It’s
a sporting event that is etched into many minds. I remember watching it, and
the scandal that resulted even today, more than two decades after it happened.
9.79 is a look at all the participants that took part in one of the most controversial
track-and-field events of the last century; the 100 meters dash at the 1988
Seoul Olympics.
The
race that brought the consumption of performance enhancing drugs into the
limelight as Ben Johnson, the winner, was found positive for taking them has gone
down as a turning point in the history of sports. It is amongst one of the first
few instances where consumption of banned substances in sports was talked about
around the world in such detail. But, the documentary doesn’t simply stop at
the scandal, rather through interviews it digs deeper into the psyche of the
runners to uncover a world of back stabbings, conspiracies, steroid use, and as
a result it leaves an astringent picture of sports in the minds of the many
fans that enjoy it. Furthermore, the documentary also stands proof of the
determination athletes have in order to achieve their goals and the pressures,
both mental and physical, they endure to fulfill their dreams of being at the
top of their league.
9.79,
the time it took Ben Johnson to run the 100 meter dash, is a brilliant well researched
documentary as it never judges the main “accused” nor the other participants,
but instead presents everyone’s side of the story with equal depth and
investigation. Unfortunately it doesn’t help the loss of faith in the sanctity
of the sports that one ends up with as each passing year sees more and more
cases of some form of “corruption” talking place in the various sporting events
around the world.
Rating
4/5