by Larry EderThis coming weekend, per EME News, USATF CEO, Doug Logan, is making a presentation to the USATFBoard, at their meeting in Las Vegas. With all of the rumors swirling all summer about Mr. Logan’s viability as the CEO, some are saying that this might be a pivotal presentation for Logan.
Carl Lewis, nine time Olympic medalist has come out in favor of Doug Logan. I would have loved to have been a fly in that room. Lewis says that Doug Logan should stay in his job and that his detractors are, well, ignorant of the current world of sport. In his short tenure, Doug Logan has profoundly changed USATF, from the size of its Board, to the process of governing. Logan’s influence, whether in or out of office, will be a constant.
In my mind, whether Doug Logan stays or not, is the decision of the board at USA Track & Field. I am not sure that they know what they are looking for in a CEO. They may know what they are NOT looking for, but that is not the same.
The challenge for a CEO of USATF, in this environment, is to bring in sponsors and develop additional opportunities with current sponsors. Doug Logan has communicated to the masses, pitched ideas out there (Jamaica-USA meet) for events that do not exist, and spent much of his time, representing USATF.
What the CEO of USA Track & Field needs to understand the complex relationship between the 10-12 shoe companies that support the sport (through various athletes and events), the love-hate relationship between road running and track and field, and most of all, which athlete managers and coaches to reach out to. This is not a problem just with Logan, as USA Track & Field has never given the various footwear companies a chance to understand how the organization and their brands could work together. Consider what Nike contributes to the sport, but also ASICS, adidas, Brooks, Mizuno, Saucony, to name some of the largest. Consider what New York, Chicago, Boston, LA, to name the biggies do to contribute to the sport around the country. No one seems to know what assets that USATF has-that needs to change.
The politics of the sport of athletics, cross country, road running, track & field and race walking is like politics in the Balkans. Constant tribal warfare. What has given us success over the past few years, is that key people in the various constituencies have risen above their local needs and are looking out for the sport. That is key to our very survival.
The CEO’s job at USA Track & Field is a mine field. On any day, half of the board and constituency could hate you. Not a fun job. But, that is leadership. The CEO’s job is
part Barnum and Bailey and part Jerry McGuire. At the end of the day, it is all about the sales. $20 million should not be the target, $100 million should. From physical fitness to Go USA!, the sport has not figured out how to market itself–we have not figured out our assets, from the superb athletes we have, to the numbers of 9-18 year olds running every day, to the thirty plus million adults running in this country.
It has not helped Doug Logan that many have questioned the entire process in which he was chosen. Instead of digging up rumors, it needs to be faced that the entire process was flawed,
as there was never any transparency. That needs to be repaired in the next go round, whenever that is.
USA Track & Field has been a tragically flawed and complicated organization. RBR has applauded the changes in the organization over the past 18 months. However, the board needs to decide what is best for the sport, in the long term. London 2012 is under 700 days away and the world has a bullseye on USA Track & Field.
The CEO of USA Track & Field, must understand the sport, know and communicate with the current players in the sport and future stars, and most importantly, must have a rolodex that gives him or her access to Fortune 500 companies. The CEO of USA Track & Field is our sports top sales person. The CEO of USA Track & Field must get up each morning, and know
he or she has the best job in the world and a plethora of assets with which to sell the world’s greatest sport to seven billion people.
Our sport has a great window with London 2012 and Rio 2016. Let’s not blow it.
EME NEWS (SEP 9, 2010)
TALLINN MARATHON
TALLINN (EST): This Sunday the
biggest national sporting event in Estonia and the Baltic States – the SEB
Tallinn City Run and international SEB Tallinn Marathon – will take place. For
the first time in Estonia, more than 1000 runners will run the marathon.
Organizers are informing in a release. Kenyans will not be missed. The
most experienced is the Venice winner David Makori (2:08:49) who has run as
many as 11 marathons below 2:11. His fellow-countryman Felix Kipkorir will run
his first marathon. His personal record in half marathon (1:00:54) promises
interesting debut. Estonian Championship will also be held during the SEB
Tallinn Marathon where the Estonian record holder Pavel Loskutov (40) will be
the main favourite who, in spite of his long career, will compete for the first
time in a marathon on the territory of his homeland. His national record
2:08:53 is from Paris 2002.
In women’s marathon the main favourite is Ruth Kutol
from Kenya (personal record 2:27.22 in winning Dublin 2003). One of the
favourites of the SEB Tallinn 10
km City Run is Estonian record holder Tiidrek Nurme who
has to compete with the 2002 European marathon champion Janne Holmén from
Finland, Ethiopians Kelbessa Yonas Tefera and Diriba Refera Garomsa and other
strong runners from Lithuania, Latvia and Russia. In total the expectations are
at level of 11 000 people from 22 countries to attend the biggest Estonian
national sporting event.
