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Lead Stories: Friday, May 16, 2008

Dathan Ritzenehin:
Homeward Bound: New Beginnings and Role Reversals
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #5)

Posted May 6th, 2008 at 4:30 PM by Dathan Ritzenhein

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Elite Athlete Blogs, Dathan Ritzenhein

Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Dathan Ritzenhein! Check back every other Tuesday for Ritz’s latest entry at http://dathanritzenhein.thefinalsprint.com/ as he prepares to represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics!

Sunday night, a night of great races [at the Peyton Jordan Cardinal Invitational], made me want to be out there racing. Even though I was at home, already in my pajamas, I wanted to be there racing. Watching Brent Vaughn grit his teeth down the homestretch, and Shalane [Flanagan]’s American Record was also exciting. I would check the computer intermittently to catch an update of the races. Stanford is such a great place to go if you want great weather and fast times. No other place or meet has the predictability and guarantee that Stanford can offer.

It is always one of the hardest things to do; watching races when you are sitting at home, but I just have to keep my head down and work hard know that I will be ready for August 24th.
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TFS Podcast 133: Pre-London Marathon Teleconference with Ryan Hall & David Bedford

Posted April 10th, 2008 at 6:35 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Episode 133 of The Final Sprint Podcast features a teleconference interview with Ryan Hall and David Bedford prior to the 2008 Flora London Marathon.

The teleconference was hosted by the London Marathon and was promoted by USA Track and Field (USATF) & the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

In the teleconference Hall and Bedford, the London race director, respond to questions from the international running media and from a select panel that included Race Result Weekly’s David Monti onsite in London.

TO DOWNLOAD: Right click here and select “Save As”

Host: London Marathon | Guest: Ryan Hall
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 21.8 MB | Length: 00:31:50

Episode Sponsored By: U.S. Army Special Forces

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Hall, Ritzenhein Interview Excerpts from USATF Teleconference

Posted February 14th, 2008 at 11:00 AM by Jeremy Sussman

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Cross Country, Track & Field, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews

USA Track & Field served as the host to a media teleconference Wednesday afternoon featuring Team USA men’s squad members for the 2008 Olympic Marathon in Beijing, China, Ryan Hall and Dathan Ritzenhein.

Hall and Ritzenhein discussed their preparations for the 2008 USA Cross Country Championships in San Diego on Saturday, where both open and junior men and women will look to earn a spot on the Team USA squad for the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland, on March 30.

The championships in San Diego will feature six races that will determine national champions for masters men and women; junior men and women; and open men and women. The event will be televised in association with the AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships February 24, from 5-7 p.m. on ESPN 2.

Excerpts from Wednesday’s teleconference with Ryan Hall and Dathan Ritzenhein follow:
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China Attends World Conference on Doping

Posted November 16th, 2007 at 11:00 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: News & Results, Olympics, Drugs In Sports

A Chinese delegation is in Madrid to attend the third World Conference on Doping.

Led by Duan Shijie, vice-minister of the General Administration of Sport, the delegation is comprised of officials from the aforesaid administration, the China Anti-doping Agency, the Chinese Olympic Committee, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and the China Disabled Persons’ Federation.

According to Duan, he will speak at Friday’s session on China’s anti-doping efforts and the measures to be taken during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: SummerOlympian.com

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The Final Sprint Podcast Highlighted by Running Times

Posted October 29th, 2007 at 9:07 AM by thefinalsprint.com

Section: News & Results, Announcements, Marathons, Cross Country, Track & Field, Resources, Olympics, Special Features, Podcasts, Trail / Ultra

The Final Sprint Podcast, the most listened to running podcast in North America, continues to capture audiences and receive praise from athletes, coaches, journalists, industry leaders and running fans from around the world.

Most recently, Running Times Magazine chose to highlight The Final Sprint Podcast along with Flocasts/Flotrack and the World Championship Sports Network (WCSN) in their October 2007 issue.

The Final Sprint Podcast, launched in January 2007, features three to five audio interviews each week and is hosted by TheFinalSprint.com Editor-in-Chief Adam Jacobs.

Jacobs has proudly welcomed a dynamic and eclectic list of guests, including track & field superstars (Sanya Richards, Ryan Hall, Alan Webb), Olympic marathon medalists (Deena Kastor, Meb Keflezighi), ultra-elite champions (Dean Karnazes, Scott Jurek), coaching icons (Dr. Jack Daniels, Jeff Galloway), courageous heroes (Jim MacLaren, Kathrine Switzer, Billy Mills) and running legends from years past (Gail Devers, Jim Ryun, Grete Waitz).

To listen in, subscribe to the podcast feed, or even download recent episodes right to your mp3 player, please visit: TheFinalSprint.com.

The podcast is also available at no charge in iTunes.

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Interview Excerpts: Gilmore, Rohatinsky and Shay on being Marathon Trial “Underdogs”

Posted October 26th, 2007 at 9:50 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews

Earlier this week, the New York Road Runners hosted the final installment in a three part series of teleconferences related to the about the November 2 U.S. Olympic Men’s Marathon trials in New York City.

