Universal Sports Provides Live Chicago Marathon Coverage.

Live coverage of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern time at www.UniversalSports.com and on Universal Sports TV.
Universal Sports will also offer an exclusive webcast of the IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil beginning at 7:45 a.m. ET.

The is available worldwide except in the Chicago area, where NBC5 is providing local live web and broadcast coverage.

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Universal Sports Presents Live Coverage of IAAF World Athletics Final

It's free until Nov. 9--all that is required is signing up for an account at UniversalSports.com.

The IAAF World Athletics Final from Stuttgart, Germany featuring stars such as Asafa Powell, Jeremy Wariner, Dayron Robles can be seen on live on Universal Sports TV and UniversalSports.com.

Universal Sports, in partnership with the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), has delivered exclusive, season-long coverage of the 2008 IAAF Super & Grand Prix series.

TELEVISION & ONLINE SCHEDULE:

Day 1 September 13 Stuttgart, Germany 9 a.m. - 12:30pm EDT LIVE

Day 2 September 14 Stuttgart, Germany 7:30am - 11 a.m. EDT LIVE

By Jay Hicks.

Track Has To Go Back To Drawing Board

Quick run up to someone at the shopping center and ask them to name three current track stars.

That’s what we thought.

Rich Pereleman for UniversalSports.com ran an incredible story about fixing track and field. Which is interesting because track is struggling to maintain against stiff competition from Mixed Material Arts, Extreme Games, and another other form of entertainment for that matter.

Pereleman wrote:

“Track & field, even in the Olympic year, is simply irrelevant as a spectator sport in the United States. The "regular season" for elite U.S. track & field athletes, in the United States, is an unremarkable series of three invitational meets called the "Visa Championship Series." In 2008, this included the May 18 adidas Track Classic in Carson, California (attendance about 2,000); the May 31 Reebok Grand Prix in New York (sell-out of 6,490) and the high-quality Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon (a legit attraction that sold out at 14,221). That’s it: three meets. The last meet in the "series" was the Olympic Trials from June 27-July 6."

The downward trend of the sport in the U.S. can tied to doping and lack of a leadership in the sport.

There is a laundry list of things that track and field must-do to improve, but becoming relevant again has to be at the top of the list.

By that I mean the sport must woven into the social fabric as it once was in this country. Gone are the days prior to 2001; my how we long for the brilliance of Carl Lewis; the incredible domination by Michael Johnson; the unpredictable antics of Maurice Greene.

Before the Olympic Trials most of the country would have been hard pressed to name fastest U.S. athlete for the past year: Tyson Gay.

Track meets have to be running in the U.S. during the summer months in order to make any ground. Many of the current track athletes lack the proper exposure. The fact is that the Adidas Classic, Prefontaine, and the Reebook GP have absolutely no media buzz.

Under new CEO Doug Logan the sport’s governing body has taken to social marketing, and that is certainly a start.

Every professional sport except track works at winning over the current and future generations. There is an opportunity with the Beijing Olympics, progress made with the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon and the star power of Usain Bolt to build momentum for the sport in this country.

Every four years we have this same conversation. Do you think this year will be any different?

By Jay Hicks.

Universal Sports to Provide LIVE Broadcast of Aviva British IAAF Grand Prix

As 400meteroval called it, WCSN / Universal Sports recently announced that it is providing free broadcast and webcast of their events until November 9, 2008. This coincides with the launch of the new WCSN/Universal website.

The benefit to fans is that the temporary offer covers the Aviva British British Grand Prix at Gateshead, Great Britain which airs Sunday, August 31, 2008, along with some other great track & field and running competitions.

Headliners at the Aviva British British Grand Prix at Gateshead, GBR:

The meet free from Gateshead, GBR should be hot. Sprinter Lauryn Williams, Tyson Gay and Wallace Spearmon in the 200-meters, 400-meter champion Christine Ohuruogu, and 800-meter runner Nick Symmonds have all confirmed their participation in the track meet.

Free WCSN/Universal Sports webcast and broadcast of the following track and running events.

August 31, 2008: Aviva British British Grand Prix at Gateshead, GBR

September 7th, 2008: Rieti 2008, Rieti, ITA

September 13th - 14th, 2008: IAAF World Athletics Final at Stuttgart, GER

September 28th, 2008: Berlin Marathon at Berlin, GER

October 12th, 2008: IAAF World Road Running Championships at Rio de Janeiro, BRA

October 12th, 2008: Chicago Marathon at Chicago, IL, USA

November 2nd, 2008: New York Marathon at New York, NY, USA

Click here to view the free events Universal Sports.

By Jay Hicks.

Universal Sports to Provide LIVE Broadcast of Stockholm, London and Monaco Super Grand Prix Series

Watch Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell today in 100m at IAAF DN Galan in Stockholm, Sweden.

Universal Sports, formerly World Championship Sports Network, will provide LIVE broadcasts of three consecutive Super Grand Prix Series status meeting events - from Stockholm, London and Monaco - as part of its 2008 IAAF World Athletics Tour coverage.

