In the second part of my 2014 Review series, I look at three of the sports science stories that made news – the sub-2 hour marathon, doping in the marathon & Justin Gatlin’s great year
Track and Field
Symmetrical knees and sprint performance: The Jamaican secret?
A recent study found that sprint performance in Jamaicans was related to the symmetry of their knees. The media pounced, and explained Usain Bolt’s success as the product of symmetry. Is there any basis for this? I evaluate the argument.
The World Record Suspicion survey, and some related thoughts
Just how believable are the T&F world records? An online poll sparks some questions, some analysis and some thoughts on the state of the sport and doping. Read on for insight and analysis
Bolt vs Farah over 600m. The extremes meet, who wins?
Usain Bolt vs Mo Farah is a match race between the two great athletes at opposite ends of the extreme. Who wins, and the physiology behind it?
A house of cards? Sprinting crisis as Gay, Powell and more Jamaicans fail controls
First reactions to a day when first Asafa Powell then Tyson Gay failed doping controls. Amid defences of contamination, the picture of world sprinting turned a lot murkier