5 Important Steps for the Track and Field Union

"I'd like to thanks my sponsor underneath this tape"
(Photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

After a brief, post-Olympic hiatus, I'm back. Lots to talk about with the cross country season now in full swing and the talk of track and field unionizing. This opinion piece is the byproduct of 32 ounces of dark roast Blue State Coffee and a true desire to help the sport thrive now, and in the future. Note: I am a supporting member of TFAA.

If you had't heard yet, Track and Field is unionizing. This has been brewing for a few years with the development of the Track and Field Athletes Association aka TFAA. What started as a small group of enthusiasts, has gained some major traction with the endorsement and membership of the biggest name in the sport, Usain Bolt. Now is the time to really push the agenda to truly professionalize the sport and give the athletes more ownership of their earning potential.

But what can they do? There's tons of ideas floating around and every athlete has different wants and needs. That in mind, these are the 5 things I think should be at the top of the agenda.

1. Make joining the union a necessity
For a union to work, everyone must be a part of it. Every player in the NFL is part of the players union. Same goes for any other major sport. This must be the same for track and field. You must have a united front to bargain with USATF, the IAAF and the IOC. If everyone is acting on their own, nothing will change. A united union must stand together and act as the only pool of athletes that the Diamond League can select from. Rogue athletes must be treated like scabs. Why so harsh you might ask? Go to #2.

2. Implement a stronger international drug testing pool
Aside from cycling, track and field comes under the most scrutiny for drug use. Just watch the Olympics and you'll see athletes come out of nowhere every four years, win medals, then never be heard from again. To thrive, the sport must police itself. A union must strengthen the relationship with WADA, USADA (in the US) and the national anti-doping organizations from every nation that has members in the union. The rules must be strict and must include every level of testing that is available (biological passport, human growth test, etc). Every athlete must back this force meet directors to shun those who choose not to participate in the necessary testing.

Lets make these OK to wear in a Diamond League meet

3. Get sponsor rules changed
For athletes to thrive, the rules must change so that they can make a living; not just get by. I spoke with Matt Scherer outside of the Wild Duck Cafe at the Olympic Trials and noticed he was wearing a Picky Bars sweatband. Five feet away was Lauren Fleshman. So I pulled them together and asked, "why not wear a Picky Bars singlet while your racing?" That turned into "you've gotta get Picky Bars approved as a club with USATF, then it can only go in the upper right hand corner of the singlet." Why can't Picky Bars or say, McDonald's or Subway be a title sponsor. Or dare I say Budweiser or New Belgium; a beer company with major ties to cycling. Lead sponsors should not be limited to shoe companies. If Nike or Adidas want to sign an athlete to an exclusive contract, that's great! But the union should agree upon a multi-spot sponsor design and present it to USATF nationally and the IAAF internationally. An example of a multi-spot sponsor could be logos the center of the singlet, the upper left hand corner (as the upper right is reserved for club affiliation), the back of the singlet and then any shoulder temporary tattoos or sweat/headbands. I am not tied to any particular arrangement, but this is something that should be agreed upon and presented before the 2013 outdoor season. Think PGA more so than NASCAR.

4. Force the IOC's hand for the 2016 Olympics
If track and field comes as a united front, they can overturn rule #40, or at least change it to better accommodate the athletes. Track and field is arguably the centerpiece of Olympic competition and the athletes should be able to profit. The Olympics is 10 to 11-figure business and the athletes get almost nothing. This isn't 1912, or even 1984 for that matter. If getting paid is too much to ask, athletes should be able to promote their sponsors during the Olympics. That is why companies sponsor athletes that compete in "Olympic Sports." You must provide them some return on investment or they won't invest during those other four years. This is where Usain Bolt's leverage will help, as he has been the star of the past two Olympiads and certainly will be a focal point in Rio. Is the IOC going to turn him away? I doubt it.

5. Develop the Track Club system in an organized manner
When the Oregon Track Club was performing so well at the 2008 Olympic Trials, everyone wanted OTC gear. Shirts, singlets, warmups, etc. They are and excellent example of a well developed club with a well developed brand. The Oregon Project is starting to do the same. I keep waiting for Jerry Schumacher's group to officially brand itself "Rip City TC." Everyone in the union should join a club if they aren't on one already. It's an excellent marketing tool and almost demands that the IAAF allow that upper right hand logo. Remember how cool the Santa Monica Track Club was? MVP Track Club should have the same brand identity. They've got the two top sprinters in the world! I've never even seen a logo. The union could develop and promote international club championships where athletes only wear specially designed club gear. Those would be big bragging rights that would certainly entice TV outlets.

While I know these things won't happen overnight, I am hopeful. Things are materializing. If you need any help Khadevis, or want me to sit on a board, I'm here for you. I'll be happen to elaborate on any of these points in long form, just email me.

And with all this in mind, any step forward is a positive step, so lets get moving!

