Doug Logan & Gail Devers
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"Shin Splints"
A Blog by
Doug Logan
Questions, answers and the meaning of sportsmanship
Sunday, August 23, 2009
In my nearly three weeks in Berlin, I have been relatively silent on the blog front. It's not because I lack for anything to say, but because my days have been filled with meetings, spending time with athletes, attending sessions at the stadium, and supporting our brilliant coaching staff as we prepared this team of fine athletes and individuals for competition.
Regardless of who I am speaking with, I have heard the same questions from scores of people during my time here. Rather than waiting for the media to report some of my comments (and even then only small portions of my comments), I wanted to share with our readers and fans some of my opinions on the hottest - or should I say, most controversial – topics of the day.
Q: How do you rate Team USA's performance in Berlin?
I am immensely proud of what I saw our athletes accomplish over the last 10 days, and especially by the effort they showed. Our medal count speaks for itself, as does winning the team scoring table by 77 points. I will await our final statistical analysis, but it certainly seems that we had more athletes in the finals than ever before – three each in the men's and women's 1,500; three in the men's 5,000; two in the women's hammer; two in the women's discus. Finaling is different than medaling, of course, but one must precede the other. The strides we made in the middle-distances is especially encouraging. We had our first women's 1,500m medal in 10 years, first men's 800-meter finalist since 1997, the fastest times ever by an American at Worlds in the men's and women's 10,000, and an American record in the women's steeplechase. The next step is to take those finalists, and those records, and turn them into more medals. The same holds true in the throws and jumps, where we got back on top of the men's and women's long jump and had unexpected finalists in several events.
We won the competition convincingly. Period. We will get better in all areas as our new programs kick in.
Q: What do you think of Usain Bolt? How can you beat him?
A: I describe Usain Bolt as a "generational athlete." Like Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis, he is an athlete who comes along once in a generation. In Berlin, I have seen things I have never thought I would witness, particularly a 200-meter race run in 19.19 seconds. Although it is not reasonable to expect any one of our athletes to turn around and beat him tomorrow, it is clear that the Bolt phenomenon has already caused us to raise our game. Tyson Gay's 9.71 American record is Exhibit A. I, for one, would relish the opportunity to see what Tyson could run in a 200m race head-to-head against Bolt. I believe we will continue to improve and continue to raise our game. That is what sport, and competition, is about. Our athletes are not lying down, they are working harder than ever.
Q: How can you turn the tide in the USA-Jamaica sprint rivalry?
A: Realistically speaking, if you take Usain Bolt out of the equation, the rivalry takes on a much, much different tenor. I like our women's 4x100 against them any day. I even would have liked our men's 4x100 against theirs on Saturday, and the sprint races play out much differently, sans Bolt. But Bolt is not going anywhere. He is the standard-bearer of the rivalry. But, just as the Yankees and the Red Sox alternate turns in baseball's seat of power, the same shifts will occur in the sprints. And there simply is no rivalry whatsoever in overall team strength.
Q: I was asked just today, what is our "answer" to Usain Bolt?
A: That was one of the easiest questions I have fielded. The answer is: our entire team. No team is stronger, top to bottom, in all events.
Q: What happened to the 4x100 relays?
A: Although the men's and women's 4x100 relays are just two events, they seem to occupy 80 percent of the public's fascination. They are the two events where USATF systems and coaching has a direct impact on athlete performance. It is for that reason that when there are problems with our relays, my email inbox fills with messages.
The women's relay was simply a case of an athlete's body not allowing her do what her mind wanted. Muna Lee was supposed to rest in the first round of the relay, but she said "put me in coach" when the athlete originally tasked with the third leg, Marshevet Hooker, suffered an injury herself. Rather than running an athlete who had never practiced with the relay on the third leg, we chose to run the athlete who had the experience in practice and in competition. The right decisions were made, but hamstrings are fickle things, especially for sprinters. Few people were more heartbroken than Muna, her teammates, and our Director of Sport Performance, Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, who shed more than a few tears as Muna lay in pain in the medical area of the stadium.
I had breakfast this morning with Muna, who is on crutches, before helping her back to her room to get more treatment on her leg. What courage this young lady has shown. Muna, and the relay, will be back.
For the men, to the naked eye, we seemed to have gotten it right. But on further review, we clearly need a better system in place. We must make sure all athletes and coaches understand international rules and can execute according to those rules, which differ from American high school and college rules. Benita, who has been in her job just over a month, will be making the relay system overhaul a priority. We won't be satisfied until we develop a system whose only potential weak spot is natural human fallibility.
Ultimately, our first job with the relays is to completely take the pressure off. I can't control the pundits, armchair experts or this constant, anticipatory prediction of gloom that comes prior to the last baton pass. But we can blunt the craziness.
Q: What do you think about the British protesting your and ultimately causing your disqualification in the men's 4x100 relay?
A: As Team USA, we run with targets on our backs. Other teams, and even officials, acknowledge that we are under a level of scrutiny that no other team faces. We accept being held to a higher standard as part of being the world's dominant team. Because of that, we must take added care to ensure we don't give our opposition any opportunity to beat us in any way than in competition.
There is an element of politics and sportsmanship that goes into any country's decision to lodge or not lodge a protest. While our competitive status makes us targets, it also makes us hesitant to file protests against other countries' athletes, except when medals or the ability of our athletes to advance through the rounds is at stake. For instance, in the men's 110-meter hurdle heats here in Berlin, a competitor had clearly run in one of our athlete's lanes. But because our athlete qualified with no problem, we didn't file a protest. It simply would be bad international relations.
One of the highest-ranking Brits in all of sport approached me after the men's 100-meter final and openly discussed his admiration for the way Tyson Gay carried himself in defeat. He described it as the finest display of sportsmanship he had ever seen. Having our friends from the playing fields of Eton then file their protest against us certainly hurt. I know we all hope that we won't be in that situation again.
Q: What will you most remember about this meet?
A: Of course I will remember our incredible team performance, which when all is said and done may stand as one of our deepest in history in terms of number of finalists and number of events in which we had finalists. We were simply superb! I will remember all of our medals, both of our American records, and the spirit of our athletes as they refused to give up and as they posted countless seasonal and personal bests. I especially will remember, and will publicly acknowledge for quite some time, the incredible coaching staff we had on hand. Composed mostly of former world-class athletes who have gone on to become top-tier coaches, they had an innate knowledge of what athletes need to succeed, and they did everything they could to provide that. More than any staff, it was about the athletes, not about the coaches. Please join me in applauding them.
I will remember one of the most warm, enthusiastic and sophisticated crowds I have ever seen in my career in sports. This mostly German crowd cheered each last-place finisher not with pity, but with an appreciation for fighting the fight. They roared just as loudly for the Polish women's hammer thrower who set a world record as they did for their own second-place finisher. I can't forget how their cheered with deafening volume for an Ethiopian runner in the men's 5,000-meter rounds who fell almost 200 meters behind when he tried to put his shoe back on. It was an aural version of the wave, as each section screamed as the runner came by.
