Sanya Richards Is Star Material

She wore the athletic gear well.

Not only did she win the whole thing but she made a statement while doing it at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene.

I am referring to Sanya Richard’s dominant win in the women’s 400-meters, that silenced critics and her own personal doubts after failing to qualify for World Championship team last year.

This year could not have been more different than last year for the former University of Texas 400-meter runner.

This time around Sanya made a big fashion statement with her uniform and gear as she reclaimed her star status after a year lost to illness. Wearing one of Nike’s half-Space Age (forearm covers), half-wonky (knee-high black socks) uniforms, Richards brought down the house at Hayward Field while winning the 400.

There is history behind the athletic gear and the timing, A certain women by the name of Flo Jo made speed fashionable. As Richards crossed the finish line in the fresh Nike gear, the moment immediately conjured up memories of Flo Jo crossing the finish line at the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials. Flo Jo captivated the world with her racing outfits, she wore one leg outfits, fluorescent, and some of them where even lace.

Was this display a precursor to Olympic gold for Richards?

Nike chose their leading lady to debut the Nike uniform the U.S. track and film uniform— complete with the dimpled-fabric arm coverings and calf warmers that the company says provide aerodynamic advantages. The swift gloves and swift socks that are made to reduce drag in the wind.

The accessories don’t just look good they are practical. Wearing arm covering while running in the August heat may seem counterproductive, but tests show that the sleeves reduce drag by 19% over bare arms, and the long socks reduce drag by 12.5%. Nike figures the improvements in the garments since the 2004 Olympics in Athens will mean a benefit of .02 seconds in the 100 meter race.

The front of Sanya’s uniform worn in Eugene is the “Nike We the People Graphic” that is to appear on the back of the uniforms of the 2008 track and field Olympic uniforms, which are provided by Nike, of course. Unfortunately it may be difficult to see on the Olympic uniforms because it’s blue on blue, but at least some people will got a glimpse before the Games.

The “Nike We the People Graphic” draws inspiration from a number of cultural elements and design influences to create a bold aesthetic specific to the USA. The graphic, created by Design Director Mark Smith, leverages Nike’s Aerographics technology.

With Aerographics, Nike designers incorporated mesh directly into a garment without any extra materials or added weight. Both the “Nike We the People Graphic” and Aerographics technology are highlighted in the 2008 USA Basketball, Track and Field, Softball and BMX team uniforms.

Specific elements of the design include: the Statue of Liberty, represented by the torch, stars and stripes representing the 50 American states, decorative elements from our nations’ currency, the olive branch and arrows from the talons of the American eagle in the Presidential seal, and the Celtic, African and Native American symbols and influences.

Sanya has a million dollar smile and the athletic gear to show off as well. Hopefully the world and most importantly the advertisers on Madison Avenue will recognize her star power in Beijing.

By Jay Hicks.

Instant Analysis – Monaco Super Grand Prix!

Isinbayeva Raises the Pole Vault World Record.

-Monaco-Can anyone touch Yelena Isinbayeva? She cleared 16 feet, 6 1/2 inches setting a new record for the second time this season. The stakes have been raised another notch and Yelena goes into Beijing as the clear favorite to win gold.

It’s about staying calm under the pressure. I think David Oliver (13.11) hit nearly every hurdle in the race and still managed to run down Anwar Moore for the win. That’s when you know your race is on.

It was just another day in the office for Asafa Powell. Today the Jamaican commonly referred to as the world’s second fastest man clocked 9.82 in the 100-meters. Darvis “The Veteran” Patton (9.98) of the U.S. was runner up with a solid performance.

More than almost anyone else Jamaica’s Kerron Stewart is establishing herself as the runner to beat. Today she posted 10.94 over Sherone Simpson (10.95) of Jamaica, and Torri Edwards (11.02) of the U.S. in a hotly contested 100-meter race.

U.S. athletes can not expect to be competitive on the international scene at 800-meters, if they sit in the back for most of the race and then try to pour on a huge kick down the home stretch. It isn’t going to happen. Yuriy Borzakovskiy and Yusuf Saad Kamel put down a ridiculous 1:42.79. They ran every step of the race today.

A Sneak Peek At The American Olympic Uniform By Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren Aims For Gold.

Every Olympic Games is measured on how well the Opening Ceremonies and the athletic events frame up on the television screen.

Guestofaguest.com has provided exclusive photos of the American Olympic Uniform by Ralph Lauren. They will be televised to a global audience which is already tipped to top four billion people.

Did you expect anything less? The U.S. Team Uniforms are as iconic a figure as the polo symbol. According to Ralph Lauren the designs reached back to Jesse Owens in 1936, to deliver a classic endeavor.

