An African won an Olympic sprint – and with all that checking of the gunk in the River Seine for a handful of swimmers, what about keeping tabs on the coronavirus?
Tebogo where no African has gone before
Sure, it's a riff on Captain Kirk's spiel at the start of the sci-fi classic Star Trek. But the review's never not been enterprising. Amid all the Sturm and Drang of other sprinters, a star has been born. The men's 200m made its debut at the second Olympic Games in 1900. And at Olympics 33, rocket forward Letsile Tebogo, the first champion from Africa. He etched his legend in 19.46 seconds, the fifth fastest time in history. The women were allowed to participate in the 200m fun in 1948 in London. And only Christine Mboma from Namibia has got the closest to gold. She won silver in Tokyo in 2021.
Really?
Noah Lyles, the man with the third fastest time in the 200m - 19.31 - finished the 200m final in third place. Lyles, who claimed the 100m in Paris, had been vying to become the first American in 40 years to win the 100m and 200m in the same Olympics. But Letsile Tebogo stopped that idea. Lyles was off the pace in his semi-final and well behind in the final. Reasons? Lots of room for speculation but one fact is Lyles had Covid.
Happening
The British swimmer Adam Peaty was diagnosed with Covid soon after coming second in the men's breaststroke. The Australian swimmer Lani Pallister couldn't even take part in the women's 1500m because of the illness that has killed more than 7 million people since it was first reported in 2020.
Show
Well we mustn't let a plague or potential problems stop a good visual moment or two. After a 10km swim up and down an officially clean river, Sharon van Rowendaal, Moesha Johnson and Ginevra Taddeucci stood on the podium with gold, silver and bronze respectively - all joyous with their achievement. What more could the Olympic chiefs do for the product. Paris picture postcard backdrop. Seine, sewage, sun, smiles.
Haunting
Most hospitable these Paris Olympic organisers. In the final of the men's hockey between Germany and the Netherlands at the Yves du Manoir Stadium out west in Colombes, a brass band belted out a rendition of 99 Luftballons by the German band Nena. The review wasn't expecting that one from our sadly dim and dull youth. Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline kept the crowds happy during the half-time pause. To witness a sea of orange-shirted Netherlands fans swaying in unison with the flag-waving German supporters ... what resplendent Euro harmony, truly a league of nations. Shame about the players having a punch-up at the end.