But most of all, I will remember how they gave a standing ovation to Lauryn Williams, Alexandria Anderson and Carmelita Jeter as they emerged from the medical area, and Muna Lee's side. The trio jogged around the track to return to the mixed zone to speak to the press about the relay and were greeted with nothing but supportive cheers with every step.
That, my friends, is sportsmanship.
COMMENTS
I have many questions about our 4 x 100 realys.
Just two for now.
Q. Williams-Felix-Lee-Jeter ran 41.58 at Cottbus, Why change a lineup that ran the fastest time this year and was only .21 seconds off the World Record set in 1985?
(I suspect that Anderson running into Lee had something to do with her injury)
Q. Why was Tyson Gay allowed to drop the 200 with the hope of running the relay? He did not run the relay in London or Cottbus and did not run in the prelims. Coaches and athletes saying they didn't know the rule fully is unacceptable and quite unbelievable.
You are right that the answer is the overall team strength. The USA team strength come from all card carrying members of USATF. As announcers on Universal Sports said at the close of the meet that club athletes around the world will take inspiration and continue to compete for yet another year.
Were you satisfied with the team selected to go to Berlin to represent the U.S. in the men's marathon?
What is going to be done on the relationship with NBC and Versus? I can not tell you how many people asked/tweeted/begged me for information on what was going on due to the lack of coverage in all areas of the US. And please don't use the Universal Sports card because these same people said the live stream via that company was abysmal.
How often are athletes checked for performance enhancing drug usage? How long does it take to "uncover" its usage? Is it not strange that the Jamaican runners have come out "all of a sudden" and monopolized the "sprinting" realm?
I am very happy with the excellent performance of the USA athletes. But i disapoint with the British protesting. Our teanm relay 4x100 sprinter are the best and they will back to demostrate thet are number one in the world. Good bless America.
Unlike the post by Jerell I think the Universal Sports coverage was outstanding. Great views and excellent announcing. It was the most exciting international championship I've seen because I was actually able to follow it. Universal Sports blew their big brother NBC away.
Question for Doug...Why doesn't the IAAF award a team world title? That would be exciting and something the country could get behind through the championship. The lack of team championships is something that continues to leave us behind other sports.
I agree with the post by Carol, It surely is circumspect that the Jamacian runners have seemly come out of nowhere in the last year and monopolized the sprinting teams. I had never heard of Usain Bolt or Shelly Ann Frazier before the 2008 Olympics. I am certainly curious.
If the USATF wants to be THE world class T&F organization with THE best athletes, then it must dedicate itself to spending more time and money at the youth club level. We have world class athletes coming up each year that are lost because the USATF does not cater enough to the smaller clubs around the country.
Congrats to the team for there effort. My problem is with these coaches where did they learn there trade from a book. I have watched the middle and distant runners have poor showings against teams they should blow away. I think it's time for the coaches to take a lesson from the Kenyan's maybe if the american coaches took the time to show how to run like were supposed to. We wouldn't have any leg injuries at all . At 15 I was running 4 1/2 to 5 min miles yes miles isn't that what the world record is in this metric crap is for whimps. But any way why can't these coaches take an anatomy class on the Development of man you will see man was never meant to run the way these coaches are teaching and the shoes there worse why can't we teach our runners to run on the side of there foot and push off with the ball an toes it would bring middle and long distant times down by second not tenths or hundreths full seconds if you really want to improve times do your research on how Humans developed. The best runners in this country are not on any team in this country and the two times they were they were winners the American Indian is the best middle and long distant runner we have and no one want them or makes an effort to seek them out they know how to run thats why they could run for hrs along side there Horses or without learnig how to run is much harder than what these coaches are showing our Athlets. I'm not a nut case I'm just amazed at all the research we do and we still can't beat the North Africans. Hey if you really want to know what I'm trying to say my e-mail is on here. So Mr.Logan if you think I don't know what I'm saying e-mail me and I'll be glad to tell how Americans can be the best.
I have a lot to talk about. Starting with the relays. Why can't the US be more professional with the passes, the zones, and everything else that has to do with the relay? I wasn't shocked that we did not advance. Good team, bad hand offs.
Jamaica, I really think they are cheating.. Jamaica is fast out of the no where, and beating the records. What happened to Asafa Powell. He faded. It's obvious he was on steroids because one should be able to maintain his achievements. Since when have the had someone to win in basically all the events?! They all have the same coach. I'm wondering how a coach can focus on so many professional athletes. Athletes at this level need special attention to be the best. Even Clyde handles only Jeremy Warriner and Sanya Richards. Maybe Jamaica's coach is their source of cheating. The technology behind the drugs is ahead of the technology detecting the drugs so it will be a while before we know.
Sir, I don't care for your answers for the 4x100 realays. How long is this going to go one where our athletes repeatedly mess up in the relays. There is a fundamental problem with the relays and how they are put together and train together. They are too individualistic or something - so that when they get together, the co-hesiveness of a team that has trained together and practiced the hand offs all season, is not there. This is really frustratign to watch over and over. It does not seem like you really answered for these repeated screw ups? What changes are going to be made? It just seems like we have phenominal atheletes, but there is a problem with the coaching and leadership of these relays.
Congratulations to USA Track and Field on a great World Championships! Expectations, as always, were high, and from Brittney Reese to Christian Cantwell to Allyson Felix, our athletes did not disappoint! Sure, it would have been nice to make up for Beijing in the 4 x 1 (bloody Brits!), and seeing Kara Goucher on the victory stand could have put doubts about our distance program to rest for the time being, but for the most part it was top performances all around. No gender tests for our guys and girls! Oh, and the universalsports.com coverage was awesome! My high school cross country team here in Iowa watched every morning and then put in some great training runs. Thank you!
While i have some doubts about the Jamaican's, people like Terri make the US look bad with extremely ignorant posts like hers. Any real track fan knew who Usain Bolt was WAY before 2008, all the way back to 2002 when he burst onto the scene with 20.58 as a 15 year old, or the next two years when he broke the WRJ in both of them going 19.93 as a 17 year old.
What is about reading and comprehending that is so hard? No where did I say the Universal Sports.com coverage awas abysmal (they were using the BBC's coberage-best in the world). I said that Live Stream (the system of sending a live signal via portal-to-portal access) was abysmal. Because they are using the original, instead piggy backing on the server of source). Instead of blocking the BBC, they should opened it up to North America to them. That eliminates bandwidth bottlenecks. It is not because people are using slow connections or old computers. Most of my friends around the US have T1 lines and ultra fast computers because they are media production professionals.
