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Team USA Selected
It’s finally happened. After what has seemed like an eternity, the US National Championships has finally been held, and the team for Tokyo has been chosen! The change in the World Championships to September caused Nationals to be moved as well. Now that it’s over, I think I’d rather see the meet remain in late June. Primarily because this year’s version was missing a lot of collegiate athletes who are getting ready to go back to school, diluting the talent pool and causing reductions in the number of rounds in several races. Making for a bit of an abbreviated meet in some respects. Still, the depth of talent available in…
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US Nationals Preview
We’re days from the selection of the US team for the World Championships in Tokyo. It’s been a very long lead up to this point given we’re near the end of July, but that’s the end result of moving the World Championships to the end of the season. We’ll see how that’s worked out given that athletes have been on different and varying times lines during the course of the season. Regardless of the approach taken, American athletes must note be ready for the ultimate battle, the US Trials! July 31 thru August 3. Entries are now closed, and here are my general thoughts as we head to Eugene. In…
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What Happened to Grand Slam
By now everyone is aware of what’s been going on with Grand Slam. Ended early. Owes millions to athletes and others. I’ve hesitated to write about what’s happened, because I don’t want to appear negative. Unfortunately however, there are many negative things taking place in our sport that need to be addressed if we hope to fix them, and I was hoping that Grand Slam would be a fix, not a problem. For what it’s worth, I hope that Grand Slam gets it’s issues fixed, because there were good things taking place. Chief among them, it was dragging prime time track and field out of the small confines of Eugene…
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Understand the Assignment
The World Relays has come and gone, with a lot of “unexpected” finishes left in its wake. After watching the races and the comments made during and after the event, I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of people really don’t understand the purpose of the meet – including World Athletics! So, let’s examine it’s “purpose” and see how many fans, athletes, and governing bodies actually understand why everyone was in China. Beginning with the 2019 World Championships, the World Relays became the qualifying meet for Worlds. The top fourteen teams at World Relays, move on to the World Championships, with two additional squads joining them based on best…
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Mid Point of Grand Slam
Grand Slam Track has completed its first two meets, with two left to go. As this is the half way point I thought that it would be a good time to give a preliminary assessment given that all of the previous comments being made were done without actually seeing the product in action! I’ll say right up front that I give it a strong “B” at this point, primarily because it is causing needed change within the sport. Let me start with the meets themselves. Excellent locations, even though the meet in Kingston had light attendance. The follow up in Miami was well attended, with the next two competitions scheduled…
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The Weekend I’ve Been Waiting For
Once track and field gets outside, it doesn’t take long for things to heat up. The first couple of weekends or so, are kind of like letting the car idle for five minutes or so to make sure it’s ready to drive in the winter time. After everything is nice and warm however, it’s time to get out and let it run. For track that’s usually around MtSAC, Tom Jones weekend. Two nice facilities, with nice tracks, and nice weather. Both facilities and competitions lived up to these normal expectations, which is why so many athletes love to open up at Tom Jones and MtSAC. In addition, Jamaica had a…
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Grand Slam Has Arrived
We’re finally outdoors, after spending the winter undercover. Don’t get me wrong, the championship portion of indoors was fun to watch, but at the end of the day nothing compares to the 400m oval! Of course it’s still a very long season, especially with the World Championships being moved to September. Shifting national championships to the beginning of August and literally changing how many athletes will approach both training and competition over the course of the year. What does this all mean? It means we may not see many top level athletes get started in their primary events until late May or early June, and marks may not be at…
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Mid Season Indoor Observations
That didn’t take long. The ball dropped, the clock struck one, and everyone got busy! The last several weeks have seen a flurry of action, and as usual in a post Olympic season, those not on the podium have been the busiest. Every quadrennial cycle is basically the same. The year before the Games, everyone is getting ready. Everyone wanting to be at their very best, next year. Some racing less frequently. Some getting necessary surgeries. A few even taking the year off. Then the big year, the Olympic year. Training cycles set for Trials and Games! Then the year after, the redemption cycle. Those not at the Games, or…
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Five to Watch in ’25
As fireworks around the world signaled the beginning of 2025, the road to the Tokyo World Championships also began. Starting this year, the annual competitive calendar will end with the World Championships as the final competition of the year, scheduled to begin on September 13th in 2025. Between now and then much will happen. Indoor competition culminating in indoor championships for the NCAA and World Athletics. Followed by Relay meets, various Invitationals, the Diamond League, national championships, and assorted other competitions on the way to Tokyo. Along the way we’ll have the privilege of watching the world’s best athletes run, jump, and throw as they compete to become the world’s…
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2025 Men’s 100m Preview
It’s about a week after Christmas. Two days before the New Year. Which means we’re about to get more track and field! It’s only been a few months, but Paris seems so far away. Of course, indoors is a tad different. Half the track size. Shortened straight away races. But for true fans of the sport, we’re looking forward to the journey to Tokyo and the World outdoor championships. While I’m looking forward to literally every event to see if we can get anything close to the full excellence of Paris, I’m really looking forward to the men’s 100m. Always one of the most anticipated events of any competition, the…