WAF Instant Analysis -Merritt Prevails and Jones Nears Victory

-Stuttgart, Germany-As I have been writing all along, this World Athletic Final meet in Stuttgart, Germany is a gut wrencher for many of the top runners.

Fatigue has set in both mentally and physically as they have been running since April and peaked for the Olympic Trials and Beijing.

In the 110-meter hurdles Lolo Jones (12.56) was a close second to Spain’s Josephine Onyia (12.50). Jones has had a riveting season that has even attracted non-traditional track fans to join the ranks of her fan club.

A $100,000 checked was earned on Saturday. The women’s javelin record fell today to Barbora Spotakova (72.28 meters) of the Czech Republic. It's great to see her break the bank and establish herself among history as a great javelin throw.

It was the same three Americans from the 2007 World Championships that included: Jeremy Wariner, LaShawn Merritt, and Angelo Taylor. It was the continuation of the back and forth today as Merritt (44.5) out leaned Wariner (44.51) in the final two steps, as Merritt lounged and ended up on the track. Each time one athlete seem to be on a roll then it changes. The sports best rivalry continues and the sport is better off for having these two great runners.

By Jay Hicks.

U.S. Sets Olympic Record in 1,600-Meter Relay

-Beijing-The Team members were all smiles at the “Bird’s Nest” and why wouldn’t they be?

The winner of the 1,600-meter relay was never in doubt.

LaShawn Merritt (44.35) got the U.S. out to a comfortable lead before handing off to Angelo Taylor who blazed a 43.70 leg. On the third leg, David Neville added to the lead before Jeremy Wariner (43.16), nearly ran a 42 second anchor leg that added an exclamation point to the victory.

The team of LaShawn Merritt, the 400-meter champion, 400-meter hurdles gold medalist Angelo Taylor, David Neville bronze winner and Wariner the 2004 gold medalist and 400 silver medalist recorded a time of 2:55.39 in Saturday's final.

The time was good enough to establish a new Olympic record, in an event that the U.S have dominated. The previous record of 2:55.74 was set by Americans Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Michael Johnson and Steve Lewis in 1992 at the Seoul Games. The U.S. continues a tradition of owning this event, having now won the 1,600-meter relay at the last seven straight Olympic Games.

Olympian Kerron Clement and former Baylor standout Reggie Witherspoon ran in the qualifying heats and also share in the Olympic gold.

That is not a bad way at all to close out the track and field events at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

By Jay Hicks.

Yeah, Yeah: Angelo Taylor Leads U.S. Sweep of 400-Hurdles!

A big-time U.S. performance highlights the day.

-Beijing-Don’t call it come back—he’s been here for years. Going into Beijing a bulk of the attention was focused primarily on Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson. Today, Angelo Taylor won Olympic gold over the two aforementioned U.S. runners.

Angelo the champion from the 2000 Sydney Games is no stranger to thrilling races, having won his first gold medal out of lane 1. In 2004, an illness hindered the Albany, Georgia native from getting out the semi-final heats in Athens.

This time around the supremely talented Taylor ran the fastest time (47.25) of his life.

Just when people were beginning to get down on the Team USA, the U.S hurdles ran extremely well as Kerron Clement (47.98) and Bershawn Jackson (48.06) dominated a very talented field.

Stephanie Brown Trafton might have saved the day for the U.S. in winning a gold in the women's discus.

By Jay Hicks.

Don’t Forget About Hyleas Fountain

-Beijing-Team USA on track in Beijing.

For some odd reason, there has been very little written in the weeks leading up to the Olympics, about the women who delivered a dominant performance at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Hyleas Fountain among other things broke Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s decade old record in the heptathlon 100-meter hurdles.

Fast forward to the Olympic Games.

There were a few interviews but absent was a Visa commercial with Morgan Freeman or an athlete profile. Maybe it’s because 2007 World Champion Carolina Kluft is not competing in the heptathlon and instead is focusing on the long jump.

But none of that matters.

The world may find out that the Hyleas Fountain is the possibly the best female athlete in the world. Similar to her performance at the Olympic Trials, Fountain had an incredible day 1 in Beijing, leading the competition with 4,060 points in the first four of seven disciplines, 64 ahead of Nataliia Dobrynska of Ukraine. At this point, it will prove to be a major challenge to catch the University of Georgia alum.

Fountain ran a blistering 12.78 over the hurdles and threw down a 23.21 in the 200-meters.

Having two bad events out of four made it a tough day for Jackie Johnson of the U.S. in the heptathlon. Getting this far behind, makes her medal efforts that much more difficult.

She threw the shot just 38 feet, 9 ½ inches, well off her personal record 42 feet, 5 ½ inches at the trials, where she was second to qualify for her first Olympics. Johnson then ran 24.74 in the 200 in which her personal best is 24.01.

Johnson's first-day total is 3,592 points, 125 lower than at the trials.

The U.S. men may very well complete a 1-2-3- sweep in 400-meter hurdles.

The three U.S. runners won their respective rounds in the 400-meters: Angelo Taylor (48.67), Bershawn Jackson (49.20), and Kerron Clement ( 49.42).

The reigning Olympic champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic placed fifth in his heat, and failed to qualify for the next round.

By Jay Hicks.