This third teleconference provided the media with an opportunity to speak with NYRR CEO/President Mary Wittenberg and the following professional athletes: Peter Gilmore, Josh Rohatinsky, Ryan Shay

On being referred to as dark horses and training for the Trials:

Ryan: Since winning the USA Marathon title in 2003, my training has had a long period of ups and downs, some changes in coaching and changes in training environment . . .
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Williams, Richards blogs tackle tough issues

Posted October 15th, 2007 at 1:04 PM by Martin Kennedy

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

Two of Team USA’s biggest stars have taken on the toughest news in the sport, including doping, the Marion Jones debacle and the U.S. media attention on track & field.

Lauryn Williams, the 2005 world champion, 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2007 World Outdoor silver medalist in the women’s 100 meters, has written an expansive blog about the news of Marion Jones admitting to using performance enhancing substances.

Writing about how her “emotions swirled as I listened to [Jones] speak,” Williams says she goes “back and forth between [being] sad for her unfortunate situation and angry at the mess she has created and left for current athletes to clean up.”

She fondly recalls Jones treating her “like a little sister” at the 2004 Olympic Games and Jones calling to wish her a 21st birthday, yet Williams questions “what it must feel like to live a lie so important to all you’re telling it to.”
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Lauryn Williams on Marion Jones and News Media

Posted October 14th, 2007 at 6:45 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Lauryn Williams (runner on the left in photo), the diminutive sprinter with an impressive list of accolades, writes articulately and passionately in her blog about the Marion Jones doping situation and the lack (and wrong kind) of media attention her sport generates.

In describing her feelings upon seeing Marion Jones’ teary-eyed announcement, Williams writes:

I am back and forth between sad for her unfortunate situation and angry at the mess she has created and left for current athletes to clean up… What happened to Marion is very unfortunate. Although many will believe she got what she deserved, I don’t think it is for me nor anyone to judge or prescribe.

She doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to her feelings about the media and its misinformed coverage of track & field:

I am disgusted that we couldn’t get ESPN coverage of the world championships in Osaka. At least a brief highlight of the Americans who medaled would have been nice. But Marion’s story made SportsCenter for the whole day and is still a topic now five days later. People wanted to give their expert opinion about a sport they know nothing about. America doesn’t watch us because we are very seldom televised. That is why no one knows anything of our sport except the drug scandal. And I’m confused about the timing as she explained first taking the drug. Sept. of 2000? Wasn’t the original statement 1999? If I am unsure of the info I am getting just imagine how people that are uneducated about our sport are misconstruing the facts and spreading this misinformation.

Williams’ career highlights include the following:

• 2007 IAAF World Championships 100m Silver medalist
• 2005 PB of 10.88 in the 100m (2005 Weltklasse Zurich)
• 2005 PB of 22.27 in the 200m (2005 Adidas Classic)
• 2005 4 x 100m World Champion
• 2005 IAAF World Championships 100m Gold Medalist
• 2004 Finance Degree (University of Miami)
• 2004 Olympic 100m Silver Medalist
• 2004 3rd in 100m at the US Olympic trials
• 2004 NCAA 100m Champion
• 2003 Pan Am 100m and 4×100m relay gold medalist
• 2002 World Junior gold medalist 100m, silver in 4×100 relay
• 2002 US Junior 100m Champion

You can read more at Lauryn Williams’ blog: [WCSN]
Source: [LaurynWilliams.net]

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Podcast 89 U.S. Olympic Team hopeful & ZAP Fitness standout JOE DRISCOLL

Posted October 5th, 2007 at 12:31 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years BR Sportswear is closing out their line of high -quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

Episode 89 of TheFinalSprint.com Podcast features my interview with Olympic marathon hopeful and ZAP Fitness standout JOE DRISCOLL.

In the interview, Joe talks about the highlights of his 2007 season, the lessons he’s learned from overcoming recent injuries, the importance of core training in his recovery, and the keys to his success at the November 3rd U.S. Olympic Men’s Marathon Trials.

Download the podcast to hear Joe discuss these topics, as well as, the media attention given to some of America’s talented but lesser known runners (such as those running for ZAP, Team USA Minnesota, etc.), how post-collegiate running groups have benefited his own career and U.S. distance running in general, what it’s like to both train and work at ZAP (where all of the runners help out with tasks like washing dishes, assisting with running camps, etc.), and much more!

Listen In
[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)

[RSS] Add The Final Sprint Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader to have the show delivered to you

Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Joe Driscoll
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 17.6 MB | Length: 25:45 MIN

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years Bill Rodgers Sportswear is closing out their line of high-quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

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Coe sees Olympic lessons

Posted September 8th, 2007 at 7:30 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

In a video interview by Dan Sloan of Reuters, track legend and London Olympics Organizing Committee Chairman Sebastian Coe discusses the lessons to be learned from the IAAF World Championships in Osaka.

Despite the historic and dramatic races and performances at the World Championships, Coe explains that there is a lot that needs to be improved as he prepares for the London 2012 Olympics in terms of marketing, ticket sales, and media campaigns that can turn runners like Tyson Gay and Bernard Lagat into international heroes.

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