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In Failure, Xiang’s Sad Story Exemplifies True Olympic Lesson
Posted August 18th, 2008 at 8:00 AM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
The 95,000 fans who packed into Beijing’s Bird’s Nest and exploded with cheers when native son and 2004 gold medalist Liu Xiang was announced, groaned just as loudly only moments later when he withdrew from heat 6 of today’s 110 meter hurdles.
Xiang was limping and wincing in pain as he lined up for his first race after months of battling foot and hamstring injuries. Then, after a false start was called on the field, he came out of the blocks hobbling and proceeded to rip off his race number. As Xiang walked off the National Stadium track and into the tunnel, the reality of the nightmare scenario set-in: the national hero of the world’s most populated country would leave their own Olympic Games without a medal.
Sun Haiping, Xiang’s personal coach, broke down several times during the post-race press conference and cited a pre-existing, chronic foot injury as the cause of the withdrawal. While that may be true, I have to wonder whether the pressure of having more than a billion people expecting absolutely nothing less than a gold medal may have led to the type of overtraining that would exasperate such an injury.
Tonight marks a sad ending to a sad story for Liu Xiang, a truly phenomenal athlete who seemed almost destined for disaster by being forced on the impossible quest for perfection.
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Injury Forces Noguchi Out of Olympic Marathon
Posted August 12th, 2008 at 11:55 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics
Defending Olympic Marathon champion, Mizuki Noguchi of Japan, has withdrawn from the Beijing Olympics due to injury. The announcement was made by Japan’s Olympic committee here yesterday.
After returning to Japan from her high altitude training in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in advance of the Games, Noguchi complained of both fatigue and pain in her left upper leg. She received injections to treat the problem locally, but it was apparently not enough to allow her to be ready for Sunday morning’s race.
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Kate O’Neill:
Taking the First Steps
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #9)
Posted May 27th, 2008 at 2:30 PM by Kate O'Neill
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Elite Athlete Blogs, Kate O'Neill
Hi, this is my blog in TFS’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Bookmark kateoneill.thefinalsprint.com and check back every other Monday for my latest entry as I strive for the 2008 Summer Olympics!
For the first few weeks after the Olympic Marathon Trials, I was not able to run at all, but I thought about running constantly. Worries about what I had done wrong filled my head and doubts made me question all of my decisions leading up to the race. As my knee improved and I progressed toward running again, those thoughts quickly changed from the past to the future. I kept wondering what those first few steps of running would feel like. The first run loomed over thoughts and I wanted to do everything I could do to make sure that it went well.
I have been running for 13 years. In an ideal world, all those years of experience would make the act of running instinctual. I would not have needed to waste energy with all these thoughts. Instead, I felt sick with worry that my feet would no longer remember how to support me, my arms would start flailing, and my knees would buckle forward into each other.
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Injury Forces Ritzenhein Out of Healthy Kidney 10-K
Posted May 8th, 2008 at 3:30 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Road Racing
Defending champion and event record holder Dathan Ritzenhein has been forced to withdraw from the 4th annual Healthy Kidney 10-K scheduled for Saturday, May 17, in New York City.
“We’re very disappointed not to be able to return to New York for the Healthy Kidney 10-K,” Ritzenhein told reporters on a conference call today hosted by the New York Road Runners, the founders and organizers of the race. “With a whole array of ailments, it hasn’t come together in time for me to take on the great field that’s been assembled for the race. Knowing that it might set back my preparation [for Beijing], it was with regret that we made the decision to withdraw.”
Ritzenhein, 25, of Eugene, Ore., said that the injury to the third metatarsal of his left foot, which he sustained at the USA Cross Country Championships in February, has persisted.
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Jon Rankin: Life’s Certainties
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #9)
Posted March 27th, 2008 at 10:30 AM by Jon Rankin
Section: News & Results, Cross Country, Track & Field, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Jon Rankin
Welcome to the official blog of rising U.S. track & field star Jon Rankin; the inaugural member of The Final Sprint’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Be sure to check back every other Wednesday for Jon’s latest entry at http://jonrankin.thefinalsprint.com/
“Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.”
