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Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 2008

Graves of legendary Olympic athletes desecrated in Ethiopia

Posted March 12th, 2007 at 8:32 PM by Adam Berger

Section: News & Results, Olympics

An Ethiopian news portal, nazret.com, is reporting that the graves of athletics legends Abebe Bikila and Mamo Wolde have been desecrated.

According to the report, the tombstones of the Olympic gold medalists were torn down in Addis Ababa and the life-sized statues of the athletes were “cut from the legs.”

You can read the full report by clicking here.
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Podcast 25: Interview with sprinter Sanya Richards

Posted March 9th, 2007 at 1:54 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

I had the pleasure of being joined by 2004 4×400 Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards for Episode 25 of The Final Sprint Podcast.

Sanya is coming off of an incredible 2006; a year where she graduated from the University of Texas, was undefeated in 13 finals in the 400m, won a share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot, lowered the long-standout American record in the 400m to 48.70 and was named World Athlete of the Year.

In the interview Sanya speaks about deciding to abstain from this year’s indoor competitions, training with Jeremy Wariner, goals for the World Champs, the impact of her Jamaican roots and representing the United States.

Download the podcast to hear Sanya discuss these topics, how her speed compares to that of Aaron Ross (her boyfriend and Univ. of Texas football standout), what she thinks of Oscar Pistorius (who also specializes in the 400m), her role models, drugs in sports, advice for others 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: Sanya Richards
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 11.1MB
Length: 00:16:18

Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!

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Podcast 14: Interview with legendary Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills

Posted February 14th, 2007 at 3:45 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

In today’s podcast, I am joined by Billy Mills - a true hero of running and a compassionate warrior.

At the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Billy set an Olympic record and won a gold medal in the 10,000m; becoming the first and still the last American to win a gold in the event.

After his successful running career, Billy has channeled his love for running into a passion for fighting against poverty and discrimination as the national spokesperson of Running Strong for Native American Youth. He is also the subject of the 1983 movie “Running Brave”.

Download the podcast to hear Billy to discuss what has been called the “biggest upset in Olympic history”, running in borrowed shoes, how he has felt and been treated as a Native American athlete, teaching younger generations the importance of “Global Unity Through Global Diversity”, the possibility of him entering the 2007 Marine Core Marathon and much more!

Listen In
[MP3] Direct Download (Right click, 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: Billy Mills
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 24.0MB
Length: 00:35:04

Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!

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Olympic marathon champion Stefano Baldini plans 2007

Posted January 18th, 2007 at 11:09 AM by Doug Berger

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

Italian marathon champion Stefano Baldini may never be able to top his 2004 season (when he won the Olympic gold in the marathon), but 2006 was certainly a successful season. Baldini won the European marathon title in Sweden, finished sixth at the ING New York City Marathon (2:11:33) and improved his own national record to 2:07:22 at the Flora London Marathon.

Although Baldini had hoped to do better in New York, he did have an average marathon time of 2:10:35 for the season and was anything but disappointed:

“Looking back at 2006 it was one of the best years in my career. I hope that 2007 will be as successful as 2006.”

So with 2007 now under way, what exactly are this champion’s plans for the new year?
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Running Brave: Classic running movie about Billy Mills & the heart of a warrior

Posted December 28th, 2006 at 11:27 AM by Kathryn Magro

Section: Motivation, Movies, Columns, SPOTLIGHT

This is part four of the 5-part series: “BILLY MILLS: Overlooked Hero of Running” (Links to the other installments in this series are located at the conclusion of this article).

Running serves a different purpose for everyone. For some, it is solely a method of exercise; others find it to be a means of escape. In Running Brave, a 1983 film showcasing the life and career of Billy Mills, we find that running can also be a way of life. it certainly is for Mills, who states: “Running has been my freedom; my happiness.”

The struggles that Mills (played by Robby Benson) endures throughout the film revolve around his life as an American Sioux-Indian and his use of running to both fit in and remain sane in a seemingly uncontrollable world.
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BILLY MILLS
Compassionate Warrior

Posted December 15th, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Jennifer Lipman

Section: News & Results, Motivation, Columns, Olympics, SPOTLIGHT

This is part three of the 5-part series: “BILLY MILLS: Overlooked Hero of Running” (Links to the other installments in this series are located at the conclusion of this article).

For nearly 50 years Billy Mills has channeled his love for running into a passion for fighting against poverty and for encouraging Native American youth to believe in the power of their dreams.

