The Rio Farce, Day 9 Part 2, All Medals Complete: Usain Bolt is inhuman.

Good God.

9.80 with the worst start in the field.  If that guy ever got his starts straight, he could break the 9.56 or whatever it was.  At his age!!!

Look, I've always maintained since his times went video-game level that he's a genetic engineering experiment.  This isn't drugs.

And if you want to see tonight:  Gatlin, banned four years for steroids in the mid-2000s, was run down easily by Bolt in the middle of the track.  It was literally as if even Gatlin was standing still.

I had the opportunity to speak with a Jamaican when I was in Vegas last week.  He doesn't disagree with the possibility of genetic engineering for Bolt, but said something very prescient to me:  Bolt, at 6' 6" and that long in the legs, takes a race that usually takes a normal sprinter 36 strides to complete and does it in 31 or 32.

That would explain plenty -- including the shitty starts and the fact he just blows past everybody!

OK, where was I on the news of the day?

• Problems in the pool continue.  The entirety of water in the water polo and synchronized swimming pool was removed and replaced because athletes were reporting eye irritation as continuing (and failing, see below!) efforts to clean the water were overdone. (Deadspin)
• The Deadspin report also notes that the latest excuse about the water is that, to aid in cleaning it, someone dumped 160 liters of hydrogen peroxide into the pool.  That's nice, idiots...  Except for one problem:  Using both hydrogen peroxide and chlorine...  CANCELS EACH OTHER OUT!!!
• The Deadspin report on the Lochte robbery says the IOC is denying it took place.  Gee, I wonder why....  This Olympics is wide-open for a terror attack now.  It's clear there is no control, no safety, none of it of any kind.  (Which see the steps the Australian team, a victim of a number of Rio missteps, has had to take.)
• ROTFLMAO!!!!  I have to include this from Deadspin!!!  A sign, seen at the final round of the Olympic men's golf tournament, talking about "Rabbit Fuckers Golf Club"...  Don't believe me?  Look for yourself!
• At least six countries have won their first Olympic gold medal in the last nine days.  Joining Singapore (swimming) is Puerto Rico (women's tennis), Vietnam (air pistol shooting), the Independent Olympic Athletes team (shooting -- which is also the first gold medal for a Kuwaiti Olympian, competing under the IOA banner because of the Kuwaiti NOC's suspension), Kosovo (judo) and Fiji (rugby sevens, their first Olympic medal of any color!).
• Continuing the travails of Australia (and possibly additionally contributing to the "don't go out at night" ban), the rugby sevens team of Australia was dressed down after losing their quarterfinal and going out to party...  until NINE AM THE NEXT MORNING!!! (Inside the Games daily blog)
• Latest controlled explosion:  Near the sailing venue.  (Inside the Games daily blog)
• And the latest in the National Dick-Waving Contest:  Even with two individual events for the Final Five (the women's gymnasts), the USA could only win one of them, which was the only other gold medal they won today than the one they were guaranteed in tennis for having both finalists.  The 26 total golds, though, does put them over the 1,000 mark.  Great Britain and China are now tied at 15 gold medals apiece for second.  The USA total lead, though, continues to prosper:  69 versus 45 for China and 38 for Great Britain.  Good day for the Brits though:  9 medals, 5 of them gold!