I'm sure, from Benita's quoted comments, that there will be an attempt to start with the basics for all potential US relay runners. I won't get into the upsweep-vs-down techniques since most of our pool are "experienced" with the down pass, but from the colleges on, there is often an assumption of competence and knowledge on the part of the athlete which simply isn't there. From the earliest, standardized, nationally-supported techniques and responsibilities, REINFORCED AT EACH LEVEL including national teams, would go a long way toward reminding the athletes of their individual responsibilities.
Jamaica is a tiny county compare to the United States but anyone who has been to the Penn Relays in the last 25 years knows that they win most high school sprint championships of America. Jamaicans have not "come out of nowhere."
I am proud of our team and understand to some degree the dynamics that build a "Team" How can US Track and Field nurture the true team spirit beginning from the youth ranks all the way up.I see the mostly individual sport of swimming showing team spirit seemly effortlessly .
I always get the feeling the US is putting on a nice face for the crowd. Not real a team spirit.
Can the USATF web site perhaps more details about in general,like a Track 101 &102 FAQ on process and protocol regarding drug tests, gender clarifiaction, zone rules etc..My feeling is that If I love and adore track and field and can't learn about rules and process how can a newbie get immersed in the sport that in so many ways is very elitest and hard to learn about. USA Track and Field should invite the interested and curious not send them away out of confusion.Education about our sport can go a long way.New and old fans need to know the players ALL the players not just the top 3 the field.The drama and excitment of track is much broader and interesting than the top 3 only.
Relays-Transparency,no more good old boy system. Wrong!!! Nothing changed. I know for a fact that the 4x1 did not work on handoffs the week before the meet started. The athletes also did not know who was running well in advance, and if they had got to finals Rodgers was coming off of the second leg and Spearman was going on it. WHY would you take the NATIONAL CHAMPION ,Rodgers at 9.94 off the relay and put Spearman at 10.21 on it ?????. Nothing has changed. The same old USA relay political BS!!!!
I'm an American and I can't sit back and hear all of these newcomers to track make these claims agaisnt the Jamaicans. If you haven't heard of Usain or Asafa then you are not a track fan. The Jamaicans have always been right there in the sprints just not winning golds as they now. The women have been toe to toe with us forever (Merlene, Juliet, Grace, and many of LSU's sprinters have been Jamaican). We just have to step up and meet them the way they did with us!
I watched the United States world team and I thought they were not in good shape and mentally focus. We need to have a place where at some time in the season, our top 12 people in each event can train together so they can push one another. Usain Bolt is not unbeatable! I believe Tyson Gay can beat him if he get's stronger and change his starts. Tyson Gay was still in his drive phase at 30 meters, while Usain bolt was sprinting at the 15 meter mark. The united states need to change their way of training in the high school also.There are to many P.E. teachers and track coaches in Middle school and High school that need to be educated according the the USA education standard. Certifcation means nothing if you can't apply it on the track.There is to much fighting in the schools over which sport is the most popular. In america, track and field is considered an african american sport, in other countries it's loved by the world.Guys over 6 foot tall usually run distant or do the long or short hurdles. A lot of so called coaches believe if you don't have speed then you won't get it.Unless we begin to change things at the public school level, the performance of the United States track and field will decline.
All Athletes must run as a unit-before any big meet such as this-it is good to say that these athletes should have known what to do, but if you do not practice together or run together for any length of time-you only can expect what has happened-a failed stick pass-These athletes and or coaches must go back to the beginning-practice makes perfect-You really should come up with a group of athletes that will make up the relays-usatf should always have alternates-
Congrats to all the distance runners from the US. I think we have done better overall then in recent years. I think the marathon men did all right considering the best guys with the best times didn't go. Making a US team and competing well is a bigger accomplishment then squabbling over the what ifs that could happen. The hypothetical situations that people comment about are completely irrelevant to the present and real life conditions of American distance running. In other words we have always had a history of great distance runners who train on there own and that is what works best for Americans, we are not like the europeans and we are not like the africans we can still train hard and have good results we should do it our way.
We had a very good showing overall. But I think the USATF is delusional in sending what I assume are second and third tier choices for the men's marathon. They don't seem aware of the times the rest of the world is routinely running. If you're going to send a team regardless, at least send younger prospects who've shown some speed, rather than runners who are circa 30 years old and have never gone under 2:11. No disrespect to those who were chosen; I'd go if they sent me too!
I am very disappointed in the American TV coverage. To be frank it is stale. Track and Field as covered by the BBC is much more coherent, exciting, and on point. As for the American Sprint Squad ve Jamicia..... it is really a none issue. Mr. Logan has it correct....USA Track and Field is the most dominate Team in the WORLD! Our 400m athletes are un-surpassed! Bolt is amazing....Credit to him but the Jammers are only short sprinters;. Team USA rolled in Berlin.
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Benita: If you want to beat the Jammer's in the 4x1's; hire Charles......
The lack of prepration in the relays was clear in watching the 4x4. Yes, I said the 4x4. In the mens heats you had 2 athletes receive that baton in their left hand and fail to switch to the right, therefore passing left to left. The same thing happen in the womens 4x4 final and the mens final. How can any coach sitting in stands not see that and make sure that it didn't happen in the final.
Doug Logan's description of the Women's 4x100 relay mishap is incorrect. An errant baton pass caused the injury to Muna Lee, not the other way around. Obviously, the same relay problems exist today as they did in Beijing. The only events the coaching staff (described as brilliant by Logan) actually coaches is the relays. To use different people in the 4x100 qualifying heats as in the finals is foolish and contributes to the problems.
As to the USA Team performanc: It was average. In the last six world championships, the USA team gained 18 to 26 total medals. This time they hit the mean of 22 medals. USATF has little to do with the development of these athletes. It only organizes the selection meet and the participation of the team in the World Championships. Other than that, they do very little to increase the average medal count. To do that would require a major proactive program that focuses on all the events, not just the same ones that the USA is traditionally strong in. Until that program is designed, funded and implemented, no significant changes will occur.
Bolt did not come out of nowhere. He was a sensation as a junior in the 400m.
Are you people crazy?!? I am somewhat skeptical of some of the Jamaican athlete's results as well, but Shelly Ann Fraser (Frazier as someone put) and Bolt did not come out of nowhere. Bolt has been one of the world's top sprinters since the age of 15, just like Allyson Felix. To someone outside the US, maybe it would appear Felix came out of nowhere as she did not go the traditional route of the NCAA system. However, she was very good at a young age, as were Bolt and Fraser.
When people look for a way out of poverty they use the best means possible to get out. It is very similar for Kenyans and Ethiopians. They have slightly more motivation to accomplish goals that athletes from more developed countries do not have. The majority of the great distance runners in the world come from one small part of Kenya, the Rift Valley. They look for ways out and since becoming a rocket scientist isn't as feasible they look at what their heroes have done before them. Jamaica has a great tradition of sprinters and since that has been their best way to better their life, that is what they try to achieve. It is similar with our inner-cities, as Miami produces an exceptional amount of college football players. I am not saying that all Jamaican athletes are clean, but it is possible that they have some of the greatest athletes in the sprints. Unless you think that Bolt was juicing when he was 14 and starting to set all sorts of age group records. In which case someone should start accusing Lebron James since he has a similar pedigree.
