TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More! - TheFinalSprint.com is the Premier Destination for Track & Field, Marathon, Cross Country, Olympic and Road Racing Enthusiasts.

TFS to Expand Writing Staff and Internship Program

Whether you are a seasoned veteran, an aspiring journalist, or even just a knowledgeable fan looking for a profitable hobby, we want to hear from you! Click here to apply today!

TFS News Briefs: 8/26/2008

Posted August 26th, 2008 at 11:37 AM by Jesse Squire

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Columns, Olympics, TFS News Briefs

ÅF Golden League Down to Two for Jackpot
Friday’s Zurich Weltklasse meet, the second-to-last event in the Golden League series, will have the remaining two athletes contending for the $1 million jackpot. Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo and Croatia’s Blanka Vlasic are undefeated in the series. Jelimo broke her own World Junior Record at the Beijing Olympics, while Vlasic suffered her only defeat in over a year. The meet, known as “The Olympics In One Night” due to the strength of the competition, will be carried on ESPN Classic on Friday afternoon. IAAF

Catherine Ndereba Confirms She Didn’t Know She Was Behind
Her agent tells Runner’s World’s Amby Burfoot that she lost sight of eventual marathon champion Constantina Tomescu-Dita when she made her break, and excessive security kept the information from being relayed to her. She never tried to close the gap because she thought her group was leading the race. Runner’s World

Coach deserves Texas-sized blame for Games
In a searing editorial, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette lays blame for Olympic disappointments at the feet of head coach Bubba Thornton due to his forcing legend John McDonnell off the US staff. That McDonnell was the coach at Arkansas while Thornton is at rival Texas had nothing to do with their analysis, of course.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Stats and Numbers from Beijing
The statheads break down all the numbers from Beijing in every conceivable way. European Athletics Association

Flo-Jo’s Records Reduce the Standing of Women’s Sprinters
Or so says Olympic 200 champ Veronica Campbell-Brown, whose winning time was the best in fifteen years but was still .40 behind the official World Record. “It’s a touchy subject, but if I should be honest, I really believe men get more attention in this sport,” says Campbell. “It’s based on the fact that the world record in the 100m and 200m for men is reachable,” implying what we all know: Flojo’s marks are unreachable. Jamaica Gleaner-News

Stuczynski’s, Coach’s Comments Taken Out of Context
Some controversy has stirred around an NBC post-competition interview with pole vault silver medalist Jen Stuczynski and her coach Rick Suhr. The athlete denies a conflict and attempts to put those speculations to rest. ESPN

Jesse Squire is a Senior Writer for TheFinalSprint.com and also writes at The Track & Field Superblog