Taking the temperature of the US Olympic Distance Squad a week before Athletics begin

Shalane Flanagan got to wear the flag in 2008. Will any American
Distance Runners get that opportunity in 2012?

Track and Field at the 2012 Olympic Games starts one week from today (check out the schedule here).

How's are the United States Distance Team doing going into the games?

Below is an update about what each American athlete has been up to since the trials and who has a true MEDAL CHANCE, a DARKHORSE medal opportunity, and then sadly, those who may not by ready to roll due to injury (HURT ALERT).

Men's 800
1. Nick Symmonds - MEDAL CHANCE
Ran a near PR 800 in Monaco in 1:43.78, then ran a tune up 400 in Ireland in 47.45. Symmonds looks to be fit and has run rounds well. No doubt he'll be gunning for a medal after coming in 5th in Daegu last year. Abubaker Kaki's recent demise helps him, but it will take an A+ effort to make the podium.

2. Khadevis Robinson - DARKHORSE
KD ran great at the trials, but hasn't run since. Making the final should be his number one goal. If he can do that, he's capable of top five or better, especially with his run from behind and kick from 300 out tactic, that he's employed over the last two seasons.

Saucony has made custom spikes for #5 All Time American
in the 800, Duane Solomon 

3. Duane Solomon - DARKHORSE
His phenomenal 1:43.44 PR in Monaco shows he is at the top of his game. Solomon, like KD, has changed his style from frontrunner to "run right behind the leader" and it's paid off well. His goal should be making the final, and then going from there. Like KD, and Symmonds for that matter, he's got a great shot if he's on the line for the final on Thursday, August 9th. One side note; neither Abraham Kipchirchir Rotich or Leonard Kirwa Kosencha, both of Kenya, who beat Solomon in Monaco, are running in London.

Women's 800
1. Alysia Montano - MEDAL CHANCE
Monaco was good, but not great for Montano. She ran 1:59.05 for third, but looked to be in better shape at the trials. Maybe it was just her international rust buster. She likes to front run, which can be disastrous, but she's too good not to make the final. From there, I'm sure she'd like to improve on her 4th place finish from Daegu last year.

2. Geena Gall
"OMG Opening Ceremonies is tonight!!!!" was a recent tweet from Gall. This is her first rodeo and she leads the clubhouse in the potentially "happy to be here" division. Will she be ready? She ran 2:01.65 at Crystal Palace, so she'll have to return to her Olympic Trials form to make it past the semifinal (it took 1:58.61 to make the final in '08).

3. Alice Schmidt
Schmidt's added strength training this year led to a PR and A Standard in the 1500 at Prefontaine. She barely missed the final in Daegu last year. That will be her goal for London. Read the 5 Questions with Schmidt feature here.

Hopefully this Manzano will show up in London
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Men's 1500
1. Leo Manzano - DARKHORSE
Known for his hot and cold racing habits, Manzano has been hot all year, except for two weeks ago at Crystal Palace. Hopefully one poor showing isn't a sign of where he is right now. Manzano's kick is medal-worthy and if he runs like he did at the trials, that's a possibility.

2. Matt Centrowitz - DARKHORSE
A poor 800 at Crystal Palace led to a withdrawal at Monaco. He ran much better at the Morton Games a few days ago, winning the 800 in 1:47.72. Centro rounds into shape fast and runs rounds well. If he can time this right, he'll hope to finish on the podium again, like he did in Daegu.

3. Andrew Wheating - HURT ALERT
A few days ago, "Britain's Athletics International" said that Wheating had withdrawn from the games. That looked to be false information, but Wheating has been hurt and had to withdraw from Monaco with a flaring up of plantar fasciitis. Let's hope he's ready to go, but I wouldn't put too much stock in him going beyond the semis if this continues to be an issue (it took 3:37.77 to make the final in Beijing)

Uceny will lead a strong 3 in the 1500
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Women's 1500
1. Morgan Uceny - MEDAL CHANCE
Uceny hasn't looked quite as strong as last year. The devastating kick that she displayed all of 2011, save Daegu, hasn't been there. Maybe by design. Her, Shannon Rowbury and Jenny Simpson all looked good, but not great, at Crystal Palace, but I'm sure she and her coach, Terrence Mahon, have been trying to time her peak for the games. We'll see if it works; as if it does, she's a podium threat.

