by Larry Eder
Consider this. We are a month away from the London Olympics, less than a month, actually. Tyson Gay has run 9.86, Justin Gatlin has run 9.80. Wallace Spearmon has run 19.81. And Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt are battling away. I see both 100m and 200m that there is true competition, with these five guys, plus others, ready to ramble. Anyone who says, well, so and so is a clear favorite, is not looking at the track.
The last day of the US Olympic Trials were as wonderful as a day of track can be. Morgan Uceny leading Shannon Rowbury and Jennie Simpson in the 1,500m. Leo Manzano, Matt Centrowitz and Andrew Wheating making the team in the 1,500m. Some tremendous jumping with Brittany Reese winning the long jump on her last jump, and putting three women over 7 meters!
The truth is, the 2012 US team, is one of the best that we have had in decades. From the 100 meters to the marathon, we have medal contenders. Think not? Consider for a moment what the Kenyan and Ethiopian so called Trials have done to their top athletes. In the US, it is a battle of the fittest on that day, honest, cruel, and beautiful, all at the same time.
One final note: Easy to point a finger at USATF over the 100 meter dead heat. I believe that they should have simply gone to the hundreths in the final times. But, that was not to be. That the USATF did not have a policy was not sad, it just was. In trying to be transparent, they sure made some media upset. My issue was with the USOC having to approve everything. The USOC should stay as far away as possible. Their King Solomon ploy was ridiculous.
What did we learn from the 100m deadheat? That we should put some of those things on TV. My ideas? Top 8 sprinters in 60m or 100m during halftime of NFL football. During halftime, top 8 shot putters in the world, three throws, $1 million, and Made for TV, stories of 8 top sprinters, week after week, then one race, winner takes all.
At end of the day, if sports fan can not see the excitement in the sport of track & field, check their pulse.
BLAKE
BEATS BOLT IN THE 200 M
KINGSTON
(JAM, Jul 1): It was an aura of ecstasy and brilliance at the National Stadium
when Yohan Blake and Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce produced scintillating
performances to close the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships.
Blake upset the defending Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt,
running an impressive 19.80 (-0.5) to Bolt’s 19.83 seconds and Warren Weir „cut
his ticket” to London with a hard fought 20.03 seconds for the 3rd spot
over Nickel Ashmeade, 4th in 20.16 and Nesta Carter 20.45. It was first loss
for Bolt at 200 m since September 14, 2007 at Van Damme Memorial in Brussels
(20.14 beaten by Spearmon and Xavier Carter). His winning streak was at 17
finals. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who on Saturday smashed the national 100m
record by running 10.70, completed the double running 22.10 (+0.6) a new
personal best, lowering her previous best of 22.15. Second Sherone Simpson
22.36 over defending Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown 22.42.
Kerron Stewart was only 5th (22.70) Novlene Williams-Mills defended her
national 400m in winning in 50.60 seconds over Rosemarie Whyte (50.78) and
Christine Day, third 51.00 over Shericka Williams 51.39. In the men’s section
Dane Hyatt won in 44.83 over Rusheen McDonald 45.10 and Jermaine Gonzales
45.18, with relay spots going to Errol Nolan 45.25 and Edino Steele 45.38 (for
all PB´s except of Gonzales). Brigitte Foster-Hylton delivered yet another
national championship victory posting a time of 12.68 (+1.3) beating
Latoya Greaves and Shermaine Williams, both in personal best times of 12.77 and
12.80 respectively. Kimberly Williams and Dorain Scott achieved Olympic A standard
marks in the women’s triple jump and men’s shot put respectively. Williams won
the women’s triple jump in 14.52 (-0.9 while Scott, the shot put winner,
secured his ticket to London with 20.72m. Earlier K’don Samuels won the men’s
pole vault in 5.02m. Kateema Riettie won the women javelin in 52.51m ahead of
Olivia McKoy 50.51m. Saniel Atkinson-Grier cleared 189 to win the women high
jump.
SUPERB
LONG JUMPING
EUGENE
(USA, Jul 1): The U.S. women put on a show in the field events with the
long jumpers having the best ever U.S. performance, and Brittany Borman
improving her personal best by more than two feet to win the women’s javelin
competition on her 23rd birthday. Sunday was the final full day of the U.S.
Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field as 22,497 fans gathered at Hayward
Field. The eight-day total attendance was recorded at 167,123. The greatest and
deepest women’s long jump in U.S. history had all three women on the podium
jumping more than 23 feet. World Indoor and Outdoor champion Brittney Reese had
a dramatic finish as she had to sweat out a protest after her final
attempt was ruled a foul. Upon review of the Eagle Eye video system, her
jump was ruled legal and at 715 (+1.0) was enough to capture her fifth straight
national title. Prior to Reese’s winner, the drama came from Louisiana Tech’s
Chelsea Hayes, who hit a massive lifetime-best 710 (+1.6) on her sixth
attempt after four straight fouls. That leap made her the fourth best performer
in U.S. history and the equal-second-best collegiate performer ever. Janay
DeLoach jumped a wind-legal PR of 703 (+1.7) in the third round, then
improved with a windy 708 (+2.4) in round five and ended up third. NCAA
champion Whitney Gipson of TCU was fourth with a PR 697 (+1.2). NCAA
champion Brittany Borman waited until her final attempt in the women’s javelin,
but it was worth the wait when she uncorked a lifetime best 61.51 throw
that made her the No. 3 U.S. competitor of all-time and captured her first U.S.