As for the ridiculous comments about one or two coaches having so many great athletes is absurd. Up until the past few years Clyde Hart was still coaching at Baylor and was in charge of just as many athletes as Mills is in Jamaica. Look at most of the US coaches as they also coach in the NCAA. Read the Dan Pfaff article in the new T&FN.
I agree the NBC coverage was stale and inferior to the coverage on Universal despite all the muttering by the Brit announcers like Ovett. Does NBC always have to play to the non-track fan? Tom hammond makes a good living announcing track. He should be a student of the sport and not sound so stupid with his miscalls. Actuall I'm getting a bit bored with the US dominance in the 4X400. They should substitute or at least add a medlay relay for the Olympics and/or World Championships.
I'm a former athlete and i complete against jamaicans, but all i can say they are much cleaner than our american athlete, carl lewis, marion jones, inger miller, torrie edwards, flo jo, christie gaines, justion gatlin and many more that ustaf have cover up their positive test result. talking about shelly-ann frazier lets point finger at our carmelita jeter and where she's coming from with one of the dirtiest drug coach in track history, lets start from there before we start pointing finger
As for the relay, look at the video again. You will notice that Muna Lee, who is one of the top sprinters (and was/is coached by Pat Henry and Dennis Shaver, who also have at any given time 10-15 world class athletes under their wing, maybe they are cheating as well since they have so many great athletes that they coach) did not get out well. As Logan stated she had a slight injury but had decided to nut up for the team when Hooker was injured. As it turned out, it had very little to do with Anderson, she just simply did not push which would be supported by her hamstring injury. These are professional athletes that make their living from contracts with sponsors. Last time I checked they did not receive money to train with other athletes and practice handoffs. To uproot them from their training base and support system would be unrealistic unless you are going to pick up their sponsorship if they fail because of this change. We are not like other countries that have government dollars going directly to our athletes to train. Most of these athletes stick with their college coach or move to a handful of the other post-collegiate coaches throughout the US. If you already know who the top 6 sprinters will be next year and then want to give them the money to uproot and train together and practice handoffs all year that would be great. However, you will miss on some of the names such as Rae Edwards and Mike Rodgers and then what do you do? Even with a year, there are still problems at the point of trying to be the best: Texas A&M's men's team was the favorite in the 4 x 1, but could not get the baton around after an entire year of practice under the tutelage of a couple of coaches that know a thing or two about winning relays. It is just inevitable when you are at that level. If we had sprinters like other countries where they are not individually ranked in the top 20 in the world it would be more practical to practice since they have no better choice for making a living
To you claiming that Usain Bolt was unheard of b4 2008, you are an idiot. Browse the IAAF archives and you will learn the Usain did win the Junior and Youth world titles in 2002 and 2003 respectively (19.93 and 45.26)
The USA has and will always have great athletes. That said, the sooner USA starts using consistent international rules for Youth, High School, College and senior level athletics. The sooner things will run smoother for all concerned.
9 potential race walk medals. Only 1 athlete qualified to compete and she is 46. What is the USATF plan to develop any race walkers who can compete internationally? I've been asking this question for the last 10 years and no one has ever answered it other than to fumble over words and look for a way out of the conversation, and the room, so they can hide from the scrutiny and accountability.
I am amazed (though I should not be) at the number of hate-filled comments directed toward Jamaica. In a way, maybe you are not to blame. After all, this is the first year that I have even seen US media covering and educating people about, Jamaican athletes and reporting on their accomplishments. And for those who think Jamaica just arrived on the seen. If that were the case, you wouldn't have soooo many coaches flying to Jamaica in droves every year to recruit Jamaican sprinters. In fact, the ONLY 2 "American" women to reach the 400m finals, (Sanya Richards and Debbie Dunn) were born and raised in Jamaica. So it would seem that even some of your most talented athletes are not even yours. Get your facts straight before making absurd and ignorant comments.
I love how Doug Logan says that if Usain Bolt was taken out of the equation, the Jamaicans would not be doing so well in the sprints. Couldn't the same argument be made about the US and Tyson Gay. Without Tyson Gay in the mix, the US would never even be in contention for a medal in the 100m. Whereas, while Jamaica is proud of Bolt's achievements, we also have Asafa Powell who is the former world record holder. How many WR holders does the US team have in their 100m lineup. I guess he is trying to make lemonade from lemons and blurring the lines of reality to do so. As for the women, 2 of the 3 fastest women in the world this year are from Jamaica. Of the top 8 fastest times produced this year, Jamaican women own 7 of them. Jamaica's 3rd and 4th fastest women barely ran this year due to injury, so exactly what is he even talking about.
There's an old saying that goes. "why let the truth get in the way of a good story."
I feel sorry for Muna. She is a great person and I wish her a speedy and full recovery.
However, lets not fool ourselves regarding the women's 4X100. Muna's injury was caused by the bad exchange. Ms. Anderson ran up on Muna, causing Muna to change her stride,and running form. Yet another bad exchange in a 4X100.
I love Bernard's attitude. His personality is adorable. And so is Dawn Harper.. way to have fun competing!
Doug: Your response to the 4x100 Relays was disappointing to say the least. In the women's 4x100 Relay if the baton had been executed on the first attempt, Muna Lee's hamstring wouldn't have been an issue. It was due to the fact that on three different occasions the pass was missed. This is about coaching, and the lack of it. You can go to any high school meet, or college meet and see baton passing done correctly, and efficiently. Our system of choosing relay coaches and athletes is broken and needs complete overhaul. If you simply make excuses, then it does change. The men's 4x100 is an embarassment. No where in track & field does team chemistry mean more, yet we continually believe we can put in different athletes at different times and have a positive result. We can't. At this point, after all the mistakes with our men's 4x100 Relay wouldn't it be better to take the 4th-7th finishers in the USA Championships and have them work solely on the relay. Certainly our result would be improved. Thank you.
For the future we need a solid system of serious association championships where performance advances athletes and teams to the club national championships. Weak association must be combined to balance against strong associations. National money must subsidize to build assoc champs to offer news-worthy track and field competition.
It's true what is said about what many people see at one time when they witness the same thing every body see's something different.
Did anyone really see what happened on the women's 4x100 relay.
The 4x100 relay is one of the USA contribution's to the world of track and field, just like the automobile is to the world. It appears that the relays just like the auto industry need a lot of help.
Muna Lee miscalculated the speed in which the incomming runner was traveling.She was on the wrong side of the lane and did not accelerate in time to make the proper adjustment. Turn off the sound and just look at race.These are just two of the errors, that caused this accident. There are more that have already been discussed.
