{"id":494,"date":"2011-06-03T11:26:00","date_gmt":"2011-06-03T18:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=494"},"modified":"2011-06-03T11:26:00","modified_gmt":"2011-06-03T18:26:00","slug":"will-the-u-s-sprint-picture-be-clearer-after-pre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=494","title":{"rendered":"Will The U.S. Sprint Picture Be Clearer After Pre"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"image\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Identifying America\u2019s top sprinters used to be pretty easy. In spite of our depth, there were always two or three men and women that stepped up to stand above the rest. Jim Hines, Charlie Greene, Wilma Rudolph, Steve Williams, Harvey Glance, Evelyn Ashford, Gail Devers, Carl Lewis, Calvin Smith, Chandra Cheeseborough, Mo Greene, Jon Drummond, Valerie Brisco,. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that while there are always surprises at the National Championships\/Olympic Trials the major players were clearly identified well before the meet started.<\/p>\n

This year however, only three names immediately come to mind:Tyson Gay, Allyson Felix, and Carmelita Jeter \u2013 and are we won\u2019t see Felix in the 200 because she has a bye. We have been undergoing a sea change in the sprints in recent years \u2013 both globally and domestically. Globally the rest of the world has shifted gears and caught up to what was once an unapproachable U.S. dominance. We still get our share of medals, but gold is no longer secure.<\/p>\n

Domestically we are in a state of flux \u2013 a changing of the guard. We still have many hold overs from the early part of last decade  \u2013 Shawn Crawford, Darvis Patton, Lauryn Williams. And our best hopes are entering the latter stages of their 20\u2019s \u2013 Tyson Gay, Wallace Spearmon, Walter Dix, Carmelita Jeter. These athletes are as dependable as ever, but we have yet to see a real surge of young sprint talent such as that that is occurring in the Caribbean and Europe. In the past we were the ones with a pipeline of young talent bursting forth each year, now we are watching as others are enjoying an influx of young new talent. <\/p>\n

The result of all of the above is that with only 20 days til the start of Nationals the status of our sprint squads are as unclear as they have ever been. Yes we expect Tyson Gay to lead the way to Daegu in both sprints, with Carmelita Jeter and Allyson Felix leading the women\u2019s 100 & 200 teams. After that, however it\u2019s looking like a crap shoot. With several of our top contenders taking the track at Pre, I\u2019m hoping that we get a bit of clarity regarding fitness and competitive levels.<\/p>\n

In the men\u2019s 100 we have Justin Gatlin, Mike Rodgers, Darvis Patton, Ivory Williams and Leroy Dixon. If we assume that the top two spots at Nationals \u201cshould\u201d go to Gay and Walter Dix (in the 200 here), then there are several individuals looking to lock down that third spot \u2013 or possibly slip into the second spot. Of the group in Eugene this weekend, Gatlin, Williams and Rodgers should have the inside track \u2013 and I\u2019m curious to see how they define their positions tomorrow. The real question is: how close to his former form will Gatlin get? Rodgers is sub-10 this year and should be the favorite among this group, but is often weak late race and becomes vulnerable to strong finishers. Patton is a vets vet but his legs are starting to age. We haven\u2019t seen that \u201czip\u201d since the Trials of \u201808. This is an important race for all of them heading into Nationals. One that could begin to separate the wheat from the chaff. <\/p>\n

The 200 has some of U.S. history\u2019s fastest men entered with Wallace Spearmon (19.65), Walter Dix (19.69), and Xavier Carter (19.63) lining up. Unfortunately Carter has been far from his best since injury in \u201808. Spearmon and Dix ran well last year \u2013 Dix ranking #1 in the world \u2013 but neither has yet to show the sub-20 form necessary to compete for a medal in Daegu. Yes, I know it\u2019s still early yet. But when you consider that last year seven men broke 20.00 in a year that meant nothing championship wise, and that Bolt and Gay run 19.5\/19.6 out of habit, one must be looking at sub-20 NOW to have any hope at the podium in August. This race is about both solidifying position for Nationals as well as getting in position for a medal run in Daegu. <\/p>\n

The women\u2019s 100 is very similar to the men. We have Carmelita Jeter who, like Tyson Gay, runs fast out of habit, followed by a group that has not yet put it quite together. One has the feeling that veteran Lauryn Williams will find a way to get on the team, because no matter how she looks prior to a championship meet she seems to get to the line on time. If that\u2019s the case, then like the men we are looking at a lot of bodies trying to gain one spot. Marshevet Myers and Alex Anderson could get the inside track this weekend. Both are capable, and I would consider both top prospects to make the sprint squad. They have run well early, and this race is deep enough to provide a very strong pre Nationals tune up. With Jeter, Fraser Price and Stewart in the race it\u2019s almost guaranteed to be a sub-11 victory. Key here will be how close the others will be  \u2013 because it should take sub-11 to make the squad in 20 days.<\/p>\n