Kicking off today with the Stockholm DN Galan fans can tune in to watch 100m world-record holder Usain Bolt compete against fellow Jamaican and former world-record holder Asafa Powell. The action continues with the Aviva London Grand Prix this Friday and Saturday where the highly anticipated 100m race between America's world champion, Tyson Gay and Jamaican rival Asafa Powell will be held on Friday. Joining Gay and Powell in London will be Usain Bolt, who will be competing in his preferred distance, the 200m.

On July 29 the Herculis Super Grand Prix in Monaco offers the last chance for track and field athletes to fine-tune their talents in competition before the Beijing games. Over these next three competitions, fans will be treated to twice the amount of talent and heart pounding action as top athletes from across the globe come together to compete in one of the most important race series before the Summer Olympics.

Universal Sports will be broadcasting LIVE coverage of these Super Grand Prix events on its 24/7 television network. Fans can also logon to www.wcsn.com to catch a live webcast of the Aviva London Grand Prix and same day-delay coverage of the DN Galan and Herculis Super Grand Prix's (UniversalSports.com website to launch later this summer).

WHAT: DN Galan Super Grand Prix (Stockholm, Sweden)

Aviva London Grand Prix (London)

Herculis Super Grand Prix (Monaco)



WHEN: July 22 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET (Stockholm)

July 25 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET (London Day 1)

July 26 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. ET (London Day 2)

July 29 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. ET (Monaco)


ONLINE: www.WCSN.com

TELEVISION: Universal Sports Television Network*

* Universal Sports is currently available in New York Metro area on Time Warner Cable Channel 162, Comcast Channel 249, Cablevision Channel 110 (Conn. Channel 119), RCN Channel 190 and Verizon Fios Channel 864; in Los Angeles on Time Warner Cable Channel 226; and in Reno (NV) on Charter Comm. Channel 228. To check for availability in your area visit www.UniversalSports.com.

WCSN.com Now Universal Sports Delivers Olympic Trials Video!

Coverage of the U.S. Olympic Trials, the pressure-packed competition held every four years to select the U.S. Olympic Team, continues on the networks of NBC Universal, with nearly 20 hours of swimming and track & field trials over the next two weeks including 10 straight nights of live primetime coverage on NBC and USA. Additionally, Universal Sports will present encore presentations of the trials.

U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS – TRACK AND FIELD:

Tyson Gay, Allyson Felix, Jeremy Wariner, Bernard Lagat, Reese Hoffa, Sanya Richards and Lauryn Williams are among the top competitors at the historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon looking to earn a trip to Beijing to represent the U.S. at the Olympic Games. Tom Hammond, Carol Lewis, Lewis Johnson, Ato Boldon, Dwight Stones, Ed Eyestone and Bob Neumeier report from Eugene, Oregon.

Fri., June 27

Track & Field

Midnight-1a.m.ET/PT

USA

Featured events:

Women’s 10,000m Final

Women’s 100m Quarterfinal

Sat., June 28

Track & Field

8-9 p.m. ET

NBC

Featured events:

Women’s 100m Final

Men’s Shot Put

Men’s 100m Quarterfinal

Sun., June 29

Track & Field

7-8 p.m. ET

NBC

Featured events:

Men’s 100m Final

Men’s 400m Hurdle Final

Woman’s 400m Hurdle Final

Men’s 400m Quarterfinal

Men’s Pole Vault

Mon., June 30

Track & Field

11 p.m.-1 a.m. ET/PT

USA

Featured events:

Men’s 5,000m Final

Men’s 400m Semifinal

Men’s and Women’s 800m Final

Women’s 400m Semifinal

Thurs., July 3

Track & Field

11 p.m.-1 a.m. ET/PT

USA

Featured events:

Women’s 400m Final

Men’s 400m Final

Men’s 1,500m Quarterfinal

Women’s Steeplechase Final

Fri., July 4

Track & Field

11 p.m.-1 a.m. ET/PT

USA

Featured events:

Men’s 1,500m Semifinal

Women’s 5000m Final

Men’s 10,000m Final

Sat., July 5

Track & Field

5-6 p.m. ET

NBC

Featured events:

Women’s 200m Semifinal

Men’s 200m Semifinal

Men’s High Jump Final

Sun., July 6

Track & Field

7-9 p.m. ET

NBC

Featured events:

Women’s 1500m Final

Men’s 200m Final

Women’s 200m Final

Women’s Pole Vault Final

Men’s Javelin

Men’s 110m Hurdle Final

Women’s 100m Hurdle Final

Men’s 1,500m Final

UNIVERSAL SPORTS COVERAGE: Universal Sports, a recently announced joint venture between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, and formerly World Championship Sports Network (WCSN), will air encore presentations of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in the following events: swimming, track and field, gymnastics, diving, softball (USA vs. China), whitewater canoeing, men's indoor volleyball (USA vs. Argentina), women's indoor volleyball (USA vs. Brazil), men and women's marathon, wrestling, judo, women's weightlifting, rowing, men's BMX, women's water polo (USA vs. Australia), men’s water polo (USA vs. Croatia) and boxing. WCSN has been rebranded as Universal Sports. Go to NBCOlympics.com and UniversalSports.com for up-to-date schedule information.