One of the problems seems to be that our athletes peak for national championship and except for a very few they don't keep their peak. Muna Lee, Jeter, Lauren Williams. All the male sprinters except Tyson. All have either ran the same or slower since nationals.
This was the same in Beijing. There is a problem here!
And during major world championship years. There need to be less running at the college levels. I'm tired of hearing commentators say that it has been a long season. The body eventually starts to break down. Let's get our athletes the proper rest so that they can be in top shape form.
It is pretty remarkable that in Beijing 50 percent of the teams in both the men's and women's 4x1 were DQ'd or DNF in the semis and finals. In Berlin, of the 17 women's teams only the US had trouble; of the 17 men's teams who ran, Poland did not show, only the US and Germany failed the baton test.
Germany had three returnees from the Olympics and have no excuses; the US ran three new legs and have plenty of excuses, Patton being the one returnee. So much for the argument that baton failures are "inevitable". They are not.
Your explanations for the 4 x 100 relay failures seem a lot like the same old tired excuses, Logan. When it happens once it can be explained away. When it happens repeatedly it is a problem.
Practicing relay handoffs is like bunting in baseball: no one wants to do it because it is hard work with no glory. Rather, most sprinters it appears (aside from Tyson Gay) would rather spend their time working up idiotic pre-race "look at me" routines. Of course, television encourages them by allocating several minutes of airtime so the sprinters can perform these inane, preening pantomimes. Bolt does it and goes out and sets World Records. Others do it and finish way off the pace, then go out and botch the relays.
For some reason other countries seem to be able to execute the relays without that much difficulty. Perhaps my memory fails me, but I dont recall the Russian or German sprinters, for example, being disqualified very often. Then again, they also dont seem to be busy preening for the cameras either. If you want to talk about professionalism in the sport, you might consider starting there.
Your kidding yourself if you think the reason the womens 4x100 was Muna Lee breaking down. She was tripped and 3 missed hand-offs. Everyone at USAT&F needs to start owning up to problems. Atheletes included.
Jamaica has a long and successful history of track and field. They have been sending powerful high school "mile" relays to the Penn Relays going back to the '50's (when I ran there). The Jamaican perfpormances were fantasftic at these World games. Our American relay experience ("08 Olympics and '09 World champs is disgraceful and has little to do with how fast one runs but how well one runs as a team. We cannot ignore this lack of team work in our international competition.
the US as improve, especially over the long distance. i have to give the jamaicans the thumbs up, they really spank our ass in the sprints. they also have been talented and their history says it all form herb mckenley in 1952 up the bolt in 2009 has been a great athletic country. its hard to see a third world country producing a drugs that harvard scientist cannot detect. and they are from the country area where basic technology is close to non-existance
Consistancy would really help the 4x100 effort. A few years back, when I coached, I had my 4X100 individuals, just those four, practice hand-offs, steps, spacing, over and over for a whole week at practice before the state finals. They knew how they were going to do it in their sleep. Final result-STATE CHAMPION!
DOUG LOGAN NEED TO EXPLAIN "WE WILL CATCH HIM" TALKING ABOUT USAIN BOLT.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT USA VS JAMAICA, THE JAMAICAN ARE TRYING TO WIN A MEDAL AND WE ARE TRYING TO BEAT THEM.WE WILL NOT WIN ALL THE EVENTS SO LETS JUST STOP FINDING REASONS WHY WE LOST AND FIND HOW TO WIN.
I don't understand all the talk about a system regarding the 4X100 relay. It is a relay, not brain surgery. All of these athletes have been running relays since high school, what is the problem? As athletes, they should know the rules. This was an international meet and they run internationally every season. For everyone sake, LEARN THE RULES. Maybe what we need is a good Youth Program coach to teach them how to run a good relay. Forget about a system.
Congratulations!!! The USA Team was excelent in Berlin. I focus in my favourite event, the Decathlon. Trey Hardee make a great performance, improving all the predictions. In fact I test a new Combined Events Projection System, that published in my website (www.AthleCAC.org/MD/SPC. Please, check it and share your comments of System.
Thank you
Nestor
Fine post-Olympic showing by Team USA all around! Considering how competitive the rest of the world is, how relatively inexperienced this team was compared to others such as the '83, '91 & '93 teams, this should go down in history as among the strongest of USA World Teams. Special kudos to the American woman, finally competitive in the distance races (again) and field events. Great job, On 2 Daegu!
Those interested in the 4 x 100 relays can Google: "Better Baton Passing for the Sprint Relays" for an article that appeared in Track Coach, USATF's technical publication. Check out part iv of the responsibilities of the outgoing runner. A follow up letter will appear in the Fall issue coming out in Sept.
T&F is still a individual sport and the best man or woman win (outside of cheating). Talent cycles, overall USA has a great feeder system from primaries to NCAAs. We have been spoiled to the dominance of the USA for so long. I would like to see better coverage of USA T&F like the networks give football, baseball, and basketball.
The USA was dq'd in the 4x100 in a prelim in violent weather when we gained NO advantage, there was no violation noticed by the officials in place to look for such things, and an absolute lack of sportsmanship on the British Federation combined with a spineless IAAF appeals board are to blame for the US DQ, NOT Patton or Crawford ... This one hurts, despite Logan putting his best face on it:
'
There is an element of politics and sportsmanship that goes into any country's decision to lodge or not lodge a protest. While our competitive status makes us targets, it also makes us hesitant to file protests against other countries' athletes, except when medals or the ability of our athletes to advance through the rounds is at stake. For instance, in the men's 110-meter hurdle heats here in Berlin, a competitor had clearly run in one of our athlete's lanes. But because our athlete qualified with no problem, we didn't file a protest. It simply would be bad international relations.'
One of the highest-ranking Brits in all of sport approached me after the men's 100-meter final and openly discussed his admiration for the way Tyson Gay carried himself in defeat. He described it as the finest display of sportsmanship he had ever seen. Having our friends from the playing fields of Eton then file their protest against us certainly hurt. I know we all hope that we won't be in that situation again.
THE LACK OF SPORTSMANSHIP BY THE BRITS WHO WERE THROUGH EASILY THEMSELVES IS DOWNRIGHT STUNNING.
We Jamaicans are not surprised of the splendid performances in Berlin. For years our outstanding junior athletes were granted track scholarships to the US Colleges and was not able to make the transition to the senoir level. Over the last 5 years at lot of these junior athletes have been encouraged to stay at our local Colleges and train with our coaches. This has proven to be quite successful as they do not have to compete as often as what occurs at the NCAA level. Our athletes train really hard and know when to deliver their best performnace. NO DRUGS.
