Five deep thoughts on how to view the Olympic Trials....

This is my third piece today as we give you the big themes prior to Eugene. If you have a suggestion on a column, email me at runblogrun@gmail.com!

Thank God for iced Americanos!

Elaine and Eliud by Athletics Weekly readers

WORLD ATHLETICS AWARDS 2021

Richardson and Bolt cross lane lines, #5, By Sam Fariss

2021 Oregon Twilight, May 7, 2021, photo by Larry Eder

1. The USA Olympic Track & Field Trials may be the cruelest, most honest way to manage the amazing athletic legacy we have in the US.

Face it, 1.4 million kids in high school (14-18), 150,000 in college (18-25), and about 5,000 elite and semi-elite athletes in the highest echelons of our sport.

No farm club-like track & field in any country, anywhere.

2. Each Olympic Trials, new stars arise.

In 1976, it was this engineering nerd, Edwin Moses (sorry Edwin, but you are a nerd and that is why we love you). Each Olympic Trials, new stars come up and entertain us and enthrall us.

3. Each Olympic Trials, great stars falter, some come back, some do not!

Each Olympic Trials is like an Italian Opera. Big moments of emotion, and huge surprises. That is sports. You have to be ready on the day, be in that top 3, or good luck.

4. There is always a huge surprise in the global sports politics world!

The pandemic will keep us guessing in 2021, as Tokyo changes each and every day! We are sure happy that some fans can go to Hayward Field!

5. The Olympic Trials are about the stories.

I will tell you about the backstories, the things that you do not see on TV.

Al Oerter, 4 time Olympic gold in discus, was NEVER the favorite in Trials or Olympics, think about it, and discuss among yourselves.

Sports journalism is like telling stories about Greek gods around the campfire. It is all about the story telling. Hopefully, we will do a good job this time around.

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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