Athletes Drive the Sport

So far the first half of the Diamond Leagues Series and other grand prix races have lived up to expectations.

Post-doping era, track and field was supposed to be lifeless. Sort of like baked chicken with no seasonings - bland.  The mainstream media has long written off the sport or at least will not write about the sport unless there is a drug scandal involved.

The bad press to the sport was a self-inflicted wound that was somewhat deserved.  During the last decade a parade of athletes were found guilty of doping. The sport became the running joke of late night television fueled by ESPN reports that broke into programming to announce to deliver the news.

With a major international championship, 2010 was written off by some.

But the competition within the sport as it must goes on and it does. David Oliver has rebounded from an injury plagued 2009 season to not only break the American Record once, but twice.  Almost immediately Kara Patterson became a household name among avoid fans after crushing the American Record in the javelin.  Oh, and Chaunte Howard Lowe has emerged to break her own American Record in the high jump not once but twice while also finding time to dabble in the long jump this season.

The compelling force behind track and field is the athlete’s story - the most important ingredient. Their journey. Their toil. Their condition behind the wins, defeats, and records. The story is what the community wants to hear about.  And we must never forget that athletes are center stage.

Tyson Gays Beats Usain Bolts in Sweden

Gays runs past Powell in London

Gay blasts by Powell & Allen Johnson announces retirement at Gateshead

INDIANAPOLIS - In his first 100m competition of the year, American record holder Tyson Gay used an impressive finishing burst in passing former world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica in winning the men’s 100m Saturday at the Aviva British Grand Prix in Gateshead, England.

The British Grand Prix is a member of the prestigious new IAAF Samsung Diamond League series consisting of 14 of the greatest invitational track meets in the world. For more information visit: www.diamondleague.com

Gay trailed Powell for most of the race before passing him with 20 meters to go. In the first battle this season between two of the ‘big three’ of men’s sprinting (Gay, Powell and Usain Bolt) Gay put an end to Powell’s unbeaten season by crossing the finish line first in 9.94 seconds.

Competitors in the 100m dealt with a +1.7 meters per second headwind. “I felt good,” Gay told the IAAF. “Asafa’s one of my favorite competitors and I managed to get him today. I really had to stretch to the finish line and he didn’t see me coming. The wind maybe affected the time slightly, but not much.”
Powell was the runner-up in 9.96, with Daniel Bailey (ANT) third in 10.15 and Trell Kimmons fourth in 10.18.

In other events, 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and 2010 USA Outdoor Championships runner-up Walter Dix won the men’s 200 meters with his time of 20.26 seconds. Dix, who posted the second-fastest time in the world this year of 19.72 from his win last Saturday at the Nike Prefontaine Classic and won earlier this week in Lausanne, finished just ahead of two-time World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist and reigning national champion Wallace Spearmon, who was the runner-up in 20.29. Jaysuma Saidy Ndure (NOR) was third in 20.31 and Angelo Taylor was fourth in 20.50.

U.S. women’s sprinters also were successful in Gateshead with 2009 national 100m champion and two-time World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter winning her specialty in 10.95 seconds. Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad was the runner-up in 11.00, with Sherone Simpson of Jamaica third in 11.02.

2007 USA Junior champion and Pan Am Junior gold medalist Bianca Knight was victorious in the women’s 200m in 22.71. Rosemarie Whyte of Jamaica was the runner-up in 22.81, with Anneisha McLaughlin (JAM) finishing third in 22.95.

2007 USA and NCAA Outdoor champion Alysia Johnson posted an impressive win in the women’s 800 meters by crossing the finish line first in 1:59.84. Finishing second was Halima Hachlaf (MAR) in 2:00.49, with Yuliya Krevsun (UKR) third in 2:00.67. 2008 Olympian and 2009 World Outdoor Championships fifth-place finisher Christin Wurth-Thomas finished fourth in 2:00.75.

Also posting a win today was two-time World Indoor champion and two-time Indoor Visa Champion Lolo Jones, who won the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.79 seconds. Jones, who is the 2010 USA Outdoor champion and posted the fastest-time in the world this year of 12.55 on June 12 in New York, finished ahead of runner-up Danielle Carruthers (12.98) and Canadian standout Perdita Felicien, who was third in 13.01.

U.S. women turning in runner-up performances in Gateshead included reigning national 400m champion, 2009 World Outdoor Championships sixth-place finisher and current world 400m leader Debbie Dunn (50.66), and 2004 Olympic Trials fourth-place finisher Morgan Uceny (4:04.26), who posted the fastest 1,500m time by an American this outdoor season earlier this week in Lausanne when she finished fifth in 4:02.40, which is her career best. 2008 Olympian and Olympic Trials record holder Kara Patterson, who set the American record in the women’s javelin in winning at the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships, finished as the runner-up today with her best throw of 63.11m/207-0.

Another impressive performance was turned in by 2010 USA Outdoor Championships runner-up Leonel Manzano, who posted the fastest time by an American this outdoor season with his 1,500m second-place finish in 3:33.51. His performance bettered the previous U.S. leading mark of 3:33.92 that he posted when he finished third in New York on June 12.

Also turning in a strong performance was Ben Bruce, who was the runner-up in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase at the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines. Bruce finished third today in 8:22.88, which is his personal best time and the second-fastest time by an American this year.

All-time hurdles great Allen Johnson retires at Gateshead

According to a report by the BBC, 1996 Olympic gold medalist, four-time World Outdoor champion and all-time 110m hurdles great Allen Johnson announced his retirement today in Gateshead at the age of 39.

“It’s just come to the point where my body can’t take it anymore,” said Johnson.”Maybe I can coach some hurdlers or some sprinters… give something back. I’m going to miss it, I really am, but it was fun.”

Wariner earns close win over Taylor In Rome

 

Rome-Two races, two wins and the USA Nationals are only two weeks away.

Jeremy Wariner stands firm and holds off Angelo Taylor to win the Rome Gala - a Diamond League meet. 

Wariners winning time 44.73 to Taylor’s 44.74 - marks the first time the former Baylor runner breaks 45 seconds on the season.

Asafa Powell is coming into his own in 2010.

Powell got out slowly before hitting his stride to handily win the Rome Gala.

Powell time 9.82 seconds is the new world leading time and a big statement in Usain Bolt’s absence.

Guess whose back?

After a disappointing 2009 season, Walter Dix is back to a form similar to 2008.  Dix ran 19.86 seconds in Rome setting a new 200m stadium record and showing signs that big things may be in store for him this season.

Geena Gall To Run Adidas Grand Prix

Eugene, Oregon.- Geena Gall will make an appearance on the Diamond League Series when she runs the 800 meters at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York.

The former two-time NCAA Champion at 800 meters and 2009 World Championship semi-finalist in Berlin joins a world-class lineup including Hazel Clark, Sarah Bowman, Heidi Dahl, Sarah Bowman at the Icahn Stadiun in New York on Saturday June 12 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Oregon Track Club Elite’s Geena Gall will be in New York City this weekend to compete at the Adidas Grand Prix. The IAAF Diamond League event will take place at Icahn Stadium in New York on Saturday June 12 from 3:00pm – 6:00pm.

The  a two-time NCAA Champion at 800 meters and 2009 World Championship semi-finalist in Berlin is coming off her season debut at 800 meters three weeks ago at the Oxy High Performance meet where Gall ran 2:02.16.

Bolts cruises to 200m win at Diamond League Shanghai

May 23, 2010: In his first trip to China since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt cruised to victory in the 200m in 19.76 seconds at the Diamond League Shanghai meet.