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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…
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Robert Harting – My 2011 Male Athlete of the Year
Looking back over 2011, the sport’s top male athletes had some very interesting seasons. Usain Bolt (JAM) was once again undefeated – though he did false start out of the World Championships 100 meter final. Kirani James (GRN) pulled off an “upset” in Daegu by beating defending champion LaShawn Merritt (USA), and quiet as it’s kept was also undefeated – though most of his races were against collegiate competition. David Rudisha (KEN) just missed being undefeated by .07 sec – losing his final race of the season by little more than the thickness of his vest. And Mo Farah (GBR) almost pulled off the unthinkable, nearly winning double gold in…
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Sally Pearson – My 2011 Female Athlete of the Year
In a year where the women laid it down across the board, this was an extremely difficult decision. There was Betty Heidler (GER), who set the year’s only WR with a new mark in the Hammer. Lashinda Demus (USA) who became #3 all time with her gold medal victory in the 400 hurdles in Daegu. And there was Anna Chicherova (RUS) who moved to =#3 all time in the high jump and defeated Blanka Vlasic during an exciting year. However, in spite of their outstanding performances and records, they don’t crack the top three – such were the performances at the top of the scale this year. You see, Heidler,…
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My 2011 #1’s Rankers by Event
Time to start wrapping up the season. The Pan American Games are still on tap for the end of the month, but I don’t see them changing anything here – or with most of the post season awards yet to be distributed. So I will start with event #1’s, move on to Athletes of the Year, give a few of my own special awards, then break down several events. As I’ve lamented a few times since Daegu, 2011 was not a great year for U.S. men. As I went through each event, I could only find place for three #1’s among American men – and none on the track. American…
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CAS Got It Right – No Double Jeopardy for the Olympics
While the sport of track and field constantly seems intent on shooting itself in the foot, yesterday the Court of Arbitration in Sport issued a ruling that should help the sport in spite of itself. The CAS ruling over turns the following IOC Regulation that was instituted on June 27, 2008: “The IOC Executive Board, in accordance with Rule 19.2.10 OC and pursuant to Rule 45 OC, hereby issues the following rules regarding participation in the Olympic Games: 1. Any person who has been sanctioned with a suspension of more than six months by any anti-doping organization for any violation of any anti-doping regulations may not participate, in any capacity,…
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Why Not Allow Advertising?
I just finished reading Nick Symmonds’ post on Flo Track, “I’m Tired of USATF and IAAF Crippling Our Sport”. I’m in total agreement with Nick. As a matter of fact I have wondered for YEARS why track and field has not allowed its athletes to pursue advertising in the same way that NASCAR has allowed its drivers to do so. I can understand USATF not wanting individual advertising on its National Team uniforms – because frankly that should be reserved for advertising that USATF has procured, if it were procuring advertising! I can also understand the IAAF wanting “clean” uniforms at its Major championship meets. Outside of those settings, however,…
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USA Track and Field Needs a TEAM Not a Superman
As I noted in my previous post, we lack a leadership presence from our former star athletes within the political structure of American track and field. Whereas other countries have former stars that are active within their federations and/or the IAAF, we have yet to capture any of that talent as we look to move the sport forward in this country. Given that we are at a crossroads at USATF – i.e. in between CEO’s. It would seem that now is the time to look at how we might be able to recruit and incorporate the talents of former athletes, as other countries have done with Sebastian Coe, Sergey Bubka,…
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Where is Our Legendary Leadership?
Recently the conversation has resurfaced regarding the CEO position at USATF – specifically the fact that the position is STILL unfilled, and the difficulty that the organization has had with respect to the process. As I read the various comments that have been made, I wonder what has happened to the leadership of this sport over the years? Because when I look at traditional track powers like Britain, Russia and Cuba, I see the legends of the sport from their countries actively involved to help move the sport forward with Sebastian Coe, Sergei Bubka and Alberto Juantorena all in major roles within the sport. Coe was appointed President of the…