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Lead Stories: Saturday, November 22, 2008

The Week in the Rear View: Racing News May 26 – June 1

Posted June 2nd, 2008 at 11:00 AM by Jay Hicks

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Columns, Week in Rear View

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.

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TFS News Briefs: 5/31/2008

Posted May 31st, 2008 at 1:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Columns, TFS News Briefs, College

Walter Dix Advances To 100m and 200m Finals at NCAA East Regional
FSU senior Walter Dix has been hampered by a hamstring injury all season so it’s no wonder he coasted to the finish line in both the 100m and the 200m heats at the 2008 NCAA East Regional Championships. In fact, he finished 3rd behind his FSU teammates. With Dix’s help, the Seminoles are in good position to win their 4th straight NCAA East Regional team championship.
More: Tampa Tribune

Aussie Tamsyn Lewis Prefers Stiff Competition
Surprise world indoor 800m champ Tamsyn Lewis of Australia begins her outdoor campaign by facing 2007 outdoor champ Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya at the DKB-ISTAF 2008, an IAAF Golden League meet in Berlin . Her reasoning? “I’d prefer to be in a field like that than an easier race. The only way to get ready for the Olympic Games is to race against these women some time. It might as well be now.”
More: The Age, Australia

Kara Goucher Aims For Olympic “A” Standard Tonight
The USATF recently announced that all Team USA athletes must have met their Olympic “A” standards either before or during the Olympic Trials, not after. It is much easier to achieve that standard without the added pressure of having to claim one of three spots in a major competition. That may be why Kara Goucher has decided to go for her “A” standard of 31:45 in the 10000m at a low-key meet in Oregon tonight. Galen Rupp will be running the 5000m.
The Oregonian
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World Records Possible at Brussels, Berlin Meets

Posted September 11th, 2007 at 5:13 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

If you’re the sort of track & field fan who likes to see assaults on world records, you’re not likely to be disappointed at either of the upcoming IAAF Golden League meets. The Memorial Van Damme meet (Friday, 9/14/2007 in Brussels, Belgium) and the DKB-ISTAF meet (Sunday, 9/16/2007 in Berlin, Germany) are historically two of the best meets in the world.

A total of 14 world records have been set at the Stade Roi Baudouin in Brussels, Belgium ever since the inception of the Memorial Van Damme meet, including Kenenisa Bekele’s remarkable 26:17.53 at 10,000m, a pace of 4:14 per mile. The Memorial van Damme meet honors Ivo Van Damme a Belgian middle-distance athlete who won two silver medals (800m and 1500m) at Montreal’s 1976 Olympic Games but whose life was tragically cut short in a car accident in December of that year.
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On the Road & Around the Track: TFS News Briefs
September 11, 2007

Posted September 11th, 2007 at 1:18 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, TFS News Briefs

Live Internet Video Broadcasts of Brussels and Berlin Golden League Meets
Sportnet will have live video broadcasts of the Memorial Van Damme meet (Brussels, Belgium) on 9/14/2007 and the DKB-ISTAF meet (Berlin, Germany) on 9/16/2007. Both meets have storied histories so new world records are not out of the question. Watch the meets and read more at: [Sportnet][Memorial Van Damme][DKB-ISTAF]

Bergqvist Calls it Quits for ‘07; Sets Sights on Beijing
Kajsa Bergqvist, ‘05 world champ in the high jump, has ended her ‘07 season saying, “it does not seem meaningful or fun to carry on competing the way things feel right now.” Having missed the ‘04 Olympics in Athens, she is now focusing on the ‘08 Olympics in Beijing. Read more at: [Guardian Unlimited]
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