Off the Record
with Jill M. Geer
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
What a day in L.A.! The adidas Track Classic last Sunday in Carson, California, had more fast times and big performances than I've got broken fingernails. Which is to say: a lot.
I had the rare pleasure of actually watching this meet on television. Normally, I am at an event, where seeing the actual races and field events is nearly impossible, owing to me being busy trading insults with the press. On Sunday, I got to watch events unfold on my low-definition, 19-inch tube television. (Hey, it's an upgrade from the 9-inch number that I had previously owned.)
In a word, the second stop of the Visa Championship Series can be summarized thusly: Wow.
Here's what I learned:
* Breaux Greer, in addition to being one of my many unofficial track "boyfriends" (if you're blonde and a thrower, basically, you're on the list), added yet another American record to his C.V. I remember Breaux at the 1996 Olympic Trials, when my colleagues on the NBC crew remarked about this crazy (and we do mean crazy) kid who could throw a baseball 1,329 mph and who placed second in the javelin. Since then, he's won seven U.S. titles, broken the American record a zillion times, and had the farthest throw of the 2004 Olympic Games. But that throw was in the qualifying round, and the disappointment of leaving the Olympics without a medal when he really wanted gold, no doubt still haunts Breaux, who has a public image of the clown but is a sensitive, complicated guy with musical talent who is in love with his new dog. Anyway, Breaux is finally healthy, knock wood, and if he can stay healthy, he could very well be on the medal stand in Osaka. I'd say he'll be on top of the medal stand, but I am sooo anti-hoax that I can't even go there.
* Breaux's mom is a sweet lady. Hi, Debbie!
* Jenn Stuczyski achieved her longtime goal of breaking Stacy Dragila's American record in the women's pole vault. Jenn - let's call her by her first name since typing Stuczynski is enough to cause digital paralysis - has all the tools to be a great one, from her age to her physique and her relatively newcomer status to the event. Next stop: 16 feet.
* Allyson Felix, coming off of wins in the 100 and 400 at an invitational meet in Osaka, won the 200 meters easily. What that told me is that the U.S. has far and away the two most dominant female sprinters in the world: IAAF World Athlete of the Year Sanya Richards, and Allyson. Sanya was in the spotlight last year as Allyson dealt with some injuries, but this girl is going to really blow some doors off of people this year and next. Will she decide to challenge Sanya in the 400 in '08, if not before? Time will tell. But what a great rivalry it would be!
* News flash: Tyson Gay is The Man.
* News flash, Part II: Torri Edwards can run reeeeeaaalllly fast again.
* In case you weren't paying attention: The women's 100m hurdles at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships might be the most competitive event of the meet. Michelle Perry, Ginnie Powell, Lolo Jones … throw in a healthy Joanna Hayes, and maybe a Jenny Adams or two, and holy smokers. Katie close the door at Osaka!!!
* The performance that was most revealing to me was probably Jeremy Wariner's 400 meters. His winning time of 44.60 was just average by his standards, especially since he ran 44.02 in Osaka earlier this month. But on Sunday, he raised a gigantic banner to people that read "YES I REALLY PLAN TO BREAK THE WORLD RECORD THIS YEAR." That banner was symbolically scrawled in red magic marker on his 200-meter split time, which using my naked eye looked to be well under 21 seconds. Basically, he came close to PRing for the first 200 meters. Wariner is known for his very strong second 200, but Jeremy knows that he's got to throw down in the first 200 if he's going to beat Michael Johnson's 43.18. I could feel the burn in his legs as he came down the final stretch - even though his face remained almost as placid as it usually is. He's not quite there yet, when it comes to the world record. But he is clearly working on it, and working on it very seriously.
* Oh yeah, and before I forget: Jeremy loves his dog, too, even though Heidi the St. Bernard is nearly twice his size. If you're going to be in a skiing accident in the Alps, you want to do it with Jeremy and Heidi in your party. Heidi can find you in a snow bank and keep you warm while Jeremy runs for help.
* Finally, I've gotta give it up for Fam, aka Anthony Famiglietti, who won the 3,000 meters with a lovely kick. I first met Fam at the 2001 World University Games, where he spent his free time buying a bicycle and riding it around Beijing while sporting a Mohawk and tattoos. He spent his competition time winning the steeplechase. Since then, Fam has been up and down, but the last year has seen him set big PRs at every distance up to 10,000 meters. I'll be curious to see if he sticks with the steeple or if he runs, say, the 5,000 at nationals. He'll be a threat no matter what he does.
Jill M.Geer is Director of Communications for USA Track & Field
