Sprint historians, how could the 2003 Paris World Champs be won in 10.07 and 20.30?

Not so smart wrote:

-Unless you're from the UK, don't use the word, "bloody". Now THAT qualifies as annoying. You sound like one of those guys that likes to pretend he's well read and cerebral. Incidentally, there should be a comma after "Yale". Tool.

I've heard bloody used as a curse the Pacific North-West and Canada.

Race

Still as a stiff, no false start.

Calling it like it is wrote:

Interestingly the 2003 WC was probably the best distance meet ever,

You had the great battle of Bekele stalking Geb in the 10,000 running 26:49 with them both going sub 13 for the last half.

A great 5000m race with Eliud Kipchoge beating both El G and Bekele to win in a fast 12:52.

El G winnging the 1500 in 3:31 over France's Baala on his home track.

(But Kenya pulled Lagat from starting and released the confidential news of a positive A sample where he was subsequently cleared)

Star wrote:

Calling it like it is wrote:

Interestingly the 2003 WC was probably the best distance meet ever,

You had the great battle of Bekele stalking Geb in the 10,000 running 26:49 with them both going sub 13 for the last half.

A great 5000m race with Eliud Kipchoge beating both El G and Bekele to win in a fast 12:52.

El G winnging the 1500 in 3:31 over France's Baala on his home track.

(But Kenya pulled Lagat from starting and released the confidential news of a positive A sample where he was subsequently cleared)

Don't forget the epic showdown between Saif Saaeed Shaheen and Ezekiel Kemboi in the chase.

Those times not slow wrote:

0.3 to 0.5 seconds is less than the blink of an eye.

You must have really heavy eyelids.

It was the clean version of a 100m final. After BALCO scandal some pro- sprinting camps bombed,and the big dogs with dirty coaches were "off the juice".

Maurice Greene and Ato Boldon (John Smith's athletes), Shawn Crawford (Trevor Graham), Tim Montgomery (Trevor Graham),Dwain Chambers (Remy Korchemny-Victor Conte), Bernard Williams (Lance Brauman), Mickey Grimes (Blackman Ihem who coached another banned athletes like Jamaican Christopher Williams).

Also there were another sprinters -suspiciously- in regular-bad shape. like Obikwelu, Patrick Johnson, Brian Lewis, etc...

Another young athletes were not fully-developed (Gatlin, Asafa Powell, Michael Frater, Mark Lewis Francis etc),

The 100m finalists were 1) clean athletes or 2) "poor responders off the drugs but enough talented for 10.1s" (like Chambers, Williams and Montgomery)

But, It amazes me how fast Darrel Brown was running in his youth-junior years. He was Trayvon Bromell ,10 years before Bromell.

He ran 10.92 at 13 years old ; 21.20 at 14 (-1.9!!);10.36 at 15; 10.24 and 20.41 at 16; 10.09(-0.6) at 17 and 10.01 (jogging his quarter final in Paris 03')

This is a video of men's semifinals and final. (The Mo Greene's debacle interview)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D56h8MxJE5k

And most important, he was running PB's in the big races (except that final in Paris 03'). He have 4 world major medals, 1 individual and 3 with the 4x100 relays.

I remember back in 2002 he went to World Junior Champs in Jamaica and obliterated the field including Americans and Jamaicans. In the 4x100 relay he -as the anchor- gained so much ground on Usain Bolt and Ivory Williams. Look at this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT_niA3Yg0U

Unfortunately after 2005 he broke up, and now he runs 2 times per year. He can't put 3 consecutive races without falling injured.

rojo wrote:

I'm working on our weekly recap - the Week That Was - which will be back shortly after a month long winter break. Anyway, we are including a quote from retired UK sprinter Darren Campbell who says he wouldn't let his kids run track as their is so much doping in it.

It struck me that Campbell won Olympic silver in 2000 with a 20.14 and never came close to breaking 20.00 for his career (20.13). That of course, reminded me of 2003 Worlds.

The winning times in the men's 100 and 200 were incredibly slow. 10.07 and 20.30. On the year, no one ran faster than 20.01 in the 200. No sub-20s.

Does anyone remember why things were so slow then? Was there some sort of new drug test? Had some big stars just retired/been busted? What could explain it?

I welcome your thoughts/theories.

In addition the drug scandal, the old guard, the hold overs from the 1990s like Green, Fredericks and Drummond etc., were in the twilight of their career and guys like Bolt, Gatlin and Powell were just coming on the scene and/or starting to establish themselves. 2017 will also be a similar transition year of sorts, it was probably be the beginning of the end for Bolt, Gatlin and Powell, etc.