title. American Record holder Kara Patterson had the early lead but tweaked
knee on her fourth-round throw and elected to pass her final two tries and
placed second at 59.79. Kim Hamilton finished third at 58.04 but does not have
an Olympic A standard, so Rachel Yurkovich, who was fourth, will make the
trip to London based on having the A standard. In the men’s 1500m Leo
Manzano captured the Trials title in a time of 3:35.75 as a raucous
crowd cheered for runner-up Matthew Centrowitz, who ran 3:35.84, as well as
Andrew Wheating took third at 3:36.68. NCAA champion Andy Bayer of Indiana
placed fourth in 3:37.24, but didn’t have enough to catch Wheating, who was an
800m Olympian in 2008. In the women’s 1500m, Morgan Uceny, a member of the
2011 World team and No. 1 in Track and Field News world rankings, was among the
leaders throughout the race and cruised a final lap of 60.14 to win with a 4:04.59
over Shannon Rowbury, who finished with a 60.46 to get second in 4:05.11.
Jenny Simpson, the 2011 World champion, had a firm grasp on the third
London position as she ran 4:05.17. Giving chase in fourth with a 4:07.38
was Gabriele Anderson, followed by Anna Pierce (4:07.78) and Sarah Bowman
(4:08.25). Reaffirming her position as a gold medal threat in London,
American Record holder and reigning World champion Lashinda Demus raced to the
fastest time by an American this year in the women’s 400m hurdles, taking her
fourth national title in 53.98. Rapidly-improving Georganne Moline of Arizona
dropped her PR to 54.32 to finish second, with former Miami star T’erea Brown
claiming the third Olympic berth with a 54.81 in third. 2008 Trials winner
Tiffany Williams was fourth (55.09), one spot ahead of NCAA champ Cassandra
Tate of LSU (55.36). Two-time Olympic champion Angelo Taylor (his 4th olympic
hurdles team, tying the record of Edwin Moses) appeared to have another men’s
400m hurdles national title wrapped up but he had trouble at hurdle nine and
bobbled on the way to the final barrier, where his stuttering opened the door
for 2006 NCAA champion Michael Tinsley to sprint to his first U.S. victory in
48.33 (slowest trials winning time since 1972). Taylor managed to hang on for
second in 48.57, and two-time World champion Kerron Clement benefited from an
ill-timed fall by Bershawn Jackson to take third in 48.89, .05 ahead of the
sprawling Batman. The final event of the Trials displayed the dominance of
Wallace Spearmon in the men’s 200, as he overcame his typical medium curve and
rolled to the front off the bend on the way to a windy 19.82 (+2.3) that
gave him a margin of victory of more than three-tenths of a second.
NCAA champion Maurice Mitchell was second in 20.14, and Isiah Young of Ole Miss
grabbed the third London berth at 20.16. Fourth by 0.01 Calesio Newman in
20.17. From USATF.
TARMOH
VS. FELIX
EUGENE
(USA): Prior to Sunday’s competition, USATF announced that the third position
for the women’s 100 meters on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team will be determined by
a run-off between Jeneba Tarmoh and Allyson Felix at 5 p.m. Pacific Time
on Monday, July 2. The race will be held at Hayward Field and broadcast live on
NBC.
AFRICAN
WOMEN SHOT PUT RECORD
PORTO NOVO
(BEN, Jul 1): Last day of 18th African Championships saw high jump men won by
Kabelo Kgosiemang of Botswana with 225 cm. In the steeple Kenyan Mercy Njoroge
was the best in the steeple 9:43.26 in front of Ethiopian Birtukan Adamu
9:45.41. Kenyan record holder Julius Yego took gold in javelin with 76.68. One
of the top results of the day was new African and meet record in shot put women
18.86 by Vivian Chukwuemeka of Nigeria. Her team-mate Ajoke Odumosu won 400 m
hurdles in 54.99 as her team-mates Gloria Asumnu and Lawretta Ozoh took at
photofinish first and second in 200m with 22.93 (-0.7). Ben Meite of Ivory
Coast won the men 200 m in 20.62 (-1.4) beating Egyptian Amr Seoud in 20.76 and
bronze for Nigerian Noah Akwu in 20.83. First gold for Uganda in triple jump
women with Sara Nambawa winner with a windy 13.90 (+2.3). Impressive in
800 m women the winner Francine Nyionsaba of Burundi only 19, took gold with
the new national record of 1:59.11 going over strong Eunice Sum of Kenya
1:59.13 and Malika Akkaoui of Morocco 1:59.90. 1500 m men saw Caleb Ndiku as
winner in 3:35.71 new meeting record in front of two promising guys Souleiman
Ayanleh from Djibouti 3:36.34 at photofinish with James Magut from Kenya
3:36.35. 5000m men was the moment for the second complete podium for Kenyans
with winner Mark Kiptoo 13:22.38 in front of marathoner Jonathan Mayio 13:22.89
and Timothy Kiptoo in 13:24.67. Last races of the day the 4×400 m relays with
Nigeria having a double: 3:28.77 by women and meet record ahead of Botswana
(with Montsho) 3:31.27 NR and men 3:02.39 over South Africa 3:04.01 (with
Pistorius third leg) and Kenya 3:04.12 (Botswana was disqualified).
