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Finally a Proper Drug Discussion
As with so many things in life, it’s sad that it takes a disaster for necessary conversations to begin taking place. Here we are a few weeks away from the sports’ main event and the focus of discussion is about performance enhancing products. Yet in this crazy sport that is somehow a GOOD thing! It’s good because we’re finally admitting that the problem REALLY exists. It’s good because we’re talking about possible solutions. I don’t know that I personally agree with everything that’s being put on the table, but at least we are having discussions and thoughts are being put out there! For example, suddenly athletes aren’t simply being labeled…
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Moscow and the Sport in Flames
If you’re a fan of the sport, you’re already aware of the news. Tyson Gay a positive "A" sample and out of Moscow. Jamaica, FIVE positives! Asafa Powell, and Sherone Simpson confirmed. Nests Carter said to be. Two as yet unnamed. Perhaps THE worst day ever for the sport! Yet there are those pointing fingers of glee, as most of the world points at America saying, "there they go again". The portion of the world interested in sprinting pointing at Jamaica saying "we knee they were dirty too". And the portion of the world that doesn’t care about track pointing at the sort saying "this is why we don’t watch"!…
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Looking Ahead to Moscow
I’m rather looking forward to the World Championships in Moscow in large part because the US missed out on the opportunity to attend the Olympics there way back in 1980. A lot has changed since then. Track and field is now a professional sport – sort of. The Eastern Bloc is no more. And our current war in Afghanistan has surpassed Vietnam as America’s longest war. Some things never change however, one of them being the competitiveness of athletes when they’re on a global stage. That and the fact there’s still something mystical about the idea of competing in Russia. Russia is one of those countries that does very well…
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Lausanne/Paris –Turning the Corner to Moscow
Suddenly the World Championships are very close, and we got a couple of very good “tune up” meets on back to back days (Thu/Sat) that I think started to set the stage for Moscow. Now’s the time when we either watch athletes start to reach their peak or begin to falter a bit. Either way, we’re starting to get a clue at where the best battles may be when the first events begin at the World Championships. Judging from what I saw in Lausanne and Paris there’s going to be some great action in Moscow. A lot of this season’s top action has been turned in by the women. This…
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It’s July Where Are We?
This has been a very interesting year so far. Lots of transition going on throughout the sport. Rising athletes. Injured athletes. Athletes returning from injury. More transition than usual in the year following the Games it seems. Then of course there are the usual off the track issues such as drugs, which never seem to go away. So many things that I don’t know where to begin, so rather than say a lot about one thing, today I’m going to take a stab at saying a little about a lot of things – starting with the Diamond League which gives us a Fourth of July meet in Lausanne in two…
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USATF 2013 – Changing of the Guard
Life is about change, and sport imitates life. And in the sports world change is inevitable. Injuries and age are the demons of athletes. That and the new and improved versions that arise every year! This year we saw a lot of all three of those things at the National championships – mostly however the rise of new & improved athletes ready to take their place on the international stage. Below are my observations from Iowa of some of the top “next level ready” athletes taking over for those ready (or not) to step aside. Men’s Sprints Tyson Gay & Justin Gatlin are beginning to look ageless, but we…
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Rollins’ 12.26 Leads Weekend at Nationals
As I thought prior, this was one of the hottest National Championships in a long time – and it was lead by women and youth. Don’t get me wrong, the men got the job done and we’re sending a nice male squad to Moscow. But the women were doing spectacular things everywhere you turned – and none were any more spectacular than Brianna Rollins. Rollins started looking like gold at the NCAA Championships when she screamed collegiate records of 12.47 & 12.39 – but that was just a warm up for Des Moines. This weekend saw her run 12.33w, 12.30w before blazing 12.26 (1.2) in the final for a new…
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Gay (9.75) & Gardener (10.85) Lead US Champs
We’re halfway through the US Trials and those gusts of wind that have been howling through the stadium seem to be the winds of change as veterans have been dropping like flies in Des Moines. Jeremy Wariner out in the first round. Ditto Angelo Taylor. Walter Dix a semifinal casualty. Doc Patton a DNS. Trell Kimmons won’t be leading off any 4×1’s this summer. The relay is the only way we’ll see Mike Rodgers in Moscow. Maggie Vessey out in the semis, along with Phoebe Wright. Lauryn Williams another semi casualty. Ditto Mary Wineberg. Sanya Richards Ross hanging on by a thread. With so many former championship medalists out before…
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USATF Plot Lines
The World Championships are in August, and this week we select the athletes that will be representing the good old Red, White, and Blue. In spite of the fact that many say the sport is dead, the US Trials are annually one of the greatest meets on the planet – trumped in depth only by the Games and World Championships themselves. As such it’s a meet steeped in drama and plot lines with many of the world’s best athletes going head to head for spots at the big dance. This year will be no different with intrigue all over the place. Take the men’s 100 where we select the trio…
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NCAA to USATF Who Will Perform Best?
With the NCAA Championships behind them the collegiate stars are at one of the toughest parts of the season - trying to be even better in an attempt to make the World Championships team. After weeks of conference, regional and of course the NCAA Championships, they must try to hit yet another peak against the best the US has to offer. Depending on your event that task could be nearly impossible with some events in the US being as deep as at Worlds. Even so, I did come up with ten collegiate athletes that I feel have a pretty solid shot at earning air fair to Russia. Especially on the…