As we mentioned in Part 2 of this series, Mills is a descendant of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) tribe and grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. After losing his parents at the young age of 12, he brought athletics into is life.

Since his historic 10,000m gold medal victory at the 1964 Olympics, Billy Mills has used his fame to help children that face the same poverty and rejection that he battled throughout his own life.
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BILLY MILLS
The Olympic Legend

Posted December 14th, 2006 at 9:19 AM by Jenna Sumara

Section: News & Results, Motivation, Columns, Olympics, SPOTLIGHT

This is part two of the 5-part series: “BILLY MILLS: Overlooked Hero of Running” (Links to the other installments in this series are located at the conclusion of this article).

Billy Mills was born in Pine Ridge, South Dakota on June 30, 1938 in the Oglala Sioux Indian reservation. Billy’s Lakota name is Makata Taka Hela meaning “love your country” or more traditionally translated, “respects the earth”.

After losing his parents when he was only 12-yrs old, Mills became involved with running at the Haskell Institute; an Indian school located in Lawrence, Kansas. In the late 1950’s, Mills attended the University of Kansas on an athletic scholarship.

At Kansas his hard work and natural abilities on the track continued to flourish. In 1958 and 1959 he was All-American in cross country. In the 1960 Big Eight Conference, Mills won an individual title in cross country. The following year, Mills again became the conference champion in the two mile race; coming in with a time of a little over nine minutes.
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BILLY MILLS
Overlooked Hero of Running

Posted December 4th, 2006 at 1:30 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, SoundOFF, Columns, Olympics, SPOTLIGHT

This year Runner’s World selected running legend Frank Shorter as one of it’s “Heroes of Running”. We don’t disagree with this designation; Shorter was an incredible runner and continues to be an inspiration to athletes around the world.

However, Shorter’s selection highlights a real injustice, but not because Shorter is in anyway undeserving of the award. Conversely, it serves to highlight how the media, and the running & fitness industry as a whole, have spent so much time focusing on runners like Shorter and Steve Prefontaine that many other heroes of running have sadly, been overlooked.

Want an example? How about Olympic Champion Billy Mills; the first and only American to win a gold medal in the 10,000m. Not only did Mills beat the top international athletes on the grandest of stages (Via one of the most dramatic come-from-behind wins in history), but he has also did so while battling prejudice because of his Native American background. Today, Mills has gone on to be a true role model and advocate for several generations of Native American youths.

So why have Mills and his amazing accomplishments been so overlooked? Read the rest of this entry »

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Banned track star Gatlin works out for NFL team

Posted December 3rd, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Jenna Sumara

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

Apparently an eight-year track and field ban for a failed drug test isn’t slowing down one of the fastest men in the world. Last Tuesday, the NFL’s Houston Texans worked out Justin Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic 100-meter gold medal winner. The workout was one of the Texans weekly workouts where they take a look at potential players for upcoming seasons. Although they wouldn’t be willing to sign him for this season, they are looking at him for next season or beyond and could sign him as early as late December of this year. Read the rest of this entry »

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‘Fastest’ Man on Earth

Posted May 16th, 2006 at 12:16 PM by Andrew Goodman

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

In the past 100 years of recorded 100 meter sprints the world record has varied within 1 second. And in the past 100 years, 70% of the 100 meter world record holders have been U.S. natives. After one year of agony inducing separation from the title, Brooklyn native Justin Gatlin, reclaimed the 100 meter world record for the United States beating Jamaica’s Asafa Powell by 1/100th of a second with a time of 9.76 seconds.

Gatlin has been surrounded by controversy since receiving a 2 year suspension in 2001 at the U.S. Junior Olympics testing positive for amphetamines. However, the amphetamine he tested positive for was found in medicine he had been taking for a form attention deficit disorder for 10 years. Gatlin is coached by Trevor Graham of whom six athletes have tested positive for steroid use.

Upon his return Gatlin flourished, winning Olympic gold in the Athens last year in the 100 meter race with a time of 9.85. He also won the 100 and 200 meter events at the world championships in Helsinki, Finland last year. Gatlin is set to defend his record against Powell on June 11th at the Gateshead meet in England. Powell appears ready to reclaim his title, stating “I will get back the record, I think I can run 9.60 with the same conditions.” Gatlin is also ready to break his own record, claiming to be ready to run a 9.73 in the Reebok Grand Prix in New York City on June 3rd.

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