After the men's 4x100 relay team were disqualified by a Brit protest that was so churlish,that even on the BBC,it was acknowledged that it was a bronze won by default rather than merit,I was hoping that the US women's 4x100 would put matters right by winning the gold.Unfortunately,in Anderson,the US team had a rank novice,as she tried to hand-over the baton with her hand raised when it is acknowledged de riguer that a baton is passed in a downward fashion straight into the extended backward palm of the receiver.Muna Lee was clearly seen leaving her check-mark late,which then led to the stumble,fumble,and pulled muscle.Chance gone.Hope Muna recovers soon,and that the US teams can show their true mettle in the forthcoming Big Meets in Europe.
I thought the Webcast www.universalsports.com was outstanding. Tbroadcast every event, especially the Fiedl Events. And they showed ALL the throws, jumps, vaults.Repeat ALL! Not just the winning. One could watch the Field Events from Start to Finish, which is a great concept. I just get tired of seeing every step in the 10,000, and only one vault, if lucky - two vaults -
I do not think Jamaican sprinters are not doping. They are well trained by coaches who know what they're doing. However, Jamaican coaches don't have to compete with football and basketball to get the best potential sprinters. If Bolt had been born and raised in the U.S. he would be playing basketball, or like many potentially great U.S. track athletes sitting on the bench waiting for a chance to make it big in basketball. If Powell had been born and raised in the U.S. he would more than likely be playing football, or like many potentially great U.S. track athletes sitting on the bench waiting for a chance to make it big in football. Britney Reese is a good example of a basketball player who turned to track and field to make it big. Marion Jones did better in track, without doping, than she did in basketball. I'm sure everyone has noticed that size, (height) is making a difference in track and field. We, the U.S.A., need to tap in to the large pool of young basketball players at the grass roots/club level and start developing some of that talent for future greatness. The problem is basketball appeals more to young athletes than track and field does. The same thing can be said regarding young athletes and football in the U.S. In both cases T.V. exposure and money help make it so. How many kids know that Usain Bolt made over $300,000 in less than 10 days at the IAAF Worlds? How many kids know that every athlete that finished first in there event at the Worlds made $80,000. If track and field played up the monitary gain aspect of pro track and field we might see more young athletes looking in that direction. The size/height of athletes in many track and field events is increasing. That's not to say that there's no place for athletes of average and below height, but an athelte's height is making a difference in most if not all track and field events, both men's and women's. Money and exposure have always been strong reasons why young athletes want to become great.
I read on one of these blogs that the relay coaches were going to take Mike Rodgers off of the 4x100 relay for finals and put Wallace Spearman on it. When was the last time a healthy 100m. National Champion wasn't on the relays in finals? This just shows how screwed up our broken relay system is.Please make some changes and quit saying you are going to do it and Just Do It.
Doug- I think you are right... these championships are a step in the right direction. Let's not expect everything to change overnight -- this will take time and this week was a great step forward. I also need to agree with some of the comments here that repeat the challenge that we start at our grassroots, with youth/developmental programs. That will bring about long-term change. I will disagree with those that have blogged here that the Jamaicans have come out of nowhere. If you've attended any Penn Relays over the years, you would know that they have some of the world's best sprinters and always have been competitive on a global scale. This is their time and I think it's great. Just watch out, the USA is coming!
Doug: Please review this interview in full, if you haven't already (flotrack interview of Matt Tegenkamp)http://tinyurl.com/lrkena
You can find some good advice straight from one of the best distance runners in the US.
Mr. Logan,
Let's be honest...did you expect more medals or not? I think US athletes did just ok comparing to the potential they have. You're trying to hide the dust underneath the rug. You need more knowleadgeable coaches. How in the world 4 adult men and women cannot pass a button around the track? Can you imagine how much longer Reese can jump if she has basic technique? Your throwers looked like decathletes only form wise...and the list goes on...Williams cannot (still) get up right to run faster...Come on, do not foul yourselves. The whole world is watching. At least admit it and move on.
A definite advantage is gained when the out-going runner gets the baton early. In this case the anchor runs 110 meters and the anchor is typically the fastest leg. (if #2 is not). Yes, I know Bolt runs 3rd, but he should be #2 or #4. If Bolt running anchor got the baton early, everyone would be crying foul. The call was correct, regardless of how it came about.
It is HILARIOUS that you people are trying to blame Great Britain for your own ineptitude. You passed outside of the zone. End of story. Where were you people when USATF lodged a complaint against Churandy Martina and in so doing, had the silver medal stripped from him. Which one of you spoke out against the USA actions then, as you are doing now about GB. How hypocritical.
Amazing. The United States wins the scoring table and people are furious about two or three events? Get a grip. Things are always going to happen. You will always see a random athlete not qualify for the team who should have. You will always see someone have a bad day in a prelim and not make the finals. You will always see a talented athlete come up lame at the worst possible time. You will always see relay teams drop batons or otherwise get DQ'd. These things are going to happen. But people should celebrate and remember the achievements of the many more US athletes who had outstanding performances. The glass is far more than half full.
My thoughts. Universal coverage-excellent. NBC-Good. I don't know why people keep picking on Hammond. 4x100 relays, you've got more excuses than handoffs in the last 10 years. It's called practice. The ho-hum attitude of the women after Muna went down was a good refection on the attitude of the sprinters toward their failure. I saw Crawford marking out his steps prior to his 3rd leg. Maybe he was the only guy taking the event seriously, he ran right up on a sleeping Patton. Kudos to the distance runners who didn't take any crap on the track this time around. As far as GB goes, really stupid on their part with the protest. They'd better get it perfect from now on because we'll be looking carefully for the slightest slip up in future events and a chance to stick it to them back. Jamaica is lucky they even made it into the 4x100 final. they were stinking up the track until Germany dropped the baton and probably would've been 3rd and out of the final. Personally I liked the USA's chances to go sub 37.4 and give Jamaica a run for it in the final. Once again Tyson is let down by his team and teammates.
Jamaica certainly did not just appear on the track "all of a sudden." This comment made me LOL! This tiny island has been producing great athletes, with minimal resources and no cheating, since 1948 London. Herb McKenley, George Rhoden, Les Laing, and Arthur Wint, just to name a few.
Its Official: Usain Bolt owns every USA Sprinter on this planet. Bolt has every USA Sprinter tucked in his little pocketA
All you whinging American idiots crying about the Brits filing a protest against your retarded relay team seem to forget what happened in the mens 200m final in Bejing with Churudy Martina. What goes around comes around
Bill Newsham: You are a complete utter idiot just like your hubby George Bush.
Let me repeat on behalf of the rest of the world. Usain Bolt owns every single American sprinter including Tyson "Dreary" G.ay Usain can now stick him in his little pocket
I am a certified "Master" track official. I worked both '84 & '96 Games. Regarding the men's 4 X 100 DQ, I would NOT have made a call at the exchange and would have thrown out the protest. The key in the relay races is the "exchange." Based on the TV shot, the exchange was clearly made within the zone. And to go further, no umpire did make that call live & for the powers to be to say "inconclusive video", that's proof enough to throw out the protest.
