Scorching tracks and record books

The only thing that could tumble Usain Bolt at the bird's nest was a pot bellied camera man riding a segway scooter. Justin Gatlin came close but that was probably the only consolation for the United States track team who lost out on all the six coveted sprint titles in the 100m, 200m and the 4X100m relay. Beijing was the place where Bolt announced his arrival in 2008 and seven years later, he ran into an orbit inhabited only by him and perhaps out of reach by mortals aiming to follow in his incredible foot steps. The Jamaican has now won all of the three fast races in the major championships starting from the China Olympics except one. The 2009, 2011, 2013 and recently concluded 2015 world championship titles are embellishments to his defense of his 3 titles in London 2012. The only blemish continues to be his 2011 Daegu disqualification for a false start in the 100m. 17 golds from a possible 18 is as mind boggling a performance as is his dexterity at sprinting despite being significantly over 6 feet in height. The enormity of the laurels he has won can only be put in perspective from the fact that he now matches the great Carl Lewis in the number of gold medals won in the Olympics and the world championships. His humongous strides have more than made up for the disadvantage of a slower initial acceleration. He has indicated that the glittering career may end at London in 2017 and if he manages to add another six major titles to his already bulging kitty, the track would bow in deference afforded to none before and in all probability never again. 

Catch me if you can

Mo Farah imitates Bolt with the lightning pose topping it with his signature M after the race but he is a trail blazer by himself in no small measure. A triple double in the 5000m and the 1000m starting at the 2012 London games, followed by Moscow and now in Beijing are titles that put him right on top of the list of great long distance runners. The Kenyans and the Ethiopians  come out in hoards to topple the Briton but his burst in the final lap leaves them all in his wake. He runs at the back and even cools his heels in the water puddle but when it comes to the finishing line, there is little anybody can do match his strides, a thing of ultimate beauty. He would go to Rio as the favorite to defend the titles he won at home and a double there would enhance a legacy that is already legendary. A "mobot" in Brazil will be some sight to behold.

M the best

Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce may not be as common a name when compared to her illustrious compatriot but her achievements in the 100m make her one of the great women sprinters of all time. Akin to Usain, she had a bad 2011 in South Korea but barring that hiccup, has won all the 100m titles starting from the 2008 summer games. She has been instrumental in some thrilling relay wins for Jamaica and remains in pole position to defend her title in 2016. There have been few world records broken in China but the one that did get broken was in the grueling decathlon. Ashton Eaton came in as the defending champion but managed to go a bit further by shattering his own mark. His final run at the 1500m event left everyone gasping and firmly established the American as one of the all time great athletes. The middle distance races of 400m, 800m and 1500m had their share of expected winners while a couple of new stars emerged. On the men's side, Kenyans Rudisha and Kiprop landed the gold coming in as favorites while Ganzele Dibaba had to be satisfied with the 1500m title after being ambushed by a sterling run by fellow country woman Almaz Ayana in the 5000m. The 400m men's title went to another young South African in Wayde van Niekerk who outran the American Merritt in a pulsating final and had to be stretchered out from the stadium more out of shock than fatigue. Another athlete to make her mark was Dafne Schippers. The former heptathlete in Oranje missed out on the 100m by a whisker but her blistering gold medal run in the 200m announced the arrival of a serious threat to the US/Jamaican hegemony in the sprints. If these world championships were an indicator to the impending summer games, we should be in for some history making under the eyes of  "Christ the Redeemer".

Aussies in Nott(h)ingham

Sixty is what David Warner munches to lunch on a typical opening day of a test match. Sixty is what Steve Smith has against his name by the same time if he gets in after an early dismissal. Sixty is what Michael Clarke doesn't think twice before declaring even if behind. Sixty is not what you see the mighty Aussies bundle out for. And you don't see Stuart Broad sheepish very often. It  was the sort of Ashes fixture that gets played on prime time over and over again in a highlights reel. Clarke had braced himself with the steely determination that is characteristic of him after the three day loss at Edgbaston. The "I am not retiring" call however gave way to the unfortunate end of a sterling career at Trentbridge. Clarke would certainly not be alone in walking into the twilight. His retinue of not so young men will make way for another rebuilding since the time the erstwhile greats in Warne, McGrath, Hayden and Gilchrist walked away from their glittering careers. Cricket seems to be favoring the home sides with alarming frequency. Of the coterie that runs the game, there seem to be preferences that have led to lopsided contests. Australia don't seem to like seam and swing. The English don't like bounce and the the Indians don't like either. Actually they don't like spin or DRS either going by recent humiliations. That leaves the list of things preferred by the BCCI minions empty. May be any Indian side winning the IPL should count for points in the world test rankings. That would "cement" their place in the top ten for sure.

 It was not very far off in the past where the positions of the victors and vanquished were on the other side of the equator. While the Kangaroos celebrated a facile world cup victory in front of an ecstatic home crowd, England returned with the proverbial tail between their legs. How sport portrays the cycle of life, only in very quick succession. Fairy tales and sport are certainly not bed fellows. The ones who leave their hallowed turf with the same countenance as the one they sported at their zenith are few. Father time creeps up silently as is his wont and champions sweep into history in tears more often than a triumphant smile. Some look for redemption one last time as do their loyal fans. Would Clarke have one last test century? Would Roger Federer land one last grand slam? Would Tiger Woods lay his hands on the green jacket or the claret jug one last time? Will Lee Chong Wei win a gold at the worlds or the Olympics? Moments that would bring goosebumps not just because they would be a last flourish but also because they would push mortality back a little only if temporarily.

The World Badminton Championships ended in Jakarta today and we had both the singles champions defending their crowns from 2014. Chen Long has taken over the mantle from the great Lin Dan and Carolina Marin is the lone bright spot from Europe in the midst of Asian hegemony. A word for Saina Nehwal though. She isn't the swiftest of movers and doesn't have a shot that stands out. Her game is built around perseverance and accuracy both of which seemed to desert her at the last hurdle today. She becomes the first Indian player to win a silver at the worlds to go along her London Olympics bronze. The Rio Olympics may well be her last hurrah and how dearly would she want to be on the podium there. 

The last grand slam of the year is upon us. Flushing Meadows has thrown some unexpected winners on the men's side in the age of the big four. Juan Martin Del Potro breached the fortress in 2009 and Maran Cilic smashed his way to the crown last year. The hard courts and glittering nights offer a chance for a fresh winner to break through. A betting man would however not go beyond the undisputed favorite in Novak. His form has been impeccable and the shape he is in both physically and mentally, it would take something extra ordinary for him not to be counting his grand slam spoils in two digits. Hope to see someone tear up the form book in New York. Serena slam done and calendar slam beckoning. The distance between the younger of the Williams sisters and her opponents is becoming yawning and even though she suffered a set back at the Rogers cup against the up and coming Swiss Bencic, you are sure to get very good odds if you bet against her. She has the sense of the big occasion and they don't get bigger than this.