13 Athletes To Keep Your Eyes On In Beijing

Winning a gold or medaling for that matter, means different things to different athletes. For some it is vindication of their journey, others it is about joining Olympic history and still for some athletes winning an Olympic gold medal can mean financial security for the their lives.

Will the situation be too much for some athletes or will we see a glorious triumph that sends a nation rocking. Think Cathy Freeman mesmerizing performance. Or Michael Johnson's iconic moment in Atlanta.

We took the time to gather 12 athletes you should watch during the Olympics.

Allyson Felix, 200-meters, U.S., – What can’t this daughter of a Baptist preacher accomplish? She skipped collegiate track and field altogether instead she opted to turn pro while at the same time taking a full courses load to graduate from USC in four years. This past December she graduated with a degree in education.

She is almost as well known for her beaming style and telegenic looks as she is for long strides that have carried her to the top of the track world. Allyson is the heavy favor to win the 200-meters.

Asafa Powell, 100-meters, Jamaica – He is the sprinter formerly known as the World’s Fastest Man until countryman Usain Bolt broke his world record with a time of 9.72 seconds in the 100-meters in New York City.

He has not won a major championship up until this point and Beijing is his chance to quiet his critics, which is pretty much anyone with a computer and a mouse, on the subject. This from a man who admitted that he tightened up in finals of the World Championships last year.

Can Powell claim the title again after being the events leading men over the last several seasons?

Tyson Gay, 100-meters, U.S.– The U.S. best hope to win the 100-meters is this silent sprint giant. Gay is the fastest of them all. He ran 9.68 at the Olympic Trials final, but is not considered for a world record because wind reading (+4.1) exceeded the allowable limit. The lingering question of course is whether the reigning 100 and 200-meter World Champion is 100% when the gun goes off for the first round of the 100-meters in Beijing.

The crowd at the U.S Olympic Trials in Eugene watched in dismay, as he strained his hamstring and fell to track while trying to qualifying for the 200-meters. Gay’s dream of competing in the 200-meters was gone. He did not complain about the Olympic Trials process or linger on the fact he will not be able to run the 200-meters at the Olympics.

Usain Bolt, 100-meters Jamaica – His name is an easy set up for his nickname “Lightning” Bolt. Bolt lays claim to the fastest time in the world and is one of the sports most intriguing figures.

The 6 foot, 5 inch, charismatic Jamaican has been known as a “200 man” for all of his professional career. Bolt took up the 100-meters and then set the new World Record of 9.74 in just his second outing of the season. The question is whether he can beat seasoned vets in Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell when it really, really counts.

Jeremy Wariner, 400-meters, U.S.: The most dominant sprinter over the last four years is back to the Olympics with a goal to be the second person in history to win a two gold medals in the 400. The first person is his mentor and agent, Michael Johnson, whose world record of 43.18 he is also chasing.

This time around Wariner has a new coach, a new rival in LaShawn Merritt, and media circus following his every move to determine if he walks differently now that he is no longer with long time coach Clyde Hart. Wariner is focused, determined, and sensational when it count but now he will need deliver his best performance ever to win.

Pamela Jelimo, 800-meters, Kenya: Kenyan teenager Pamela Jelimo is poised complete her rise to the top of the game in Beijing. In high school Jelimo competed in the 400-meters and her experience in the 800 goes back a whole four months.

Every games has a phenom that takes the world by story. Jelimo has run the fastest time the event has seen in 11 years. In one of her European races she finished four seconds in front of the second place competitor. Will she solidify her status as the '08 kid wonder?

Bryan Clay, Decathlete, US: Bryan Clay is probably the world’s best male athlete that no one has heard of. He surpassed the U.S. Olympic Trials record in putting down 8,832 points in June. Clay could probably go to a restaurant today without being recognized as one of the best male athletes in the world.

David Oliver, 110-hurdles, U.S.: – Looking like you could be a hit man albeit a very nice one is not a requirement to be contender in the hurdles. The 6 foot, 3 inches Denver native arrived as a freshman at Howard University to play football. During his tenure at the historically black university he developed into an elite hurdler.

It would be easy to call his rise to U.S. Olympic Trials champion could easily be mislabeled as an overnight success. It has been old school hard work and elbow grease under the tutelage of coaching legend Brooks Johnson. Oh, it doesn’t hurt that he comes from good stock. One day in high school he came across a bunch of medals displaying his mother’s name. His mother Brenda Chambers ran hurdles at George Washington and Colorado and competed in Beijing in 1980 for the U.S. National Team and at the 1980 Olympic Trials. Twenty eight years later her son is slated to taking the blocks in Beijing. Can this all come circle for David and Brenda?