2. Shannon Rowbury - DARKHORSE
No stranger to the medal stand, Rowbury has been overshadowed by Uceny and Simpson over the past two seasons. She's a smart racer most certainly will make the final. After that, she'll need a big race, but like Simpson last year, is capable of medaling if things go her way.

3. Jenny Simpson - MEDAL CHANCE
Last year's 1500 meter World Champ hasn't shown that kind of form yet, but we know it's there. She's run under 4:00 in the event and has as good of 100 meter speed as anyone if it comes down to the last straightaway.

Man of the hour, Evan Jager
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Men's 3000 Steeplechase
1. Evan Jager - MEDAL CHANCE
What's he done since the trials? Only set the American Record in the Steeple in an incredible time of 8:06.81. He also launched himself into the medal conversation. Maybe it's too soon, but maybe not. This event was made for Jager and he's taking full advantage of the opportunity. Look for him to contend on Friday, August 3rd (semifinal) and Sunday, August 5th (final).

2. Donn Cabral
The 2012 Princeton grad recently ran a PR of 3:40.03 for 1500 meters in Lignano, and then four days later, ran a flat 3000 PR of 7:53.48 in Szczecin. His smart racing style should land him in the final (it took 8:23.66 in Beijing). After that, top 10 would be an excellent goal. Read the 5 Questions with Cabral feature here.

3. Kyle Alcorn
If you saw Alcorn at the trials, you know he left it all out there to make the team. He'll have to do the same to make the final in London. He's got a great kick, which will bode well in a kickers race. Read the 5 Questions with Alcorn feature here.

Women's 3000 Steeplechase
1. Emma Coburn - DARKHORSE
Yet to be truly challenged this season, Coburn should thrive in London. She tuned up this week with a 4:33.24 Mile in Ireland. It took 9:17.16 to make the podium in Daegu last year. Coburn has run 9:25.28, but is certainly on the rise.

2. Bridget Franek
Franek looked excellent at Crystal Palace, running a PR of 9:29.53. She just missed the final in Daegu last year, but should be ready to run faster than the 9:40.04 it took to make the final then. Read the 5 Questions with Franek feature here (note: from before the trials).

3. Shalaya Kipp
Like Gall, hopefully Kipp won't fall into the potentially "happy to be here" mode and will compete. In the same Morton Mile as Coburn, Kipp managed only a 4:40.31, but is "hungry for more." She's certainly capable of making the final, but her best shot at the medal stand will be at 2016 or 2020.

Rupp, Lagat and Lomong will all have a shot at 5000
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Men's 5000
1. Galen Rupp - MEDAL CHANCE
While Rupp's training partner, Mo Farah, ran in front of his home crowd at Crystal Palace, Rupp has been silent. I don't think anyone has any doubts he'll be ready to roll when the 5000 semifinal goes off on Wednesday, August 8th.

2. Bernard Lagat - MEDAL CHANCE
Not too much should be taken from Lagat's 3:54.17 Mile at Crystal Palace. It was an alright tune up race. Like Rupp, Lagat is a veteran that will be ready to go for the semis and will exhaust just enough energy to make the final. Gold is on his mind, but a podium finish would be a victory for him and America.

3. Lopez Lomong - DARKHORSE
Lomong won't have the hoopla that comes with being a flag bearer this year. In '08, he didn't make it out of the semifinal in the 1500. He should make it out of the semifinal and then could surprise in the final. He's run very few 5000's, but has run them all well. It took 13:06.22 to medal in Beijing, and will likely take faster in London.

Women's 5000
1. Julie Culley
Culley's kick at the trials was phenomenal. She'll need to channel that and more to make it to the final in London. Her 15:13.77 in Eugene and 8:45.57 3000 in Monaco show she is capable of the 15:15.12 that it took to make the final in 2008.

2. Molly Huddle
How fit is Huddle? We're not really sure. She's battled injury since her 14:44.76 American Record in 2010. Could she be rounding into shape? She didn't make it out of the heats in Daegu, so priority number one will be that.

