Lovebitesandeveryfing
Well-Known Member
Amazing the American got second. First Olympics for him too.
Just so. And I could be wrong on this, but I don't remember the Americans particularly shining in the steeplechase traditionally. It seems to be very much the preserve of Africa, and specifically east Africa. Probably because in parts of the continent you have to go to school that way every day, anyway…
;-)
I don't know why, I'm always pleased for the Moroccans. Maybe because I have such a shining memory of Morocco when I spent a few weeks there in the seventies. Probably changed a lot. The most moving thing in the 2004 Games was, for me, Hicham El Gerrouj. Sure, Kelly Holmes was great, and I was really made up for her. But when El Gerrouj broke down and sobbed on his knees at the end of that 1500m race, while being cradled by (I think) a Kenyan, well, you'd have to have a heart of stone not to have felt it.
Then he went and doubled it by taking the 5000m title a few days later. Hadn't been done for eighty years!