There will be no women\u2019s 200 at Pre. That\u2019s a shame because there really haven\u2019t been a lot of high level 200 races this year, so going to Nationals in this event is almost a blind draw at this point. But the 400 has Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards \u2013 both of whom are looking at possibly doubling in the 2 & 4 in Daegu. The race will still be important for both women. One, to see if Felix can put together another solid, sub-50 race. Two for Richards to see if she can get back on track. As she\u2019s lost a couple races in a row now and hasn\u2019t looked strong doing so. They \u201cshould: be our two strongest 200 sprinters, but if Richards isn\u2019t \u201con\u201d that opens up three spots behind Felix, who has a bye to Daegu. <\/p>\n

Pre is traditionally a very strong meet in the distances \u2013 and this year is no exception. But this year, it could also serve as a window into the sprints when they are contested back on this track in under three weeks time. So keep an eye on the short races \u2013 you could be watching the majority of our sprint squad for Daegu getting in their final tune ups. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Identifying America\u2019s top sprinters used to be pretty easy. In spite of our depth, there were always two or three men and women that stepped up to stand above the rest. Jim Hines, Charlie Greene, Wilma Rudolph, Steve Williams, Harvey Glance, Evelyn Ashford, Gail Devers, Carl Lewis, Calvin Smith, Chandra Cheeseborough, Mo Greene, Jon Drummond, Valerie Brisco,. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that while there are always surprises at the National Championships\/Olympic Trials the major players were clearly identified well before the meet started. This year however, only three names immediately come to mind:Tyson Gay, Allyson Felix, and Carmelita Jeter \u2013 and are we won\u2019t see Felix in the 200 because she has a bye. We have been undergoing a sea change in the sprints in recent years \u2013 both globally and domestically. Globally the rest of the world has shifted gears and caught up to what was once an unapproachable U.S. dominance. We still get our share of medals, but gold is no longer secure. Domestically we are in a state of flux \u2013 a changing of the guard. We still have many hold overs from the early part of last decade  \u2013 Shawn Crawford, Darvis Patton, Lauryn Williams. And our best hopes are entering the latter stages of their 20\u2019s \u2013 Tyson Gay, Wallace Spearmon, Walter Dix, Carmelita Jeter. These athletes are as dependable as ever, but we have yet to see a real surge of young sprint talent such as that that is occurring in the Caribbean and Europe. In the past we were the ones with a pipeline of young talent bursting forth each year, now we are watching as others are enjoying an influx of young new talent. The result of all of the above is that with only 20 days til the start of Nationals the status of our sprint squads are as unclear as they have ever been. Yes we expect Tyson Gay to lead the way to Daegu in both sprints, with Carmelita Jeter and Allyson Felix leading the women\u2019s 100 & 200 teams. After that, however it\u2019s looking like a crap shoot. With several of our top contenders taking the track at Pre, I\u2019m hoping that we get a bit of clarity regarding fitness and competitive levels. In the men\u2019s 100 we have Justin Gatlin, Mike Rodgers, Darvis Patton, Ivory Williams and Leroy Dixon. If we assume that the top two spots at Nationals \u201cshould\u201d go to Gay and Walter Dix (in the 200 here), then there are several individuals looking to lock down that third spot \u2013 or possibly slip into the second spot. Of the group in Eugene this weekend, Gatlin, Williams and Rodgers should have the inside track \u2013 and I\u2019m curious to see how they define their positions tomorrow. The real question is: how close to his former form will Gatlin get? Rodgers is sub-10 this year and should be the favorite among this group, but is often weak late race and becomes vulnerable to strong finishers. Patton is a vets vet but his legs are starting to age. We haven\u2019t seen that \u201czip\u201d since the Trials of \u201808. This is an important race for all of them heading into Nationals. One that could begin to separate the wheat from the chaff. The 200 has some of U.S. history\u2019s fastest men entered with Wallace Spearmon (19.65), Walter Dix (19.69), and Xavier Carter (19.63) lining up. Unfortunately Carter has been far from his best since injury in \u201808. Spearmon and Dix ran well last year \u2013 Dix ranking #1 in the world \u2013 but neither has yet to show the sub-20 form necessary to compete for a medal in Daegu. Yes, I know it\u2019s still early yet. But when you consider that last year seven men broke 20.00 in a year that meant nothing championship wise, and that Bolt and Gay run 19.5\/19.6 out of habit, one must be looking at sub-20 NOW to have any hope at the podium in August. This race is about both solidifying position for Nationals as well as getting in position for a medal run in Daegu. The women\u2019s 100 is very similar to the men. We have Carmelita Jeter who, like Tyson Gay, runs fast out of habit, followed by a group that has not yet put it quite together. One has the feeling that veteran Lauryn Williams will find a way to get on the team, because no matter how she looks prior to a championship meet she seems to get to the line on time. If that\u2019s the case, then like the men we are looking at a lot of bodies trying to gain one spot. Marshevet Myers and Alex Anderson could get the inside track this weekend. Both are capable, and I would consider both top prospects to make the sprint squad. They have run well early, and this race is deep enough to provide a very strong pre Nationals tune up. With Jeter, Fraser Price and Stewart in the race it\u2019s almost guaranteed to be a sub-11 victory. Key here will be how close the others will be  \u2013 because it should take sub-11 to make the squad in 20 days. There will be no women\u2019s 200 at Pre. That\u2019s a shame because there really haven\u2019t been a lot of high level 200 races this year, so going to Nationals in this event is almost a blind draw at this point. But the 400 has Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards \u2013 both of whom are looking at possibly doubling in the 2 & 4 in Daegu. The race will still be important for both women. One, to see if Felix can put together another solid, sub-50 race. Two for Richards to see if she can get back on track. As she\u2019s lost a couple races in a row now and hasn\u2019t looked strong doing so. They \u201cshould: be our two strongest 200 sprinters, but if Richards isn\u2019t \u201con\u201d that opens up three spots behind Felix, who has a bye to Daegu. Pre is traditionally a very strong meet in the distances \u2013 and this year is no exception. But this year, it could also serve as a window into the sprints when they are contested back on this track in under three weeks time. So keep an eye on the short races \u2013 you could be watching the majority of our sprint squad for Daegu getting in their final tune ups.