Conley should feel like this if she
can make the 5000 final
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

3. Kim Conley
"Conley's definitely not just 'happy to be here.' This is the freaking Olympic Games. You can't simply coast in and show up," says her Coach Drew Wartenburg. "Training/prep is going well." She's got absolutely nothing to lose. She ran the race of her life to make it and secured a deal with New Balance in the process. Things are looking up. They'd be even more exciting if Conley could find that same magic to make the final. She won her tune up race in Cork, so it's possible!

Men's 10,000
1. Galen Rupp - MEDAL CHANCE
What seems to be Rupp's signature event will be the first on his schedule. The gun will go off next Saturday, August 4th for his run at the medal stand. It will be tough beating his teammate, Mo Farah, but everyone else is beatable, including Keninisa Bekele. He'll need to have the kick of his life to medal, but that's what he and his coach, Alberto Salazar, have been training his whole life for.

2. Matt Tegenkamp
Teg's run at the trials was inspiring. After looked washed up at Pre, he rebounded and looked in control the whole way. Keep in mind, he's only run four 10,000's ever. His 10th place finish at Daegu last year was good, but I'm sure he wants more, as he finished 4th in Osaka in the 5000 in 2007. Top 7-8 is likely where he'll fall if he runs a strong race.

3. Dathan Ritzenhein
Ritz seems to be on the upswing. His 13:15.91 in the rain at Crystal Palace was another positive step towards his comeback to the track (although he's running the Chicago Marathon this fall). Can he hang on to the front pack? It's going to be tough, but I would think a top 7-8 finish, like Teg, for Ritz is doable.

Brooks made custom shoes for Amy Hastings & Desi Davila
(photo: Amy Hastings Twitter)

Women's 10,000
1. Amy Hastings
One of the best stories of the trials was Amy Hastings breaking through and winning the 10,000, after finishing a disappointing 4th at the Marathon Trials. It will be near impossible to make the podium, but a top 7 finish should be possible, based on Daegu's results.

2. Lisa Uhl
Like Huddle, Uhl has been injured and it's hard to know what to expect from her. She hasn't raced since the trials, so we'll see what happens a week from today!

3. Janet Cherobon-Bawcom
JCB mentioned in her interview with me that she was "so sick in Eugene that I can't even pretend that I had a strategy." Hopefully she's feeling better now and will compete! Read the 5 Questions with JCB feature here.

Men's Marathon
1. Meb Keflezighi - HURT ALERT
While Meb has been busy on television running around in Citibank commercials, it sounds like he isn't ready for London. A hamstring injury seems to have set him back in his training, but he was the 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist, so he'll put forth his best effort.

2. Ryan Hall - DARKHORSE
In early June, Hall looked abysmal at the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Half Marathon, getting his butt kicked by Meb. He's done this before, but never this slow. News came out that he'd had a bad case of plantar fasciitis that was hindering his training. That seems to be in the past now, but will he be ready for the world's best? I know he wants to rebound from his 10th place finish in Beijing. Expect him to contend for as long as he can on the last day of athletics, Sunday, August 11th.

Abdi hopes to airplane some people in London
(photo: The Oregonian)

3. Abdi Abdirahman
The Black Cactus is always a question mark. He could contend for the podium or he could finish 25th. It's hard to say until the race gets going. He'll likely be running in Nike's new Flyknit Racers and he "had a good workout at the track" on July 25.

Women's Marathon
1. Shalane Flanagan - MEDAL CHANCE
If you needed more of a reason to watch the Women's Marathon on Sunday, August 5th, Flanagan is it. Her surprise bronze medal finish in the Beijing 10,000 only whet her appetite for her chances in the marathon. She'll contend. Just watch.

2. Desi Davila - HURT ALERT
News has come out recently that Davila has been injured and could potenially not start next Sunday, August 5th. Let's hope she can find a way to go. The marathon is a tough event to go into half-cocked, but Davila is one of the toughest out there.

3. Kara Goucher - DARKHORSE
She surprised many with her podium finish at the trials and has been training well by all accounts. She could surprise again in London if people crash and burn, as she'll likely take a more balanced approach.

Agree? Disagree? Got some information I missed? Feel free to comment or email me something I left out.

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Talking Trials: Stacked 1500's lead the final day at Hayward

There could be more carnage in the stacked 1500 finals today
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

This is the tenth 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.

