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We Need Internet Presentation Standards
I often wonder why this sport has such a difficult time marketing itself because we live in the age of the Internet – and dispersing information is as simple as clicking a few buttons. But then I log on and try to get information on a track meet – and it’s not available. Or, as when I attempted to watch the Jamaica Invitational this past weekend, the information flow is horrible. In the case of the Jamaica Invitational, everything from a results site that didn’t update, to a feed that froze often and finally just cut out before the conclusion of the meet. On the one hand I hate to…
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Doha Should Start the DL Off With a Bang
Kingston was pretty hot, and over the last few weeks we’ve had bits and pieces of high quality action in various meets – like Mt SAC, Penn, and Drake. But now we get to finally get the start of the Diamond League on Friday, and looking at the provisional start lists Doha is going to crank things up a couple notches! With the relay season history, the Diamond League is the next "phase" of competition on the road to London – and with Doha sporting some of the best fields I’ve seen outside of the DL "finals" it looks like the Diamond League may finally begin to deliver on its…
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It’s Time to Talk About the 4×1
Ok, between the indoor season and the last few meets, we’ve seen most of the world’s top sprinters on the track. So, with some 80 days until the start of the London Games, it’s about time to start looking at the relays. Of course the race that will draw the most attention will be the men’s 4×1, because of names like Bolt, Gay, Blake, Lemaitre, and others – and that means a discussion of the squads for the United States and Jamaica. There’s always the chance, a la Great Britain in 2004, that someone else can sneak in for the gold or silver, but barring catastrophe this is where the…
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Bolt and Jeter Lead Weekend Highlights
As expected, speed was on display this weekend at the Jamaica Invitational – over and over and over again. The usual suspects – Bolt, Jeter, Blake – did their thing, but there were also a couple of surprises. First the expected, and a touch of surprise as Carmelita Jeter (USA) powered her way to a WL 10.81 (1.0) in the 100 meters – running the event’s first sub 11 of the year. It wasn’t surprising that she took over the world lead in her first 100 of the year, it was surprising that she had to run that fast, as Kelly Ann Baptiste (TRI) got out ahead from the gun…
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Jamaica Invitational to Highlight Sprinters
Jamaica is the home of defending Olympic champions Usain Bolt (100/200), Veronica Campbell Brown (200), and Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, so it’s only fitting that this weekend’s JN Jamaica Invitational will have a laser like focus on sprinting. The headliner will be Usain Bolt who will open his season in the 100 meters. Bolt will take on a field that includes Richard Thompson (TRI), Nesta Carter (JAM), Michael Frater (JAM), and Darvis Patton (USA). The race should give us a good indication of Bolt’s level of fitness as the last time he contested the 100 in this meet (in ‘08) he ran 9.76 – on his way to an Olympic…
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Robles and Merritt Open Fast
The “relay” season is over which means that the pattern of meets is about to change, as we move from domestic competitions to IAAF sanctioned international meets with the Diamond League at the core. So instead of weekend meets running two or three days long we now move to single day competitions sometimes on the weekend, sometimes running mid week. That schedule started yesterday with several athletes starting their path to London at the Baie Mahault meet in Guadeloupe just outside France. With the international season under way and literally weeks to go before the start of most country’s Olympic Trials we’ll start to get a rush of big name…
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Interesting Results Out of Stanford
On Saturday the speed burners did their thing at Penn and Drake. On Sunday it was the distance runners turn, as several took to the track Sunday evening in the cool weather in Palo Alto. The results produced several world leaders and some interesting stories. First the new world leaders: 4:07.00 – Anna Pierce (USA) 3:35.19 – Andy Baddeley (GBR) 14:43.11 – Sally Kipyego (KEN) 13:11.63 – Lopez Lamong (USA) 31:15.97 – Betsy Saina (KEN) 27:27.96 – Cameron Levins (CAN) Those are the new leaders, now let’s take a look at the results – because some good stuff happened at Stanford – especially for middle distance runners. I’m going to…
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The Pieces are Coming Together
The great thing about the Penn Relays is that it’s the first time we get a large gathering of top athletes together at the same meet. The tough part is that they aren’t competing head to head and they’re not competing in individual events – so "evaluating" where they are can be a bit more difficult. And with the Trials less than two months away, and the Games within there months, trying to figure out the pecking order of the top athletes is on everyone’s mind. Well I think several athletes had great early auditions yesterday in Pennsylvania. On the men’s side the US won both "heats" of the 4×1:…
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8 Must See Trials Events
I’m getting antsy, it’s Friday night and no big results can be found – everything major will be happening Saturday. So my mind is wandering in the direction of the Trials. After all, once the smoke clears everything comes down to two meets this year – National Trials and the Olympic Games.In some countries the Trials may be the years most important meet, beside if you don’t get past the Trials you’ll never see the Games – at least not from the stadium in London. So I’m anticipating the Trials almost as much as the Games. With everything on the line and great depth in several events, the US Trials…
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Several Vets Will Be at Penn – Now It Starts
It’s Penn Relays time! Which means the end of the relay season and the unofficial start of the Road to London. Now things have actually gotten rolling a bit earlier this year with several big names throwing down some outstanding marks: Blake 9.90, Dix 9.85w, Spearmon 19.95, Reese 23′ 4", Lowe 2 meters, Ahrass 3:52. All pre Penn. But Penn will give us a glimpse of many headliners together in one place – before the Diamond League, before the Trials, before the Games. Penn gives us television coverage – a BIG deal here in the US. And Penn gives us a big raucous crowd – another huge deal here in…