POWELL HOPES TO BE READY
KINGSTON (JAM): Jamaican top sprinter
Asafa Powell informs in IAAF diaries that he will start the preparation for
2011 as other Jamaican top athletes beginning of October. „I can say for sure
at this point, that my 2010 injuries are much better than when they happened.
I am doing the treatments necessary because by next month when our
training season starts, I hope to be ready to give 100% of my efforts.
Occupying my time these days are my cars, getting them faster, and my house
that I am working on in Kingston. Partying is obviously a big no-no now
because my back is not the best now. So all my focus is on getting my house
done, so I can move in soon,” Powell was quoted.
LEWIS SUPPORTS LOGAN
NEW YORK (USA): AP writes that
the leader of USA Track and Field is getting support from Carl Lewis, who says
efforts to oust CEO Doug Logan stem from the inner workings of an organization
run by „people who don’t understand anything outside their own zip code.” Hired
shortly before the 2008 Olympics, Logan has tried to bring big changes to his sport
after America’s disappointing effort in Beijing. Reports that his job are in
jeopardy have been swirling through the summer. Logan visited last weekend the
IAAF/VTB Continental Cup in Split. The USATF board meets this weekend in Las
Vegas, where Logan is scheduled to give a presentation that could determine his
future.
DIX BROTHER EXPLAINS
MOUNTAIN VIEW (USA): Walter Dix
hopes to be better next year. His brother/agent Washington said about his
London injury for trackandfieldnews.com: „It wasn’t a major strain, but it
was serious enough to shut down the season in order to not injure it further
and possibly make it worse in looking ahead to next year. Walter has been
taking it easy and getting treatment since we got back from Europe. We’re looking to be back in training [in]
full effect no later than November. This should give him more than enough time
to heal completely and hopefully come back twice as strong.” But overall, the
agent continues, „We had a pretty productive season. We made notes of some
dos and don’ts that occurred this year, [to] make note for the future. We were
focused on establishing Walt back on the scene. To do what he did, and actually
run undefeated in the 200 except for the USAs was pretty cool. We are really
looking forward to next year in hopes of coming back stronger and faster.”
ROTHLIN FOR NYC
NEW YORK/ZURICH (USA/SUI):
European marathon champion Viktor Rothlin will run his next marathon in New
York on November 7. In
preparation for that Rothlin will compete on September 18 at home on the road
at „Greifenseelauf” in Uster at Half-Marathon and on October 24 in Portsmouth at 10 miles. Rothlin will
have a press conference on September 17 to which specially from New York
arriving will be chief of New York Marathon Mary Wittenberg. A big group
of North American athletes will be competing at the 2010 ING New York City
Marathon too. As RRW writes, back in
1975, Canadian Jerome Drayton won the Fukuoka Marathon for the second of three
times, clocking 2:10:09. Nearly 35 years later, no Canadian has run faster.
Peter Butler ran 2:10:56 at the California International Marathon in
Sacramento, Calif., in 1985, and is the only other Canadian to break 2:11:00.
That could all change in New York this year when Simon Bairu makes his marathon
debut. Bairu, 27, is already the Canadian record holder at 10,000m; he ran
27:23.63 at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational last May. Bairu, who ran a
half-marathon personal best of 1:02:47 at the Rock ‚N’ Roll Phoenix
Half-Marathon last January finishing ahead of Ryan Hall, has been preparing
with Oregon Track Club teammates Tim Nelson and Shalane Flanagan for New York
at high altitude in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., under coach Jerry Schumacher. He and
Nelson are well matched: Nelson has run 27:31.56 and 1:02:11. Both athletes
will test their fitness at the ING Rock ‚N’ Roll Philadelphia Half-Marathon on
September 19. The American women will be competing for the national marathon
title and a special $150,000 prize money purse.
HOOKER FOR GATESHEAD
GATESHEAD (AUS):
A 22-strong Australian team – including 13 Commonwealth Games nominees –
will line up at the Great North City Games in northern England, all set to take
on the Poms in nine track and field events to be contested on the streets of
Newcastle-Gateshead. The team will be spearheaded by some of the biggest names
in Australian athletics including Steve Hooker (pole vault), Patrick Johnson
(150m), Collis Birmingham (two miles), Craig Mottram (two miles) and Sally
Pearson (150m, 100m hurdles) in the points-per-win competition, where one point
will be awarded to the winning athlete’s country per event. Informs Athletics
Australia. European 110 m
hurdles champion Andy Turner will captain England in the event.
