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Track & Field’s Most Exciting Event
Track and field is blessed to have some of the greatest athletes ever competing today. Nearly every event has individuals that are either in the top 3-5 all time in their event or are a world record threat! And that’s not counting the events where the present works record holder is competing! As a matter of fact, there are events where all of the aforementioned are currently competing! It’s a great time to be a fan of this sport from a purely competitive perspective. Ironically, the most exciting event is often treated as a “step child” by the sport. But then, many of the sports’ events are treated that way…
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The World Championships Hottest Matchup
What makes the World Championships THE hottest competition of the year is the matchups. The best of the best, gathered in one place to determine the best in the world in each event. In a meet of matchups, one should stand head and shoulders above the rest – the men’s 400 meters. It was the hottest matchup in Rio and fittingly produced the hottest result of the Games – three men under 44.00 and a world record 43.03! Incredibly, in spite of losing one of last year’s medalists to injury, the 400 is once again shaping up as the hottest matchup of the meet. In Rio we were looking at…
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USATF Match Ups
The NCAA’s are in the books, and it was exciting as usual. There’s something about the combination of great head to head match ups; team scoring; and relays that makes track and field everything it’s supposed to be. At its core; it’s why the Olympics are so exciting and well watched. Pay attention USATF and IAAF – especially Sebastian Coe. Next up will be a slew of National championships, headlined by USATF Nationals. The prelude to the upcoming World Championships in London. While there will be several exciting Championships – Kenyan mid distance, Jamaican sprints among others – the US Championships are exciting across the board. The next best thing…
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Post Rio Notes
The Rio Olympics are in the books. In spite of all the “worries” heading into the meet, it was the competition that ultimately (always does) stood out! Such is the nature of track and field – when we get our best together, the sport shines brightly. I’ve commented on most of the events during the course of the meet. Following are some additional “thoughts” on the competition as we head towards the completion of the season. US medal count The United States brought home 32 medals! Yes, we’ve won more – 35 back in 1932. But that was back when the entire world, specifically the African nations, did not compete.…
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Rio Opening Weekend – 43.03 WR!
Finally, we got Olympic track and field! And despite all the negatives coming in, the athletes didn’t disappoint. Proving my constant point – there’s NOTHING that needs to be changed about track and field other than getting the best athletes on the track (and field). THAT is the challenge of the sport’s leaders – not trying to reinvent meets! With only three days in the books we’ve already seen two World Records and a plethora of national records. It started in the first final of the opening morning of competition in the women’s 10000 as Almaz Ayana blew away the field and the WR in a stunning 29:17.45! The next…
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How Will London’s Defending Champions Fare?
Heading into Rio will be several individuals that closed the deal and won gold in London. It’s been four long years since the national anthem played for these individuals. They will come to Rio 26th dreams of repeating that success. Who will be able to close the deal again four years later? Here’s my guess at how these London champions will do in Rio. Women’s 100 – Shelley Ann Fraser Pryce Fraser Pryce has had her way in the last TWO Olympic Games. Twice she’s parlayed her blazing start into easy gold medal runs. This year however, she enters Rio as a decided underdog. Injury has slowed her training,…
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Let The Games Begin!
The Trials were just over, yet here we are with the Games literally days to count down! These Games already feel different. Maybe it’s the fact that venues are STILL under construction. Maybe it’s the Zika virus that has so many afraid to go. Perhaps even the status of injured athletes like Christian Taylor, Allyson Felix, and Usain Bolt – what level will they be ready for in a few short weeks? Whatever it is, somehow CHANGE seems to be in the air! Expect the unexpected. Youth will be served. I feel it. I smell it in the air.That said, this sport at its best is about match ups. So…
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Olympic Trials Part 2 – Tough on Vets
This was one tough meet! Youngsters had a great time – perhaps too young to realize they should be nervous or afraid. Here it was veterans and favorites that fell prey to injury, nerves, bad luck, and age. I knew going in that this was going to be a transition meet – a changing of the guard. But some of those that fell were certainly unexpected. Let’s start by talking about the kids. A year ago Candace Hill was the talk of the sport, following her sterling 10.98 HSR in the 100 and her double victory at World Juniors. She and high schooler Kaylin Whitney both turned pro and looked…
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Olympic Trials Part 1 – Upsets & Speed
We’ve finally arrived to that part of the season that really matters – Olympic team qualifying! That means EVERYONE had to show up. That means some of the best competition of the year. That means watching track and field the way it is supposed to be watched – in a stadium; with ALL of the events represented! And guess what? No one leaves early. No one is worried about "attention spans". No one needs bands playing in the parking lot, or portions of the meet in the street! Why? Because when you get the best athletes available to compete, the sport in its purest form is as good as ANY…
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Pre Trials Status Check
With the Olympic Trials less than two weeks away, I thought I would take a quick look at where we’re at. First a word on doping which once again seems to lead the discussion. Doping This sport just CAN’T seem to get away from the issue of doping! Ben Johnson (1988) opened the door to sub 9.80 in the 100, and to an open conversation on doping! It took until 2002 and BALCO before that conversation became loud – though many wanted to pretend it was an American problem – despite all evidence to the contrary. Now, in 2016, it’s clearly a global epidemic in which even the IAAF has…