UPDATE: I went on The Runaround on ESPN Radio Baltimore on 10/1 with TFAA President, Khadevis Robinson, to discuss the union. Listen to the recording here.

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Talking Trials Final Report: Tarmoh-geddon, A Tale of Two Fourths and that Men's 1500

Jeneba Tarmoh hugs Allyson Felix after the 200
(all photos: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

What a week (and a half)! The 2012 Olympic Track and Field Trials have now come and gone and were filled with highs for some and lows for others, but an overabundance of excitement for all; on and off the track. Here are my final thoughts in eleventh and final edition of "Talking Trials." Full results for the trials are here.

Tarmoh-geddon
When I woke up this morning, I heard ESPN's Mike and Mike (and again at lunch on the Jim Rome Show) discussing the Jeneba Tarmoh forfeit to Allyson Felix, and how could someone give up the once-in-every-four-years opportunity to be an Olympian. I'm not quite sure, but I respect Ato Boldon and his explanation that Tarmoh was just too exhausted physically and mentally to go through with it. Seems plausible, but I'll always think there is something else there. As I mentioned on Twitter last night, I believe Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated's final article on the topic is where we should leave it. And then I watched Tarmoh's interview on SportsCenter. Mind boggling. Watch that race again.

A Tale of Two Fourths
Aside from my coverage here at writing about running, I covered local athletes for the Charlotte Observer, the Greensboro News & Record and the Raleigh News & Observer at the trials. Two of those athletes finished in the first spot that you don't want to finish at the trials, fourth.

Calesio Newman starts his run
towards the 200 final

For Greensboro's Calesio Newman, fourth was a huge jump in his career. He had failed to make the 100 meter final earlier in the week and would bounce back and look excellent through the rounds. When the 200 meter final came, he looked great. He would have a tough road ahead, starting out of lane eight, with eventual champion, Wallace Spearmon and 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, Shawn Crawford, starting in lanes six and seven, respectively, using him as a personal rabbit. He would run the race of his life. That race would prove to be a mere .01 seconds off of his first Olympic team. He was the slowest out of the blocks and looked over about 10 meters too early at the finish. A tough day, but no one expected him to compete for the spot, so he had something to smile about. Read my final piece in the Greensboro News & Record on him here and watch part of my interview with him here. Watch the Men's 200 meter final here. 

For former Charlottean and NC State standout Julia Lucas, fourth was a bit tougher. In the Women's 5000 meter final Monday night, Lucase mad a strong move with three laps to go and looked to have the win in the bag. That changed with a lap to go. She slowed and would be passed by Julie Culley and American Record Holder, Molly Huddle, with 200 meters to go. It looked like she would hang onto the third and final Olympic spot. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the case, as a hard charging Kim Conley would nip her at the line by .04 seconds. Despite the tough loss, Lucas answered questions for over ten minutes and faced her disappointment head on. It was incredible to watch and I take my hat off to anyone with that kind of toughness that makes a move like she did, have it backfire, and then standby it. Watch the agonizing race here.

Leo Manzano outkicks Centro down the stretch

That Men's 1500
The toughest team to make had to be the Men's 1500 meters. From the gun, it was exciting. The Jordan McNamara-Will Leer-John Mickowski plan of attack to try and get the Olympic A Standard almost worked, but they would have had to beat an excellent crowd to make the team; standard or no standard. In the end, the cream rose to the top with the year in, year out, world team lock, Leo Manzano, pushing by Matt Centrowitz in the last 50 meters to take the title and Andrew Wheating doing the same to Robby Andrews for that third final spot. It was a sea of carnage at the finish and Andrews was the face to pure exhaustion as he had to be helped off the track and then back to the warm up area. David Torrence was in second with 100 meters to go and would fade to sixth. That was just a very hard team to make. I wonder how many will drop down to the 800 or move up to the Steeplechase or the 5000 for next year's World Championships in Moscow. Watch the 1500 Final here.

Amy "Hasty" Hastings

The Eugene Scene
The town was electric for the trials. I met so many great people that it would be impossible to list them all. The people inside, outside and around the sport are some of the most interesting and introspective people I've ever met. I had the fun of meeting lots of great writers, athletes, shoe company employees and of course, the two groups that have helped every track and field fan see more of sport in real time, Flotrack and RunnerSpace. Both of these groups work relentlessly and quite frankly, I don't know how they have the energy to do it. I'm happy they do. Some highlights from talks with athletes were speaking to Lauren Fleshman and Matt Scherer late Saturday night about the sponsor game, speaking with Amy Hastings about her breakthrough and of course, hanging with my old friend Steve Edwards and the 3 Non Joggers, while his wife, Shalane Flanagan, ran the 10,000. 

I truly hope that the trials come back to Eugene, as it was easy to navigate everywhere and was very reasonable financially. Not to mention, a packed house of knowledgeable track and field fans every day. I was unsure if I'd understand all of the field events, but Kevin Sully of the House of Run podcast, educated me on them and I thoroughly enjoyed the nuances the exciting atomosphere that the fans loved. I fully expect this team to well in London and can't wait to watch them try.

