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Lead Stories: Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Patterson and Kreiner Lead Team USA Javelin Team

Posted June 30th, 2008 at 11:31 AM by Jay Hicks

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

The women’s javelin competition saw University of Oregon junior throw 185 feet, one inch but it wasn’t far enough. It was good enough for third place but did not reach the Olympic A standard meaning she will not make the U.S. Olympic team.

In a rule change for this Olympics, athletes have to make the A standard either before or at the Olympic Trials. Therefore, fourth place finisher Kim Kreiner (183 feet, 5 inches) will make the trip to Beijing because she has met the A standard.

The winner Kara Patterson of Purdue threw 191 feet, 9 inches to win the U.S. Olympic Trials and the two will make the trip to Beijing.
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World Points Standings:
Women’s Throws

Posted June 18th, 2008 at 9:00 AM by Jesse Squire

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Rankings, World Standings

Shot Put
1. Valerie Vili, 74
2. Nadine Kleinert, 46
3. Nadzeya Ostapchuk, 43
4. Misleydis Gonzalez, 41
5. Meiju Li, 34
6. Anna Omarova, 31
6. Chiara Rosa, 31
8. Christina Schwanitz, 30
9. Kristin Heaston, 29
10. Cleopatra Borel-Brown, 26

Kiwi Vili dominated the indoor circuit and picked up right where she left off in a late-May meet held in the Beijing Olympic stadium. Ostapchuk has only competed three times this year and Kleinert didn’t do much indoors, otherwise they would be further ahead of the other throwers.
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World Points Standings:
Men’s Throws

Posted June 15th, 2008 at 12:51 PM by Jesse Squire

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Rankings, World Standings

Shot Put
1. Reese Hoffa, 71
2. Christian Cantwell, 63
3. Adam Nelson, 56
4. Tomasz Majewski, 39
5. Dorian Scott, 38
6. Garrett Johnson, 32
7. Rutger Smith, 31
8. Ryan Whiting, 28
9. Scott Martin, 28
10. Peter Sack, 26

Hoffa has a slight lead over Cantwell and Nelson, and these three are head and shoulders above the rest of the world. Cantwell missed Sunday’s Prefontaine Classic with an arm injury; in his absence, Nelson won with the second-longest throw of the year.
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Prefontaine Classic Preview: Field Events

Posted June 6th, 2008 at 9:33 AM by Jesse Squire

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Continuing with our preview of Sunday’s meet in Eugene, Oregon, here are the tentative start lists for the field events. The IAAF also has a field event preview.

Women’s Hammer Throw
3:10 p.m. EDT (12:10 p.m. local)
Hawyard Field & Pre Classic records: 229′ 1″ / 69.82 meters, Erin Gilreath (USA), 2006

Betty Heidler (Germany)
Superfan World Ranking: #2
PR: 76.55 meters (2006) 2008 best: 72.91 meters
The defending World Champion has thrown over 70 meters five times already this season; her lone loss came at the European Throwing Cup.

Ivana Brkljacic (Croatia)
PR: 74.08 meters (2007) 2008 best: 73.62 meters
Has competed only twice this year (and hence not in my World Rankings), but has put up very big marks both times.
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TFS News Briefs: 3/21/08
Special NCAA Track & Field Edition

Posted March 21st, 2008 at 12:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

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

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 are truly a track junkie’s dream come true.
Read more at: [USTFCCCA]

ASU Opens Outdoor Season At Home
ASU, the 2008 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Champions, will open their outdoor season at home this weekend at the Baldy Castillo Invitational. Both the men’s team and the women’s team won the NCAA national titles last weekend. The meet will be contested on the Joe Selleh Track at Sun Angel Stadium in Tempe, AZ.
Read more at: [Sun Devils]

Oregon Host First Meet At Revamped Hayward Field
The University of Oregon’s historic Hayward Field has had an $8 Million facelift in preparation for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials, and now the Ducks want to show her off to the world. Folks will get their first look at the freshly-reminted stadium by hosting the Oregon Preview on Saturday, March 22nd, 2008. Over 550 athletes from throughout the Northwest will be competing in the meet.
Read more at: [Go Ducks][Hayward Field]
Image courtesy of GoDucks.com.
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5 Minutes With Finnish Javelin Thrower Tero Pitkämäki

Posted November 11th, 2007 at 7:00 AM by J. R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

European Athletics recently spent 5 minutes with the Waterford Crystal European male Athlete of the Year, the humble, yet quietly competitive Javelin thrower, whose Osaka gold medal made him a Finish national hero… Tero Pitkämäki.