Talking through the Men's and Women's 1500 finals can be difficult. The second you think you know who's in and who's out, you find a reason to slot someone else in for the spot. As I've overheard many times this week "that's why they run the races." That statement couldn't be truer.

The Women will go first and five have the Olympic A Standard (4:06.00), with a three within a second of it. That first group includes 2012 World Champion, Jenny Simpson, 2009 World Championship Bronze Medalist , Shannon Rowbury, defending US Champ Morgan Uceny, 2010 US Champ, Anna Willard and two time Olympian at 800 meters, Alice Schmidt. A strong and well-accomplished group that will be tough to crack. Those that have run under 4:07 include Katie Mackey, Brenda Martinez and a reinstated Gabriele Anderson. All three have the wherewithal to mix it up for a spot on the team, yet one will have to push the pace for the standard. That's where it gets tough.

Gabe Jennings looked better than anyone in the prelims and semis in 2008, yet needed the standard. He had no choice but to skew from his traditional racing style and go for the mark. It was a windy day and frankly, no one was going to run what was necessary for Jennings to advance. The final would be won by Bernard Lagat in 3:40.07, far off the then Olympic A Standard of 3:36.60 (it is now and even more difficult 3:35.50). After pushing the pace early, Jennings would finish last in 3:47.92.

So Mackey, Martinez and Anderson will have to work to make the pace honest, as I don't see anyone from the A group doing that. Notorious front runner, Christin Wurth-Thomas, would have been up to the task, but unfortunately she's out with injury. I feel like Uceny, Rowbury are Simpson are the three that will go to London, but I think Gabe Anderson may podium. Whether she'll get the standard or not? That's where it will get exciting.

It's a similar situation on the guys side; half the field has the standard and half doesn't. Jordan McNamara and Will Leer have looked as good as anyone, yet neither have the standard. Will a Craig Miller or a John Mickowski push the pace to go for the A? That could be the strategy even for some with the A, as Leo Manzano, David Torrence, Andrew Wheating and Robby Andrews and 2011 World Championship Bronze Medalist have proved they can close around 52 seconds; sometimes faster. Who can take the sting out of that kind of speed?

I like Torrence, Manzano and Centro out of the group, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least bit if it went Andrews, McNamara, Wheating or any variety of the top eight guys in the final. Tune in this afternoon on NBC to find out.

Brooks took to the skies over Hayward
(photo: instagram)

At the track yesterday, only the Men's 110 Hurdles and the Women's 200 were finals. Both will send excellent teams to London and the 200 press conference had to be emceed by USATF's Jill Geer to prevent "clown questions" from journalists trying to get the scoop on the 100 controversy, which will be solved today (meeting at noon pacific).

Off the track, someone at Brooks Running had the savvy to fly a plane over Hayward Field with a banner that said "Run Happy." Apparently Nike was none too pleased and according to David Monti, Brooks employees "got their credentials pulled" over the stunt.

On the Carolina's front, Greensboro's Calesio Newman ran strong and advanced to the Men's 200 Final, which will be the last event on the track today. Read the article I wrote about him in the Greensboro News & Record here.

And unfortunately, this was last night out, as I'll be taking a redeye back to North Carolina after the trials close this evening. I'll recap more in another post, but the experience has been truly amazing. This sport has the best people involved and Eugene has put on an excellent event. I truly hope they host again in 2016.

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Battle Royale: Matt Centrowitz to make pro debut in Boston this weekend

Centro is back

There are two big indoor meets next weekend, the USA Track and Field Classic in Fayetteville, AR and the Millrose Games in New York City. It's a shame they are both held on the same day, but let's face it, that's unfortunately kind of how Track and Field operates. This week, it's all about beantown. Boston is one of my favorite cities and potentially where I'll be for the next year or so (I'll know in the next six weeks). I'll also be running the marathon again in April, if I can stay healthy of course. Cross your fingers for me.