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa3DCY-7Y","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":921,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=921","url_meta":{"origin":494,"position":0},"title":"Dai Greene and the Drug Issue","author":"CHill","date":"March 6, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s \u201cChampionship Week\u201d for the indoor season, and I\u2019m going to spend the rest of the week talking about the upcoming NCAA and World Championships. But I feel compelled today to comment on an issue that continues to destroy our sport \u2013 DRUGS \u2013 because one of the potential headliners\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Anti-doping\"","block_context":{"text":"Anti-doping","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?tag=anti-doping"},"img":{"alt_text":"D Greene","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/D-Greene_thumb.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":609,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=609","url_meta":{"origin":494,"position":1},"title":"2011 in Review \u2013 Men\u2019s 400 Meter Hurdles","author":"CHill","date":"November 11, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"This was a very interesting event. On the one hand it had the potential to be great with athletes like Angelo Taylor, Bershawn Jackson, Johnny Dutch, and Javier Culson returning from a hot 2010 season. And with L.J. Van Zyl blazing from the late winter, it looked like this might\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"400 Hurdles\"","block_context":{"text":"400 Hurdles","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?tag=400-hurdles"},"img":{"alt_text":"David Greene David Greene of Great Britain wins the gold medal in the Mens 400m Hurdle Final during day five of the 20th European Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium on July 31, 2010 in Barcelona, Spain.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www4.pictures.zimbio.com\/gi\/David%2BGreene%2B20th%2BEuropean%2BAthletics%2BChampionships%2BZikulfz5qgZl.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":423,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=423","url_meta":{"origin":494,"position":2},"title":"Best Ever \u2013 My Favorite Heated Rivalries","author":"CHill","date":"December 13, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"As I stated previously, one of the things that has been missing from the sport are high level rivalries. We have some of the best athletes the sport has ever seen, but getting them to compete against each other with anything remotely resembling regularity seems to be nearly impossible as\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"24 Sep 1988: Left to Right: Ben Johnson of Canada, Calvin Smith of the USA, Linford Christie of Great Britain and Carl Lewis of the USA sprint away from the starting blocks during the 100 Metres final at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. \\ Mandatory Credit: Allsport UK \/Allsport","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/view1.picapp.com\/pictures.photo\/image\/3294481\/ben-johnson-canada-linford\/ben-johnson-canada-linford.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":270,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=270","url_meta":{"origin":494,"position":3},"title":"An Identity Crisis, Not a Paradigm Shift","author":"CHill","date":"February 2, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"It happens every once in a while. The greatest sprint force on the planet loses its way and forgets who it is. We get complacent. Someone rises up and knocks us down. We get up dazed and shaken - and have to remember who we are. Then we get back\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Sports - May 22, 2005","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.picapp.com\/ftp\/Images\/7\/4\/b\/7\/6c.JPG?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":260,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=260","url_meta":{"origin":494,"position":4},"title":"Will the Sprint Assault Continue?","author":"CHill","date":"January 3, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"We enter 2010 with '09 in the rear view mirror - and the vision in that mirror is one of a massive assault on the short sprints in 2009. Tyson Gay debuting at 19.58; becoming consistent at 9.7 (9.79w, 9.75w, 9.77, 9.71) and setting a new American Record of 9.69.\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Frankie Fredericks of Namibia celebrates winning the Men's 200 metres Final","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.picapp.com\/ftp\/Images\/b\/2\/9\/7\/Frankie_Fredericks_of_f48f.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1672,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=1672","url_meta":{"origin":494,"position":5},"title":"Top 100 Meter Races of the Modern Era","author":"CHill","date":"October 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"A reader had a great idea, to go through and create lists of the top 10 races by event. Nice idea, so I decided to give it a shot. So I'm starting with the 100 - first the men then will follow with the women - and will work my\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 14 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 14 comments","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=1672#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"Me for Blog pic","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Me-for-Blog-pic_thumb.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=494"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/494\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}