Kicking some Russian butt - NOT

[malaise]

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-insidetherings&prov=ap&type=lgns

Yelena Isinbayeva got the Olympic gold and a world record; American Jenn Stuczynski got the silver and a lesson in humility.

And we now have a new rivalry that should make woman’s pole vaulting fun to watch for many more years to come.

Big poles and big mouths don’t go together. Stuczynski knows that now. Pole vaulting isn’t basketball or boxing. It’s far too graceful of a sport for the kind of trash-talk she doled out before the Beijing Games.

“I hope we do some damage,” she had said, “and, you know, kick some Russian butt.”

Big mistake.

Isinbayeva is Russian but she understands English just fine. The greatest women’s pole vaulter of all time heard Stuczynski’s challenge loud and clear.

“I am not deaf,” she said. “It made me really angry.”

[babylonsister]

1. Let me guess-you're not watching WJ this a.m..

:rofl:

[malaise]

3. I switched early

What's more we have a major meeting today but the chairman had enough sense to have a big screen TV for the first hour so we can watch the races.

This one was fabulous :rofl:

[KharmaTrain]

5. And I Thought You Just Had Had Enough Of Us C-SPIN Junkies

:rofl:

You're not missing much...enjoy the races.

:rofl:

[malaise]

7. Not at all

We're a special early mornning crew :D

Cspan will be spinning again tomorrow - I can give up today.

[leftchick]

2. holy crap!

I have not watched much of the Olympics because of the US bias in the announcers nauseates me. I would have LOVED to have seen this! She is incredible!

<snip>

It was showtime. Isinbayeva-time. And that meant a world record.

First, she broke the Olympic record—her own, from Athens four years ago— as an appetizer.

Then, the bar went to a height it’s never been before, 5.05 (16-6 3/4).

She got it on the last of her three tries. She was celebrating even before she had fallen back to earth. She screamed. Clutched her face. Screamed some more. Did a forward somersault. Grabbed a Russian flag from someone in the crowd and set off on a lap of honor.





I will have to check out Youtube for a video.

[leftchick]

4. I found a video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHT-rd6-qCg&feature=related

she is amazing! And gorgeous to boot!

[KharmaTrain]

6. Styczynski's Coach Was An Ass

After she fails to make her last attempt and wins the silver (and in my book anyone who medals at the Olympics is a winner), she goes over to her coach who says how she messed up the final vault and then that all she could do was get the silver. She looked like she was ready to breakdown right there, in front of millions watching, but just walked away. What an ass.