RUDISHA RETURNS
NAIROBI (KEN): Kenyan media are
widely reporting about the home arrival of 800 m world record holder
David Rudisha on Wednesday morning. As standard.co.ke writes, he walked
straight into manhood, by Masaai traditions, on arrival from Europe. With
ululating women, rumbling and stomping Masaai morans, enthusiastic politicians
all fighting for a piece of the pie, it was scene to behold, only comparable to
the arrival of 2008 Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo after her fairy-tale season.
He and his wife Lizzie enjoyed sour milk from a Masaai traditional gourd
in presence of their six month daughter Sherline. The party will go on and
climax on September 17 in
Kilgoris where 50 cows are set to be killed to celebrate his achievement. „Now
I want to rest and start early preparations for the World Championships (2011 in South Korea) and
Olympics (2012 in
London,” said Rudisha. He might start his 2011 year as this year in Australia
in winter.
OLIVER IN FRANCE
ANNECY (FRA): The traditional
country match in decathlon events at the end of the season called Decanation
will be staged this Saturday in Annecy. After Jamaica withdrew its team in
order to prepare for Commonwealth Games seven teams competing will be USA,
Germany, Russia, Italy, China, Finland and home France. The biggest stars will
be home athletes Christophe Lemaitre, Renaud Lavillenie and Mahiedine Mekhissi
(steeple). Internationally the biggest name is US world number one 110 m hurdler David Oliver in
his last competition of the year. Also to note from US team sprinter Mike
Rodgers and hurdler Damu Cherry. German team will be headlined by high jumper
Ariane Friedrich, who won bronze at recent European Championships along with
sprinter Verena Sailer and shot putter Ralf Bartels. Title defenders USA won
the match three times in 2006, 2008 and 2009. France was the best in 2007 and
Russia won the inaugural edition in 2005.
OTHER NEWS
FORT WAYNE (USA): Good news for
athletics. As journalgazette.net informs, there are even more high school
student-athletes nation-wide, according to a survey conducted by the
National Federation of State High School Associations. Participation in high
school sports increased for the 21st straight school year in 2009-10, eclipsing
the 7.6 million mark for the first time. Outdoor track and field gained the
most combined participants in 2009-10, with an increase of 25,561 participants,
followed by soccer with 19,597 combined participants and cross country
(11,925). In girls sports, soccer gained the most participants (11,582),
followed by outdoor track and field (11,445) and fast-pitch softball (9,290).
Outdoor track and field led the way in boys sports with 14,116 additional
participants, followed by cross country (8,156) and soccer (8,015).
SZOMBATHELY (HUN): Pal Nemeth
Memorial hammer throw competition will be held in Szombathely on Thursday.
European Champion and fresh Continental Cup winner Libor Charfreitag of
Slovakia is the favorite, home star and bronze winner from Spain Krisztian Pars
will also fight for the top place. Also in the competition Tajikistan´s Dilshod
Nazarov, Mohamed Al Zinkawi of Kuweit, Latvian record holder Igors Sokolovs,
Croatian record holder Andras Haklits and former olympic and world winner
Szymon Ziolkowski of Poland.
CHEBOKSARY (RUS): Russian
marathon record holder Galina Bogomolova (2:20:47 in Chicago 2006) returned to
running during last weekend at National Half-marathon championships. After
giving birth to her child early in the year she finished as 26th in 1:24:16.
The start was part of her preparation for 2011.
TALLINN (EST): Javelin 2005
world champion Andrus Varnik is not giving up and plans for 2011 with new team
around him. „If Estonia would have throwers with 85 m results, it would no
longer really make sense,” said Varnik. Despite his support will be reduced he
wants to continue in his career. Head coach Aivo Normak explained that based on
his results he could be only at B-level for the financial support. His 2010
best is 74.50 m.
LONDON (GBR): Sportscal informs
that Octagon, the international sports agency, enhanced its presence in South
America by acquiring B2S, the Brazilian sports marketing firm, to capitalise on
opportunities as the country prepares for 2016 Olympic Games and 2014 FIFA
World Cup. Octagon plans also activities in athletics in Caribbean region
connected to Jamaica.
MOSCOW (RUS): Website
„Championat.ru” announced best athletes of the track season 2010. In men category
athlete of the year is David Rudisha.
Sprinter of the Year is Tyson Gay, jumper Teddy Tamgho and thrower
Andreas Thorkildsen. Russian AOY is Ivan Ukhov and anti-AOY LaShawn Merritt. In
women section AOY for Blanka Vlasic, Hunter of Diamonds is Allyson Felix,
sprinter of the year Veronica Campbell-Brown, jumper Fabiana Murer and thrower
Nadezhda Ostapchuk. Loss of the year is Yelena Isinbayeva and anti-AOY goes for
Shelly-Ann Fraser. Newcomer of the Year is Sandra Perkovic. Russian AOY for
four names Svetlana Feofanova, Mariya Savinova, Yelena Zadorozhnaya and Tatyana
Firova.