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Talking Trials: Back to the Track

Will Bumby be ready to kick again tonight?
(Photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

This is the seventh installment of "Talking Trials." There will be more to come every day during the 2012 USA Olympic Track and Field Trials from Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, OR. Full results for the trials are here.

It's Thursday morning here in Eugene and track is back! The Flotrack/Brooks run was packed again and we were joined by Neely Spence and Shayla Houlihan, who just announced her retirement from the track, after a disappointing steeple preliminary heat on Monday. She didn't rule out the roads though, including a potential fall marathon. Best of luck to her. It just shows the intensity of the trials and the training these athletes have been putting in to excel to the fullest extent during these 10 days that come along only every four years. The grim reality is that many of the athletes running here this week will move on from the sport if things don't go their way. A true reminder that it's "do or die time."

The 1500 prelims will kick off this afternoon and they are stacked. Some excellent runners will not make the team and a few will likely not make the final. A few of the men and women are right on the outside looking in at the Olympic A Standard times and I wonder how that will affect the way the rounds are run. The stars should have no trouble getting through to the semis, but that's where it will get interesting.

The Men's Steeplechase final goes off later in the evening and six guys have the A standard. College standout Donn Cabral has had a very long season, but has a great kick and will contend. Dan Huling has the best PR in the field at 8:13.29 and looked good in the prelims. Kyle Alcorn has been very consistent this year and also always has a great last few laps. Evan Jager has only run three steeples ever now, but looked flawless in the prelims. He looks to be the obvious choice to take the win. Billy Nelson got in by the skin of his teeth on time (from the prelims), but is good at showing up in big races. Finally, Ben Bruce hasn't run great yet this year, but is a tough competitor and will be in the mix. He could be rounding into shape at just the right time. The darkhorse pick will be Brian Olinger. Olinger ran within a second of the A Standard last year before committing to the 10k and the marathon. He now is back steepling again and looked good on Monday. Expect him to make an honest push towards the podium like he did at the Marathon Trials. He'll stick his nose in it for as long as he can. If I had to pick the three, I'd go Jager, Alcorn, Huling, but would not be surprised if Cabral snuck by Huling if he is there with 400 to go.

The Women's 5000 final will send some new faces to London as American Record Holder Molly Huddle will look to make her first team and will bring two newcomers with her. My Charlotte roots will have me pulling for former Myers Park Mustang, Julia Lucas, as she continues to have an excellent season and incredible comeback. Also, Liz Maloy looked effortless in the prelims and looks to be in shape to do something big. Those are my top three, but I think Julie Culley has as good of a shot as any of those women. Lisa Uhl is already on the team in the 10,000, so I am not sure she'll contend, but we can't forget Magda either. She'll lay it all out there as she has in the past. Kim Conley, Emily Infeld and Abbey D'Agostino looked great in the prelims, yet lack the standard. In 2008, it took 15:02 to make the team, so if it's anything like that, the standard will come as the byproduct of a great race.

The Men's 5000 final will be interesting. On paper, Bernard Lagat, Galen Rupp and Lopez Lomong look like the cream of the crop, but Andrew Bumbalough looked great in the prelim and could break up that party. He can kick with the best of them and has run many more 5000's than Lomong, so his experience may help him. Ben True and Brent Vaughn looked good in the prelims, as did recent NC State graduate, Ryan Hill. Will they have enough to crack the podium? Maybe not, but will hopefully make it interesting.

See if you can find the Picky Bar founders

Yesterday was the first truly nice day out here in Eugene, with the sun out and the temps around 70 degrees. Since my shin was hurting pretty good after Tuesday's double, I opted for a five mile walk around town to explore and take some photos. After that, we went out to Ninkasi Brewing Company for the Picky Bars event. It's been fun to watch the company grow since I bought my first batch in September of 2010 and all the Picky staffers were in attendance, including Lauren Fleshman and her husband Jesse Thomas and Stephanie Rothstein and her fiance' Ben Bruce. It's freaking science dude.

Later in the evening, after some table sports with the Tar Heel contingent, we headed out to Taylor's Bar & Grill, before capping off a low key night at the usual Wild Duck Cafe. For the next two days, Saucony will be hosting the post meet parties there and if it's anything like the first few nights, you won't want to miss it! Alright, off to the track. Tune in to NBC Sports Network tonight at 9pm eastern for some great action on the oval!

Here are some photos of my Eugene walkabout (taken with instagram):

Home of the Ducks

Oregon being Oregon

The block is hot

The Autzen Footbridge on the Willamette River

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Road to Houston: 5 Questions with Olympic Trials competitor, Molly Pritz

Today, we were lucky enough to have 5 Questions with one of the Women's Contenders on her "Road to Houston." We'll have a few more of these features over the holidays as we lead up to the big day on January 14, 2012.

