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Tyson Gay cruised to 9.85 in the semifinals and secured a spot in the final. After the race he said “I am a little tired, but I feel good.” It is evident that Walter Dix (9.93) is poised to compete for a top three finish in the finals after a solid showing in his second place finish.
The second heat of men’s 100-meter semifinal heat was easily won by veteran Darvis Patton (10.04). He has fought injuries for two years to come back to top form. When asked about his mental state he said said “one more to go.”
Wallace Spearmon had a disappointing end to his bid to make the 100-meter team spot on the U.S. Olympic Team with a fifth place finish. High school national record holder Jeffrey Demps had a good run through the rounds against elite runners but did not qualify for the nationals.
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After nearly missing the finals, Tyson Gay set a new American record of 9.77 in the men’s quarterfinal heat. Gay potentially could have set a new world record had he not slowed down the final meters.
In the race, Gay set the new American record, Hayward Field Record, and the Olympic Trials Record of 9.79 previously held by Maurice Greene.
The quarterfinal heats saw six times under 10-seconds. Travis Padgett ran the fastest time ever by a collegiate. It was also the first time sub 10-seconds for Darvis Patton while winning his heat.
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In a dramatic race Muna Lee (10.85) won gold at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Both Lauryn Williams and Torri Edwards ran 10.90 for second and third place respectively.
In a complete surprise Marshevett Hooker ran 10.93 and failed to make the individual team and but will be a part of the Olympic Team 4×100 meter relay. Notably Allyson Felix ran 10.96 and also failed to make the individual portion of the women’s 100-meters.
1 Muna Lee Nike 10.85
2 Torri Edwards Nike 10.90
3 Lauryn Williams Nike 10.90
4 Marshevet Hooker adidas 10.93
5 Allyson Felix adidas 10.96
6 Angela Williams Nike 11.02
7 Mechelle Lewis Nike 11.08
8 LaShaunte’a Moore adidas 11.22
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Heat 1
1 Muna Lee Nike 11.00 Q
2 Lauryn Williams Nike 11.03 Q
3 Mechelle Lewis Nike 11.13 Q
4 Chryste Gaines unattached 11.15 Q
5 Shalonda Solomon Reebok 11.16 q
6 Tawanna Meadows Troy 11.48
Heat 2
1 Allyson Felix adidas 11.01 Q
2 Gloria Asumnu adidas 11.10 Q
3 Lynne Layne Tennessee 11.18 Q
4 Alexis Joyce unattached 11.21 Q
5 Amber Robinson unattached 11.38
6 Melinda Smedley unattached 11.42
7 Juanita Broaddus L S U 12.44
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Hyleas Fountain’s time of 12.65 in the women’s heptathlon 100m, worth 1,178 points on scoring tables, broke three records Friday at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field. Her time broke the following HEPTATHLON records:
My rankings are being run on a pilot program this summer and I’m sharing them with the track community via The Final Sprint. Last year I did a trial run on just the men’s 100 meters and it correctly predicted the World Championships medalists in order, and then by the end of the summer readjusted to match Track & Field News’ world rankings nearly exactly.
The system is based on that of the IAAF’s World Athletics Tour standings, but with a few twists–most importantly, all kinds of meets are included in the standings and athletes can earn bonus points for fast times. At this early time in the season, athletes are given points for the results of their best four meets (one of which can be in a different event).
100 meters
1. Usain Bolt 46
2. Nesta Carter 42
2. Olusoji Fasuba 42
4. Kim Collins 38
4. Mike Rodgers 38
6. Darrel Brown 34
6. Tyson Gay 34
8. Derrick Atkins 32
8. Michael Frater 32
10. Ivory Williams 30
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Bislett Games To Wean Golden League Million Dollar List
That list of contenders for the Golden League million dollar jackpot always looks impressive after the first meet of the year. It only starts becoming meaningful, though, after the second meet, because only undefeated athletes can contend for the million dollar prize. The list below should be quite a bit shorter after this weekend’s Bislett Games, the 2nd installment of the six-meet series:
Men
100m - Nesta Carter (JAM)
400m - LaShawn Merritt (USA)
1500m - Augustine Choge (KEN)
400m Hurdles - Bershawn Jackson (USA)
Long Jump - Hussein Al-Sabee (KSA)
Javelin Throw - Tero Pitkämäki (FIN)
Women
200m - Sherone Simpson (JAM)
800m - Pamela Jelimo (KEN)
100m Hurdles - Josephine Onyia (ESP)
High Jump - Blanka Vlasic (CRO)
IAAF
Gatlin Decision To Be Published On Friday
Track fans around the world will know the fate of disgraced sprinter Justin Gatlin by Friday afternoon when the CAS publishes its decision. Gatlin is hoping o get a two-year reduction of his four-year suspension, which would make him eligible to try qualifying for the US Olympic Trials which will be held later this month in Eugene, Oregon.
AFP
Adam Goucher: Kara In Best Shape Of Her Life
As Kara Goucher prepares to face world-record holder Meseret Defar in the Prefonaine Classic 5000m, her husband Adam has stated that she is “strong. Hands down, the best shape of her life. So strong, and ready to go. It’s going to be a great year.”
USA Today
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Sebastian Coe: Real Damage to Track & Field Inflicted By Americans
British Middle-Distance Great Sebastian Coe has written a scathing indictment of America’s role in the doping scandal in track & field and our attitude toward the sport. Perhaps most telling are his words, “American athletes who remain anonymous in their own towns are lauded in the Golden League in Europe.”