Lolo Jones, 100 hurdles, U.S.:– She may not appear on Forbes list of highest paid professional athletes, but she doesn’t have to worry about paying her bills anymore. After failing to qualify for the 2004 Olympic team Jones hit some rough financial times. Without a shoe contract Lolo had to take up jobs as an outdoor cashiers job at Home Depot in sweltering Louisiana and a waitress job at a Cajun restaurant.

Those realities are long behind her. Today Jones receives support from sponsors Asics and Oakley which have allowed Jones to focusing on hurdling. She would have broken Gail Devers American record had the wind reading been over the allowable limit in winning the Olympic Trials. She is the 2008 World Indoor Champion and hasn’t lost a race since gas was less than $3.00 a gallon.

Liu Xiang, 110 Hurdles, China: Xiang’s is such a valuable cultural asset to the People’s Republic that in ’07 his legs were insured for $13.7 million. Little did anyone know at the time that the 2004 Olympic gold champion would have been one of the most rarely seen athletes on the international track scene.

His health status is still a mystery. He did not race at the Prefontaine Classic and then was disqualified for a false start at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York City. Since then he has been away in training and has not been scene much in public. Coming into the season he was considered the hands down favorite to win goal but that was before Cuba’s Dayron Robles broke Xiang’s World Record in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

If the pressure was not enough, things have certainly been kicked up a notch especially considering Xiang is probably China’s best hope for gold.

Lopez Lomong, 1,500, U.S.: His journey has taken him thousands of miles, he has been to hell and back and has been the journey has littered with obstacles the entire way.

He had near death experiences in Sudan, he was imprisoned, and he lived in a refugee camp before even making it to the United States. Lomong fought through a gimp foot in Eugene to qualify for at the Olympic Trials and now he is living the American dream. There will be millions cheering for this young man to reach Olympic glory.

Sanya Richards, 400-meters, U.S.: The charismastic 23-year-old star has done everything in the sport except win Olympic. Sanya was the youngest person to run under 49 seconds and she has won every national and international championship until the 2007 brought an unforeseen medical challenge. Richards was diagnosed with Behcets syndrome a rare condition that attacks the immune system. Her tongue became so swollen

Bernard “Kip” Lagat, 1,500-meters, U.S.: The U.S. has not won a 5,000-meter medal in a generation and Lagat is the nation’s answer to the medal drought. The Kenyan born runner has won Olympic medals for his native country but will compete for the U.S in Beijing. known for his trademark kick, Lagat that has reeled in some of the world’s top middle distance runners. Lagat’s

Kip became the first man in the sport to win the 1,500 and 5,000 meters in gutsy, dominating performance in Osaka last year. He is doing the double in Beijing.

By Jay Hicks.

Instant Analysis: Day 1, Aviva London 2008 IAAF Super Grand Prix

Catch all of the London Action at WCSN.com and Universal Sports TV.

The races at the Crystal Palace got off to a good start. According to my sources, many of the athletes are under going heavy training in preparation for the Olympics and running through this meet.

Being really good also takes good luck. With that, a false start by the field saved David Oliver from a horrid start. Out of Lane 6, Oliver (13.2) got a decent start on the second time around and won the race by digging himself out of hole halfway through the race. The time certainly isn’t what Oliver was expecting, but this sort of gritty win you want to see from an Olympic gold medal contender.

200-meter winner Sherone Simpson of Jamaica flew by Allyson Felix coming off the curb. The fourth place finish by Allyson Felix (23.00) was surprisingly slow today.

Don't question his conditioning. Asafa Powell (9.94) ran on cruise control to 100 victory. Afterwards Powell said, "Tyson not running makes no difference to me. What is important to all of us is what happens in Beijing next month."

Trinidad’s Richard Thompson won a tight second heat in 10.11, with American Shawn Crawford finishing fourth.

Positioning is everything in track and field. Bernard Lagat was boxed into fifth place with 200 to go in the mile. He simply ran out of track after he finally untangled himself down the homestretch. Lagat managed a third place finish in the mile.

After the women’s 100-meter hurdles, Kelly Sotherton of Great Britain was livid. The third set of hurdles were set in the wrong position. Four of the athletes in the race stopped running entirely. One of the athletes could have fallen and ruined their Olympic dreams. Meet officials decided to re-run the race at the end of today’s program.

By Jay Hicks.

2008 Millrose Games Wrap-Up: Lagat & Nelson Win Big

World-leading 72 feet, 5 inches for Adam Nelson at Millrose

Lagat leaves field in dust.

They say timing is everything. So far in 2008 – and specifically Friday at Madison Square Garden – that adage held true for Bernard Lagat.