Molly Pritz is coming off a strong debut Marathon, finishing as the top American this November at New York City, and has had an excellent 2011. Strong Half Marathons in New Orleans and San Antonio, as well as a USATF Road Championship at 25k have vaulted her to the top tier of American road runners. She will have a quick turnaround for the Trials, but looks to be up for the challenge! Follow her on Twitter here and check out her blog here.

5 Questions with Molly Pritz

1. Writing About Running: You recently ran your debut at NYC, how's the recovery and training for the Trials going?

Molly Pritz: My recovery from NYC went really well. My quads were certainly beat up from the hills and bridges for about three days afterwards, but I spent a week in Hawaii with my mom and took full advantage of swimming in the ocean to help loosen everything up.

I took about 10 days off after NYC and felt ready to dive into training again after a few visits to the chiropractor. Unfortunately, I suffered a nasty fall while out on an easy run about 3 days after I started training again. Needless to say my knee did not like smacking against concrete. Luckily no serious damage was done, but unfortunately I had to miss even more training to allow the soft tissue to recover. I guess I need to work on my ability to not fall flat on my face!

2. Writing About Running: What were your biggest takeaways from racing that distance?
 
Molly Pritz: I would have to say I learned a lot about myself, not only from the race, but from training for it too. My build up was certainly less than ideal, but I was just so thankful to have the opportunity to be on the starting line of the best marathon in the world and wanted to do my best because so many people had helped make it possible for me to toe that line. In a way, I wanted to perform well as a thank you to them, in addition to the satisfaction of running my heart out.

Pritz and Lauren Fleshman going
stride for stride early in NYC

The biggest takeaway I had from the race experience itself is how important it is to truly enjoy what you are doing. I can honestly say I loved every mile of the marathon, including the miles I felt invincible and the final few miles where the wheels were falling off at an exponential rate. Both in training and the race I found an inner strength I never knew I had and I'd like to think that my NYC experience has not only made me a stronger runner, but a stronger person in every aspect of life. I don't think I could ask for a better takeaway from a race.

3. Writing About Running: You're now being coached by Mark Hadley, who many of us in NC know, but the rest of the country may not. What led you to him?

Molly Pritz: There are so many coaches in our sport that I found it rather difficult to figure out who would coach me post-Hansons. I never really thought I would have to think about it either, so I certainly wasn't prepared for the decision. I didn't know much about Mark's training philosophies, but David Monti, from the NYRR, recommended Mark based on my running strengths and my personality. I completely trust David, so after a few conversations with Mark about his training philosophy and my long term goals in the sport, I knew David's recommendation was a perfect match.

Fighting for it in NOLA

4. Writing About Running: Aside from NYC, you've had some excellent performances in 2011, from the 1:11 Half at New Orleans to the 1:12 Half win at San Antonio, to the 25k National Championship, that you won by a convincing 3 minutes. Which performance have you been most proud of thus far?

Molly Pritz: I would definitely say that my performance last year I was most proud of would be my 1:11 half in New Orleans. I had a very short build up leading up to Mardi Gras and was really  suffering in a lot of workouts. Even on the day of the race I was feeling horrible, but every time I felt like I was faltering I would surge and push harder. Some of my friends asked me afterwards if I was disappointed about being only seconds away from breaking 1:11, and I could honestly say I wasn't, because I can't think of a single moment in that race where I could have made up those 6 seconds. That's the most I can ask for out of any race performance.

5. Writing About Running: What is your goal for the Trials?

Molly Pritz: Since my short build up to the Trials was made even shorter by my fall, my main goal for the Trials is to gain experience by running with the best women in the nation. I have less racing experience than most people my age, so I can only hope that I can learn something by the whole Trials experience that will not only help me with my spring racing plans, but for the rest of my running career.

Stay tuned for more articles this week and continued coverage leading up to the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, TX on January 14, 2012.

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Track and Field Athletes Association members use celebrity on Twitter for greater good

The Track and Field Athletes Association (TFAA) has been looking for an identity over the past few years. $100 annual dues and lack of membership plagued it's existence until Nick Symmonds decided to write an open letter and start a Facebook group. One of the most active voices on Twitter in the sport of Track and Field is Ann Gaffigan. If you're a track fan and on Twitter, you've probably had some interaction with Ann. Her passion for the sport is as great as her knowledge and her bounty of ideas. It's no wonder that she was the one that urged Symmonds to join the TFAA and to offer his opinions on how to make it viable.

Very soon, Symmonds was championing the group (TFAA) on his Facebook group (which is now over 6000 vocal members). And today, the TFAA got to show what they were made of. Yesterday, distance darling, Lauren Fleshman, was told to remove her temporary tattoos of her company, Picky Bars, from her arms before starting the NYC Marathon. Picky Bars is her company. It's a start-up that she, her husband and Stephanie Rothstein started. We're not talking Nike or Gatorade or GU. We're talking about a Gluten-Free Nutrition bar (company) that she makes herself. PS, they're very good. I was one of the first customers. This seemed pretty unjust and the TFAA has rallied around her.

