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Sydney’s Mission, Should She Accept It
Sydney McLaughlin has become a major force in the 400 hurdles. At the tender age of twenty three, she’s won an Olympic title, a World title, and set three world records! Oh, she’s also run seven of the top ten times ever run in the event. All in the two seasons since Covid. Her most recent record of 50.68 is considered Beamonesque by most. Meaning it’s so good, that it could be decades before anyone else will be able to approach it. So, when you are that good, what do you do next? Well, prior to the World Championships, her coach, Bobby Kersee, said that if she put the record…
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The False Start Rule is a Problem
Watching all of the championship track and field that’s occurred this year, I’ve been struck by something. I’ve noticed that the sport is getting a bit obsessed with its rules and technology! By obsessed, I mean that the sport seems more concerned with using it’s rules and technology to eliminate and punish athletes and performances, than they do to highlight and celebrate their accomplishments. As if the goal of the administration of the sport is to show the athletes who’s really in charge! Rather than facilitate their best attempts to perform. Let me explain. We have meets, to present the athletes to the public. To provide a forum for them…
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2022 – One Outstanding Season
Just as the letter Z closes out the alphabet. Zurich and Zagreb have closed out the 2022 track season. And what a season it’s been. More Championships than ever in one season with NCAA’s, Nationals, Worlds, U20’s, Commonwealth, NACAC, and Europeans! That’s enough to fill an Olympic cycle, let alone one year. That’s just championship meets. There were the other usual competitions. The relay meets – Florida, Texas, Penn, MtSAC and others. The European Circuit, Diamond League, Continental Tour, and other assorted meets. With that many competitive opportunities you would expect a few exceptional results. Well we had more than a few. As several all time lists were edited in…
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The European Championships
I finished watching the European Championships this past weekend. The last championship meet of what has been a very long championship season. It started here in the US with the NCAA Champs back in June; followed by US Nationals. We then had Worlds, U20, Commonwealth, and Euros. Thanks to modern technology, I’ve been able to watch them all! It’s a pretty good time to be a fan of the sport. After watching all of these high level competitions, I have to say that while Euros was the last one, in many ways it was my favorite. Let me explain. The NCAA Championships are fun for me, because the competition is…
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Noah Lyles
To borrow from a popular phrase. Track and field in America suffers from many things, but talent is not one of them. We lead the world in talent. Especially in speed and strength events at the present time. At the recent World Championships, we won 33 medals. In spite of a lack of government support. No real developmental system. And poor management by USATF, the sport’s governing body in this country. We also do a poor job of telling the story of our talent to the masses in the US. Too many of our athletes are relatively unknown. Especially compared to the athletes in other professional sports. So today, I…
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They Said He Couldn’t Be Replaced
I’ve been saying since before Covid, that the 200 meters is the deepest and most exciting event in the sport. Primarily because that’s where the bulk of the sprint talent is – on both the men and women’s sides. Judging from the results coming out of the World U20 Championships the deuce is only going to get better. Especially on the men’s side. It’s rare that a young sprinter comes along that legitimately runs adult elite times in the 200. The most recent was a young Usain Bolt, who became the first to run sub20 (19.93) in 2004. Given what at that time was considered a legendary run, it was…
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What’s Next?
This is a different kind of season with the World Championships being held in the middle of July. Usually the championship meet is at the end of the season. September, maybe late August in an early year. Leaving a lot of track season out there left to be run. So, what is there to look forward to? Well, actually there’s quite a bit left. Believe it or not, there are three championship level meets left. Half of the Diamond League has yet to be run. The Puma American Track League has meets left. Plenty of competition coming up. Starting with: The Commonswealth Games. A mini version of the Olympics involving…
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Post Worlds Thoughts
It’s done. The World Championships of Track and Field were finally held in the United States. Or as we were constantly reminded, in Oregon. So, how did it go? I mean, everyone (talking heads of the sport) said that this meet was really needed to help “build” awareness of the sport in the United States. I disagree, and will tell you why in another post. I do believe that with this being the first fan accessible championship since Doha (I.e. Covid) that it was important to have a good meet. And we did get that! As far as the US goes, Team USA showed out! At the end of things,…
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My Sprint, Hurdle and Relay World Champs Predictions
The toughest Trials competition on the planet is behind us, and the US has selected it’s team for the upcoming World Championships. As have the rest of the members of the World Athletics federations. Beginning tomorrow, they’ll all line up to determine who’s best on the track and in the field. As once again the best of the best gather to compete. And frankly, this year’s results could be even better than last year! With everyone back into normal training cycles. And more importantly, being able to compete in front of fans once again. The feeling of excitement has been rallying athletes to some of the best performances ever seen.…
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Fred Kerley – Different
Fred Kerley is a man on a mission. You see it on the track. You see it in his social media. You hear it in his interviews. The man is focused on one thing – being great. He says so. He’s described on the internet and in podcasts as a ninja, a beast, a demon, an animal. I’m going to simply say that he’s, different. Fred reminds me of athletes from a different generation. Like Bob Hayes, John Carlos, Steve Williams, Carl Lewis, and Maurice Greene. Sprinters that the ONLY thing that mattered to them was, winning! Which is why they all won a lot. National titles. Olympic titles. World…