Lagat was off to a slow start in the race before Craig Mottram took the lead at mid-race point fearing the pace was too slow. Bernard took the lead with one and a half laps to go and blistered the field to win his 6th Wanamaker Mile in 3:57.51 over Mottram, Nick Willis and Galen Rupp.

After the race Lagat said, “It might have looked easy. Like always, I have to prepare myself for a great race. I have run with him [Mottram] several times and stick to my strategy that I had prepared coming into the race. Before I came to the arena, I had envisioned the race as it happened. I passed him with two laps to go.”

Other Millrose highlights

Women’s 60-meter: Carmelita Jeter has been putting together solid finishes lately. She surged at Osaka to place third in the 100-meter world final. At Fresno State, she sealed the deal at the finish line. On Friday at Millrose, she continued her streak to win in 7.29 seconds at the finish line over Miki Barber (7.30) and Daigel-Bowen(7.32).

Men’s 60-meter: Reigning World Indoor 60-meter champion Leonard Scott demonstrated his indoor dominance again in winning the Metro men's 60-meters in 6.59 seconds.

Women’s high jump: Amy Acuff showed why she’s a three-time Olympian with a first-place finish of 6 feet, 3.50 inches.

Women’s pole vault: Jenn Stuczynski will have to wait another year for a Millrose victory. Both Jenn and 2004 Olympian Jillian Schwartz cleared 15 feet, 2¼ inches, but Schwartz won because she had fewer misses.

Men’s shot put: Men’s shot put was a highlight of the Millrose events with an energetic performance by Adam Nelson. Nelson stole the show heaving a massive 72 feet, 5 inches throw while setting a MSG record in front of 12,647 screaming fans. Christian Cantwell took second with 69 feet, 11 inches in front of reigning world champ Reese Hoffa’s 69 feet, 4 inches. For his sick performance, Nelson has the world’s top throw and was named the Millrose Games Athlete of the meet.

The women’s mile came down to sprinting power. Sarah Hall swung wide coming down the homestretch giving 10,000-meter runner, Kara Goucher, enough room to slide inside to narrowly win in 4:36.03.

600 yards is a difficult event. Quarter mile runners find the distance too long and 800 meter runs have found the race too short to get going. Bershawn Jackson found the race to be the perfect length in a narrow victory over two lap star Khadevis Robinson. Jackson took the early lead and finished in 1:10.34 over Robinson’s 1:10.53.

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

PRJ Insider: 101st Millrose Games Preview

Bernard Lagat won the 1,500 for his first world championship and the first U.S. Olympic or world title in the event since 1908.

Track fans have plenty to be excited about this week, and that goes double for distance fans. Bernard Lagat and Craig Mottram face one another in the meet’s legendary Wanamaker Mile, New York City is always a welcome stop on the schedule, and we get a sneak peak at match ups that have implications for this summer.

Clear your schedule for Friday night or Saturday afternoon, you’re going to need a couple hours of viewing time.

Lots of big names show up in the meet’s legendary Wanamaker Mile . If you’re betting against Bernard Lagat, at least do it in a meet he doesn’t care about. The indoor track at Millrose Games is one of the most Lagat-friendly you’ll find, tight curves that favor his shorter body frame. Bernard’s resume on this track is unreal: five wins in a row.

Mottram would be the clear favorite in a Lagat-less field—just last week he shredded the competition at Reebok Boston Indoor meet running a stunning 7:34.50 in 3,000 meters. That was fast enough to be the make and break for the USA-all comer record that Haile Gebrselassie held. Mottram will be ready to run the curves on Friday.

Another hot match up: Jenn vs. Stacey in the women’s pole vault. Jenn Stuczynski doesn’t have much of a history here, but her jump to break the American record last summer was impressive. Stacy Dragila, considered by many the pioneer of women’s pole vault, returns in a highly anticipated clash with the new kid on the block.

Bershawn Jackson is another runner who looks to run well at this meet, however he will have his hands full with U.S. double lap champ Khadevis Robinson in the 600. Robinson is a bomber down the home stretch and will probably try to avenge the slow time run from last week’s victory in Boston.

Other athletes towing the line are Joanna Haynes, Kara Goucher, Carmelita Jeter, Miki Barber, Reese Hoffa, Leroy Dix, Amy Acuff and Dwight Philips.

Don’t miss the action. The third event of USA Track & Field's 2008 Indoor Visa Championship Series, the Millrose Games will be televised live Friday night from 7-8 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN2 and Saturday on NBC from 2:30-3:30 p.m. ET.

It will also be Webcast by Sportnet next week, available via link from www.usatf.org.

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