If you were on Twitter today, you probably saw a member of TFAA's message about the subject.

Quite frankly, it was awesome. Although Track and Field isn't the NFL or MLB or the NBA, it still has stars, and the stars came out. Everyone from David Oliver to Sara Hall to Matt Tegenkamp to Doc Patton to Maggie Vessey was spreading the word that #WeAreUSATrack&Field. If Rainn Wilson selling tacos is worth $12,000, the combined celebrity of the TFAA world has to be worth a few ears.

It's a great step in the right direction and I applaud all of those involved. To learn more about the TFAA, check out their website or just tweet at Ann Gaffigan!

TFAA is now open to everyone and is only $20 a year! Click here for more information on membership.

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NYC 2011: Can Gebremariam hold off the Mutais?

Gebre Gebremariam, feeling the flow

Gebre Gebremariam put on a show last year in New York and made a mockery of the competition, and the Marathon in general, with a big win on "doubled 10k training." In his debut, on arguably the most challenging Marathon Major course, Gebremariam was flawless. The 2010 runner up was Kenya's Emmanuel Mutai, who is considered one of the favorites again this year. Mutai also will have the weight of making the Kenyan Olympic team on his shoulders, something that will be a very tight competition within the competition.

Since NYC 2010, Gebremariam has seen some challenges and the Marathon has seen some changes. Multiple 2:03's have been turned in, and Kenya has taken to the forefront, dominating the 2011 World Championship Marathon and leaving Gebremariam's Ethiopian countrymen in their wake.

The biggest question about the 2011 NYC Marathon has got to be, will the Kenyans go out at a breakneck pace on the challenging NYC course? If they do, will Gebremariam and his countryman, Tsegaye Kebede, go with them? Can someone run in the 2:05 range on the NYC course? And can Meb Keflezighi run under 2:10 in a pair of Skechers?

Geoffrey Mutai will likely lead the Kenyan charge with former Galen Rupp American 10k Record Attempt-pacer, Matthew Kisorio, making his Marathon debut after a strong 2011 track season in tow. Expect both Mutai's to set the pace with Kisorio right on their shoulder, with Kebede and Gebremariam right in the pack. It's going to be quite the show, and luckily, we can watch it on Universal Sports, UniversalSports.com (for free) and the Marathon Mobile App starting at 9am eastern.

Finally, on the American front, Meb Keflezighi is taking a big risk running NYC so close to the 2012 Marathon Trials, but as a return champion, who is likely getting a very nice appearance fee, can you blame him? This will be his first Marathon as a member of Team Skechers, and it will be interesting to see what he's got in the tank. He ran great at the San Jose Half and I don't think he'll fall out of the top seven. It's hard not to get excited about the debuts from Bobby Curtis and Ed Moran as well. Both have been great 10k runners and will look to make the Olympic Team in that event, but both should battle for top ten finishes tomorrow, as they likely will run more within themselves than some of the pack upfront, and will pick off stragglers as long as they respect the Marathon!

Keitany hopes to raise the roof in Manhattan

On the Women's side, last year's bronze medalist, Mary Keitany, looks to be the cream of the crop. Keitany finished behind Edna Kiplagat and a strong finishing Shalane Flanagan, in her debut, then went on to win the 2011 London Marathon in a very fast 2:19:19. 2011 Boston Marathon winner, Caroline Kilel, is a proven hill runner and could emerge if the late hills of Central Park slow Keitany. Also, Kim Smith could do something special as long as she doesn't try to run away from the field early, like she did in Boston. The three will likely run together and then make a go of it in the last 10k.

On the American front, the most exciting debut is certainly Lauren Fleshman. Fleshman is a runner's runner and is easy to pull for. She's been battling some injuries, but appears to be a perfect fit for the stage of New York. Let's hope she wakes up feeling good and can run the race competitively.

Also in the field is the ageless Jen Rhines. Rhines can do it all and I would expect nothing less than a top ten finish from her. She's strong, consistent and well trained for a course like New York. USATF 25k Champion Molly Pritz rounds out the showcased debutantes, and should be capable of something in the 2:30-2:32 range.

Official writing about running Predictions:

Men
1. G. Mutai
2. Kebede
3. Gebremariam

Top American: Keflezighi (6th)

Women
1. Kilel
2. Keitany
3. K. Smith

Top American: Jen Rhines (8th)

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Daily Daegu: Maggie Vessey powers into Women's 800 Final

Vessey drops the hammer in the last 10
(TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Maggie Vessey got things started in the night session of Day 7 at Daegu by running a near perfect race in the semis of the Women's 800. Vessey glided by Great Britain's Jenny Meadows in the final meters to secure a spot in the final and thus eliminating Meadows, a medal favorite in the process. Her time was a quick 1:58.98 and was the slowest of the 8 qualifiers for the final. Alysia Montano sprinted into the final as well with one of the two time qualifiers. The other non-auto qualifier was Jamaica's Kenia Sinclair, another favorite. The final is going to be a good one, but watch out for Caster Semenya. As I mentioned on Twitter this morning, it looks like she's been sandbagging. Her final 200 in the semis was lightning fast. If she unleashes something like that in the finals, it will be a fight for Silver.

