Travels of THB: Day 11: Rio

Day 11: Rio

20 years ago THB saw the WR set by Michael Johnson

Weather: Hot; it's Dodger weather at the O Stadium (warm, not humid)

Bolt does it again; THB has seen most of his O races

QOTD:

There on the hot sand
And in the bungalow
While monkeys play above-a
We'll make love-a

What do American males do on Sunday morning? The wash

Brazilians don't need no stinkin' dryers, just racks

Up way too early, DA shows up a few hours later explaining he had trouble getting to sleep. Breakfast of coffee with hot milk and toast and butter while watching O’s on TV (without sound) and listening to the church organ, singing and sermon going on next door. At least it feels like next door! A TV nearby with the sound on high?

The beachfront trail is being used for an upcoming event so they have laid temp tiles on the fringe of the beach

Usually it is just bikes and joggers on the path between the sidewalk and street

A slow walk along Copacabana: it’s crowded and all the old folks and baby strollers come out. The beaches are also crowded, in some spots very crowded. Maybe we should’ve tried Ipanema too.

This meal moves up into medal territory

A whole chicken was 24 hee-ayes, $8

THB and DA build our own buffet

We go to the market and buy more breakfast and to-go lunch stuff, and down the street is a terrific roti-chicken place. For 24 hee-ayes, it is both a bargain and the best meal of the trip, eaten en suite with carrots, olives, hot baguette (Zona Sul, decent), and an unusual brewski, all while watching the O’s on TV.

Seen from the metro car, on an obscure station wall

Actual afternoon naps for THB and DA, enabling a much needed recharging. And, we have O Karma today: to and from the O Stadium we get seats on the metro (the long leg) and on the returning train (espressos). On the way out we debate how many people come to an O because they know someone competing.

THB chatted up this guy, who fully understood that paying for food meant not standing in an express lane; he paid for three brewskies, to be metered out one at a time during the night

Security precaution

THB's dinner

DA's dinner, somehow in a clear plastic cup. Must be some sort of sobriety test thing

While standing on the train we talk to two Irish women (seated), one of whom has a knee replacement scar (turns out to have been tendon repair). They are here to watch a relative run in the women’s 1500M semis, and DA starts gloating.

We’re routed to the “back” security entrance and inside to pick up dinner after around an hour forty minutes commute/security. The amazing thing: our route through security was slowed by guys bringing in drinks and other miscellany no-nos. What do they think the slow-motion security guys are doing: checking for bottle caps?

We sit amongst some Americans in the lower level of the end zone away from the finish line, and the guy next to us also has a knee replacement scar. His turns out to be real (15 years ago), as does the one on his other knee. His sister, sitting on his other side, had a hip replacement exactly 90 days ago. His knees still bother him, she looks ready to run in the seniors events.

And, Oh what a night it was! The evening’s highlight was not seeing Bolt go Gold yet again, it was watching a young (just turned 24) South African, Wayde van Niekerk, break Michael Johnson’s WR in the Men’s 400M, set 20 years ago. THB saw that record set in Atlanta, one of his all-time O moments. Johnson was remarkable, and van Niekerk was too, running in lane 8 (notorious for slowing times) and leading the staggered race the entire way. Beautiful…he's apparently the only one ever with sub 10 second 100, sub 21 seconds 200, and a 400 under 45 seconds. Will he go for the near impossible 200/400 double? We’ll find out in a few days.

Bolt is Bolt! During his races a helicopter could be hearing hovering over the stadium. That’s unusual; there were still unsold tickets, the guy could’ve saved the cost of the copter and just sat in the stands, for a lot less money.

The Women’s Triple Jump is settled early, no comebacks on the last round tonight. The USA competitor, Keturah Orji, has her best jump on her first try and leads the competition for a while; failing to improve on her subsequent jumps, she falls to 4^th. The winner, Caterine Ibaurgen of Colombia, coasts to victory. The Irish runner does not make it out of the semi-finals of the 1500.

Some other events, in pics:

USA has 3 women in the finals

Orji had the lead for a while

Medal ceremony for W's 100M

W's 1500M semi-final; Irish runner doesn't qualify for finals

USA will have two runners in the finals

Heptathlon MC

Ya gotta run more than a PB to beat Bolt in a finals

Back to apartment in an O’s record of under 1 hour 30 minutes. Maybe the matte had something to do with, as well as bolting out of the stadium and getting on the first train to leave the platform.