Wariner & Powell Impressive!

10.04 meeting record for Asafa Powell in Melbourne

On Thursday, powerful messages were conveyed without a word being said at the Melbourne Track Classic in Australia. Jeremy ran a super fast time for February, and Powell came out and let competitors know that he has mental and physical toughness.

The one-lap champ set an intense pace from the start and won handily in 44.82 seconds. The second place runner was nearly a full second behind Jeremy Wariner.

Jeremy ran below 45 seconds in the 400-meters as he predicted for the season opener and in the process probably squelched media talk that his season and career were doomed.

When asked he said, “I had a great race today. I got to see where I was in my training, and now I go back and rest for a couple of days and then get back on the grind.”

In a Willis Reedesque comeback, World-record holder Asafa Powell made it to the starting line in spite of his knee troubles and won in 10.09 at 100-meters. To the question: what message do you have for your rivals, Powell said: “Come out and do your best because this year is nothing like last year.”

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

Brianna Glenn Graces Sports Illustrated and Blogs About It!

(r)Heather Mitts (soccer), and (c)Lovie Jung (softball), (r)Brianna Glenn (track)

Olympic hopeful Brianna Glenn has a lot to talk about!

The world-class long jumper and sprinter recently posed along side Olympic athletes Lovie Jung and Heather Mitts in ads appearing in the new issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2008.

The casual fan may think track & field is boring. They obviously haven’t come across Brianna.

Before jumping a flight to race in England, the University of Arizona alum posted the following message on her official blog:

“I will be spending the next couple of days in the Big Apple courtesy of Anheuser-Busch and Sports Illustrated. I did a modeling job over the summer that I will be sharing more about when it debuts in the next week or so, and because of that, I get to pretend I am the next Giselle for the next 72 hours.

I get to fly first class, stay in an ultra swanky New York hotel, limo service…the whole nine. All this just to attend a launch party for the magazine. The crazy thing is, I am a teeny-weeny goldfish in this proverbial pond and I still get the red-carpet treatment. It makes me question why I give all my blood, sweat, and tears to a profession that forces me to take the cheapest flights I can find with 9 hour layovers in Uzbekistan, arrive at the airport only to find out nobody has remembered to pick me up, and share a room with Olga, the non-speaking Russian. In fact, I am leaving New York on Wednesday to head across the pond-- in coach of course-- to run a race on Saturday in Birmingham, England.

My life on the catwalk will be short-lived. I plan on enjoying my life as a wannabe supermodel but given the fact that I’m not having any more growth spurts and my only curves come from the weight-room, I doubt I’ll be changing professions any time soon. It’s ok though…I’m quite content with where I deposit my blood, sweat, and tears.”

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

False Start On Asafa Powell Trip

Maybe mum was right about not running in the house.

The world’s fastest man recently endured a nightmare trip to Sydney. Along the way, he gashed his knee, missed his flight, and lost his luggage en route to Saturday’s grand prix meet in Australia.

"I was running up the stairs at my house, and I fell," said Powell, who suffered the injury while running late for a practice session.

Powell has withdrawn from Saturday’s meet due to receiving stitches. The good news is that he hopes to be ready to run February 21 in Melbourne.

After his let down in the 100-meter world championship final last year in Osaka, we hope this rather bizarre incident isn’t a sign of things to come for his season.

Good luck!

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

The Final Lap: Around the Globe in 60 Seconds!

Chinese air quality in the dumps! Maybe MJ was ahead of his time.

Prerace Jitters (PRJ) is proud to introduce a new segment, The Final Lap, which brings the hottest news from around the world in a weekly format. I am big enough to admit, it’s a shameless effort to increase readers of the blog.

There is a lot of news lately coming out about China and the Olympics. The closer the games approach, the more concerns start bubbling to the surface.

As far as coverage goes, a lot of this stuff has been floating around for a long time, no pun intended. For instance, the fact that the air in Beijing is slightly more breathable than the windswept plains of Venus doesn't bode well for those hoping to demonstrate their aerobic prowess.

For the world's Olympic athletes, Beijing's air is a performance issue. The concern is that respiratory problems could impede athletic performance and prevent records from being broken. Maybe the USOC should ship over a few of Michael Jackson’s oxygen chambers.