- Benjamin Franklin
I really don’t know how to interpret the above quote from Benjamin Franklin. Without a doubt it’s tax time. Yikes!! Honestly, I think that it’s kind of funny because it would be a very dreary life if death and taxes were the only things truly certain in life. What about love? What about running? What about the sweet smell of freshly cut grass in the early morning hours prior to a cross country race? If death and taxes are the only things certain I thank God for every day that I do get to run because I’ve been injured way too many times not to realize how lucky I am to be where I’m at today, just a few months away from make one of my biggest dreams a more certain part of my reality.
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Short of Conditioning, Keflezeghi Withdraws from London Marathon
Posted March 18th, 2008 at 11:45 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics
Short of conditioning, reigning Olympic Marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi of San Diego, Calif., has withdrawn from next month’s Flora London Marathon. In a statement released by his brother and manager, Merhawi, the man who has twice made the podium of the ING New York City Marathon confirmed what had been rumored for several weeks.
“Meb Keflezighi has decided to pass up on the 2008 Flora London Marathon,” read the statement. “Meb is short of the conditioning he and Coach Bob Larsen would like before racing in one of the finest and competitive marathons in the world. Meb and Coach Larsen feel it would be too risky to rush the workouts in preparation for London, during an Olympic year. While Meb is disappointed he will not have a chance to set a significant personal best in London, he realizes it is better to be cautious during the Olympic year. Meb will now give his complete focus on preparing for the USATF Olympic Trials.”
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Injury Forces Ritzenhein Out of Central Park Challenge
Posted March 12th, 2008 at 1:30 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results
A foot injury has forced Dathan Ritzenhein out of Saturday’s Central Park Challenge, incorporating the U.S. Men’s 8-K Championship, the New York Road Runners announced.
Ritzenhein, the 25 year-old who placed second at last year’s Olympic Trials marathon in Central Park, is no doubt disappointed that he cannot race Alan Webb, one of the few opportunities he would have to face the U.S. mile record-holder in a road race. The injury, to the third metatarsal on his left foot, warrants extra caution, given that this is an Olympic year.
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Injury Sidelines Radcliffe From London Marathon
Posted March 6th, 2008 at 11:01 AM by Bob Ramsak
Section: News & Results, Marathons
A toe tendon injury has forced Briton Paula Radcliffe to pull out of next month’s Flora London Marathon, organizers announced today.
The world record holder in the marathon, who was aiming to win her fourth London title on April 13, sustained the injury to her right toe while training at her base in Albuquerque, N.M.
“I am desperately disappointed that I have to pull out of this year’s race,” said Radcliffe, who was Flora London Marathon champion in 2002, 2003 and 2005, in a press release. “I love running in London and this race would have been the perfect test for me before the Olympic Games.”
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Bungei to Miss World Indoor Championships
Posted March 4th, 2008 at 1:00 PM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Track & Field
Reigning IAAF World Indoor 800m champion, Wilfred Bungei of Kenya, has been forced to withdraw from this weekend’s IAAF World Indoor Championships with an injury.
“During his workout yesterday in Nairobi, Wilfred felt some pain while doing some faster strides,” said Eric Lilot of Demadonna Athletics Promotions, the Italian athlete management firm which represents Bungei. “He stopped immediately and applied ice. This morning, however, he still had some pain while jogging so has decided to skip Valencia.”
Bungei, 27, who has an outdoor personal best of 1:42.34, was enjoying a solid indoor season this year. He finished second to Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy twice at the beginning of this season, won his race in Valencia on Feb. 9, then came back to defeat Borzakovskiy in Stockholm on Feb. 21.
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TFS Running Podcast 129: Anthony Famiglietti
Posted February 27th, 2008 at 4:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts
Today, on Episode 129 of TheFinalSprint.com Podcast I got the chance to speak with with U.S. steeplechaser Anthony Famiglietti.
In the interview, “Fam” talks about his disappointment in having to pull out of the 2008 US Cross Country 
Championships and the reasons why he chose to do so. We also talked about his goals for 2008 which include winning the steeplechase in both Eugene at the trials and in Beijing at the Olympics.
Download the podcast to hear Fam discuss some of his creative outlets including helping his sponsor adidas design a revolutionary new XC spike, his follow-up to “Run Like Hell” - the documentary DVD he produced - his music and much more.
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Host: Jimmie R. Markham | Guest: Anthony Famiglietti
Executive Producer: Adam Jacobs
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 22.0 MB | Length: 32:08 MIN
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