TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More! - TheFinalSprint.com is the Premier Destination for Track & Field, Marathon, Cross Country, Olympic and Road Racing Enthusiasts.

Lead Stories: Wednesday, December 3, 2008

2008 Beijing Olympic Preview: Men’s Marathon

Posted August 23rd, 2008 at 6:00 PM by Jesse Squire

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

Men’s Marathon
The Schedule: Sunday, Aug 24 (live on NBC, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. EDT)
The Americans: Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein, Brian Sell
The Contenders: Sammy Wanjiru (KEN), Martin Lel (KEN), Robert Cheruyiot (KEN), Mubarak Shami (QAT), Abderrahim Goumri (MAR), Jaouad Gharib (MAR), Tsegaye Kebede (ETH), Tsuyoshi Ogata (JPN)
The Stats: Records, 2008 List, 2007 Worlds, 2004 Olympics
The Medal Picks: T&FN - Wanjiru, Lel, Goumri;
SI - Lel, Goumri, Kebede
The Story: If you look at the World Marathon Majors leader board, you would expect the race to come down to Lel, Cheruyiot and Goumri, or new half-marathon World Record holder Wanjiru. But that’s predicting the future based solely on what has happened in the past, and that’s an iffy proposition for the marathon.
Read the rest of this entry »

2 comments, add yours | Permalink

Bekele Completes Distance Double

Posted August 23rd, 2008 at 8:29 AM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele has won the Olympic 5000 m, pulling away late to earn his second gold medal of these Games. Bekele clocked 12:57.82 for the distance, an Olympic Record and a remarkable feat considering the tactical nature of this race. Kenyans Eliud Kipchoge and Edwin Soi took silver and bronze in 13:02.80 and 13:06.22, respectively. Americans Bernard Lagat and Matt Tegenkamp finished in ninth and thirteenth, well out of medal contention.

The buildup for this race was not lacking in drama, as remarks made by Kenyan coach Julius Kirwa revealed the team tactics that his nation planned to employ. The Kenyan plan was focused on neutralizing reigning World Champion Bernard Lagat, a miler by trade who used his blistering kick to win off a slow pace last summer in Osaka. Of course the Kenyans must also have been concerned about their archrival Ethiopia, whose team of the Bekele brothers (Kenenisa and Tariku) along with Abreham Cherkos would prove formidable. Kenenisa Bekele owns the World Record in the 5000 m but had thus far failed to win a championship 5000m, due mainly to the physical toll of his dominance in the 10000 m.
Read the rest of this entry »

One comment, add yours | Permalink

Dibaba Golden Again!

Posted August 22nd, 2008 at 8:59 AM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba has completed a rare distance double, winning the Women’s Olympic 5000m title tonight to add to the 10000m title she won last Friday. Dibaba stayed near the front throughout and used a punishing final kilometer to hold off 10000m silver medalist Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey and fellow Ethiopian Meseret Defar, who took silver and bronze respectively. Kara Goucher was the top American in 9th place and was closely followed by 10000m bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan in 10th.

Few races in these Games have been surrounded with as much intrigue as this one. There was the great individual matchup between Dibaba and Defar, two rivals who have traded the World Record in recent years (Dibaba currently owns it at 14:11.15 but Defar has run 14:12.88).
Read the rest of this entry »

One comment, add yours | Permalink

Ryan Hall: Olympic Memories
(Elite Athlete Blog Entry 15)

Posted August 20th, 2008 at 12:52 PM by Ryan Hall

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Ryan Hall

Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Ryan Hall as he begins his quest for Olympic gold! Check back every other Friday for Ryan’s latest entry at http://ryanhall.thefinalsprint.com/

I have always dreamed about what the whole Olympic experience would be like. I have seen portrayals of the Olympics in many movies, the most memorable of which was “Cool Runnings,” but to experience it for myself has been both exciting and boring. I know that “boring” wouldn’t seem to be the adjective of choice when describing the Olympic experience, but the truth must be told that the Olympics is not all excitement, all the time for us athletes. I have been telling people that I want to go back to the Olympics sometime when I am not competing so I can get the full experience.