More: Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom
Lagat Remains a Student Of the Sport
The Guardian has posted a profile of Beijing 1500m favorite Bernard Lagat who, after all of his experience and success, remains a careful student of the sport who learns something every day.
More: guardian.co.uk, UK
Bolt Undecided About Olympic Double
Having only run five 100m races in his entire life, world-record holder Usain Bolt is still not sure whether or not he will attempt a 100m/200m double in Beijing. He said he would run the 200m “for sure” but that he would leave the decision about the 100m up to his coach, Glen Mills.
More: CBC
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The Week In the Rear View is a weekly column wrapping up the week’s events in running and track & field. I am normally found at PreraceJitters.com, writing about the fast life of track and field.
Everyone in the track world is talking about Usain “Lightening” Bolt. He shut ‘em down—literally! Bolt quieted his critics with a 9.72 seconds World Record performance with World Champion Tyson Gay in the race. Tyson Gay looked in good shape for this time of season running 9.85, which was good enough for second. Doesn’t that sound crazy? Bolt is now the favorite in Beijing, but two months is certainly a long time from now.
You could call it the law of averages. The Jeremy Wariner vs. LaShawn Merritt race in Berlin resulted in the end of Wariner’s winning streak that dates back to 2005. Merritt was superb. He executed a perfect race strategy to deliver the win. Before the media writes the early demise of Wariner, it should be noted that he isn’t in top shape, not yet—that will be in Beijing.
It is true that most of the 6,000-plus spectators who filled Ichan Stadium here, especially the 1,000 or so Jamaicans, came to see explosive sprinters like Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay and Allyson Felix. Their cheers, deafening during the sprints, were largely lacking during the distance events, despite the entreaties of RRW’s favorite meet announcer Scott Davis.
However, some exciting sprint finishes in the longer races did get the crowds on their feet, in particular the finish of the men’s 5000m where Shadrack Kosgei of Kenya and Ali Abdosh of Ethiopia duked it out on the final 100m, the first race after a 45 minute delay caused by a heavy thunderstorm. The pair were running close to 13-flat pace throughout the race, and it took a 56-second final 400m by Kosgei to lock down the win by just 4/100ths of a second, 13:14.46 to 13:14.50. Abdosh was sprinting so fast in the final meters he nearly fell as he crossed the finish line.
“I thought the sprint was fantastic,” said a beaming Kosgei. “I was really strong.”
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2008 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field: Week 1
The 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field season officially kicks off in fine style this weekend with 38 (count ‘em, 38!) meets throughout the country. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has links to all of them on their website. Schedules like this one […]
Beamon: 30 Foot Jump Coming “Sooner Than You Think”
The 61-year-old Bob Beamon, the namesake for the word “Beamonesque” after breaking the long jump world record in Mexico City in 1968 by a staggering 21 3/4″, told reporters this week that a 30 foot jump is possible. “I feel 30 feet is there,” Beamon said. “It’s […]
IAAF’s Preview Of Melbourne Grand Prix
At the Melbourne Grand Prix, a highly fit Craig Mottram will take on teen Ethiopian sensation Abreham Cherkos Feleke in the 5000m in front of a home crowd. Jeremy Wariner will run his first 400m of the 2008 season. Asafa Powell is still questionable for the 100m.
Read more at: [IAAF]
New […]
Coe: Track & Field Can’t Survive Another Drug Scandal
Double Olympic gold medalist Sebastian Coe said that another scandal could wreck the sport of track & field, saying, “we cannot have another five years like the one we’ve just been through because I’m not sure the sport would survive that.”
Read more at: [The Age]
Oregon High Schooler […]
Asafa: 80% Chance He’s Race Thursday
Asafa Powell, still healing after cutting his knee, says he is “70 to 80″ percent sure he start in Thursday’s Melbourne Grand Prix. He also wants a lifetime ban for drug cheats, against whom he says he’s certain to run in Beijing.
Read more at: [Melbourne Herald Sun][Jamaica Gleaner]
Central Florida: New […]
Shocker! Big Brother Backs Gag Order
Who would have thought it? The Beijing Olympic organizing committee agrees with the British Olympic Committee’s zero-tolerance gag order on political protests. Free speech bad. Big Brother good.
Read more at: [Citizen, South Africa]
Dwain Chambers Controversy Intensifies
British sprinter Dwain Chambers, banned for 2 years for doping but now trying for a […]
Three-time World Outdoor 100m champion and 2000 Olympic 100m and 4×100m gold medalist Maurice Greene announced his retirement from track and field Monday in Beijing, China.
Recognized as one of the greatest sprinters of all time, Greene won the 100m, 200m and 4×100m relay gold medals at the 1999 World Outdoor Championships in Seville, Spain. In […]
Wanjiru Wins Spanish Half-Marathon in 59:26,
Sets Sites on London, Beijing
Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru won the 21st Mitja Marató (half-marathon) de Granollers near Barcelona, Spain with a time of 59:26. proving that he is fit and ready for the Flora London Marathon this April. He also has his sites set on the Beijing Olympic Marathon this summer.
Read […]
2007 World High Jump champion “Way Ahead” Of Where He Was Last Year
Even though he didn’t win his first competition of his -08 season, 2007 high jump world champion Donald Thomas of the Bahamas said that, “I’m way ahead of where I was at this time last year, that’s for sure…. The results won’t show […]
If you take a peek at the top women sprinters so far in this early 2008 indoor season, you’ll see that the lists are dominated by the Russians in the 60m, 200m and 400m dashes.
That will soon change, for the Americans and Jamaicans are sprinting juggernauts. Veronica Campbell and Torri Edwards dominated the 100m […]
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