Image details: U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials - Day Three served by picapp.com
After winning the 100-meter Olympic Trials final in 9.68 on Sunday, Tyson Gay is now back to compete in the 200-meters. The reigning 200-meter World Champion jogged easily to victory (20.43) in the preliminaries.
There were not any surprises, as everyone that was expected to move forward, did so tonight. Saturday are the semi and quarterfinal rounds with the finals taking place on Sunday.
Shawn Crawford qualified for the semifinal heat (20.18),along with Xavier Carter (20.86), and Walter Dix (20.66). Wallace Spearmon did not qualify for the 100 meters but then again it’s not his main race either. He hopes to get his ticket to Beijing and challenge Tyson Gay in the 200 meters.
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Image details: U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials - Day Three served by picapp.com
Tyson Gay cruised to 9.85 in the semifinals and secured a spot in the final. After the race he said “I am a little tired, but I feel good.” It is evident that Walter Dix (9.93) is poised to compete for a top three finish in the finals after a solid showing in his second place finish.
The second heat of men’s 100-meter semifinal heat was easily won by veteran Darvis Patton (10.04). He has fought injuries for two years to come back to top form. When asked about his mental state he said said “one more to go.”
Wallace Spearmon had a disappointing end to his bid to make the 100-meter team spot on the U.S. Olympic Team with a fifth place finish. High school national record holder Jeffrey Demps had a good run through the rounds against elite runners but did not qualify for the nationals.
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Image details: AT&T USA Outdoor Track And Field Championships - Day 2 served by picapp.com
On a blazing hot day here, a pile-up about 250 meters into yesterday’s first heat of the women’s 800m semi-finals at these U.S. Olympic Trials sent four women tumbling to the track, splitting the field, and initially crushing some long-held Olympic dreams.
“I remember getting grabbed then getting physical with someone,” said Nikeya Green who finished third in a race where only the top-4 finishers would qualify for the final. “I don’t know. It wasn’t my fault, but it just kind of happened.”
Just behind Green, Kameisha Bennett, Latavia Thomas and Becky Horn fell hard. Nicole Teter (Pictured above) then went down as she tried to jump over the pile-up.
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adidas has launched a new website focused on adidas-sponsored athletes who are likely to compete in the Olympic Games across the full spectrum of sports. The site, roadstobeijing.com, includes athlete profiles, videos, photos, blogs (still in development) and polls.
“Most of us only get to see the athletes in the competitive arena and, understandably, rarely fully appreciate what it takes to get to the top of their sport,” said Jocelyn Robiot, adidas’s head of global sports marketing through a media release. “RoadstoBeijing.com breaks new ground and offers a unique insight into that journey.”
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The Week In the Rear View is a weekly column wrapping up the week’s events in running and track & field. I am normally found at PreraceJitters.com, writing about the fast life of track and field.
Everyone in the track world is talking about Usain “Lightening” Bolt. He shut ‘em down—literally! Bolt quieted his critics with a 9.72 seconds World Record performance with World Champion Tyson Gay in the race. Tyson Gay looked in good shape for this time of season running 9.85, which was good enough for second. Doesn’t that sound crazy? Bolt is now the favorite in Beijing, but two months is certainly a long time from now.
You could call it the law of averages. The Jeremy Wariner vs. LaShawn Merritt race in Berlin resulted in the end of Wariner’s winning streak that dates back to 2005. Merritt was superb. He executed a perfect race strategy to deliver the win. Before the media writes the early demise of Wariner, it should be noted that he isn’t in top shape, not yet—that will be in Beijing.
It is true that most of the 6,000-plus spectators who filled Ichan Stadium here, especially the 1,000 or so Jamaicans, came to see explosive sprinters like Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay and Allyson Felix. Their cheers, deafening during the sprints, were largely lacking during the distance events, despite the entreaties of RRW’s favorite meet announcer Scott Davis.
However, some exciting sprint finishes in the longer races did get the crowds on their feet, in particular the finish of the men’s 5000m where Shadrack Kosgei of Kenya and Ali Abdosh of Ethiopia duked it out on the final 100m, the first race after a 45 minute delay caused by a heavy thunderstorm. The pair were running close to 13-flat pace throughout the race, and it took a 56-second final 400m by Kosgei to lock down the win by just 4/100ths of a second, 13:14.46 to 13:14.50. Abdosh was sprinting so fast in the final meters he nearly fell as he crossed the finish line.
“I thought the sprint was fantastic,” said a beaming Kosgei. “I was really strong.”
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With the 2008 IAAF Golden League kicking off in Berlin this weekend, outdoor track is in full swing. This being an Olympic year, every major meet from here on out can offer a piece of what the final Olympic track & field puzzle might look like. The 2008 Reebok Grand Prix, which begins tonight, May 31, 2008, at at 5:00pm in Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in New York City, NY, is no exception. Here are some quick glimpses into many of the events that will be held tonight:
100m
Men: Fresh off a sizzling 9.76 (just 0.02 slower than Asafa Powell’s world record), Usain Bolt will face World Champion Tyson Gay, who is facing some pre-Olympic jitters. Both men are fully capable of blowing their starts, which would offer Shawn Crawford and Xavier Carter some hope. There’s an A race and a B race. That’s always a letdown, isn’t it?
