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2011 in Review – Women’s 800 Meters
At the end of the day this became a very difficult event to rank, as Daegu results would not mirror the season in total. The year would get off to an extremely slow start taking us up to June and the Prefontaine Classic before we would see someone go under two minutes, as Kenia Sinclair (JAM) went crashing through at 1:58.29 – easily the world leader to that point. In the process she beat a sterling field that included Caster Semenya (SA), 1:58.88), Janeth Jekoskgei (KEN, 1:59.15), Alysia Montano (US, 1:59.40) and Yulia Rusanova (RUS, 1:59.59). That WL would be short lived, as on the next DL stop in Oslo,…
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2011 in Review – Men’s 800 Meters
Just as in 2010, David Rudisha (KEN) was the story of the 800 in 2011 – this time carrying the heavy mantle of WR holder. And, just as in 2010, the question on the table was whether or not Abubaker Kaki (SUD) would find a way to upset his rival. Rudisha wasted no time putting the target squarely on his back as he went out during the Australian summer season and scorched a 1:43.88 WL in Melbourne on Mar 3rd – a mark that only 5 men would get under the rest of the year! Another quick 1:44.80 in Sydney on Mar 19thand we wouldn’t see Rudisha again until the…
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2011 in Review – Women’s 400 Meters
This was a very intriguing event, and one of the top stories in 2011, as it featured one half of the double sprint attempt of Allyson Felix (USA). Nothing of note happened here in the spring, but once May hit everyone got busy. Felix started the month off blazing, opening up in Doha at 50.33 (May 6) before scorching 49.81 in Rome (May 26) to end the month. Both times she set world leads, beating Amantle Montsho (BOT) in Doha, then Monstsho, Richards Ross (USA) and Mc Corory (USA) in Rome – her Rome victory demonstrating her strength in the stretch. Prefontaine would start the month of June, and would…
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The Conte Response
Last week I suggested that with the various accusations Victor Conte has thrown out over the years regarding the wide spread use drugs in the sport, perhaps he might be the best source to help develop a system that could fix the problem. And that if he were sincere in wanting to see a cleaner track and field, perhaps he should offer to work with the sport as opposed to criticize it from afar. Well imagine my surprise when apparently Mr. Conte himself not only read what I wrote but took the time to post a response to it. So following is Mr. Conte’s response as posted on this site:…
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2011 in Review – Men’s 400 Meters
2011 proved to be a year of “old v new” as the old guard struggled to maintain and find form, while the young guns searched to find themselves. And in the backdrop of it all the biggest story of the year was the impending return to competition of defending World and Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt. The young guns dominated the early action, as the collegiate quarter milers came out of a hot indoor season that saw Kirani James (GRN, 44.80) Tony McQuay (USA, 45.21) and Demetrius Pinder (BAH, 45.33) turn in some sizzling marks. Unfortunately for McQuay, he would be injured in his heat of the deuce at NCAA’s and…
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2011 in Review – Women’s 200 Meters
As with the men’s event, the women’s deuce suffers from a lack of real competition among it’s best competitors – possibly even more so. Ninety three times women have broken the 22 second barrier with legal wind – none did so in 2011. As a matter of fact, there have only been nine such marks in the New Millennium! None at all in ’01, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06 and this year. Compare that to the twenty eight marks under 11 seconds that were churned out in 2011, and we have an event that is sorely underdeveloped – crying out for someone to just take it over! This year didn’t…
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Time for Victor Conte to Come Clean
Victor Conte is back in the news, as once again we get to hear from the horse’s mouth just how dirty this sport has been and is – in his opinion. Of course Conte’s opinion is considerable if you take into account the fact that he was the chemical mastermind behind the “Cream” (Testosterone cream) and the “Clear” (Tetrahydrogestrinone or THG) – the “undetectable” drugs at the heart of the BALCO scandal of the “oughts” which took down such luminaries as Tim Montgomery, Dwain Chambers, Kellie White, Kevin Toth, Regina Jacobs, and Marion Jones among others. Given Mr. Conte’s resume, I would say he should know a little something about…
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2011 in Review – Men’s 200 Meters
The deuce annually has the potential to be one of the best events of the season. Unfortunately two things always seem to get in the way – injuries and lack of competition. This year’s casualties to injury were significant as Tyson Gay (USA) pulled out of Nationals due to injury and Wallace Spearmon (USA) was unable to advance past the opening round at Nationals. Gay is a former World champion (’07) and Spearmon was a medalist in ’05, ’07, and ’09. Another significant player was lost when Berlin finalist Steve Mullings (JAM) was lost to a drug suspension. At the end of the day, however, it was lack of competition…
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2011 in Review – Women’s 100 Meters
The women’s 2011 season couldn’t have been more different than the men’s season if it had been scripted that way. The top women all had marks on the board by early May as defending World champion Shelly Ann Fraser (JAM) opening up over 200 with a 22.69 (Apr 16) & 22.10w (May 7); defending silver medalist Kerron Stewart (JAM) turning 11.07 (May 7); and Berlin bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter lighting it up with clockings of 10.99 (Apr 16) & 10.86 (May 7). That May 7thmeet was the Jamaica Invitational where we got a new entrant into the sprint wars in Kelly Ann Baptiste (TRI) who cracked sizzled in 10.94. A…
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2011 In Review – Men’s 100 Meters
With the general rankings out of the way, it’s time to start taking a look at individual events. So twixt now and the end of the year, I will look back on several events in between other news and events that come up. I will start with the men’s 100 meters which always lends itself to questions/controversy. Even more so in recent years as we seem to get fewer and fewer matchups among the events top combatants. The 2011 100 meter season started off like a house afire, with Steve Mullings (JAM) blasting a PR 9.90 in mid-April (16th), then turning that into 9.89 in late May (21st). As June…