If I could pick a
slogan based on this past weekend’s sporting action, it would have to be Adidas’ Impossible is Nothing.
It all started with the aptly named Impossible Games in Oslo on Thursday night.
Those of you who watched the athletics event will know what I’m talking about.
Firstly, big ups to the event organisers for their innovation in hosting the Games.
We saw a number of firsts - the strangest of which was probably the race taking place on two different continents at the same time.
Yes, you read right.
Despite being separated by more than 10 0000km,
Norway’s 2000m athletes faced off with their Kenyan counterparts in a virtual race.
Viewers got to see the race on a split screen, with athletes running alongside their countrymen and basically racing the clock and hoping their opponents are going slower.
Team Kenya was at a huge disadvantage because of the wet weather and ultimately lost this world-first event.
Then I also learned of a man named Karsten Warholm, who took “Impossible” and turned it into “I’mpossible”.
Kyk, nou die was nou vir jou iets om te aanskou.
With cardboard fans - drawn by the local pre-primary school judging by the artwork - in the stands, the Oslo stadium was already a lonely place.
So imagine then taking to the starting line on your own.
That’s exactly what
Warholm did - he had no competitors for the 300m hurdles event.
Ander manne sou maar gelos het. But not this warhorse, he didn’t mind competing on his own. He was going to race time and chase the world
record.
En wragtig, daar set die man a new record in a time of 33.78s.
Wat leer ons daaruit? Run your own race, set your own goals and stay in your lane.
Also on Thursday night, we had La Liga returning to our TV screens with Real Betis and Sevilla squaring off.
In another world first, the lines between video games and reality were blurred in this event.
Firstly, they used Fifa-like crowd noise.
It worked a treat and really added to the atmosphere. As long as fans aren’t allowed at stadiums, I think they should have this sort of setup.
We must find out how they did it and do the same when sport returns in Mzansi.
Anyway, La Liga also added virtual “fans” to the bottom tier of the stands to give the illusion that the
stadium isn’t empty.
This somehow worked.
But I reckon they can
consult the guys at Fifa even more on this, as the actual video game’s fan graphics are waaay better.
Still, it is a decent product given the situation.
In New Zealand, of course, they didn’t need plastic fans, with this country opening its stadium to spectators - the first to do so.
Watching the Highlanders and the Chiefs on Saturday morning, it didn’t look like rugby missed a beat.
Without a single coronavirus case in 22 days, New Zealanders didn’t even wear face masks at the stadium.
Whatever the results on the pitch, the Land of the Long White Cloud is a true example to all of us.
THE REAL MCCOY: Fans in stands at Kiwis' Super Rugby
Respectful to each other, regardless of class, race or whatever humanity uses to divide us, they work together and get results.
This week we take another step towards all sport returning when the Premier League kicks off with a match between my Gunners and Manchester City.
Personally I can’t wait to see what the best soccer league in the world dishes up. Go Gunners!