It's funny that one of the first things written about the sport in 2019 is about the addition of mixed relays to the World Relays event and to the World Championships. Funny, ha ha, in that they are being added ostensibly to make the events more interesting for "fans". How about we make the World Championships really interesting by having it be about THE BEST track and field athletes in the world? My point being that it's time to have a true world event and not the knock off of the Olympics that we've been running since 1983 Read More...
The CHill Zone of T&F: Conway's View From the Finish Line
The World Championships Hottest Matchup
Jul 26th, 2017
6:34 pm PDT
6:34 pm PDT
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 Read More...
World Championships Review–Individuals Pt1
Aug 27th, 2013
9:22 pm PDT
9:22 pm PDT
Now for the fun part, looking at individual performances - and there were certainly some very good ones. First however, let's get a bit of perspective by taking a look at medal counts. The double digit medal earners: United States 25 total, 6 gold, 14 silver, 5 bronze. Russia 17 total, 7 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze Kenya 12 total, 5 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze Ethiopia 10 total, 3 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze As expected Russians performed well at home Read More...
World Championships Review, Events
Aug 21st, 2013
7:36 pm PDT
7:36 pm PDT
As I said previously, this meet lacked the "Championship" feel for me. I think some of it had to do with the negativity leading up to the meet - the bans. But the competition/performances were lacking. In retrospect it's what I predicted early on - a transitional championship dominated primarily by youth Read More...
World Championships Review, Overview
Aug 18th, 2013
9:08 pm PDT
9:08 pm PDT
It came, they competed, it's over. After the wait and the build up the World Championships have come and gone. A little over a week of solid track and field, and a lot happened. Normally I would try to comment as things happen, but this year's meet came at an odd time. School starting for my kids; one starting college; a trip cross country - and that's just the peripherals Read More...
Worlds Preview – Sprints & Hurdles
Jul 30th, 2013
8:27 pm PDT
8:27 pm PDT
The preliminaries are done and now it's time for the main event! The World Championships are about ready to begin and it's crystal ball time. Although I'm not sure how well a crystal ball is going to work for this meet with so few sure things heading into Moscow. But this is the fun part, so I have to give it a try Read More...
Looking Ahead to Moscow
Jul 9th, 2013
9:07 pm PDT
9:07 pm PDT
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 Read More...
How to Create a True World Championships
Jan 13th, 2012
3:05 pm PST
3:05 pm PST
I was taken aback when reading the TFN Editorial for January, as it stated that the writer saw no way that there would ever be a “True” World Championships. It seems, among other reasons given, that the thought is the various member nations would never vote for a “True” World Championships because it would shut many out of the competition Read More...
Is London 2017 a Game Changer?
Nov 15th, 2011
4:48 pm PST
4:48 pm PST
This week the IAAF announcedthat London will be host to the 2017 edition of the World Track and Field Championships. Interestingly enough, they will follow Beijing who will host in 2015, just as they follow Beijing as host of the Olympic Games (2008). So the question I’m asking myself today is: does this change the dynamics of bidding to host the World Championships? Or phrased another way, will we see more pairings of the Games’ host following up by playing host to the World Championships – a “legacy” to further the use of stadia built in the construction of the Olympic facilities? I actually rather like the idea, if that indeed is a “trend” going forward Read More...
Daegu 2011 – The Felix Double
Sep 7th, 2011
5:15 am PDT
5:15 am PDT
One of the big news items heading into this year’s World Championships was the attempt by Allyson Felix to become the first woman to win a 200/400 sprint double at Worlds. The feat had been accomplished twice previously in the Olympics – by Valerie Brisco in 1984 and by Marie Jose Perec in 1996. But, as I outlined in a previous post, the others may have had a slightly easier time than Felix, as this year’s 200 field was potentially stronger than either Brisco or Perec had to face Read More...