Regarding the finish of the men's 110 HH, Trammell should have tied for first. No way the Bahaman beat him. Bad call.
Kevin Davies, first of all you need to show at least a little class in your posts. Second, the reason the USA protested in Bejing was because in viewing Wallace Spearman's errors the judges should have also seen Churandy but politics took over and it normally goes against the USA because of our world standing. The other nations will always try to stick it to the USA whenever the slightest opportunity arises. So my question to you is: Should the judges have allowed Wallace to keep his medal too or is it that only Americans who step on the line should be DQ'd?
I disagree with the comments of Dick Stinson. In the Men's 4x100 Relay qualifying heat, the USA baton was touched by the receiving runner before the take-over zone line, a clear violation of IAAF Rule 170.14.
Doug Logan's response to the disqualification was unsatisfactory! He is basically saying that "it's ok to target the USA because we are the best!" I honestly think we should have pulled the rest of the USA athletes and went home. Here's why: The 4X100 was not disqualified by an official ruling. They were disqualified as the result of a unsubstantiated complaint from a competitor they had just beatean. The race had been ruled a legitimate victory for the USA until the complaint. Now, as I understand, video cannot be used to overrule an official decision! The decision was that the USA had a legitimate victory in the 4X100 heat! If one remembers the John Drummond disqualification in Paris, the IAAF stated that video that clearly showed one Asafa Powell causing the break that Drummond was charged with, could not be used to support Drummond's claim. So, how was the British complaint support if not with video since the "zone judge" ruled the 3rd exchange a legal exchange? Doug Logan and the rest of the not so knowledgeable USATF "junketeers" apparently did not argue this point. Why not? Finally, every major international meet where the USA competes again the UK in track and field, I think we should have a "special judge" who sole job is to watch British athletes to ensure that everything they do comports with the rules just as their coaches did in Berlin!!
Another example of "stick to the Americans" occured in the 2006 World Cup 4x100 when the officials placed the second legs of the Europe and USA teams in the wrong lanes. When the runners of both countries made the switch when their leadoff came up, only the USA was disqualified. One more occured in the 2005 WC with the Russian 400h who clearly went around the hurdle twice but was still allowed to keep her gold medal and thereby wronging L. Demus. And we all know how it goes in international boxing.
Officials make mistakes and miss calls and therefore teams have the right to protest within 30 minutes of the official announcement of the result of the event per IAAF Rule 146.2.
Video evidence can be used to support the decision or any appeal per IAAF Rule 146.6. However, it must be conclusive.
Jamaica to the world..The U.S.A. without drugs is like a plant without water..Sandy Richards n Debbie Dunn are Patriotic backbiters...
Born in Jamaica,representing Jamaica..Sandy Richards is a sell out n a disgrace to the Jamaican People..Please be assured that when you fail you will be remembered as the Jamaican born Sandy Richards..
To respond to gh and Carol: Usain Bolt has always been good. The reason you've never heard of him is because in the US, there is no coverage of Caribbean trackmeets such as the Carifta, the CAC, the NACAC and the Pan-Am games.
Time to expand beyond our borders my people....
Kevin Davies...show some class in your posts brother. Athletics is used to unite people not divide them.
People People...if you have constructive advise for Mr. Logan, he can be emailed at his personal email which can be found on the USATF website. Let's keep it constructive and encouraging . Let's not make it a Jamaica-US based email, because that is useless. If I were him and saw such a diving (not uniting email), I'd hit the DELETE button with lightning speed, which would make it a waste of energy on the writer's part. I do see that Mr. Logan is not confronting the issues in his blog. He doesn't have to critize his athletes in public, but he should at least address that there is work to be done and NAME the areas and events that need improvement.
The u.s . 4By 100 meters team completed the pass well after the start of the passing Lane.they clearly had no competitive advantage in starting the pass just before entering the lane.The British 4 by 400 meter Team clearly cheated and had a competive advantage when Anchor runner clearly took the baton prior to entering the passing lane.Since Martny Rooney is a superior runner to Robert Tobin(third leg runner)this was a much clearer violation than the U.S. issue.The Australians did not issue a protest showing the class that Britain and their officials totally lack.
Michael, On the 4 x 400 relay the runners are in the excahnge zone to begin with. So how did the anchor get the baton early? Are you saying he was standing outside the zone? I think everyone would have seen that, don't you?
I still can't believe you keep putting Harvey Glance in charge o. Has anyone payed attention to how aweful the University of Alabama's Track team has become under his charge? They are the worst team in the SEC. The successful athletes he has enjoyed in the past were the result of his assistant coaches that have since left the University.
I just don't undeerstand where you Jamaicans get your logic!! How can you talk against Debbie dunn and Sanya Richards? So what they were born in Jamaica...they represent the USA now. Most of you strive to run fast so you can come to american colleges and compete and get an education. And guess what....most of you are being coached by american coaches so does that make you a sell out?? If you run track for Baylor one year and then transfer to LSU the next year and win the NCAA championships...does Baylor get the credit??? Listening to your logic all Jamaicans that live in the USA are sell outs because you wanna leave Jamaica and live off of the same country you talk bad about!!! I see why you guys have so much internal fighting going on with the coaches and the JAAA.
Were going to stick to the Brits in Britan and its going to be sweet. In the mean time we need to get it right. Relays are simple. Yes its happening fast but anyone who has been running since school days knows the drill. Its there fore a lack of concentration. Thinking of executing the basics in an outstanding manner. We were the true winners as it made no difference in the race when a runner starts as they all have to hand it off in the zone. Getting it early allows the lead runner to run longer. Nobody was fouled and there was no unfair advantage. The Brits must be feeling real guilty right now. They ate the dust we all saw it.
A definite advantage is gained when the out-going runner gets the baton early. In this case the anchor runs 110 meters and the anchor is typically the fastest leg. (if #2 is not). Yes, I know Bolt runs 3rd, but he should be #2 or #4. If Bolt running anchor got the baton early, everyone would be crying foul. The call was correct, regardless of how it came about.
Mark W., I repeated my previous post. An advantage is gained
that's why the rules do not allow it.
I agree with Rich's comments (reposted below):
. . . wouldn't it be better to take the 4th-7th finishers in the USA Championships and have them work solely on the relay . . . .Posted by: Rich Ceronie on 8/24/2009 4:55:55 AM
Doug - Did you have the opportunity to see any of the racewalks, which started and finished at Brandenburg Gate - Berlin's most famous attraction? From what I could gather there had to be well more than 20,000 people lining the course for the races. When is USATF going to get serious about a set of events that has the possibility of reaping the largest return on investment than any other event - as the former Chula Vista group proved. A 2:00 800m runner (ideally suited leg speed for a walker), room, board and coaching equals a gold medal in the 50K Walk for Russia, we could certainly do that and we have some junior athletes looking for that opportunity now!
