A Look Back at The Olympic Trials!

Withdrawal from the Olympic Trials has been setting in since returning from Eugene and coming down from the adrenaline rush. Part of that is because eight days is a long time sleeping on a hotel mattress, and I have finally gotten some good sleep since returning home.

I've found myself communicating with colleagues that shared the Eugene experience because we shared something very special in Eugene '08, which turned out to be a de facto track and field national holiday.

What is there not to miss? Eight days of riveting action on the track, coupled with an exhilarating atmosphere. The days were spent comparing and contrasting athletes of today and the past, while interviewing the world's best track athletes about the greatest sport on the planet.

Here are a few pictures of the athletes and the action.

The tough Bershawn "Batman" Jackson puts his heart on the line to win the 400-meter hurdles.

Is Hyleas Fountain the greatest female athlete in the world today after her compelling win in the heptathlon at the Trials? "I'll be back" says 37-year-old Allen Johnson. The 1996 Olympic champion has at least several more seasons left in the tank.

Mary Wineberg (l), Sanya Richards (c), and Dee Dee Trotter (r) are looking for a 400 sweep in Beijing.

"No, I was never worried during the race about making the 200 team," says Wallace Spearmon.

Count em' four, that is the number of Olympic teams high jumper Amy Acuff has made in her illustrious career.

Raw emotions of joy were going through champion Lolo Jones' body after her victory.

Usain who? Tyson Gay after running a crazy 9.68 (+4.1) to win the Olympic Trials.

Usain Bolt is the real deal says legend Michael Johnson.

All pictures and content by Jay Hicks.

Catching Up with Olympic Hopefuls Amy Acuff and Suzy Powell

It’s an Olympic year, and these professional track athletes are busy promoting themselves with just six months until the opening games.

Sportsgirlsplay.com reported that high jumper Amy Acuff and discus thrower Suzy Powell sat down to discuss the arduous task of making an Olympic team.

I can’t think of anyone better to ask about the rigors of qualifying for the Olympics than three-time Olympian Acuff and two-time Olympian Powell. Roster spots on Team USA are won at the Olympic Trials in Euguene, Oregon in July, just one month before the games. The cool demeanor of these track women has helped them deliver in the pressure cooker environment of past Olympic Trials meets.

Click here to watch the interview with Amy Acuff and Suzy Powell.

By Jay Hicks a.k.a, Track Evangelist

AT&T U.S. Indoor Track & Field Championships Highlights

Lolo Jones Visa Championship winner

Khadevis Robinson, Lolo Jones, and Christian Cantwell win big!

Besides national indoor titles, roster spots were also at stake this past weekend. The top two finishers in each event go on to compete at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Track & Field Championships for Team USA on March 7-9 in Valencia, Spain.

Many of U.S.A.’s biggest names did not participate in the indoor season because it is an Olympic year. Their absence means the typically much smaller appearance fees paid at indoor meets was not worth the time needed to prepare for the outdoor season.

The indoor national championship meet was marked by low attendance, a shame considering the fabulous facility in Boston. Even with the smaller crowds, there were some impressive performances. And here's why.

Money. Besides national titles and $2,500, $1,500, $500 payouts to the medalists, additional future money was at stake in Boston. Victors in Spain will collect $40,000, and bronze is worth $10,000. Not bad for a day’s work at the office.

The Visa Championship is a points-based system awarded on performances and finishes for men and women. Lolo Jones and Adam Nelson were the winners, and each went home with a $25,000 check.

Lolo Jones is making her case to be the next great American hurdler now that Gail Devers has somewhat retired. Jones, the defending women's 60-meter hurdles champ, won easily. Lolo bested Candice Davis by two-hundredths of a second in 7.88. Her win gave her the 1,194 points on the scoring table to take the women’s Visa Championship’s $25,000 prize.

The men's shot put came in with big expectations. Cantwell, Hoffa, and Nelson have been throwing out of the universe, and at the same time, breathing excitement into the often over-looked field event. A small, but select, field gathered as Christian Cantwell defended his indoor title by defeating Reese Hoffa and Adam Nelson, the winner of the men's Visa Championship points’ race.

