The Final Lap: Has Everyone Gone Mad?

It has been another crazy week in the wacky world of track and field. No story sticks out more than the letter writing campaign to the President Bush, as if he isn’t busy enough doing the nation's work.

See if you can follow all of this. First Marion Jones wrote the President of the United States requesting a pardon. Then the new CEO of the USA Track & Field decides to make his first official action to write a letter asking the leader of the free world to ignore the Marion’s request. Finally, the U.S. Olympic team along with Jackie Joyner-Kersee went to the White House this week for a grand send off by President. It makes some track enthusiasts want to write a letter to President President explaining that not everyone in track and field is this strange.

• Just three weeks away from the Olympics there are a number of unanswered questions. Will Tyson Gay heal in time and be in top form before the first heat of the 100 meters in Beijing? Reuters.

• Does track and field finally have a new bold and daring show man or shall we say show women? Lolo Jones vs. a horse is being floated around. Is this serious talk? DR.

• Our sources were right on the mark. Remember how we said back in May that Liu Xiang’s injury was serious? Our sources are now saying that Xiang's conditioning is below what it should be just three weeks before the opening ceremonies.
  

By Jay Hicks.

The Last Lap: A Week of Shock and Surprises!

Even Michael Johnson was "shocked" by 9.76. Usain Bolt should get a bonus for that feat alone. Read Telegraph

Pay me! Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards running for real gold after the Olympics. Read Austin American-Statesman

Jeremy Wariner tells it like it is. The Texas sensation is running his own race. Read Gulf Times

PreraceJitters.com told you months ago this little known sprinter may be a threat in Beijing? Michael Johnson even says so! Read IAAF

Did rookie Bianca Knight catch vet Veronica Campbell by surprise? Yes, she did. Read Jamaican Gleaner

Allyson Felix knows what’s important to her. Read Sports Illustrated

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

The Final Lap: Trouble In Paradise

• Maurice Greene and HSI called out. It’s a sad day in track if the doping allegations against Maurice Greene are true. The IAAF says none of this is new, and there is no concern for alarm. Whatever that means. Read New York Times

• Convicted drug cheat, Justin Gatlin, owes the track community an apology after running an embarrassing 4.42 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. That kind of time is simply unacceptable when at least a dozen football players ran faster. Read SpeedEndurance.com

• Athletes be afraid—be very, very afraid. WADA announced that tests for human growth hormone (HGH) will be used in Beijing. Great, except the test only detects HGH if taken fairly recently, as in three days. And who would be that dumb? Read NBC Sports

By Jay Hicks, a.ka. Track Evangelist.

Photo courtesy Reuters.

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