Saturday will be the professional debut of Mr. Matt Centrowitz. After executing a near-perfect race in Daegu to gain a bronze medal in the World Championship 1500, he'll have his hands full. He's racing a stacked Men's 3000 with US Open Mile Champ and Daegu 1500 Silver Medalist, Silas Kiplagat, British miling superstar (representing New Balance), Andy Baddeley, USA Running Circuit Champ, Ben True, jack of all distances, Ben Bruce and last year’s 3000 winner (over Mo Farah), in a race he ran with only one shoe, Ethiopia’s Dejen Gebremeskel. If Centro can pull this one out, we'll know he's in top form early. Update: Southern Utah's Cam Levins will be joining the fun as well!

Matt Scherer, pacing with the stars

There are two other featured distance events at the meet; the first being the Women's 800. This will feature New Balance's Maggie Vessey, Georgetown star Maggie Infield, US Open 800 Winner, Fantu Magiso, Canada’s Nicole Sifuentes and high school star, Ajee Wilson, who will be competing against the pros for the second straight week. No telling what kind of shape Vessey is in yet, but she is the class of the field.

The final featured distance event of the night is the New Balance Men's Mile. This event is the one that's gonna put butts in the seats. American superstar and 10,000 record holder, Galen Rupp, will likely receive top billing, but the man whose name you will hear non-stop in the promotion of the London Olympic Games will be Mo Farah. Farah is coming off a career year that culminated with a Gold in the 5000 in Daegu, and will be looking to build off that in Boston. Not to be forgotten is New Englander, Russell Brown, who came to Boston last year and won in front a gathering of friends and family. Also in the field is rising star and "bullet with the mullet," Ireland's Ciaran O'Lionaird. O'Lionaird burst onto the scene last year after a slew of 1500 PR's that landed him in the World Championship final. He's now training with Farah and Rupp in Portland, with Alberto Salazar. He could surprise everyone. Just announced were Kenya's Haron Keitany and Daniel Kipchirchir Komen to further add spice. Finally, Matt Scherer will be doing the pacing, as it looks like he's trying to fill the rabbiting void that David Krummenacker has held over the past few years. No word on if Krum is retiring or just waiting for outdoors, but Scherer better be ready to stay in front of these horses!

Some highlights of the non-featured, but still very exciting events will be Tirunesh Dibaba in the Women's 2-Mile, Anna Pierce vs. Morgan Uceny in the Women's 1000 and Shannon Rowbury taking on Meseret Defar and New Balance poster girl, Jenny Simpson, in the Women's 3000. Not sure why they don't combine the 3k and 2 Mile, but that's how it goes!

All the information you could need on the event is at http://NBIndoorGrandPrix.com. The meet starts Saturday at 5pm eastern and will be shown on tape delay on ESPN2 this Sunday at 2pm eastern. Flash Results will have the live results if you don't want to wait for the broadcast.

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Road Rage: David Torrence takes on the big boys at the 5th Avenue Mile

Road Warrior, David Torrence

David Torrence is as close to the king of the road mile as you're gonna get. The three-time consecutive USATF Road Mile Champ will have his hands full this weekend at the season ending Fifth Avenue Mile in New York, NY. Torrence rose to cult fame with his now famous downhill sub-4 attempt thread on LetsRun.com that he took video of (see video below).

Just last weekend, Torrence won the Front Street Mile in Maui, in a course record of 3:57, but didn't have to face Bernard Lagat and the boys. He will Saturday at 1:05pm eastern. Along with Lagat, there's a huge field that will fight for the win down on one of Manhattan's biggest streets. Joining the fun on the American side is new pro, AJ Acosta, Steepler/Jack of All Distances, Ben Bruce, Saucony's Garrett Heath, 32-year old Sub-4 man, Christian Hesch, the sometimes mustachioed Will Leer, New Balance's Craig Miller, Nike's Kyle Miller, former Buckeye Jeff See, US 800 champ Nick Symmonds and the resurging Fam, Anthony Famiglietti. Defending champ, Amine Laalou, leads the international competition, with Australia's Jeff Riseley throwing his hat in the ring.

Let's get physical

Morgan Uceny will be the favorite on the Women's side, as she looks to be the first #1 World ranked American Woman in the 1500 in many, many years. The Women's race will go off at 12:50pm and also includes Brooks' Gabrielle Anderson, Road Mile Champ, Sara Hall, multiple time US 1500 Champ, Shannon Rowbury, 2011 World Champ Jenny Simpson and 800 meter specialists, Alysia Montano and Maggie Vessey. World Championship Silver Medalist, Hannah England, leads the international challengers. Somewhere in the middle is OTC's Sally Kipyego, who took Silver for Kenya at 10,000 in Daegu. She, along with a large field of other international competitors, will make for an exciting race.

