. Also referred to as The City Of Lights, it is always a fascinating place to visit. However, it was especially so this time as the stage was being set for the biggest sporting event in the world. Here is an Olympic preview from a Southwest Floridian in Paris.
One of the first things I noticed was how the city seemed to embrace the Olympic spirit with art installations and Olympic inspired touches almost everywhere you turned. There were silhouettes of athletes in their respective sport in gardens and traffic circles.
Famous monuments and iconic sites were adorned with the Olympic Rings or similar abstract art in the corresponding colors. Walking and driving around the city all kinds of new things have popped up like temporary housing made from shipping containers.
Unfortunately, many must see areas were blocked off. For example, a portion of the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower. See the photo below. Look at the huge stadium seating erected for beach volleyball.
I got the bird’s eye view of the volleyball venue when we arrived for dinner at the Michelin starred Le Jules Verne restaurant. It was a WOW experience that we booked months ago for a friend’s milestone birthday celebration. Click here for a video.
More From A Southwest Floridian in Paris
I was actually in Paris twice this month. We landed July 3rd and I left the city on the 7th. One week later I returned for Bastille Day and what a difference a week made.
Taxi and Uber drivers were bemoaning the traffic as more and more lanes were restricted, rerouted and closed for official Olympic traffic.
Even some of the metro entrances were blocked. I realize it was because of the big presentation and fireworks for Bastille Day. But it’s also what visitors are going to experience at times for the summer games. It was tedious and frustrating to say the least.
One evening I met up with some Parisian colleagues at a local wine bar and was somewhat surprised at the stories they told. They mirrored the summer restaurant woes of Southwest Florida.
The owners told me business had been dreadfully slow this summer. Tourists were staying away from Paris because of the Olympics and the challenges I mentioned above. They want to experience the city unrestricted.
The crowds did seem smaller along the famous Champs Elysees, which I did not mind at all. Despite not being able to see and reach certain areas in the city, in spite of the traffic, it was a very exciting time to be there. I envisioned opening ceremonies as I walked along the Seine, could almost hear the cheers from the vacant stadiums and arenas we passed.
I can’t imagine any city is ever 100% ready for an event of this magnitude. There will always be complaints and things that go wrong. However, Paris was looking pretty good, and I can’t wait to see the summer games played out in this historic city.
Photos And Olympic Preview From A Southwest Floridian In Paris
