Spain’s Reign

Spain has won almost everything in sports this year. Tennis, soccer, cycling- and I don’t think this juggernaut is slowing down. Last Saturday, Samuel Sanchez bagged his country’s first Olympic gold medal by winning the Cycling Road Race.

This road race was the best race since professional cyclists were allowed to race in the Olympics back in 1994. I won’t describe anymore in graphic detail the last K’s of the race since I know that you’ve seen it already (or look it up on youtube.com).

RED BARON’S 10-Miler

Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the German ace fighter pilot in the First World War, said that, “Success flourishes only in perseverance—ceaseless, restless perseverance”. Guess what, the same principle could be applied to Time Trials.

It’s probably a good reason why Larry Stahlman, the American consultant for LEXMARK, uses Red Baron as his username in the internet. For the second time now this year, the 61yo blasted his rivals out of the sky by riding the 10mi (16K) course in Catmon (Km46-Km58-Km46) in 24min37sec, almost 3 minutes better than the next rider!

Boyax Pagnanawon, the 1986 Marlboro Tour Champ failed to beat his own course record of 23min10sec by 7sec but still handily beat Liloan’s Richard Jalang and Noy Jopson, who was seen sporting sweet TT-dedicated bicycle frame! Lito Quebec, a chef who works at the Waterfront Hotel, won the C category with a 25min24sec ride. Me, I cut almost 2min from my personal best last May which made me happy!

Category (or age group) racing is all about juggling the work, family and sport. When you only have to concentrate on the sport, it’s a piece of cake. But when family and work commitments get into the picture, who can manage these commitments better without sacrificing the other will always be the winner, and I don’t mean the first one to cross the line.

Olympics

I wrote a few columns ago about how the Olympics and Olympians have changed from someone we know on a first name basis, like Carl Lewis, to a generic group of athletes who we hardly care about. How wrong I was! I realized that the Olympics is not only the greatest show on earth but the greatest show of humanity.

Who would have thought that the basketball game between the US and host China last night would have a more emotional than athletic impact for both countries considering that from 1949 to 1971, no US athlete was allowed to set foot in China. China had shut its doors for the West, until it allowed a group of US Table Tennis players to play a series of goodwill games in 1971. Ping-pong diplomacy it was called and it was popularized decades later by Tom Hanks in the movie, “Forrest Gump”. Fast forward to 2008 and here are the US Basketball Teams, not surprisingly getting the more cheers than the host team from the mostly host fans! 

Who knows that in a few years, we’d feel the same emotions when Iran would play the US in Tehran a few years down the road. Yes, I know its farfetched but that’s what the world though five decades ago, and look where we are today. Thanks to the Olympics.