OTHER RESULTS
SAN
SALVADOR (ESA, Jul 1): Cuban Yoandis Lezcay won 200 m (20.87 -1.2) and 400 m
(46.17) at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships. In the U17
200 m Zharnel Hugues of Anguilla got 20.98 (-1.5). In the junior hurdles new
Cuban talent Yordan O´ Farrill won the 110 m race in 13.27 (0.0) over Jamaican
Steven Fennell 13.52. In the U17 110 m hurdles Reubin Walters of Trinidad
achieved 13.49 (-0.5). Jamaica clocked 39.39 in the 4×100 m (Skeen, Tracey,
Givans, Murphy).
SAO
PAULO (BRA, Jul 1): Final results from Trofeu Brasil Caixa Atletismo saw Bruno
de Barros clocking 20.37 (+0.8) in the 200 m over Aldemir Gomes 20.38 and
Sandro Viana 20.56. Kleberson Davide won the 800 m in 1:46.03 over Fabiano
Pecanha 1:46.26. Mahau Sugimati was the best in the 400 m hurdles 49.24. In
women 200 m Rosangela Santos 22.92 (0.0) over Ana Lemos 23.01. Sales de Lima
won the 400 m hurdles 56.16 and Karla Rosa da Silva 430 in the pole vault.
BOGOTA
(COL, Jun 30): At South American Grand Prix meet fast sprints by Alex Quinonez
of Ecuador 10.27 (+1.7) and 20.29 (+1.7) national record. Two Colombian javelin
throwers went over 80 meters, Dayron Marquez 80.61 and Arley Ibarguen 80.60.
Triple world medalist Catherine Ibarguen won the long jump with 687 (+4.1) and
legal 673 (+1.8).
KARLSRUHE
(GER, Jul 1): Australian junior Steven Solomon clocked here good quality 45.75
at the 400 m.
FRANKENBERG
(GER, Jul 1): Ralf Bartels won here the shot put with 19.74 and missed the
olympic standard of 20.50.
EBERSTADT
(GER, Jul 1): Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch cleared 190 at special high jump meet
here. She then tried at olympic standard 195 and missed only very close. Martin
Gunther and Martyn Bernard cleared 220 in the men competition. Initially Ariane
Friedrich was suppose to compete here.
KIELCE
(POL, Jun 30) Sultan Al-Dawoodi achieved here at a meeting new national
discus record for Saudi Arabia 65.08 m.
ALMATY
(KZK, Jul 1): During second day of All-Stars Asian meet Vitaliy Tsikunov
cleared 222 in the high jump, Roman Valiyev 16.60 (+0.5) in the triple jump and
Natalya Ivoninskaya 13.09 (-1.6) at the 100 m hurdles.
BRUSSELS
(BEL, Jul 1): Sensational improvement for French decathlete Kevin Mayer who had
in Helsinki 3 fouls in long jump during the first day of the event on
Wednesday. During the weekend scored olympic standard 8415 points, new national
U23 record. Counting windy long jump it would be even more 8447 points. His
results: 11.19 (+1.1), 763 (+5.7)/750 (+1.3), 13.23, 209, 48.75, 14.21 (+1.6),
43.13, 515, 61.58, 4:18.04. It is also 10th position in the European U23
all-time list.
GOLD
COAST (AUS, Jul 1): At the Gold Coast Marathon Japanese Kaori Yoshida won the
women’s race in 2:30:36. Madoka Ogi ran 2:33:48 as second and third Kenyan
Hellen Kimutai 2:36:45. Alemayehu Shumye of Ethiopia was the best in men race
2:10:35 ahead of Kenyans Robert Mwangi 2:12:19 and Ernest Kebenei 2:12:49.
TROMSO
(NOR, Jun 30): Midnight Sun Marathon winners were Kenyan Thomas Bereket 2:29:37
and Marthe Katrine Myhre 2:45:13 lifetime best.
APPINGEDAM
(NED, Jun 30): Fast 10 km at the 16th edition of the road race here by Kenyan
Philip Langat 27:57. Women winner Yebergual Melese of Ethiopia got 32:38 over
Boston marathon winner Caroline Kilel 32:57.
CORRECTION
KINGSTON
(JAM): Correct time for Andrew Riley at Jamaican Trials at 110 m hurdles was
13.19, his personal best.
