A very good question that was put on the table by Track and Field News. I asked the very same question as I watched both Beijing and Berlin. Because as Mr. Hill observed (no relation to my knowledge), we have looked like gang busters at our selection meets, only to falter poorly at the actual  global championship event! Let’s review what happened in Beijing – the biggest and brightest stage that the sport is presented on. In the women’s 800 meters not one of our women made it out of the first round. In the shot put, arguably one of our strongest events, not one man could manage to throw…

Finally we get the start of the long awaited Diamond League. Fourteen meetings that begin in Asia, move to Europe, travel to the US, then journey back to Europe. The full schedule is as follows: Doha, Qatar Friday, May 14 Shanghai, China Sunday, May 23 Oslo, Norway Friday, June 4 Rome, Italy Thursday, June 10 New York, New York Saturday, June 12 Eugene, Oregon Saturday, July 3 Lausanne, Switzerland Thursday, July 8 Gateshead, Great Britain Saturday, July 10 Paris, France Friday, July 16 Monaco, Monaco Thursday, July 22 Stockholm, Sweden Friday, August 6 London, Great Britain Fri Aug 13 & Sat Aug 14 Zurich, Switzerland Thursday, August 19 Brussels, Belgium…

With most of the major collegiate conferences on tap this weekend, that means the NCAA Championships are just around the bend. At the beginning of the season I gave my predictions for those collegians I felt were the favorites to win their respective events in Eugene. Seems like a good time to update that list as they begin to position themselves and their teams. Looking back at the first list I don’t see that many changes. Mostly because there really isn’t much of a collegiate season – mostly competing on the relay circuit. So as we really get into the “championship” portion of the collegiate season I’m sure we’ll begin…

No, I’m not talking about a category in the second round of the TV game show Jeopardy. I’m referring to the real life law (at least in this country) that you can’t be tried and convicted of the same crime twice. Once convicted and sentence served you are done with that particular crime. Once you’ve “done the time” you’re done with that crime. At least in the real world. In the world of track and field, such is not the case. With the Diamond League scheduled to begin this coming weekend I feel this topic must be put on the table. Because before the season is over the sport will…

With Doha and the start of the Diamond League a week away, and no big meets on tap this weekend not a lot was expected in terms of upper level times. But with no global championship on tap it looks like we’re going to be treated to a lot of high level action this year. At least that’s how things worked out this weekend as Walter Dix and Javier Culson let everyone know that they are going to be major players in their events this year. Dix (US) became the first sprinter to run sub10 and sub20 this season with a fast 9.98/19.89 sprint double at the Seminole Twilight meet…

The Diamond League will be starting in just over a week and so far the most hyped events have been the sprints. Not unexpected with Usain Bolt serving as the current face of the sport. What is surprising, at least to me, is that as we approach the heart of the season we (the US) don’t seem to have that 1,2 punch in the short sprint that has served us so well throughout most of the history of the sport. Going back to the 1960’s when sprinting truly became global, and automatic timing became the standard, we’ve had pairs such as Jim Hines & Charlie Greene, Eddie Hart & Rey…

Chris Solinsky finally takes the American 10000 meter record under 27 minutes. Nearly 17 years after the world record first dipped under 27 – 26:58.38, Yobes Ondieki, Oslo, July 11, 1993. Almost 38 years after Frank Shorter became the first American to break the 28 minute mark – 27:58.2 at the Games  in Munich, August 31, 1972. The same Games where Shorter won the marathon – and began what was supposed to be a revolution. Yet last month we had another Boston Marathon – our national biggie –  and once again there was another Kenyan victory. As a matter of fact Kenyans have won 18 of the last 23 Boston…

After seeing both Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay on the track in Kingston this past weekend  I’m sure that many are now wondering when will we get to see them going head to head? That’s what I want to know after watching their last set of races – Gay 44.89 & 45.05 and Bolt 8.79r & 19.56. Makes one wonder what we’ll see when they sit in the blocks next to each other! Well I took the liberty of going through recent press releases and both athletes’ web sites and came up with the following competition schedules for both athletes.   Tyson Gay Competition Schedule         Competition…

It’s been a rare feat when an American leads the world list over 10,000 meters at any point in the season, and until yesterday no American had run the event faster than 27:13.98. Well, Chris Solinski changed all those things as he ran a stunning 26:59.60 in Palo Alto to destroy the American Record and take the world lead while becoming the first American under the 27 minute barrier in the event – and he did it in his debut over the distance! Known as a 5000 meter runner (13:12.24) he upstaged what was supposed to be an attempt on the American Record by Galen Rupp, who along with Dathan…

At the end of ‘09, I viewed the men’s 400 as the sprint event with the most upside potential and room for an athlete or two to step in and make a name for himself. Now that it looks like we are going to lose Lashawn Merritt for a while, the event is more wide open than ever. We’re into the first part of May and we have yet to see Jeremy Wariner on the track – which could mean that injury rumors are true. If so, that would mean the event’s only two gold medalists in the Olympics and Worlds going back to 2004 would both be off the…