The final chapter is closing on a story that many would agree has turned into a nightmare for track and field.
Former coach Trevor Graham has been sentenced to a year of house arrest and five years probation for lying during the BALCO doping investigation.
Is the sentence fair? Sure. The Jamaica-born coach was not convicted of steroid distribution but he knowingly concealed doping activities.
Coaches have a significant influence on the lives of young athletes. The judge went to great pains to give the proper sentence without going over board.
I am no Trevor Graham sympathizer.
But is there a conspiracy? After the Mitchell Report and confirmed doping in so many other sports, I find it odd that for the most part individuals connected with track and field are the only ones to see jail time.
Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.
London 2012
Either by choice or necessity, most people in the world live on some form of a budget. The sports chiefs have decided to scale back the Olympic Park and Olympic Village in order to stay within the overall budget.
The decision was based in part on the tightening credit market which has made financing nearly impossible without paying near loan sharking rates.
British Olympic Association are shuttering at the thought of athletes sharing flats during the 16-day competition.
Instead of 4,200 flats, as first configured, it is expected to contain 2,700 flats. The flats would be sold on the open market after the Games to recoup partially the significant public investment in the construction.
Officials told the Timesonline:
“Room configurations will be developed and finalised in accordance with IOC regulations, taking into account the experiences in the Beijing 2008 Games and the requirements of national Olympic committees and national Paralympic committees.”
The urge to keep up with the Beijing Games is a natural one. British officials should erase the memories of Beijing out of their mind completely.
The Beijing Games were financed in a much different environment. London officials will come to regret their actions to over spend to keep up with Beijing, especially if the later on in the project the government is forced to nationalize the project.
Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.com.
London Olympic Village
2012 Olympic Village Renderings
Everyone is feeling the pinch these days.
The Olympics, a strong internationally recognized brand, is not above the global slowdown that is quickly becoming an economic crisis.
The London 2012 Committee is having difficulty raising funds but that fact is not slowing down construction. If that makes any sense.
Turmoil in the world’s financial markets is making it difficult to secure private-sector funding for the Olympic Village and media center, Olympic Delivery Authority chairman John Armitt has recently said.
The global credit crunch is making London Olympic Chiefs to revise budgets to build the athlete village as private funding has nearly evaporated or experiencing higher than normal interest rates to finance the project.
As a result, the entire project could become nationalized with British taxpayers guaranteeing at least $9.3 billion.
Armitt said: ”Fundamentally, we originally expected to have quite big sums of private-sector funding for the Olympic Village and for the media centre.””The consequence of what is happening in the markets means that the availability of funding is more difficult - that is not to say that it is not available but, if it is available, it is available on harsh terms.”
These days most everyone is tightening the financial belt and just maybe the Olympic Games should take note and follow suit with the rest of the world.
Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.
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.
The Beijing Games 200-meter silver medalist has been busy catching up with her friends and family while enjoying life away from the track.
Felix has been enjoy the good life, “Since I haven’t been training I’ve been spending time catching up with friends and family at home.”
Should others worry about hints that Felix may step up to the 400-meters?
“I think 2009 will be a very different year for me. I have to wait four more years to accomplish my ultimate goal so in the meantime I’m exploring what my focus will be until then.
“I’m seriously considering concentrating on the longer sprints this year but I have not made any final decisions.”
Win, lose, or draw Felix is good for the sport and good on the track, so you can look for her to come back hard in 2009.
Click here for full blog entry.
Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.
Photos courtesy of NBCOlympics.
Bolt Puma Ad
Usain Bolt established the then 100-meter world record of 9.74 seconds on May 31, at New York’s Icahn Stadium. He has never been faster in New York City. Now he’s rolling on buses.
As a way of acknowledging the three-time world record holder, Puma has plastered huge pictures of Bolt’s race on the side of city buses in New York City and Los Angeles–the nation’s largest media markets.
On the dashing advertising, Bolt is flying towards history, dipping at the finish line of his world record 200-meter performance. Above the sprawling reproduction of the photograph taken during his Olympic performance are the words: “AND THEN. HE DJ’D THE AFTERPARTY.”
How can you deny the urge to like this campaign? These six words embody the Jamaican culture of dance, celebration, and fun times.
The other ad reads: “Bolt: 100 Meters 9.69, Bus: Not So Much So.”
PUMA’s intent is to honor his performance and showcase the man who gave Puma an unexpected burst onto the international stage. Bolt is an easy sell because he comes off like the life of the party.
According to Prerace Jitters sources, up until now it has been conventional wisdom that traditionally Caribbean athletes do not sell in the U.S.
That may all be changing.
His shoes sales have been strong ever since Bolt was groovin’ in lane 5, covering the 200-meters in 19.30. And British-based Virgin Media has approached him about pitching “Boltband,” a super fast broadband internet service product.
Bolt and many on the Caribbean island of 2 million are hoping to have more to dance about in upcoming seasons.
Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.
Beijing Olympic Games 200 M Heat
Has Usain Bolt & companies’ dashing show in Jamaica made Jamaica the new center of the track universe and the place-to-be for elite sprinters?
According to the Jamaican Gleaner News, Wallace Spearmon Jr., is considering joining the high-profile MVP Track Club under coach Stephen Francis and switching his training base to Jamaica for the upcoming season.
This would make the second coaching change in two season for the University of Arkansas alum. Last season Spearmon ended his relationship with Coach Lance Braumon to train under his father Wallace Spearmon Sr. His father, Wallace Spearmon Sr. was a two-time All-American sprinter for coach McDonnell at Arkansas and was a part of the first national championship team in 1984.
Ray Flynn, Spearmon’s manager, speaking to The Gleaner from the United States, said he “cannot confirm” his client would join the group, but said it was an option.
It probably does not hurt that Spearmon is reportedly long-time friends with fellow sprinter Usain Bolt and hey man it’s Jamaica.
Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.
Kenenisa Bekele
Will the world be thrilled to watch runners try to conquer cross courses at future Olympic games?
Some of the sports most prominent figures such as Ethiopians Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie and Kenya’s Paul Tergat seem to think so and wrote an open letter to IOC chief Jacques Rogge laying out their case for the cross country to be included.
The IAAF as the sports governing body is submitting the request to the International Olympic Committee to make cross country a part of the Olympic Games.
It is an interesting proposition considering that baseball and softball were axed, there will only be 26 sports in the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Two factors in cross country’s case.
The first consideration is whether cross country will be added to an already bloated Olympic Games. There seems to be an endless number of sports and many viewers already struggle to keep up with all the action. On the other hand, what is one more sport.
The second is a litmus test that I developed for any sport is whether an Olympic sport is the pinnacle of the sport. If not, then it has to go or should not be added.
If cross country were added to the Games, then it would be the most important cross country race on the face of the planet. On top of that the world’s largest apparel makers can serve to benefit from adding cross country to the Olympic.
The fact that BMX cycling, Mountain Bike cycling , and Trampoline have been added, means that cross country should certainly be given a trial run at the Olympic Games.
Let us know what do you think. Should cross country be added or not?
Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.
Nike Hoifacade
Adidas is the official sponsor of the Olympic Games, but Nike has a larger presence in Beijing.
This summer many spectators will have the opportunity to experience
Nike’s obsession with faster, lighter, stronger products first hand at
Nike’s House of Innovation, located at
Nike 706, in Beijing’s vibrant 798 art district.
The Nike Swoosh is everywhere throughout Beijing. China is already Nike’s second largest market and hit $1 billion in sales a year ahead of the goal they set.
The Oregon-based athletic apparel giant just opened a huge 13,000 square foot store in Beijing.
The Beijing store is the largest of approximately 3,000 Nike retail destinations now open in China.
There are huge pictures of NBA star Kobe Bryant rocking the Team USA jersey.
Milwaukee Bucks rookie Yi Jian is well represented, too. American NBA star Li Ning, according to my sources, has countless billboards and a very strong presence in Beijing.
The Nike stores are reportedly selling product that isn’t available in the U.S.. The Air Force One shoes are featured in “Beijing” styles.
Li-Ning has more billboards and more of a presence than any other in the Wanfujing shopping district.
Nike is aggresively pushing growth in China.
By Jay Hicks.
Will his quest for eight leave him a great?
Prior to the Opening Ceremony in Beijing, there were worries about the protestors, air qualities, and how invasive the Chinese government would potentially operate during the Olympic Games.
The news reports were numerous, detailing what could happen and identifying every conceivable pitfall involving the host city.
Outside of the tragic murder of U.S. tourist Todd Bachman and the suicide of his killer, the games have proceeded without other incidents.
The historic performances of Michael Phelps, such as the razor thin victory in the 4×100 meter free style relay, made the pollution stories go away. The Chinese government has not been thought of while watching Phelps slam down a 10 meter lead in the 4×200-meter relay in his lead-off leg.
The world is witnessing an iconic moment that will be vividly remembered in forty or fifty years. Folks have been glued to the tube watching Phelp’s heroic efforts that have now topped Mark Spitz’s record of winning more gold medals in Olympic History.
This assault on the record books is unreal, and you have to remind yourself that his competitors are world class swimmers with mad skills themselves. In future years, it will be easy to remember the Ann Arbor resident has set a world record in every race he has swum in Beijing.
The country has been mesmerized by watching a mother nervously witness her son become the most decorated Olympian in history, joining the distinct club including legends such as Carl Lewis and Jenny Thompson.
As it stands right now, when people reflect on the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, it will be recalled as the Michael Phelps Moment. The conversation will revolve around whether he is one of the greatest athletes of all time.
By Jay Hicks.
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The final chapter is closing on a story that many would agree has turned into a nightmare for track and field.
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