Women: Loaded with stellar American and Jamaican sprinters, this race should be a preview of the Olympic final: Veronica Campbell Brown, Lauryn Williams, Allyson Felix, Torri Edwards, more.
200m
Men: Wallace Spearmon is the only man in the race to have broken 20 seconds. It’s his race for the taking.
Women: Lashauntea Moore, the 9th fastest 200m runner of 2007 (22.46) faces Muna Lee, the 2nd fastest in the world (22.30) from 2008 and Shalonda Solomon, the 7th fastest in the world (22.36) in 2006. Keep an eye out for University of Texas freshman Bianca Knight, who turned pro this year after running a fabulous 22.40.
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An eagerly anticipated 100m face off between World champion Tyson Gay of the U.S. and world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica has been set for the Aviva London Grand Prix on July 25-26, organizers announced.
With both sprinters gearing up for the Olympic Games, the race at London’s Crystal Palace will likely be their only face-to-face prior to Beijing.
“London will be very crucial for me,” said Gay, who last year stormed to World titles at both the 100 and 200m in Osaka. “It is one of the biggest meets of the year right now and that is where it is going down between myself and Asafa. He has the title of being the World record holder and I have the title of being the World champion, and I think that is really good for the sport.”
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Tyson Gay To Face Usain Bolt In May
Now that Usain Bolt is the owner of the 2nd fastest 100m time in history, he is set to race world champion Tyson Gay. They will compete on May 21st at the Reebok Grand Prix. Now if the organizers could only get Asafa Powell…
More: IAAF
Athens Bronze-Medalist To Miss Beijing Marathon
Brazilian marathoner Vanderlei de Lima will not defend his Olympic Marathon Bronze medal from Athens in Beijing. Because of injuries, the 38-year-old will not be able to run in Prague this weekend in a last-ditch effort to get a top-3 qualifying time for Team Brazil.
More: guardian.co.uk, UK
Michigan Journalist Lists Favorites for US 25K Championships
Howie Beardsley of the Grand Rapids Press lists the favorites for the 31st edition of the Fifth Third River Bank Run, which also serves as the USA Track & Field 25K championships. Among the favorites are Brian Sell and Peter Gilmore. Katherine Koski wears the #1 bib for the women.
More: The Grand Rapids Press
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The sprint events, topped by Usain Bolt’s (Pictured) sizzling 9.76 in the 100m, stole the headlines at the Jamaica International Invitational this past weekend.
To relive the action, check out the following slide show that we put together using photographs courtesy of Getty Images. In addition, official race results for highlighted middle & long distance events can be found below.
Galen Rupp: “I’m starting to come around”
Galen Rupp, in only his second cross-country race of the season (he had started his training cycle again after competing in the World Championships), finished 1st to lead the Oregon Ducks to a 1st-place team finish at the NCAA West Regional cross-country championships. He is considered to be a […]
The text of the NCAA release on violations by the Arkansas men’s track and field program:
The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions has penalized University of Arkansas, Fayetteville for major violations in its men’s track and field program. This case involved several violations of NCAA recruiting rules committed by one former assistant coach and […]
Fast Times Vs. Competition
Interesting debate over at the Track & Field News Message Board about whether it is better to have fast marks or competitive races in Track & Field. Read more at: [Track & Field News]
Univ. of Arkansas Stripped of Two Team National Titles
The university of Arkansas Track & Field team has been stripped […]
1,362.4 Miles Down, 288.2 Miles To Go for Tim Borland
Tim Borland ran a marathon in Charleston, SC yesterday, his 53rd in as many days, on his way to a 63rd daily marathon in New York City on November 4th, 2007. His goal is to raise money and awareness for The A-T Children’s Project, a non-profit […]
Tyson Gay, Allyson Felix, Reese Hoffa, Sanya Richards, Bernard Lagat and Jeremy Wariner have been named to the short list of candidates for the 2007 IAAF World Athletes of the Year Awards.
Fans will have the opportunity to contribute to the selection of the three finalists in the men’s and women’s categories via the IAAF website […]
Gay Wins, Powell Injures Hamstring in Yokohama
Tyson Gay ended his season strongly by finishing 1st in the 100m in a steady rain at the Super Track and Field Meet in Yokohama, Japan Sunday. In the same meet Asafa Powell pulled a hamstring muscle while running the turn of the 200m. Tyler Christopher of Canada went […]
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 […]
A handful of the stars who competed in Shanghai will travel to Japan to compete in the Seiko Super Track and Field meet on Sunday, September 30 in Yokohama.
Three-time gold medalist at the 2007 World Outdoor Championships Tyson Gay is back in the men’s 100 meters, looking to avenge his loss from Shanghai. Anwar Moore […]
Haile’s Goal: 2:03 Marathon
Haile Gebrselassie’s goal for the Berlin Marathon this coming Sunday is 2:03:00, which would be an almost inconceivable 4:41 per mile pace. That would be a minute and 55 seconds faster than Paul Tergat’s world record of 2:04:55. Gebrselassie, the world record holder in the 20000m (56:26.0), the 20K (55:48) and the […]
Wallace Spearmon’s dazzling time of 9.96 seconds today in the 100m Dash at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix ties him with Carl Lewis as the 4th fastest man of all time when adding his 100m and 200m times together. Each man’s combined 100m/200m time is 29.61 seconds. Michael Johnson is number one with a combined […]
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