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Lead Stories: Friday, December 5, 2008

Medal-Threat Womens Jumpers Look to Make Olympic Team

Posted June 27th, 2008 at 9:00 AM by thefinalsprint.com

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Jenn Stuczynski, Chaunte Howard, Brittney Reese and Shani Marks lead a strong contingent in the women’s vertical and horizontal jumps at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field, June 27 - July 6 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

The top three finishers in each race, who have met Olympic performance standards, will earn the ultimate prize of a spot on the Team USA roster for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Pole Vault

Two-time U.S. Outdoor champion and 2008 World Indoor silver medalist Jenn Stuczynski leads the field in the women’s pole vault. Already in her short career, Stuczynski has set three American records with the most recent coming at the 2008 adidas Track Classic when she became only the second woman ever to clear 4.90 meters/16 feet 0.75 inches.
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World Points Standings:
Women’s Jumps

Posted June 19th, 2008 at 9:30 AM by Jesse Squire

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

High Jump
1. Blanka Vlašic, 108
2. Ariane Friedrich, 59
3. Yelena Slesarenko, 55
4. Vita Palamar, 51
5. Ruth Beitia, 46
6. Marina Aitova, 38
7. Anna Chicherova, 36
7. Tia Hellebaut, 36
9. Ekaterina Savchenko, 32.5
10. Chaunte Howard, 32

Vlašic is the overall points leader for all events, men and women. She goes to all the biggest meets, is undefeated, and regularly jumps higher than any other active jumper’s PR. American Howard should climb the ranks as she continues to improve in her return to competition after having a baby.

Pole Vault
1. Jennifer Stuczynski, 64
2. Yelena Isinbayeva, 48
3. Yuliya Golubchikova, 45
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World Points Standings:
Men’s Jumps

Posted June 14th, 2008 at 10:00 AM by Jesse Squire

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

High Jump
1. Yaroslav Rybakov, 56.5
2. Stefan Holm, 56
3. Andrey Silnov, 49.5
4. Ivan Ukhov, 42
5. Andra Manson, 33
6. Jesse Williams, 30
7. Dusty Jonas, 29
8. Kabelo Kgosiemang, 29
9. Linus Thörnblad, 26
10. Kyriakos Ioannou, 23

World Indoor champ Holm and world list leader Rybakov are neck-and-neck. Silnov’s win last Sunday at the Prefontaine Classic tightened his grip on third. As I type this, Nebraska’s Dusty Jonas is competing in the NCAA championships, which would move him into fourth if he wins as expected.
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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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TFS News Briefs: 3/19/08

Posted March 19th, 2008 at 3:23 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

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

Blue Collar High School Runner
Eugene, Oregon’s Register-Guard has a profile of high school speedster Luke Puskedra who describes himself as a blue-collar runner. Puskedra, who has signed a letter of intent to run at Oregon, has the fastest indoor mile time of 2008 for a high schooler, having run a 4:08.77.
Read more at: [Register-Guard]

Spotlight On MarathonWeb.com
New York’s Star Gazette features MarathonGuide.com in an article that covers a range of statistics found on the site including the average men’s time for a marathon (4:29:52), average women;s time (4:59:28) and the % of runners who broke 3 hours in 2007 (only 1.7%).
Read more at: [Star Gazette]

Carolina Klüft Will Not Defend Her Olympic Heptathlon Title
In an expected move, Carolina Klüft announced that she will not defend her Olympic Heptathlon title from Athens. Instead, she will focus on the jumps in Beijing.
Read more at: [IAAF]
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TFS News Briefs: 2/29/08

Posted February 29th, 2008 at 12:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Olympics, Drugs In Sports, TFS News Briefs

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 probably coming sooner than you think.”
Read more at: [Philadelphia Daily News]

Justin Gatlin Launches Appeal
It’s official: Athens 100m gold medalist Justin Gatlin is appealing his doping suspension so that he can try to get reinstated in time for the Olympic Trials. The IAAF is siding with WADA, so the cards are stacked against him.
Read more at: [Google News]

Big 12 Indoor Championships Begin Today
The Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships begin today at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, NE. On the men’s side, 7 of the top 25 teams in the nation will be competing for the title, including #6 Oklahoma, #7 Texas and #10 Texas A&M. On the women’s side, 4 of the top 25 teams in the nation will be competing, including #6 Texas A&M and #10 Kansas.
Read more at: [Big 12]
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Kluft, Defar To Compete at Reebok Boston Indoor Games

Posted December 4th, 2007 at 5:33 PM by J. R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Carolina Kluft and Meseret Defar, widely considered the top female track-and-field athletes in the world, will be among the headliners at the 2008 Reebok Boston Indoor Games on Jan. 26, organizers announced today. Tickets for the 13th annual Olympic-style event are on sale now by calling 1-877-TIX-TRAC.

As reigning Olympic gold medalist in the heptathlon, Kluft owns the unofficial title of World’s Best Female Athlete. The 24-year-old from Sweden reinforced her claim last summer by becoming the first three-time heptathlon World Champion in the history of the sport. In Boston, she will compete in the long jump, her best individual event. In 2004, she made the Olympic long jump final just days after winning heptathlon gold.

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USATF Statement Regarding IAAF Recommendation about 2000 Olympic Relay Medals

Posted November 24th, 2007 at 8:30 AM by J. R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics, Drugs In Sports

An interesting statement was made yesterday by the USATF, the governing body of Track & Field for the United States, in response to the IAAF’s decision to annul all of Marion Jones marks from September 2000 and beyond:

USA Track & Field supports the fight against doping and efforts made to right the wrongs of the past. We understand that the fate of the relay results at the 2000 Olympic Games is a very complex matter, and we appreciate the care and consideration the IAAF has given it. We await the IOC’s decision in the matter.

Written by: Jill Geer
Via: USATF.org

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Spearmon, Richards set personal bests in Shanghai

Posted September 29th, 2007 at 5:45 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

2007 World Outdoor 200m bronze medalist Wallace Spearmon and 2007 IAAF Golden League winner Sanya Richards stole the show in 100 meter action at the 2007 Shanghai Golden Grand Prix.

A 4×100m gold medalist at the 2007 World Outdoor Championships, Spearmon edged out reigning World 100m and 200m champion Tyson Gay in the men’s 100m, crossing the line in 9.96 seconds to Gay’s 10.02 . It was a personal best for Spearmon and the first time he has ever dipped under the 10 second barrier.

In the women’s 100m, 2006 IAAF Athlete of the Year Sanya Richards set a personal best in taking second place in 10.97 behind Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell who won in 10.90. 2007 World Outdoor bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter was third in 11.09 and 2007 World Outdoor silver medalist Lauryn Williams was fourth in 11.21.
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