The Women's 5000 was a hard fought battle between the Kenyans and Ethiopians, specifically the eventual winner, Vivian Cheruiyot, her teammate, Sylvia Kibet (Silver) and Ethiopia's Meseret Defar (Bronze). The only competitor to break up the Kenya/Ethiopia dual meet was our own Lauren Fleshman, who dug deep and kicked down Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba in the final steps, for a very respectable 7th in 15:09.25 (one place better than she finished at USA's). Amy Hastings didn't have it today, but for a marathoner to even make the 5000 Final at Worlds is quite the accomplishment.

In the sprints, Usain Bolt, Walter Dix and Christophe Lemaitre look like the medal favorites in the 200, where Veronica Campbell Brown took Gold in the Women's 200 Final, with Carmelita Jeter taking Silver and Allyson Felix taking Bronze. The Men's 4x400 Relay had to work for it, but in the end, LaShawn Merritt used a miler's sit and kick tactics and powered home on the last straightaway to secure the American Gold.

Day 8 has the Men's 50k Race Walk in the morning and then gets fired up on the Track at night (or the early morning Stateside). The fun starts at 7:15am eastern with the Men's 1500. Matt Centrowitz has surprised with his calm and veteran-like demeanor in qualifying for his first World Final. Should we really be that surprised though? Centro has proved to be an excellent rounds and tactical race runner. The final should see how good he really is. A medal shouldn't be out of the question, and at minimum, he should be there in the mix with 200 to go. He'll have quite the competition, with Kenyan favorites Asbel Kiprop ('08 Olympic Gold Medalist) and Silas Kiplagat ('11 World Leader), as well as Nick Willis ('08 Silver Medalist), Mehdi Baala ('08 Bronze Medalist), plus many others, including the most improved, and most beloved, "Bullet with the Mullet," Ireland's (via Florida State) Ciaran O'Lionaird. Check out Flotrack's prediction contest as well.

Closing out Day 8 will be three sprint races. The first is Women's 4x400 Relay at 7:40am. Can they match the Men's Gold? Next up is the Women's 100 hurdles at 8:00am, where they have to run the semis 1:45 beforehand. Closing out the day at 8:20am will be Mr. Bolt vs. the World in the Men's 200 final. Walter Dix looked great in the semis, but can he stay within a few tenths of the king? We'll see. He may not have to if Bolt "false starts" again.

Follow along at Universal Sports!

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Daily Daegu: Jenny Simpson digs for Gold!

Goldeneye! (TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Who woulda thunk it? Jenny B. Simpson ran a near perfect race to take the Gold Medal in the Women's 1500 at the 2011 IAAF World Track and Field Championships today and has never looked better. Unlike the semi, she bode her time, worked her way through the pack smoothly, and slowly changed gears starting around 250 to go. Only 250 before that, she navigated her way through the massive pileup that claimed Morgan Uceny's chances at the podium. For as much as I have wanted Jenny B to go back to the Steeple, I couldn't be happier. When you have a Gold Medal, you can do what you want!

In the night session, Bernard Lagat and Galen Rupp looked great in the 5000 semis. Both should make some noise in the final, with Lagat being one of the favorites, with England's Mo Farah. All three Americans looked great in the Women's 800 prelims and advanced automatically to the semis as well.

In the 1500 semis, Matt Centrowitz ran perfectly to win the first heat, without exerting too much energy. He didn't get off the inside rail for much of the race and stuck when necessary. He has had an incredible year so far, winning NCAA's, USA's and now truly being in contention for a medal in the finals. He'll have his hands full with Asbel Kiprop, Silas Kiplagat, Nick Willis and others, but many strong contenders were bounced, including Leo Manzano, who looked to have pulled something with about 50 to go.

The Men's Steeple went almost to plan with Ezekiel Kimboi winning and dancing it out, leaving teammate Brimin Kipruto the Silver and France's Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad the Bronze (over countryman Bob Tahri). After this, Broughton High alum, Jesse Williams struck Gold in the High Jump and Lashinda Demus got equal Gold in the 400 Hurdles.

Day 7 is a little light on distance events, but does have the Alice Schmidt, Maggie Vessey and Alysia Montano in the Women's 800 semis at 6:25am Eastern Friday morning, as well as the Women's 5000 Final at 7:25am. Amy Hastings and Lauren Fleshman will take aim at a strong field with high hopes!

Check out the action on Universal Sports!