Doug
lets start with the british.If the USA does not violate the rules they have no complaint.Simply put you cant blame the snitch for your crime.Secondly Muna's injury is the result of the incoming runner being on the wrong side of the lane and stepping on her three times before she pulls.Thirdly in response to bolt "We will Catch Him" lacks sportsmanship and forsight and truthfully since you dont put the same amount of money that usatf and its corporate partner NIKE gives to the TEam Minnesotas ,Team wisconsin and OTC of distance running your chance of beating others in sprints is not a concerted effort just blind luck.The relays are simple get me the coaches of Long Beach Poly ,LSU,Texas A&M,TCU and the like and we will win!37.9 with 4 10.0 runners is horrible.Your coaches are just honorary none of the actual coaches of world class athletes get picked until they no longer coach anyone on the team.Logan says"if Usain Bolt was taken out of the equation, the Jamaicans would not be doing so well in the sprints" oh great but hes in the equation and you have absolutely no support for the sprints and jumps .Encourage Nike to give 1 million to HSI or coach Holloway or any other sprint Group and see what happens .Like every other sector of the US population the world has caught up Doug and your strength may no longer be your strength for long how will you respond ? take the agents off of the conversations to lobby for athletes to be in the relays.Actually practice baton passing with some idea of steps needed to complete the passes.
Mark Williamson: You are another stupid American idiot. Had the American not broken the rules then there would be no problems you punk ass retard. What the Brits did was no different to what your retarded USA Track and field did in getting Churundy Martina DQ'd in order to get another American onto the medal stand. Therefore what comes around goes around. As for Americans sticking it to the Brits sweet my response to that is I am gonna predict that Britain will finish in front the USA in the 2012 Olympic 4x100 relay final and give a USA Team a good hard beating. It will be like 2004 but 10 times worse.
As for the current group of 100m sprinters in the USA, take Tyson Gay out and the rest of the American 100m sprinters are all bums with a big B.
We need not whine about the unexpected dominance of Jamaican sprinters, since we are training a lot of the Carribean born sprinters in of the USA colleges. The island atletes have been shackled by many of the economic issues that hinder our inner city and rural youth economics & access to the competions. We obviously have some great college coaches.
Lets not look for excuses, just strive to improve ourselves.
Sanya Richards is a beautiful young lady that is very proud of her Jamacian heritage, and has joined the melting pot that is America. The diversity of our nation is our greatest strength. We have a wealth of youth talent in sprint, distance and field events that need to be trained on international competition.
I am happy that Mr Logan did address the issue of relays, stating Benita was going to working hard on the development program. The rules allowing protest are to protect the athletes. We should accept the losses with as much grace as the athletes that actually put themselves on the line.
I would like to see efforts to make sure officials and athletes at all levels have a clear and correct understanding of where the mark is.
Off-topic a bit, but I'd like to brag about Team USA at the recent World Masters Athletics Championships in Lahti, Finland. Every U.S. quartet that ran at Lahti came home with a medal -- across men's and women's races and both 4x1 and 4x4. Heck, even I got a bronze! Overall, only one of 90 teams was DQ'd in he 4x1. Details at http://masterstrack.com/blog/005868.html
All in all it bothers me that we can only express our dominance in the qaurter mile events. The lack of consistance in the other events needs to be addressed. Something or someone needs to change, our so called experts arent getting it done. Maybe we should work from the top down?
Mr. Logan, I hope you read these blogs and understand how serious we take the relays. We want you to finally get them right.There is no excuse to not get the baton around the track in a legal fashion. middle school, high schools, universities, World Junior teams, Pan Am junior teams, Master teams all do it. Why can't we do it at the highest professional level? Here are some of the reasons: Coaches and athletes don't know the International rules, coaches take it for granted the athletes know what to do. After all they have been doing it since middle school,but not with the people on that particular International team.Practice doesn'nt make perfect,but it sure helps.Coaches need to do their jobs and quit taking for granted that athletes know what to do.We are 0 for 4 in the last two years in the biggest meets in the world.HOW EMBARRASSING
I WANT DOUG LOGAN TO RESIGN FROM HIS POST! Doug, you shouldn't be a President of a major NGB. Especially since you screwed up Major League Soccer. Come on people, let's not wait until it's too late to get him out. Let's do it NOW!
I think it's time to get this blog off of here. It's getting pretty nasty.I think by now Mr. Logan you've got the message. It's time for you to earn your half million salary and unlimited expense account. Clean up the same " good ole boy " USATF system of selecting International Team Staffs.Quit putting the same people in charge of the relays.They obviously are not doing a good job.We expect some changes for the bettet, not just lip service.
Th USATF official such as Logan should lace them up and go after Bolt or shutup ... It seems the present crop of U.S. sprinter are in the same class as it relates to challenging Mr. Bolt. They have no chance, and they seem to perform less than adequate in major championships compared to their championship.
It's simple, Mr.Bolt, simple cannot be beat, Michael Johnson said it, and he also said that, Gay is finished based on his age at, 27-28, he will not be getting better. And, compare to Bolt at, 23, and also, there is no young athlete to challenge him, and he seeing Bolt winning for the next 10 years.
Th USATF official such as Logan should lace them up and go after Bolt or shutup ... It seems the present crop of U.S. sprinter are in the same class as it relates to challenging Mr. Bolt. They have no chance, and they seem to perform less than adequate in major championships compared to their championship.
It's simple, Mr.Bolt, simple cannot be beat, Michael Johnson said it, and he also said that, Gay is finished based on his age at, 27-28, he will not be getting better. And, compare to Bolt at, 23, and also, there is no young athlete to challenge him, and he seeing Bolt winning for the next 10 years.
Ok- let's get real here to beat the Jamaicans we have to dope more- Kind of crazy and you can rail on me but we all know it's true... Doug- you gave yourself an A- I believe in fighting the war on doping- I give you a C and the only reason you did not get an F is because so many people are doping there is not much you can do- if you would like to discuss please shoot me and email. Track and Field is in for a wake up call soon...
where were the american racewalkers at the Worlds? I believe it is time to include racewalking in USA schools competition (high school, college and universities). By the way, last time I checked they still give out medals at the Olympics for the walking events. Forward charge!!
If you want racewalking to be taken seriously at any level, start by seeing to it that event results are posted within 24 hours. At both the national and international level this does not happen, if at all. Just watch what happens with the USA 40K Race Walk Championships taking place today - we'll see how long it takes. With the Internet, there are no excuses.
To be sure, Doug is a smooth talker. It seems to be very popular nowadays to put smooth talkers in positions of high authority. However, never measure their rhetoric against their results or it will somehow be your fault things turn out as they do.
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