by Larry Eder
Omar McLeod, 110m hurdles, gold, photo by PhotoRun.net
The banning of Russia from the London World Championships was not an esoteric concept if one went to the London pressers. Sergey Shubokov, the fine Russian hurdler, was competing for ANA, which meant, he was Russian but could not represent Russia in the World Champs. It was something that had to be done, considing the level of Soviet and now Russian cheating in sport. This does not mean that other countries are not doing it as we speak, but the level of depravity that the Russian Federation used makes many transgressions by others pail in comparison.
Sergey Shubenkov, photo by PhotoRun.net
One of the main reasons that Sergey Shubenkov was allowed to compete was that the IAAF saw him as a clean athlete, one who was tested on a consistent basis and one who was invited to participate in the world community of athletes. Sounds silly, but it is not.
Balazs Baji, bronze medalist, 110m hurdles, photo by PhotoRun.net
Omar McLeod won the 110m hurdles in 13.04. That wonderful Jamaican talent, with his sub 10 second speed and his hurdle technique, which is near perfection. McLead took the gold, and Shubenkov took the silver in 13.14, and Balazs Baji took the bronze, becoming the first Hungarian to win a hurdle medal, staying ahead of France’s Garfield Darien and Aries Merritt, the WR holder and London 2012 champion.
A fun presser, and some good questions and answers.
