Five-ring circus: The Thread of the XXXIII Olympiad

Granted it was 40 years ago, but everyone worried about traffic in 1984 and it wasn't an issue.

Olympics solved LA’s traffic problem—can the 2028 games do it forever? - Curbed LA

 

The same was true in Atlanta. They did such a good job of scaring everyone into taking public transportation that you could actually drive right up to some of the venues with no problems at all.

 

This was us finding street parking over by AUC. “This can’t be legal right? Are we missing some giant Tow Away Zone sign? I’m amazed this road was even open to drive on.”

But try as we might we could not find any parking restrictions there. And so we parked, rode MARTA downtown to poke around, rode it back, watched the field hockey medal games and then walked back to our car, sitting there unmolested and ready for a late-night Varsity run.

 

Seeing Sydney really celebrate and take it all in was great. She deserves all the accolades. What she has done is incredible. And watching Bol right next to her crying in her parents arms let you know that fine line between winning a gold medal and the "disappointment" of a bronze.

Although in that race, my favorite moment was Anna Cockrell's shocked face as she realized she took the silver medal in what was expected to be a two-person race.

 

I still think it will be high on the list of shots from the past in my memory 20 years from now. The unlikeliness and craziness of this shot puts it over the top.

 

No need for the quote marks. For someone like Bol -- the second-fastest female 400 hurdler in history -- bronze, especially that far behind the winner, was a huge disappointment. She had legit belief she could win that race and run a world record time.

I wonder if she'll consider switching to the flat 400, given her insane success in the relays and the fact that it looks like no one is catching Syd as long as long as she keeps running that event.

 

See, that's just it -- it was OK 40 years ago and while of course there are a lot more folks in LA, there's a massive amount more of public transpo available. And WFH is a thing now.

 

It's like the Caitlin Clark argument, no? They would have won a goldier medal with either in the lineu

 

I'm still not quite sure what exactly they did at the Champions Park, as most Summer Olympic medals are still given at the venues. Other than the reallocations and stuff. Probably trying to rip off the Winter Olympics medals plaza thing, which has been a thing since Salt Lake in 2002.

 

For me I wasn't sure if Bol was upset that she lost or that she just didn't have her best race. Sydney crushed her own world record, so there's no shame in losing when someone goes damn near a third of a second faster than the fastest time ever. Bol just had a bad race and maybe got a little shook as Sydney hit that afterburner on that final turn and didn't put her best effort forth thus losing out on the silver.

(Side note: Sydney running looks so effortless. Gabby Thomas has these beautiful majestic strides, but Sydney at full speed looks like she's jogging).

In a perfect world, Sydney, Bol and Athing Mu will all battle for the 400 flat in Los Angeles. That would be the main event of the Olympics. Seeing Mu run in the 4 x 400 relay in 2021 was a thing of beauty.

 

Actually Calgary 1988.