New York Road Runners TV will show highlights at 8pm. Full race schedules are available here.

Experience Torrence's 3:46 Downhill Road Mile:



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Diamond Dash: DL Final in Brussels sees Galen Rupp targeting American 10k Record

No pollen, no problems
(TrackAndFieldPhoto)

At 1:15 pm eastern today, the final Diamond League meet of the season will get started in Brussels, Belgium. At 1:25pm, the Men's 10,000 will go off with Galen Rupp taking on Kenya and Ethiopia's finest (including Kenenisa Bekele). Rupp will have one number on his mind, 26:59. Rupp was planning on going after this record earlier this year at Distance Night in Eugene, but a high pollen count spoiled the attempt. That won't be an issue today, and with highs in the low 60's, the weather should be great for the attempt.

Next up will be the Women's 1500 at 2:21pm. All American eyes will be on Morgan Uceny, as she attempts to take one more victory and clinch the Diamond League 1500 title. Maryam Jamal will be her biggest competition for the $40,000 pay day. Also in the field will be golden child, Jenny Simpson, as she attempts to rebound from a poor showing in Rieti.

The Men's 800 goes off at 2:45pm with another epic showdown between David Rudisha and Abubaker Kaki. A very fit Asbel Kiprop will join the mix to make things interesting as well, but no Americans will be in the field. At 3:13pm, the Women's Steeplechase will finish it's Diamond League season. Milcah Chemo leads this field with no Americans joining the party. Closing out the day will be the Men's 5000 at 3:38pm. Vincent Chepkok and a recently disqualified Imane Merga will lead another American-less field. 

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Diamond Dash: "Olympics in a Day" in Zurich Thursday

Cheruyiots of Fire
(TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Only a few days after the completion of the 2011 IAAF Track and Field World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, the always exciting Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League meet kicks off at 2pm eastern Thursday (on UniversalSports.com).

The distance action gets started at 2:15pm with the Women's 5000. Vivian Cheruiyot, coming off a very strong 5000/10,000 double at Daegu, leads a very strong field, including Daegu 5000 Silver Medalist, Sylvia Kibet, 10,000 Silver Medalist, Sally Kipyego and American, Shalane Flanagan. Flanagan's coming off an average 10,000 in Daegu and will look to bounce back and once again take aim at Molly Huddle's American 5000 Record; one that she's come within a second or two of breaking multiple times this summer.

The Women's 800 is the next distance event on tap at 2:50pm. This field is stacked with Daegu winner, Mariya Savinova, Silver Medalist, Caster Semenya and Bronze Medalist, Janeth Jepkosgei. It also has a hungy Jenny Meadows, who missed the finals in Daegu in being outkicked by Maggie Vessey in the semis. Alysia Montano will be ready to go as well after narrowly missing the Bronze by .06 seconds. Finally, Morgan Uceny will look to rebound after being tripped with 500 to go in the 1500 finals, only to watch fellow American, Jenny Simpson, take the Gold.

The Men's 1500 is the penultimate distance event in Zurich at 3:10pm, with Olympic and World Championship Gold Medalist, Asbel Kiprop, leading the way. His countryman and Daegu Silver Medalist, Silas Kiplagat, will look for revenge in front of the sold out (in advance) Zurich crowd. Another exciting entry will be 800 meter Silver Medalist, Abubaker Kaki. Kaki ran an excellent 3:31 earlier in the season and has mentioned doubling in the 800 and 1500 in London. This will be a great field to test himself against. Finally, there are two Americans in the field, but both are pacemakers. Old reliable, David Krummenacker, will be there along with 800 meter national champ, Nick Symmonds. It will be interesting to see how Symmonds handles pacing a 3:30-ish race (and how long he goes. My guess 1000 meters max).