The rancid skies rated an eye-popping 421 on a scale of 1 to 500. 500 being the worst. In the United States, pollution this bad might qualify as an emergency. In Beijing, doctors advised people to stay indoors, but residents there are accustomed to breathing foul air. Earlier this year, the city actually recorded a 500. Yikes!

2/12/08 – News & Views on the Fast Life!

• The Brits have issues too! Dwain Chambers to be re-instated after doping "issues" and British athletic officials appear unable to legally stop his comeback.
  
  
• Yelena Soboleva of Russia improves her WR for 1,500 meters indoor. The Russian must have dressed in a phone booth, setting two WRs within two days.


• Sweden’s Susanna Kallur flies to World Indoor record for 60-meter hurdles. Behind Kallur was LoLo Jones, who ran a 7.77 personal best and the 2nd fastest for an American, ever.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

Nike, Adidas Gear Up For Sneaker War!

These shoes are made for running.

The bar for spikes was set sky high by Michael Johnson running into history sporting Nikes at the Atlanta Olympic Games, where he clocked 19.32 seconds in 200-meters and won gold in the 400-meters. Millions still remember Johnson’s custom spikes, and that’s exactly why Nike customized the shoes for him.

Sneakers are more than functional footwear. They need to feel good, look good. They represent our individual style and taste.

Shoemakers have long battled for the Chinese market, but the Beijing Olympics are the battle ground for bitter rivals, Nike and Adidas. The Chinese market, made up of mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, is the second largest market in the world and is worth a whopping $1 billion a year in sales.

Nike is hedging their bets on Asafa Powell. They imprinted his feet and studied his running style to deliver the lightest and strongest kicks ever for the 100-meter world record holder.

Powell will wear a different shoe at meets before the Olympics. The prototype will be tweaked after each meet leading up to the Beijing Games, and then Nike will present Powell with the final pair just before the opening ceremony.

Whew! What color will the shoe be? Will they sport the black and yellow Jamaican colors?

Adidas is also betting hard on Beijing and paid roughly $80 million to win the Beijing sponsorship, in addition to sponsoring elite athletes such as Allyson Felix and Jeremy Wariner. The German shoe company is also spending millions on the “Impossible is Nothing” ad blitz and is opening about two stores a day in China.

While not an official Olympic Games sponsor, Nike is spending millions sponsoring 22 of the 28 competing Chinese federations.

The athletic apparel companies promise this to be the biggest Olympics ever, and it is almost guaranteed to be the most commercial ever. It will be interesting to see who wears the illest gear, while throwing down the most memorable feats.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

Adidas Superstar - 2008 Beijing Olympics

The shoe war between Nike and Adidas in Beijing will be fierce, and the hype surrounding the Olympics will undoubtedly inspire loads of sneakers and gear.

Not to be out done, Adidas revealed another pair from the vault today. This shoe is a true classic. The Adidas Superstar matches the colors for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The kicks are said to be available now, so keep your eyes open.

Hmmm…I wonder what fly gear Gilbert Arenas, Jeremy Wariner, and other Adidas athletes will showcase in Beijing.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

J Dub Definitely Over Coaching Spat

Olympic and world champion Jeremy Wariner is preparing to break Michael's Johnson's 400-meter world record.

Jeremy Wariner has the track world talking again!

The 400-meter sprinter spoke with the press on Monday at a promotional event set up by Adidas in Beijing.

Jeremy refused to talk about last month’s coaching change, however he did take the opportunity to proclaim that his agent, Michael Johnson, might lose his status as the 400-meter world record holder in Beijing or possibly sooner. Last season, Wariner ran a personal best time of 43.45 and is rapidly getting closer to Johnson’s world record of 43.18.

"I'm looking forward to defending my title and hopefully breaking the world record," he said on Monday. "Honestly, if I haven't broken it before the Olympics, I know I can break it at the Olympics."

He and long-time Coach Clyde Hart split ways over a contract dispute in which Hart was offered less money to work in 2008. Despite what has been said by critics, J Dub does not regret the decision to train with new Baylor Assistant Coach Michael Ford.

Jeremy is currently preparing for his 2008 debut next week in Australia. He is no amateur at the Apollo.