EA: Not many people know this about me but…

TP: I ran a marathon in 2004.

EA: You know me as an athlete but in another life I’d be…

TP: an astronaut.

EA: The most surprising thing that ever happened to me was…

TP: being voted the European Athlete of the Year.

EA: The best bit of my body is…

TP: my eyes.
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Silvester sets American masters record

Posted October 15th, 2007 at 5:46 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Masters

National Track & Field Hall of Famer Jay Silvester set a M70 American masters record last Wednesday at the Huntsman World Senior Games in Saint George, Utah.

The 1972 Olympic silver medalist and former world record holder in the discus, Silvester’s winning throw of 50.27 meters/164 feet 11 inches smashed the previous record of 48.06m/157-8 set by Wendell Palmer in 2002.

Also at the Huntsman World Senior Games, Linda Cohn shattered the W55 American record in the javelin with her heave of 40.34m/132-4. The previous record of 28.06m/92-1 was set by LaTanya Glass in 2005. Marjorie Fitzgerald broke the W80 American 100 meter record, crossing the line in 18.76 seconds.
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Technical advancements to setting world records

Posted September 8th, 2007 at 4:15 PM by Jimson Lee

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

I like to go back into history and determine what advancements or other factors led to new world records. For example, did athletes employ a new technique or strategy? Were there advancements in technology, running surface or venue? Consider the following observations:

The Triple Jump vs. Shot Put

If you go back nearly 100 years to 1911, the world record for Triple Jump and Shot Put was 15.52 and 15.54 meters (50′ 11″ & 50′ 11.75″) respectively. Today, they stand at 18.29 & 23.12 meters (60′ 0′ & 75′ 10″) respectively.

How can the comparable world records differ by nearly 16 feet over the last 100 years?

Easy, the shot put technique has undergone 2 major changes in the technical throws, with nearly everyone doing the spin technique similar to a discus thrower. You still have to hop, skip, and jump in the Triple Jump.

The same phenomenon can be seen with the High Jump. In 1978, the last straddler to set the world record was Vladimir Jashtshenko with a jump of 2.34m (7′ 8″) before floppers dominated the event.
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Team USA ties gold medal record; Lagat and Felix make history

Posted September 2nd, 2007 at 10:00 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

It was a night of firsts, and one of history, for Team USA Sunday night in the final session of competition at the 2007 IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

With victories in the men’s and women’s 4×400m relays, the United States became the first country to sweep all four relays at a World Outdoor Championships.

Bernard Lagat became the first man to win the 1,500/5,000m double at Worlds, and the first American ever to medal in the 5,000.

Allyson Felix became the second woman in history to win three gold medals at a single World Championships, as the relay team of Dee Dee Trotter, Felix, Mary Wineberg and Sanya Richards ran the fastest time in 14 years.

The men’s 4×400m relay of LaShawn Merritt, Angelo Taylor, Darold Williamson and Jeremy Wariner ran the third-fastest time in history.

Breaux Greer became the first American since the inaugural World Championships in 1983 to win a medal in the men’s javelin.

At the close of competition, Team USA tied the all-time World Championships record for gold medals with 14, matching its feat from 2005, and tied the American all-time medal tally at a World Outdoor Championships with 26. Team USA led a medal table in which a record 46 countries won medals; Kenya had five gold and 13 overall, and Russia had four gold and 16 overall. The other occasion on which the United States won 26 medals, in 1991, just 29 countries were on the medal table.

Not a bad night.
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Competition concludes with relays, marathon, 5 km and field events

Posted September 1st, 2007 at 2:38 PM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

Several more medal opportunities present themselves to Team USA during Sunday competition at the 2007 IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Nagai Stadium.

After winning both 4×100m relays on Saturday night, the American 4×400m relays take the track for the last events of the Championships on Sunday, trying to become the first country to win all four relays at a World Outdoor Championships. The Americans will be favored in both races, particularly the men’s, following the Jeremy Wariner-led American sweep of the 400 on Friday.

In the field, 2007 world leader and American record holder Breaux Greer (Scottsdale, Ariz.) [Pictured]has medal potential in the men’s javelin final, while three-time Olympian Amy Acuff (Isleton, Calif.) competes in the women’s high jump final.

For the first time, three Americans will compete in the men’s 5,000 meter final, led by 1,500m gold medalist Bernard Lagat (Tucson, Ariz.). Adam Goucher (Portland, Ore.) and American record holder at 2 miles, Matt Tegenkamp (Madison, Wis.) also are looking for medals.
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