woooooooooooooooohooooooooooooooooooooo just saw him win the gold and set a new world record at the 100 meters!!! and he coasted over the finish line...wow! It was literally electrifying!!!! Well done!!!!!

do you think there will come a time when athletes are literally at the peak of physiological limits where it is impossible to break records, and if so how far off are we, i mean you can only push your body so far.

Also do current atheletes have an unfair advantage over previous Olympians due to increased knowledge in regards to training, diet, equipment ( funny looking swimming suits etc) meaning its is no longer a personal achievement rather a team achievement, further excluding minority countries due to money and technological advances?

Sorry to put a downer on things; i respect these people immensely i just wanted your guys opinions.

I think that these are fair questions, and do not see them as a downer, its a fact of (modern) life that everything is impacted by technological changes--whether we want to call them an advance is perhaps debatable. From the food we eat to the clothes that we wear, to how we get around, for most people, this is very different than 50, 100, 200 years ago. Sport likewise has been effected--how could it not be? People have better access to nutritional information, can devote huge amounts of their life to training rather than mere survival, the surfaces on which people run, kick, jump, are all different.

Does this take away from sport? I don't think so. Does it take away from the atheletes that have gone before? Of course not. Who can forget or deny the importance of such milestones as the four minute mile, the perfect 10s in gymnastics of Nadia Comaneceau ( not sure how to spell her last name). Is the advance of today somehow disrespectful of yesterday's athlete? Hard to say how.

Remember that many of the advances made are in other terms as well. Sport is more accessible to all--color bars are limited if not altogether gone, which was not true of sport even 50 years ago.

Sadly, I just think Mr. Bolt is just ahead of the game re his chemical intake.

You think that Usain Bolt's performance is drug enhanced??! With all of the drug testing that goes on in the world of athletics this would be a stupid risk for him to take--and would be dissapointing if it were true. Do you think he has access to drugs that other athletes do not? There is no denying his 100 meter win is stupendous, not the least of which is his relaxed showboating on the track. Why not show boat, he just cake walked over his rivals.

Track is one of the few sports that requires little equipment other than a pair of shoes, and in the case of people like Zola Budd, not even that. Access to sports is not equal--the cost of training, lessons, etc, for children from an early age in things like tennis, gymnastics, and perhaps especially that cash cow of sports, equestrian events, means that children whose families do not have the means are not going to have access to these sports. A talented youngster may not even get the chance to develop their prowess.

I have no idea the circumstances of Usain Bolt's family's financial well being. I do know that Jamaica is a developing nation and not a rich one. Soccer and basketball are some other sports that do not require much except a ball, some shoes, and a bit of open space to play.

For myself, I am thrilled of course that my own country is doing well in the Olympics, its hard to not have a bit of national pride. On the other hand, I think its equally wonderful to see the smaller countries without economic wealth doing well--the story of these atheletes making it to the Olympics shows what grit and determination can provide. Its heartwarming to see their success.

Athletes that are the product of efficient state machinery somehow do not give me the same heart warming emotion when they succeed.

While perhaps the Olympics becomes too much about nation v nation and not enough about just the sheer glory of this sporting event, its hard for me to not enjoy just watching people who are at the absolute pinnacle of talent and training doing their thing--whatever the sport. They make it look effortless...which belies the weeks, hours, months of training and work to get to where they are.

I have no idea the circumstances of Usain Bolt's family's financial well being. I do know that Jamaica is a developing nation and not a rich one. Soccer and basketball are some other sports that do not require much except a ball, some shoes, and a bit of open space to play.

For myself, I am thrilled of course that my own country is doing well in the Olympics, its hard to not have a bit of national pride. On the other hand, I think its equally wonderful to see the smaller countries without economic wealth doing well--the story of these atheletes making it to the Olympics shows what grit and determination can provide. Its heartwarming to see their success.

Athletes that are the product of efficient state machinery somehow do not give me the same heart warming emotion when they succeed.

While perhaps the Olympics becomes too much about nation v nation and not enough about just the sheer glory of this sporting event, its hard for me to not enjoy just watching people who are at the absolute pinnacle of talent and training doing their thing--whatever the sport. They make it look effortless...which belies the weeks, hours, months of training and work to get to where they are.

I should clarify. I think he's the better athlete. I also think everyone in that final is on performance enhancing drugs. Fullstop. In my (supposedly clean) sport I know of at least one 'major' champion that uses anabolic steroids to enhance his performance. Sad really, but with the monies involved inevitable.

Hi Guys

On drugs, or not on drugs, what an athlete!

Personally i think probably not taking anything illegal. I think he may just be that good

For example, when asked about his preparation on the day of the 100m final

He said: he woke up around 11, did'nt have breakfast (never does), watched some TV, had some nuggets (presumably chicken), had an afternoon nap, had some more nuggets then went to the track.

This does'nt strike me as a man taking illegal drugs, if your going to go down that road, you might as well go for a really scientific diet as well.

So I believe Bolt is clean, though i can understand those who don't

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A certain BBC presenter used to eat 'Fruit and Nut' on the day of races, but he took (lots of) drugs. What do they say in sports circles. The ones that say they don't take them, take them the most. Lets not get naive here folks. It ain't possible to run that fast on Branflakes. In my sport, people used to take Anabolic Steroids (typically Nandrolne or Dianabol) to help them hit the ball further, then Beta Blockers to help them knock it into the hole. Mr. Bolt's on something. He's just ahead of the game (testing wise).

Edit: I should add I'm not trying to put anyone down. Please, believe what you like. I'm just (literally) amazed that anyone thinks there's a clean Olympic athlete out there.

"He said: he woke up around 11, did'nt have breakfast (never does), watched some TV, had some nuggets (presumably chicken), had an afternoon nap, had some more nuggets then went to the track."

Yes...and I'm Bart Simpson


;-)

Bolt actually hasn't got that 'drugged-up' look that many athletes have (although that really means very little). For example, the swimmer Phelps (too me) looks like he's taken Human Growth Hormone at some point - the big hands/feet, the pronounced jaw, etc..

What did you think of our 8 minutes of fame at the closing ceremony?

I don't know exactly what, but something made me go 'wow' at this comment. If someone was on (illegal) drugs, then I would never class them as an athlete. I suppose I'm quite conservative on the drugs issue, because to me it takes some of the romance and just general awe-inspiringness away from what can be a thrilling example of human achievement.