The last distance event of the day is the Men's Steeplechase, which goes off at 3:35pm. Will Daegu dancing star (and Gold Medalist), Ezekiel Kemboi, be there? Yes, indeed. Paul Koech, who was left off Kenya's Daegu roster, will be there to challenge. The field is a little down beyond that, as Brimin Kipruto and the two frenchies (Tahri and Mekhissi-Benabbad) won't be there. American Ben Bruce will have his hands full and will look to improve on his breakthrough 8:19.10 personal best (that he set earlier this year).

There will be plenty of excellent sprint and field events going on as well as Zurich always gets the best talent. Watch live on UniversalSports.com or later on Universal Sports television.

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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: Bernard Lagat's quest for Gold starts today

Farah will look to spin Silver in to Gold in the 5000
(TrackandFieldPhoto)

Day 6 at Daegu kicks off tonight at 9:05pm Eastern with the Men's 5000 semis. The top 5 out of each heat qualify for the final in addition to the top 5 times after that. Galen Rupp and Bernard Lagat are in heat 1, with Kenya's Isiah Koech and Thomas Longosiwa, Ethiopia's Dejen Gebremeskel, Australia's Buster Mottram and Collis Birmingham, plus host of other excellent athletes. Kenenisa Bekele was supposed to be in heat 1, but apparently is not running. Andrew Bumbalough, who replaced teaammate Chris Solinsky on the team, is in heat 2 with Ethiopia's Imane Merga, Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, Ireland's Allistar Cragg (via Mammoth TC), Australia's Ben St. Lawrence and some guy named Mo Farah, who will be looking for redemption. Rupp and Lagat should get through to the finals, but Bumby's gonna have his hands full. It will be a great experience for him at minimum for what's to come. No pressure is good.

The Women's 800 meter prelims go off at 10:40pm. Maggie Vessey goes off in heat 1 (with favorite Jenny Meadows). Alysia Montano goes off in heat 3 (with Janeth Jepkosgei). And finally, Alice Schmidt goes off in heat 4 (with Caster Semenya). All three should have a pretty easy time getting through to the semis, with Montano facing the hardest competition (4 other competitors sub 2:00 this year in her heat).

After an American night's rest and an afternoon's rest in Daegu, the night (Daegu)/morning (America) session will get going at 6:55am with the Men's 1500 Semis. Frenchman Mehdi Baala's protest was successful and he has been advanced to the first heat of the semis and will join Matt Centrowitz, Silas Kiplagat, Amine Laalou, Yusuf Kamel and others in a top 5 go automatically situation. The next 2 times will advance to the finals as well. Leo Manzano is in the second heat, with Asbel Kiprop, Nick Willis, Daniel Komen, Deresse Mekonnen and Irishman Ciaran O'Lionaird. Expect a tough, but doable run for Centro and expect Manzano to cruise through to the final.

Staying one step ahead of Kenya
(TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Next up is the Men's Steeple final at 7:25am. No Americans involved. It will be exciting to see Kenya's Brimin Kipruto coming off a .01 second miss of the World Record, against countryman Ezekiel Kemboi, and the two Frenchmen,  Bob Tahri (Mehdi Baala's training partner) and Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad (Mehdi Baala's sparring partner).

Finally, the Women's 1500 final goes off at 7:55am. Can the Americans get a medal, or possibly two? I would think so. Morgan Uceny has been incredible all year and has looked flawless in the prelims. Jenny Simpson has showed some bite in the prelims and has a furious kick from time to time. Their hands will be full with all the usual suspects involved, but Shannon Rowbury got the bronze in 2009, so they have a great chance to make it happen.

Follow along on Universal Sports and UniversalSports.com and check the results on the IAAF's Daegu page.

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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: Bolt false starts, Eaton finishes fast

Channeling teammate Andrew Wheating
(TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Day 2 at Daegu had many highlights, but one lowlight; Usain Bolt false starting in the 100. What a letdown! Something tells me he'll be sitting in the blocks in the 200 until the field is 5 meters up. Ashton Eaton's 60 second final 400 in the 1500 of the Decathlon was impressive. He wanted Silver and he got it. His strong 4:18.94 was enough to jump Cuba's Leonel Suárez on the medal stand to get one step closer to repeat Gold Medalist, Trey Hardee. Walter Dix was also second best in the 100, behind Jamaica's Yohan Blake.