He knows what it takes to win big.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

Wariner & Hart Splitsville

Jeremy Wariner clocks a time of 43.35 seconds to win 2004 Olympic Games

In a sport not known for break ups over money, Jeremy Wariner and long-time Coach Clyde Hart are no longer working together. The end of the relationship comes as the two parties are unable to settle on contract terms only seven months before the Olympics.

Labor disputes about compensation are commonplace in other sports, but these kinds of disputes are rarely heard about in track & field. While specifics were not released, Coach Hart reportedly was offered a less lucrative contract than in years past.

A coaching change may be a blow to some runners but Prerace Jitters believes that Jeremy’s passion to run and access to coaching guidance will probably not alter his Olympic year performance and overall career.

Meanwhile, Coach Hart undoubtly will have his hands full preparing Sanya Richards for her highly anticipated solo run at 400 meter gold in Beijing.

Disputes like this show the world how much money is at stake at the most elite levels of track & field. In this case, however, Prerace Jitters thinks that all involved parties will land on their feet.

A Dream Likely Deferred

Oscar Pistorius and his "Cheetah Flex Foot" blades.

Oscar Pistorius will not be allowed by IAAF officials to compete in the Beijing Olympics.

Tensions between the South African sprinter and IAAF has been rising all last season. For months, the double-amputee has been waiting on test results on whether his prosthetic legs provide additional benefit to him. But no more.

We’re told the official word was expected Thursday and was changed on Saturday to give Pistorius and his managers time to respond. The dream isn't over, yet.

It is very likely that Pistorius will challenge the decision to a higher authority.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

Courage Under Fire

Sprinter Oscar Pistorius (far left) & Martyn Rooney in Sheffield, England

Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed “Blade Runner”, is living his life without limitations. That is the motto of Ossur, the manufacturer of his prosthetic blades.

Rocking sleek, curved prosthetic legs that appear straight out of a sci-fi movie, sprinter Oscar Pistorius has been burning up tracks and leaving controversy in his wake. At issue is whether those carbon graphite appendages give the 20-year-old South African double amputee an advantage over able-bodied runners.

The questions persist: do the prosthetics simply level the field for Pistorius, compensating for his disability, or do they give him an inequitable edge via what some call techno-doping?

This is an issue that has yet to be determined as he makes a bid for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. No - say prosthetic manufacturers, other amputee athletes and researchers. Maybe - says the International Association of Athletic Federations, the governing body of world track and field, which continues to study the matter before making a ruling.

Test results are in and have been sent to Blade Runner’s representatives. IAAF is officially mum on the matter, choosing not to make any announcement over the matter until January 10.

Pistorius’ biggest obstacle may be qualifying standards. To reach the Olympics, he would have to run 45.95 seconds before the July 2008 qualifying deadline. His best time is 46.56. In comparison, world champion Jeremy Wariner posted a personal best of 43.45.

Earlier this year, Pistorius placed seventh at a race in England, running the 400 meters before being disqualified for going outside his lane. But he had already grabbed attention for holding world records in the Paralympics. Although he's not the first disabled athlete to compete against able-bodied athletes, he is the first double amputee who may make the crossover.

I hope the controversy doesn’t obscure the real story – Pistorius’ victory over his limitations. Pistorius was awarded the Helen Rolloson, which goes to an athlete showing courage in the face of adversity, at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist

Looking to Beijing

Beijing International Airport

There is great anticipation about the 2008 Games – 247 days to the opening games but who’s counting, huh?

Many cannot wait to see the transforming city the media keeps talking about – the once rickety, impoverished city that is now the heart of new China’s booming economy.

Construction is going on around the clock. Signs of economic success are everywhere: a new futuristic business district, new ultra-luxury hotels and a new gigantic airport terminal.

Chinese officials have set ambitious goals for their venues, but those goals are not without obstacles. For instance, smog and haze periodically hover over the city, and fine soil produces dust storms visible for miles.

The world is watching to see if China can shine under the bright light of international attention.

The Chinese want to prove they are a global powerhouse worthy to be considered with the U.S., Europe, and Canada.

Olympic Updates

• Beijing tickets go on sale

• How to save money on a trip to the Olympics

• Lenovo (formerly IBM Laptops) won’t sponsor Olympics past 2008

By Jay Hicks, aka Track Evangelist