The Olympics 2012

This is interesting. Golds were easier to come by in 1956.
vault.gif
 
I wouldn't say that shows golds were easier to win in 1956, it just shows how much the athletes have improved since 1956. You could do the same thing with anything, the two 100m finals side by side, for example. Just because the vault difficulty is higher, or the race time is lower, doesn't necessarily mean the medal is harder to win. Actually, a good example might be some of the longer distance races, where the finishing times are often a long way off the world record due to the tactics etc. that are being used.

You can make an argument about the much higher number of athletes competing making it harder, and there might be some truth in that.

It is a nice comparison though, thanks for posting it!
 
I do find it odd how in Athletics for example, over the years world records on the track get broken as athletes get better but in the field events there doesn't seem to be the same progression for some reason. In the long jump for example the world record has stood for 21 years, the 2nd longest jump ever and former world record happened 44 years ago.
 
Not that surprising really when you take into consideration better foot wear and better track surfaces stuff like jumping a long way has just about reached it's maximum as will running pretty soon and then it will just stagnate and when that happens there will even less point in have the games than there is now...

With things like pole vaulting they can just let them use a longer pole if they want a new record...
 
Expect Domination for years to come in the cycling then, with Laura Trott shacking up with Jason Kenny! Maybe we should encourage Sir Chris Hoy to do things with Vicky Pendleton!!
 
Mephistopheles said:
Not that surprising really when you take into consideration better foot wear and better track surfaces stuff like jumping a long way has just about reached it's maximum as will running pretty soon and then it will just stagnate and when that happens there will even less point in have the games than there is now...

With things like pole vaulting they can just let them use a longer pole if they want a new record...
Click to expand
But as I said the 2nd longest jump ever (8.90m) was 44 years ago. I'd imagine that since 1968 footwear, track surfaces, understanding of biomechanics and technique would have led to a bigger improvement than the 5cm the long jump world record has increased by since then. People aren't even able to get close to it.
 
Maybe Bob Beamon and Mike Powell were just extraordinary athletes and so far ahead of everyone else?
Once in a generation sort of thing?

I can't see anyone breaking Bolt's 100m record for a while either.
It would have held for even longer if he hadn't just cruised across the line too.

BTW, if anyone wants to watch that long jump final, it's highly recommended.




 
Unless there is less glamour, and hence less competition in the more specialised events. Things like the high jump have been helped by people getting generally taller. Not sure about events like the Shot, discus, pole vault (oooh shades of BBC606!!)

Just a theory, possibly rubbish, but, if Usain Bolt were to take up long jump, I would suggest with his speed and leg length, he would do pretty well.
 

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