The men’s sprints were an ensemble of new, upcoming names and faces. In his first professional season, two-time NAIA champion Michael Rodgers won over Leroy Dixon in the 60-meter dash in 6.54 seconds after Leonard Scott, the defending world champion, pulled his right hamstring during his semifinal heat.

David Neville won the men's 400 in 46.34, besting Greg Nixon's 46.72 in the two-heat final.

Jennifer Stuczynski continues to build the case that she is the sport’s new queen of pole vault. She easily won the women's pole vault with a vault of 15 feet, 5 inches over Jillian Schwartz in 14 feet, 9 inches.

The men’s 800-meters was the most exciting event of the two-day meet. KD and Symmonds have big show-downs every time they compete, and this time was no exception.

Four-time U.S. outdoor champion Khadevis Robinson held off a fierce kick down the home stretch by Nicholas Symmonds by a mere hundredth of a second to win the men's 800 meters in 1:46.95. Whew!

37-year-old Allen Johnson was narrowly edged for second place in the men’s 60-meter hurdles. Winner, Anwar Moore, blazed to victory in 7.47 seconds, the fastest time by an American this year.

Rob Myers led most of the way and won the men's 1500 in 3:40.8.

Amy Acuff is so good that she is often over-looked. She won the women’s High Jump with a 6 feet, 3.5 inch leap for her fourth overall and second consecutive indoor national title.

For more information, including complete results and athlete quotes, visit www.usatf.org

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

Carmelita Jeter Off To Quick Start

U.S. Sprinter Carmelita Jeter

This year's inaugural USA Track & Field's 2008 Visa Championship Series meet brought out runners that typically do not compete indoors, such as Allen Johnson. This was the first team-scored meet in series history. Athletes from 12 nations created a global team, which took on a team of American athletes. Both squads included former Olympians.

The meet, held at Fresno State's Save Mart Center in California, is the brainchild of Fresno State track coach Bob Fraley and is held in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. It is the second running of the meet, which last year was held on the wooden track used at the L.A. Invitational. The meet was cancelled for 2007.

The meet did have its’ share of highlights.

Carmelita Jeter, a preseason selection of Prerace Jitters “6 Runners You Oughta Know By Season’s End,”
narrowly edged out hometown favorite and 2005 Visa Indoor champion Angela Daigle-Bowen in the women's 55m dash, crossing the line in 6.84 to Daigle-Bowen's 6.85. A win is a win, no matter how slim the margin.

One false start and one call back was not enough to throw off the game of hurdler, Allen Johnson. The permanent fixture on the track scene easily won the 55 meter hurdles in 7.21 over 2001 NCAA Indoor Champion Aubrey Herring who finished in 7.27.

Two lap U.S. outdoor champ, Khadevis Robinson, proved he is in top shape to start the season and took the lead with one and one half laps to go and never looked back, winning the 600 yards, in 1: 09.97. Jamaican Olympian, Michael Blackwood narrowly edged out Bernard Jackson for second place running 1:10.58 and 1:10.61 respectively.

The world's top shot putter, Reese Hoffa, put on a show heaving 21.06 meters or 69 feet, 1.25 inches to defeat Dan Taylor's second place throw of 19.99 meters or 65 feet, 7 inches.

Team USA ran men's and women's 4x400 meter relay, winning both events.

Visa Athlete of the Week went to veteran high jumper Amy Acuff. The three-time Olympian jumped 1.95 meters or 6 feet, 4.75 inches after three near misses at the Indoor American record.

"I wanted to put the bar up for Fred Arnold, and for this track to have a record," Acuff said of the longtime track and field patron who donated $1 million for the Fresno track. "It's a really world-class facility. My goal for the season is to be steady and consistent and not jump myself to death."

The Reebok Boston Indoor meet is the next stop on Visa Championship Series and can be seen on ESPN 2 at 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST. Check your local listing.

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