My journey started nearly two weeks ago when I left my hometown in Big Bear after an exciting send off party held in my honor where nearly two thousand people turned out to support me. Upon arriving in San Jose for team processing I was surprised to learn that I was the only athlete going through team processing that day. I had pretty much the whole staff waiting on me, which made a four hour process go by in a little under an hour. I was the last of the nearly six hundred US Olympians to pick up all my gear, which meant that I had to settle for some oversized items, such as some size 44″ cargo pants (I hope that I don’t fit into those anytime soon). Even though processing was pretty much empty it was still exciting to finally get the official USA gear. It was surreal to try on the opening ceremonies gear.
Read the rest of this entry »

39 comments, add yours | Permalink

Ramzi Defeats Kiprop to Win First-Ever Olympic Gold for Bahrain; Willis Surprises with Bronze

Posted August 19th, 2008 at 3:58 PM by Stephanie Lowe

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Thanks to Rashid Ramzi, Bahrain has its first-ever Olympic gold medal. The former Moroccan won the men’s 1500 meters Tuesday night in Beijing. With a relentless 51-second final lap, Ramzi, the 2005 world champion, finished in 3:32.94 ahead of Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop (3:33.11). Nick Willis of New Zealand was third in 3:34.16.

“I didn’t expect this in my wildest dreams. This didn’t come from nothing, I had to work hard, now I can be very proud,” Ramzi said.

The race started with Kiprop and Kenyan teammate Augustine Choge in the lead. Kiprop led the pack through the first 400 meters in 56.48 seconds. Then Choge took over for a 1:56.06 800-meter split.
Read the rest of this entry »

2 comments, add yours | Permalink

Is Allyson Felix’s 200m Heat Time a Cause for Concern?

Posted August 19th, 2008 at 10:44 AM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

If Allyson Felix is not careful, she could find herself suffering the same fate Tyson Gay had in the men’s 100m—that is, being a spectator when it’s time for the finals. Her qualifying mark of 23.02 in the opening heats of the women’s 200m dash was ranked only 9th. She hadn’t raced since the London Grand Prix on July 25th, 2008. There she finished 4th with a time of 23.00, a full 3/10th of a second behind Sherone Simpson’s winning time of 22.70. Ten days ago, she wrote this in her blog:

I ran very poorly in Stockholm and London because I was just exhausted. I had made trips back and forth to Europe and my legs were simply dead. My coach Bobby Kersee and I debated running the 200m in London because I was feeling fatigued so when I came off the curve and realized I couldn’t shift to another gear I just cruised in as to prevent injury.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: 400meteroval.com

One comment, add yours | Permalink

Jelimo Dominates, Takes First-Ever Kenyan Women’s Gold

Posted August 19th, 2008 at 7:00 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Continuing one of the most spectacular rises from obscurity that the sport has witnessed in recent years, Kenyan teenager Pamela Jelimo ran away with the Olympic 800m title tonight at Beijing’s National Stadium.

With the year’s five fastest performances and with eight victories in as many races this season, Jelimo was the overwhelming favourite to take the gold, and she hardly disappointed, clocking 1:54.87, her fourth World junior record of the summer. Notably, the 18-year-old claimed the first ever Olympic gold medal for Kenya in an event she first contested on the 19th of April this year.

“It makes me very happy to be the first for Kenya,” said Jelimo. “I’m still young and I’m looking forward to doing better. Maybe I can be the best again.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Fam Should Make Beijing Steeplechase Final An Honest Effort

Posted August 18th, 2008 at 4:00 AM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Anthony Famiglietti wants a bronze medal in Beijing. He has stated that he can’t do any better than that because so many of the other athletes are cheaters.

Even so, he’ll most likely have to get a huge PR in the Beijing men’s steeplechase final. Of the 15 men in the final, Fam is ranked only 12th, both in season’s best and in PR. He may even have to set an American record to get on the medal stand. Since Dan Lincoln’s AR is 8:08.52 and Fam’s PR is only 8:17.34, that would be an improvement of 8.52 seconds for him. But even that may not be enough.

Read the rest of this entry at: 400meteroval.com

One comment, add yours | Permalink

Marathoner Kastor Has Broken Foot

Posted August 17th, 2008 at 10:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

U.S. marathon record holder Deena Kastor sustained a broken foot earlier today during the early stages of the women’s Olympic Marathon here, USA Track & Field reported.

Kastor, the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist at the marathon, felt a pop in her right foot just before the 5 km mark, forcing her to abandon the race. She sat on the pavement holding her foot, before rising to limp off of the course and get medical attention.

Ray Flynn, Kastor’s agent, told USATF that an x-ray showed that the foot was broken.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Front-Running Tomescu-Dita Takes Marathon Title

Posted August 16th, 2008 at 11:46 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

In this morning’s seventh edition of the Olympic Marathon for women, Constantina Tomescu-Dita took a big gamble, and it paid off.

Breaking from a large pack just before the midway point, the 38-year-old Romanian, whose front-running style had backfired on more than one occasion in the past, forged off on her own to claim a dominating victory and became the oldest-ever women’s Olympic Marathon champion.

“It was a great performance,” said Dita, who was a distant 20th in Athens four years ago. “Going into the second half, I thought I could do it.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink