PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show with Shannon Rowbury

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2008 Beijing Olympian Shannon Rowbury discusses the 2009 season with Jay Hicks and John W. Davis.  The 1,500 meter runner also discusses the recent changes to her training camp, her upcoming Carlsbad 5k run, and the demands of shopping for a new house.

-2009 82nd Clyde Little Texas Relays
-Tyson Gay’s fall season injury
-German Fernandez’s finish at World XC Championships

Special thanks to Shannon Rowbury.

PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show…where the real playas come to hang out!

Olympic Gold Medal Small Part of Reggie Witherspoon’s Journey

Photo courtesy of Danny Wariner.

From Pasadena to Marietta to Waco to Beijing and Back.
FOR REGGIE WITHERSPOOON ATHLETICS HAS BEEN BUILT UPON THESE CITIES.

In breaking down the season of his second year pro 400/200-meter career, it is his journey, his life that is as significant as his accomplishments. Sprinter Reggie Witherspoon runs professional track and field not merely for the journey - from the starting blocks to the finish line – but to win races.

This track existence has put the 23-year-old where he is today: among a rare group in track history as an Olympic gold medalist as a part of the 4×400 meter relay in Beijing; 44.99 pr over 400-meters; and 20.30 pr at 200-meters; and a financially successful summer. Witherspoon, or “Spoonlove” as his friends call him, is a success born in finding and knowing himself amidst the sport’s complexities.

REGGIE WITHERSPOON’S JOURNEY WINDS THROUGH AMERICA’S STREETS.

Tough streets, starting in a state that rings synonymous with gang violence, car jackings and the Rodney King beatings, then flies through the Southern city recognized as home of the Civil Rights Movement where Reggie grew up in after the age of 11, dreaming of a much different life.

It plows through a campus mostly known for Florida Gator football, and even while running 45.5 seconds as a college freshmen and racking up All-American relay honors he was still overshadowed by Kerron Clement. It rolls through two years at Baylor University, known as home of legend Michael Johnson and then back to Atlanta, GA.

And today, the journey settles into a lazy-day cruise, comfortable and far from complete in Waco.

Pasadena, California – nestled 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, widely recognized for hosting the Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade – but despite Pasadena’s upscale reputation, the city had and still has an extensive gang problem.

Pasadena is where he grew up until the age of eleven. “Pasadena was tough.  Growing up in a single parent home was difficult with six other siblings,” said Witherspoon.

“But it [Pasadena] has made me who I am today. Growing up in those rough times and going without things makes me appreciate things more. I appreciate and thank God for everything that I do that is positive.“

Witherspoon was following his older brother a little too closely and found himself getting in trouble.  The final straw was getting caught swimming during after hours at a Pasadena public pool with his brother, his mother - Pearl Grice, knew he was capable of big things. She knew Witherspoon didn’t fit into the gang scene so she sent him to be with his father, Ronald Witherspoon, in Marietta, GA., a suburb of Atlanta.

“She shipped me out to Georgia and told me to not come back until I make something of myself,“ said Witherspoon.

Having his pick of colleges, Reggie went on to the University of Florida, an 8-hour drive away from Marietta. But once there, the former Georgia Athlete of the Year did not completely get along with coach Mike Halloway. As a sophomore Witherspoon led the 4×400 meter relay to All-American honors but he struggled to live up to his own expectations.

So he left.

“I had a lot of people in my ear, as I was trying to do my college selection on my own. I went on college visits by myself and actually committed to Baylor and then a week before signing I backed out and signed with Florida.”

Reggie transferred to Baylor – the school he originally committed to before deciding to head to Gainesville. “I needed a new start to get away and re-dedicate myself to what I was doing. “

His coach Michael Ford said, “I think early on when Reggie first got to Baylor, he was fragile mentality. He didn’t want to get pushed as hard as he needed to be. Now, having a bit of success has made him more hungry.”

How quickly things began to turn around.

In the winter of 2006, Witherspoon became a hot commodity. He became the first athlete in Big 12 history to win both the indoor conference title in the 200 and 400-meters in route to the highest point earner.

“In 2007, I focused more on the 200 my senior year. I never broken 21 seconds before coming to Baylor, and then I ran 20.3. I never thought Baylor could transform my career. “

He ran 1st leg on 2007 NCAA Outdoor champ 4×400m relay and racked up countless number of individual All-American honors during his stint in Bear country.

Coach Michael Ford said, “Reggie is blessed with speed. He is probably most fluid runner that I have coached with great raw 200-meter speed. The key to his success involves getting stronger from a speed endurance perspective.”

FAST FORWARD TO THE 2008 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS IN EUGENE, OREGON

“After the first round it was my season’s best of 45.9, and coach Ford though that it looked easy. “
Coach Ford told me that if I make the finals then I will go to the Olympics. He told me that all I need to do is run the same race and finish it up strongly.

The 400-meter was supposed to be a warm up for the 200-meters. Going into the U.S. Olympic Trials ranked #22 on the 400-meter, and came out with a fourth place finish (45.01) in the 400 meters, earning Witherspoon a ticket to the Beijing Olympic Games as a member of the 4 x 400 meter relay pool.

Not knowing if he would get the shot to hit the track – Witherspoon was tapped at the last minute to run third leg on the U.S. men’s 4×400 relay team that won its opening round and was awarded a gold medal when Team USA finished first in the final.

The Olympic success allowed Witherspoon to earn a good living running on the IAAF Golden League circuit throughout Europe. Success has not gone to Witherspoon’s head, he still drives the same late model Mitsubishi Eclipse and lives in same apartment with his roommates.

While Reggie Witherspoon wants to assume the mantle as one of the world’s top ranked 400-meter runners, he is content to leave the fame for someone else. “I am not comfortable being noticed, said the former Baylor standout runner. “Now walking to classes at Baylor, people recognize me,” said Witherspoon.

Off the track you can expect Witherspoon to make you laugh. He is capable of holding court with impersonations, funny stories, and practical jokes to his friends and coach.

However, the Olympian is not predictable, but rather sophisticated. His favorite iPod singers are Ne-Yo, Maroon 5, The Commodores, and The O’Jays.

WITHERSPOON’S GOALS FOR 2009?

“My family is in Pasadena and Marietta, but I don’t get back there very often because there is not a lot positive there for me,” he shares. Waco is the place he calls home, training with Jeremy Wariner, Darold Williamson and Sanjay Aryes while finishing up his degree at Baylor.

“The goals for Reggie are 44.3 to 44.5 in the 400 and ranked top 10 in the world,” said Ford.

“My confidence is up. I haven’t felt this confident since high school,” said Witherspoon. “It is going to be a good year, if I stay healthy. I want to run sub 44.5 seconds and sub-20s. A great shot to run under 20 seconds this year.”

Witherspoon’s life has come full circle. Going back home to see his mother, will be easy for him. Witherspoon has more than made something of himself, in fact he is someone any mother in the world can be proud to call their own.

All photographs provided courtesy of Danny Wariner.

PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show with Tasha Danvers

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This week, Great Britain’s Tasha Danvers joins Jay Hicks and John W. Davis to discuss her unlikely story of earning an Olympic bronze medal in the 400 meter hurdles in Beijing, her six degrees separation in the track & field and the inspiration behind her latest ventures which include the Tasha Danvers internet radio shows.

That and much more on the latest episode of PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show.

-Galen Rupp NCAA Interview
-Tasha Danvers
-Tasha Danvers’ Internet Radio Show - Real Women, Real Talk, Real Speed
-Tasha Danvers’ Internet Radio Show - Building on Bronze

Special thanks to Tasha Danvers.

“PreRaceJitters Track & Field Radio Show, where the real playas come to hang out.”

PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show with David Oliver

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This week Jay Hicks and John W. Davis recap the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships that took place on the College Station on the campus of Texas A&M University. Olympic bronze medalist David Oliver stops by the show from Florida to discuss his rise in the sport, insights on the 2009 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and his favorite memories from Beijing.

That and much more on the latest episode of PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show.

-2009 Indoor Track & Field Championships
-David Oliver
-Destinee Hooker post-race interview
-Ronnie Ash post-race interview

PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show…where the real playas come to hang out!

Special thanks for David Oliver.

PreRaceJitters.com Exclusive: A long way to the top for Darvis Patton

It’s a “what have you done for me lately?” proposition and ordinarily sprinters have a short shelf life.  At 30, Darvis “Doc” Patton is far from ordinary.  His rise to the top has been stunning, albeit a few years in the making.  The Dallas-native took years to establish himself but is at the top of his game. Read more

PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show - Episode 4

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Runaway Prices Threaten The Games Future

Is it all smoke and mirrors? The IOC is seeking to ensure that there are fewer empty seats at the 2012 London Games.

Interesting.

You could see a large number of empty seats during athletic events in Beijing. Organizers even resulted to having volunteers occupy the seats. The IOC is not sure why or how this occurred and are investigating the matter.

We’ll wait on that results of that investigation. In the mean time, what happened? Exuberant hotel prices and bad publicity dampened tourism-that is what happened.

Standard hotel prices in Beijing were going for $700 a night, to then learn just weeks before the games that a high demand did not materialize at the Beijing Games. And at the last minute hotels dropped prices but well beyond the realistic possibility of fans booking an international trip at the last moment.

So what about the fans?

Sure the Olympics have not been cheap in decades but during an economic crisis that officially started in December 2007 - those prices are hubris - smacking of being out of touch with current circumstances.

The lack of foot traffic at their Olympic exhibit was one major reason cited by Johnson & Johnson as a reason for dropping as a major corporate sponsor.

To be fair, the hotel prices have surged in Olympic host cities and prices are set by the independent owners and operators of the respective hotels. However, the slow economic down and the lackluster performance is the opportunity for the IOC to reign in hotel operators of host cities during the bidding process.

Massively inflated prices and lower than expected turn out ultimately diminishes the appeal Games and organizers had better get them under control if they want to save their golden goose.

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Tracking the Problem Down

The results were not exactly what they were looking from the team dubbed the “greatest team ever assembled.” Team USA earned less medals than many were hoping for at the Beijing Games.

The media highlighted the teams baton drops in the men’s and women’s 4×100-meter relay. Last week the organization saw longtime coach Brooks Johnson resign as head of USATF’s High Performance Chair.

Then again with all things considered the 2008 Team had some good moments such as the come from behind victory in the women’s 1,600-meter relay, the 1-2-3 sweep of the men’s 400-meter hurdles, and Bryan Clay’s dominating decathlon victory.

CEO Doug Logan recently announced on his blog “shin splints” the members of the USATF High Performance Panel, which is charged with a top to bottom examination of the federation’s high-performance programs by January 12, 2009. The sports chief has promised to publish the report on the USATF website.

The Panel will be composed of Olympic gold medalists Carl Lewis and Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, who also has been a sports administrator; 1992 Olympic men’s coach and USTCCCA Hall of Fame coach Mel Rosen; renowned physiologist and Olympic silver medalist Ralph Mann; and USOC executives Doug Ingram, Steve Roush and Jay Warwick, all of whom have been successful athletes or coaches as well as NGB administrators.

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Lightning Bolt To Strike In Zürich

Will Usain Bolt send Jamaica rockin’ by dropping another world record in Switzerland?

The international community is experiencing sleep deprivation from staying up late nights for the past two weeks watch Olympic coverage while at the same time going through track & field withdrawal from the Olympics.

That all ends very soon.

The ÅF Golden League picks up in Zürich, Switzerland on Friday 29 August. At this point, the race for the $1 Million Golden League Jackpot is two to two: 800-meter Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo and Olympic silver medalist Blanka Vlasic of Croatia.

Olympic medalist will compete in front of sold-out crowd of 26,000 in the venerable Letzigrund Stadium.

Olympic Medalist Heading to Zürich.

The 100-meters will look very similar to Beijing. Will Bolt run through the line this time and shock the world with another world record?

Six runners from Beijing final will step on the track in Zurich: Usain Bolt, Richard Thompson, Walter Dix, Shawn Crawford, and Churandy Martin.

The athletes headling in Zürich include: Blanka Vlasic, Lolo Jones against a field including Olympic champion Dawn Harper, Olympic champion Dayron Robles, new 400-meter Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt, Jeremy Wariner, Angelo Taylor, Yelena Isinbayeva, Jenn Stuczynski, Allyson Felix, and Sanya Richards.

Watch the Meet From Zürich:

• Web: Live at Trackshark or USA Track & Field.

• TV: Aug. 29, 3:00-5:00 p.m., ESPN Classic
• TV: Aug. 29, 7:00-9:00 p.m., ESPN2
• TV: Aug. 30, 7:00-9:00 a.m., ESPN Classic

Beijing Olympic Games Close With A Bang

-USA Didn’t Fair Badly At All On The Track.

Winning an Olympic gold amounts to catching lightning in a bottle. Elusive. Precious. Difficult. No matter how great an athlete, in order to win an Olympic medal of any kind, everything must go perfectly.

If an injury develops, such as the case for hurdler Terrence Trammell, or if like Lolo Jones you clip a hurdle, then it’s done. There is nothing you can do if the recovery time is not enough for Tyson Gay to be 100%. Or, if your body is not feeling at its best, as was the case with Sanya Richards, then the favorite comes out with a bronze.

For the world, Usain Bolt walked away as the new megastar of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games—mainly because most countries care more about track than swimming. The precocious Jamaican cleaned up in the 100, 200, and 400-meter relay in world record time in all three events, along with the successes of his countrymen.

The outing for Team USA on the track was not quite as bad as the media would lead one to believe.

Sure the U.S. men and women botched hands-offs in the 4×100 meter relays. That almost certainly would have added to the medal count.

However, Team USA had an extremely good showing. Maybe, head coach Bubba Thornton saying, “This is probably the strongest team we’ve ever sent to the Olympic Games,” was an overstatement, but never the less, the US had great successes in Beijing.

Here’s a quick look at the facts.

USA Track & Field earned 23 medals. Of that seven gold, nine silver, seven bronze. That is just one gold and two total medals fewer than Athens, which had been the best U.S. performance since 1992.

Bryan Clay is the world’s greatest all-around athlete after dominating the decathlon, LaShawn Merritt scored an upset in the 400, Stephanie Brown Trafton unexpectedly won the first U.S. discus gold medal in nearly a century, Angelo Taylor led a U.S. sweep of the 400-meter hurdles, and Sanya Richards ran a legendary anchor leg to win gold for Team USA.

By any account that is pretty good stuff.

Yeah, USA Track & Field as an agency is in dire need of improvement, but that does not in any way diminish the U.S. athletes and their performances while representing this country.

Maybe the slight by NBC in television coverage, the disastrous relays results, and the less than desired results on the track will light a fire for change with USA Track & Field executive management.

The international landscape of track & field has been changing for at least the last decade, and much like USA Basketball, the Olympic selection process for track needs some minor modifications. I think some of the performance issues related issues were due to dead legs or fatigue in Beijing.

The process to provide for more recovery time after the grueling Olympic Trials must now be a priority. In order to earn a paycheck , a majority of Team USA ran in Europe at least several times after the Olympics Trials and before heading to Beijing.

The closing of the games feel as though something important is coming to the end. Something magical. Something we will have to wait another four years to see.

It’s safe to say they do everything big in China. The 2008 Beijing Games displayed state-of-the art venues, a sense of history & culture, and amazing athletic performances that sometimes left you in utter disbelief.

The ball is in your court now, London.

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