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Daily Daegu: Jenny B fights in the 1500, but should she come back to the Steeple?

Simpson threw down multiple moves to
make the final (TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Day 4 was the last busy day before the Day 5 off day (save the Women's 20k Race Walk). The action got started early with the Women's 5000 semi-finals. Amy Hastings ran strong enough out of Heat 1 to get a time qualifier, while Lauren Fleshman left nothing to chance by throwing down a major move with 250 to go to secure a big enough cushion to coast into the finals with an auto qualfier. Hard to believe she was just 8th at USA's. American Record holder, Molly Huddle, wasn't so lucky as she put up a good fight, but her injury and subsequent loss of training ultimately kept her out of the final. She'll be back next year.

The Men's 1500 heats were almost as exciting with Daniel Komen taking a huge lead in heat 1 to secure his entry to the semis, while U of O's Matt Centrowitz securing the final automatic qualifier in that heat. The second heat brought some drama as Frenchman, Mehdi Baala, tripped and went down with 100 to go. The French are protesting, but as of now, he hasn't been passed to the semis. Andrew Wheating's year full of injury ended in this heat, as he just didn't have a kick left. Like Huddle, he'll be ready to dance next year. Amine Laalou won heat 3 with Leo Manzano getting in off time and former Florida State Seminole, Irishman Ciaran O'Lionaird, channelling the power of the mullet and bursting into the final automatic qualifying slot of the heat. What a few months O'Lionaird has had. Going from a poor showing at NCAA's, to an excellent 6 second PR of 3:34 in the 1500, signing a professional contract with Nike and making the World semis in an event that may not even be his best.

Lauren Fleshman, riding dirty (TrackAndFieldPhoto)

The Women's 1500 semis were competitive as multiple time American Champ, Shannon Rowbury, came in next to last, while Morgan Uceny cruised in second, securing an auto-qualifier. Jenny B. Simpson had to fight like crazy, but had that one last move when it counted, to bolt into the lead and finish a comfortable second, making the final.

The Men's 800 went pretty much to plan with David Rudisha toying with the field and Yuriy Borzakovskiy nearly stealing the Silver from Abubaker Kaki with his well honed tactics. Nick Symmonds gave it quite a ride, but didn't have enough left down the home stretch to sneak onto the podium. His 5th place finish isn't what he wanted, but certainly a solid showing and more fuel for the London fire that he'll begin building this fall.

The Women's Steeplechase was fast with Russia's Yuliya Zaripova taking the win in 9:07.03 and Tunisa's Habiba Ghribi taking the silver in 9:11.97. What you probably didn't realize is Jenny B. Simpson's 9:12.50 in the 2009 World Championships would have netted her the bronze today. Unless she comes in top 5 in the 1500, she should give serious thought into returning to the Steeple for London. Her protege, Colorado's Emma Coburn, had a tough race, but finished a strong season as the NCAA Champion, USA Champion and a finals qualifier at Worlds. Not too shabby! (Also, Anna Peirce's 9:22 PR would have been good enough for 5th and she's not at Worlds).

Finally, the Men's 400 went from being possibly LaShawn Merritt's return to glory, to the youth gone wild show, with Grenada's Kirani James sneaking past Merritt in the final meters (a la Mo Farah in the 10,000) to take the Gold. The only tougher loss for Merritt would be one where the IOC outlaws him form competing in London next year. We'll know the answer to that by the end of September.

With Day 5 being a quiet day, I'll preview Day 6 tomorrow!

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Daily Daegu: Is Day 4 Nick Symmonds time to shine?

Symmonds has been hot in Daegu so far
(TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Day 3 at Daegu ended in a flourish, with Americans Carmelita Jeter and Jason Richardson both claiming gold medals. Jeter continued to dominate in the 100, while Richardson has seemingly come out of nowhere in the past month in the 110 hurdles. While he was helped by Dayron Robles' DQ and pushing on Silver Medalist Liu Xiang, Richardson ran his best at the right time and was rewarded for it. Allyson Felix's doubled was thwarted by Amantle Montsho, but a Silver at the World Championships is nothing to sneeze at. Jillian Camarena-Williams also took home Bronze in the Shot Put. A great day for American sprinters, hurdlers and throwers!

But that's not what I generally cover here. The only distance event of Day 3 was the Men's Steeplechase and our boys didn't look so good. As I said on twitter yesterday, "the American Steeple contingent could use a Fam injection on the men's side and some Simpson/Pierce on the women's." Emma Coburn is the only American in either final and she looked great. But hopefully we can get stronger before London next year.

Day 4 brings on lots of distance fun as the Women's 5000 heats start up at 9:20 eastern tonight with Amy Hastings, the injured Molly Huddle and the white hot Lauren Fleshman gunning for the finals. After that, we'll get to see the Men line up in the 1500 prelims. Coming off a big win in London, Leo Manzano will be ready to go, with collegian Matt Centrowitz and Andrew Wheating bringing their Oregon flair to the line.