On the distance front, an Ethiopian man won the 10,000, but not the one you'd think. Ibrahim Jeilan came out of nowhere and kicked down Mo Farah in the last 40 meters to take the gold. It was pretty gut-wrenching to watch Farah get passed at the end, but he'll be in contention for the win in the 5000 in a few days. Kenenisa Bekele stepped off the track with 10 laps to go, citing lack of fitness, but happy he gave it a shot. Galen Rupp hung in there until about two laps to go and proceeded to take seventh overall. A nice showing, but not what he was hoping for. He lapped Matt Tegenkamp and Scott Bauhs in the process, which tells you all you need to know about how their day went.

In the prelims, all three American Women advanced in the 1500, with Morgan Uceny, Shannon Rowbury and Jenny Simpson all getting automatic qualifies to the semis. Nick Symmonds looked great in the 800 and will be the only American in the final as Khadevis Robinson failed to advance.

Day 3 kicks off this evening with the Men's Steeplechase prelims. Dan Huling, Billy Nelson and Ben Bruce will have their hands full, but hopefully can find their way into Thursday's final. That's the only distance race of the day, but there will be finals in the Women's 400, Men's 110 Hurdles and Women's 100 to close the day.

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

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Diamond Dash: Can Morgan Uceny stay undefeated in Monaco?

First the US, now the World! (TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Morgan Uceny, so hot right now. As if her undefeated Diamond League Eurotrip couldn't get any better, Uceny goes and drops a 1:58.37 and pulls four other Americans under 2:00 in a fast 800 in Lignano, Italy on Tuesday. She'll have her hands full once again this Friday, as she attempts to clinch the Diamond League 1500 meter title against the world's best, including Jenny Simpson, Gelete Burka, Maryam Jamal and more. If she looks anything like she has lately, she'd be a worth bet over at Paddy Power (Irish betting site that sometimes has Track).

Along with the strong Women's 1500m and the recently previewed Men's 5000, there will be a strong to quite strong Men's 1500 as well. A year ago in Monaco, Andrew Wheating went legend, dropping an outstanding 3:30.90. He'll be back this year with his former college teammate and US Champion, Matt Centrowitz, Olympic Silver Medalist Nick Willis, Olympic Bronze Medalist Mehdi Baala, 800m stud Abubaker Kaki, Ethiopia's Deresse Mekonnen, Aussies Ryan Gregson and Jeff Riseley and Kenyans Augustine Choge and the new sultan of swag, finger wagging Silas Kiplagat. You heard it here, someone's going under 3:29. Full 1500 start list is here.

The event will be broadcast on Universal Sports. Full meet info is here.

Here's the start list for the Women's 1500:

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Diamond Dash: Can Mo Farah lead Galen Rupp under 13 minutes in Birmingham?

Farah leads at Pre (TrackAndField Photo)

Today will be a homecoming of sorts for England's Mo Farah. Before coming to the United States to train with Alberto Salazar and the Oregon Project, Farah was based out of London, and will certainly have a big cheering section for him as he seeks to possibly lower his British Record of 12:57.94. The Birmingham crowd should have a lot to cheer about as Farah's season has been excellent so far, most recently decimating the European and British 10,000 records with a statement win at the Prefontaine Classic in 26:46.47.

He'll likely be leading his teammate, Galen Rupp, around the track with hopes of getting Rupp under the heralded 13:00 barrier. Rupp's best last season was a 13:07.35. Their coach, Alberto Salazar, says that Rupp is as fit as Farah, so we'll see today how true that statement really is. Here's a link to the full 5000 field.

Also of note, this afternoon will be Christin Wurth-Thomas' return to action after a devastating fourth place finish at USA's. She'll contend in an excellent women's 1500 with new American star Morgan Uceny (fresh off a big win at Paris).

The event will be broadcast online and on television by Universal Sports. Full start lists are available here

Update: Farah wins a tactical race in 13:06.14 with Rupp a close second in a PR of 13:06.86. Rupp kicked down Imane Merga in the homestretch and went 59, 54 on his last 2 laps (and around 4:00 for the last 1600). Also, Morgan Uceny continued her winning streak with a strong kick to win the women's 1500.

Official Men's 5000 Results:

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