Ralph Lauren made wonderful use of rich red white and blue colors, and his choice of pieces and their cuts will certainly drape the Americans in sartorial splendor. For the opening ceremony, the men and women will have a double vent navy blazer with safari pleats on the back as well as a white driving hat and canvas walking shoes.

For the closing ceremony, Ralph opted for a more casual look that includes white shorts, a red, white, and blue rope belt, a classic polo shirt and a sleeveless sweater. Expect our athletes to look dapper!

By Jay Hicks.

Monaco IAAF Super Grand Prix–Preview

Catch all of the action live on WCSN.com and Universal Sports TV.

-Monte Carlo - Don’t miss the last major action before the Olympic Games at the historic Monaco Super GP. How fast can David Oliver fly over the hurdles? The U.S. Olympic Trials champion headlines the 110-meter hurdles along with Americans Anwar Moore and Antwon Hicks.

Asafa Powell will take his last run prior to Beijing Olympic Games. Can anyone touch Yelena Isinbayeva? The Russian pole vaulter will take a stab at the world record.

The women will continue to duke it out on the 100-meter international scene. Torri Edwards (10.79) will take on Jamaica’s Kerron Stewart (10.80) along with compatriots Shelly Ann Fraser (10.85), Sherone Simpson (10.87), and USA’s Marshevet Hooker (10.93) in what is a class field. Kim Gevaert of Belgium, the European champion, makes another outing in her recovery from recent injury niggles.

IAAF Herculis Super Grand Prix on WCSN.com and Universal Sports TV.

Tuesday, July 29^th

Monaco, Monte Carlo

2:00-5:00p EDT- LIVE

Tyson Gay A Throw Back To Greatness!

It must have been the hot gear.

In sports, uniforms and shoes make the man, right? The times and performances may be tough to compare from different eras because the track surfaces and training sciences continually improve over the years. There is constant in sports and track for that matter: the gear.

We know what you are thinking, how did the athlete look performing the time?

Of course, at the U.S. Olympic Trials earlier this month, Tyson Gay ran in throw back uniforms. During the 100-meter rounds, Gay introduced a white uniform with red and blue stripes in a tribute to 1936 Olympic star Jesse Owens. He successfully executed a wardrobe change–for the finals he rocked a royal blue body suit with red and white diagonal stripes across the front.

The photo to the left is of Jesse Owens wearing the original uniform at the 1936 Olympic Games, where he won four gold medals in the 100, 200, long jump, and 4×100 relay team while defeating Hitler and Nazi Germany.

Was it the shoes that propelled him to 9.68 seconds?

Tyson’s gear certainly appealed to historically-minded fans. The 2007 World Champion at 100 and 200-meters, also sported a custom designed spike that were also inspired by Jesse Owens called “The Trinity.” The spike is named for Tyson’s daughter and it has another synergy as Gay is known for his strong religious beliefs.

It includes an X on the heel, reflecting the adidas Olympic heritage and the name Trinity embossed in gold on the side of the shoe.

“Winning is a great feeling. When you do win you can sit back and look at hard practices you went through and really appreciate the victory,” Gay said. “I wear the Trinity shoe out of respect for Jesse Owens. It’s like a new school and an old school put together. It’s my way of showing respect back to him.”

Like the man he sought to pay honor, Tyson is also a man of few words and big actions. This uniform and shoes are a personal expressing of who he is and what is important to him. While at the same time adding a hip, stylish trend to today’s sports scene.

It all depends on who you ask about the significance of gear to athletes.“We need to get some type of flame-retardant uniform in case he catches on fire,” said Drummond, no stranger to hyperbole. “He’s running so doggone fast.”

I couldn’t sum it up any better than that.

By Jay Hicks.

Instant Analysis: Day 2, Aviva London 2008 Super Grand Prix

Instant Analysis: Day 1, Aviva London 2008 IAAF Super Grand Prix

Catch all of the London Action at WCSN.com and Universal Sports TV.

The races at the Crystal Palace got off to a good start. According to my sources, many of the athletes are under going heavy training in preparation for the Olympics and running through this meet.

Being really good also takes good luck. With that, a false start by the field saved David Oliver from a horrid start. Out of Lane 6, Oliver (13.2) got a decent start on the second time around and won the race by digging himself out of hole halfway through the race. The time certainly isn’t what Oliver was expecting, but this sort of gritty win you want to see from an Olympic gold medal contender.

200-meter winner Sherone Simpson of Jamaica flew by Allyson Felix coming off the curb. The fourth place finish by Allyson Felix (23.00) was surprisingly slow today.

Don’t question his conditioning. Asafa Powell (9.94) ran on cruise control to 100 victory. Afterwards Powell said, “Tyson not running makes no difference to me. What is important to all of us is what happens in Beijing next month.”

