martedì 8 agosto 2017

World Championships in Athletics in London - Day 4 (7-8-2017)


In the morning, visit at Casa Italia Atletica. I am stopped first by two frontmen of the building, then by two members of Casa Italia staff: they finally let me in. But they all seem to wonder what a common spectator is doing there. I ask about lunch, and they confirm that it is by invitation, like the other times. I turn around, then, as I go, an officer approaches me and tells me that I should soon go to leave place to "credited" people. So I wonder why Fidal, the Italian Athletics federation, advertises so much Casa Italia events (meals included) in its website (es.here) when they are not open to the public: they might just send an email to the guests! Again the attitude I told about in the introductory post of this blog, the common spectator that is seen with discomfort. Doubts may also be raised about the choice of the pictures of the athletes at the entrance: he is Tamberi, and so far it's normal, even obvious, but she is Dariya Derkach, who has not even been selected for the team and is obviously there only for her look (undoubtedly remarkable). Not a nice message: it suggests that for women it is more important to be beautiful than good. While going out, I meet Tortu and Folorunso, she is sshorter than she looks from afar.

After an afternoon of rest and writing, I leave to the stadium. I try a new route, which saves a line change. The crowd in the underground is awful (I try to enter it with the hotel key, and on the way back I will do the other way round), but they are commuters: even at the last stop people going to the stadium are a minority.

I get in pretty fast. This time I'm in the second deck, behind the straight opposite to finish, and I see all the field well. At the entrance, there are groups of Colombians, behind me there is a group of Jamaican people and I hear some Frenchmen, but foreigners remain a small minority (and I have not seen an American yet).

The program opens with a minute of silence (perhaps the first one I've ever seen in athletics) for Australian sprinter Betty Cuthbert. Then it starts: satisfaction for the behavior of Italians in heats. The speaker, however, ignores them, mentioning athletes less titled than them. The speaker will do even worse in the 110hs final, when for Braitwaithe he will mention a bronze in the Commonwealth Games and not the gold in WCH.

In the presentation of women's hammer, they say that remote-controlled vans that bring back the tools cost £ 4,500 each. The race is beautiful, more balanced than expected, since the Polish favorite (do not make me write her name ...) does not find the right throw immediately: unfortunately she will find it during a semifinal of 400hs, so I will not see it. The throws at the start look all very long, even those that do not reach 70m.

Even more Jamaicans, celebrating at the rhythm of "Jammin" McLeod's victory in the 110hs. Then the British (who had long applauded Gunnell, interviewed in the grandstand) heat up for Muir in the 1500: they are disappointed, as she comes fourth. The other British comes sixth, so I wonder how long we have not got 2 in the top six in a track or field event: probably since 1995 (women's LJ, May and Uccheddu). At the exit I wanted to eat something in a kiosk, but I can not because the stewards oblige me to go to the other direction. The route to the underground is tortuous and with many stops, but in return it is easier to get in than yesterday.






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