The American morning session of Day 4 kicks off at 7:35am eastern with the Women's 1500 semis, where all 3 ladies are still alive. At 8:00am, Nick Symmonds will take aim at the medal stand in a stacked 800. David Rudisha is a heavy favorite for Gold and Abubaker Kaki the same for Silver, but the bronze is wide open and Symmonds appears ready to bring it home. Watch out for a dual between Symmonds and 2004 Olympic Champion, Yuriy Borzakovskiy, for that last spot on the podium. Next, at 8:20am, Emma Coburn will finish her excellent season in the Women's Steeplechase final. Closing the night will be the next leg of the LaShawn Merritt redemption tour. After two excellent performances in the rounds, he looks to be the favorite to bring home the Gold in the Men's 400.

A very exciting night and day ahead after an exciting morning for us Americans!

You can watch on television and online via Universal Sports. Results are on the IAAF's Daegu site.

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Return of the ever enigmatic Lauren Fleshman

Sweet Relief! (TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Lauren Fleshman could possibly be the easily track athlete to root for in America. Why? Well, there are multiple reasons, but no matter how cool Lauren Fleshman comes off or how entertaining her blog is, the bottom line is, she can run. After her win last year at USATF nationals in the 5000, it seemed as though she was finally healthy and would be a force on the American Distance Running scene once again. Then she got hurt, again.

After what seemed as another full year of rehab, Fleshman was entered in the 2011 USATF 5000 Championships. It didn't go so well, she finished 8th. My, how things have changed in the past six weeks, as at noon today, all signs appear that Fleshman will be tagged to represent Team USA in the 5000 at Daegu. This comes mostly on the strength of her excellent showing at the Aviva Grand Prix in London last Friday, where she ran a dominating last 500m to take the win in a strong 15:00.57, only a second off of her PR.

Almost as exciting as being named to Team USA for the 2011 Track & Field World Championships in Daegu, is the report today, from Ron Bellamy at the Eugene Register Guard, that Fleshman will run the 2011 New York City Marathon in November as well. She mentions she'll be turning 30 in September (30's a good age for a first time marathon) and has seen the way that marathon training has helped people like Desi Davila, when they come back to the track (Speaking of Davila, check out Fleshman's Twitter Icon tribute to Desi today for giving up her spot on the 5000 team).

All this in mind, the future looks very bright for Lauren Fleshman. The "official" announcement of Team USA will be at noon today via USATF and while you're waiting, go pick up some of Fleshman's Picky Bars.

And by the way, this video never gets old:


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Diamond Dash: Will Angela Bizzarri's ticket get punched to Daegu on Day 2?

Can Hastings carry Bizzarri's flag?

Angela Bizzarri has been in this position before. This is the second time she's qualified for a worlds team without having hit the A Standard. In 2009, she tried to get the standard, but was out of steam after a strong NCAA season (and a 5000 meter title). This year, her teammate Amy Hastings, has been trying to duck under the 15:14.00 A Standard so that Bizzarri can get in with the B. Hastings has come very close running 15:15 twice and will take one more crack at it in London tomorrow. She'll have the help of another teammate, ageless Jen Rhines, who could be helping as a personal rabbit, as she's already qualified for Daegu in the 10,000. Best of luck to Hastings and Rhines, that's true teamwork! Here's the finishing order from the USA Championships in June.  Also in the field is a re-surging Lauren Fleshman, as well as Boston Marathon runner-up, Desi Davila. Full startlist for the 5000 is here.

Also on Saturday is an American filled Women's 3000 meter Steeplechase. National Champion Emma Coburn leads the Americans with 2010 NCAA champ Bridget Franek and new Nike signee, Lindsay Allen, competing as well. Coburn and Franek will be preparing for Daegu against a strong field.

Former Tar Heel, Erin Donohue, will be leading many Americans in the Women's 1500. Donohue will likely be targeting the 2012 Olympic Standard of 4:06.00 (full 2012 London A & B Standards listed below), as her seasonal best is 4:07.04. The statesiders that will be joining her (and seeking the 2012 A) are Daegu-bound Shannon Rowbury, Treniere Moser and Gabrielle Anderson. Also in the field is the local favorites, Lisa Dobriskey and former FSU star Hannah England (as well as a host of others).

Finally, the Emsley Carr Mile will feature a slew of Americans, with Bernard Lagat, Leo Manzano, Lopez Lomong and Russell Brown competing, as well as former Wisconsin Badgers (and now New Balance runners) Craig Miller and Jack Bolas (from Chapel Hill, NC) setting the pace. They'll have their hands full with local favorite Andy Baddeley, new British star James Shane, Australia's Ryan Gregson, Kenya's Augustine Choge and a host of others giving chase. Here's the link to the full Emsley Carr Mile field.

The event will once again be broadcast on Universal Sports and full meet info can be found here.

Here are the 2012 London Olympic A & B standards:

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