Trinidad’s Richard Thompson won a tight second heat in 10.11, with American Shawn Crawford finishing fourth.

Positioning is everything in track and field. Bernard Lagat was boxed into fifth place with 200 to go in the mile. He simply ran out of track after he finally untangled himself down the homestretch. Lagat managed a third place finish in the mile.

After the women’s 100-meter hurdles, Kelly Sotherton of Great Britain was livid. The third set of hurdles were set in the wrong position. Four of the athletes in the race stopped running entirely. One of the athletes could have fallen and ruined their Olympic dreams. Meet officials decided to re-run the race at the end of today’s program.

Aviva London Super Grand Prix, IAAF World Athletics Tour—Preview

Catch the Aviva London Super Grand Prix broadcast on WCSN.com and WCSN TV.

The big draw of Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay at 100-meters, will have to wait until Beijing. As a precaution, Gay has cancelled his appearance in the 100-meters, just to make sure he does not re-injury himself before the Olympic Games.

According to meeting director Ian Stewart: “Tyson gave himself absolutely every chance to be fit for the Aviva London Grand Prix – and I know he was absolutely desperate to run here. But at the end of the day the meeting has come just a fraction too soon for him and I understand the reasons why he has had to pull out.”

But don’t discount the London Aviva Super Grand Prix because the meet, which has been expanded to a two day format boasts an impressive line up.

First starters, Usain Bolt has promised something ‘special’ for his appearance in the 200-meters, after dropping 19.67 last Friday in Rome. Might that something ’special’ be a run at Michael Johnson’s World Record of 19.32?

If it is somehow possible, the women’s 100-meters continues to add drama. U.S. Olympian Lauryn Williams will face Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown and Allyson Felix of the U.S.

Williams, who qualified at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100-meters with a third place finish, will definitely bring the heat on Friday against two formidable opponents just three weeks before the Olympic Games.

Timing is everything, especially in the hurdles. If David Oliver beats Cuba’s Dayron Robles, then track and field may have yet another new rivalry. Robles the reigning World Record holder in the 110-meter hurdles is a beast right now.

Can Lolo Jones continue her winning ways? Former Olympian Joanna Hayes and Jamaica’s Brigitte Foster-Hylton make for an exciting precursor to Beijing.

Going into Beijing, the question mark on Kerron Clement in the 400-meter hurdles, is whether the 2007 World Champion can establish consistency in the grueling one lap race. Fridays race may provide some indication of how consistent Clement is running since his lost to Bershawn Jackson at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Allyson Felix & Bryan Clay Have Milk

Get ready for track runners to appear in a bunch of ads before the Olympic Games, in this particular case sprinter Allyson Felix and decathlete Bryan Clay are in the middle of the action. The “Got Milk?” ad featuring the U.S. Olympians hits newsstands today in Sports Illustrated.

The folks are Pophangover.com recently wrote “that the Olympics are just around the corner - and that can only mean two things: 1) you’ll inevitably be traumatized by the sight of someone face-planting into a balance beam, and 2) it’s time for a new Got Milk ad.”

Featured in the 2008 photo are U.S. Olympians, of course. From left to right: swimmer Ryan Lochte, softball’s Cat Osterman, front, track and field’s Allyson Felix, gymnast Morgan Hamm, gymnast Paul Hamm, swimmer Maritza Correia, soccer player Leslie Osborne, track and field’s Bryan Clay, Kai and soccer player Sacha Kljestan.

By Jay Hicks.

Instant Analysis: Powell Brings Down Bolt in Stockholm!

Powell Is More Comfortable In the Shadows.

The day belonged to Asafa Powell (9.88) as he exacted revenge on Usain Bolt (9.89), the Jamaican countrymen who broke his 100-meter world record.

The press will have a field day with this latest turn of events. Powell won because he exploded out of the blocks in a near-perfect start and held on with a photo finish lean over Bolt.

The time marked the fastest run of the year for Powell and indicates that he runs best without any expectations or pressure. Going into the Olympics, Bolt is still as the favorite despite todays results.

Lolo Jones (12.64) is running with extreme confidence at this point in the season. Halfway through the 100 hurdles, she was in a fierce battle and closed the gap over the last hurdle to claim victory.

Dayron Robles (12.91) broke the stadium record in the 110-hurdles in his slim victory over David Oliver (13.04). Robles hit less hurdles and secured the victory.

For right now, the one lap race belongs to Sanya Richards. Richards (50.38) won today over Novlene Williams (50.85), and Allyson Felix (50.88) in a decent race.

Jeremy Wariner won a decisive victory in the 400-meter over Chris Brown of the Bahamas. Wariner’s race is coming together and today was preparation for Beijing.

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