USA Track & Field Picks New President

RENO, Nev. - Women's Track & Field Committee Chair Stephanie Hightower was elected to a four-year term as USA Track & Field's president Friday at the 2008 USATF Annual Meeting at the Silver Legacy Resort in Reno, Nevada.

A former-world class hurdler, Hightower succeeds two-term incumbent Bill Roe, whose eight years as USA Track & Field's President will come to an end on Sunday, the final day of the Annual Meeting.

Hightower led the way after the first round of voting with 304 votes, with USATF Vice President Dee Jensen in second place with 263 votes and former USATF Vice President Bob Bowman in third place with 58 votes, which caused him to be eliminated.

In the afternoon runoff election, Hightower was the victor with 328 votes, with Jensen tallying 300 votes.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to serve this organization," said Hightower. "We have a multitude of opportunities that lie before us, and I'm just happy that I'll have the opportunity to work with the USATF family and move the sport into the 21^st century."

"This is a historical Annual Meeting," Jensen said. "As I said throughout the campaign, we are at a critical juncture. I would like to congratulate Stephanie on her victory and thank my supporters for their hard work. I look forward to continuing to contribute to USATF's future."

Hightower brings a wealth of experience to the USATF presidency. In addition to serving as USATF's Women's Track & Field Committee Chair, she started her USATF Board service as a member of the Athletes Advisory Committee (ACC) and serving as AAC Secretary and AAC/USOC representative.

Lolo Jones Named Humanitarian of the Year

Lolo Jones was named the Visa Humanitarian Athlete of the Year by USA Track and Field. The Visa Humanitarian Athlete of the Year by USA Track & Field is the only USA Track & Field award to recognize off the track community service.

Lolo won the 100-meter hurdles at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Ore. on July 6 in a windy 12.29 seconds (+3.8mps), tying the #2 time ever run under any conditions.

Off the track, Jones gave her $4,000 in prize money to a fund assisting Renee Trout, a single mother from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who was a victim of the Iowa floods after winning the 100-meter hurdles at the Olympic Trials. Jones' sponsors each matched Jones' $4,000 prize, bringing the total donation to $12,000.

While in Des Moines for the Drake Relays in April, Jones gave each girl on Theodore Roosevelt High School track team a pair of spikes and made a $3,000 donation to the school to repair the track and buy hurdles. While competing at Roosevelt as a prep star, Jones set the Iowa state record in the 100m hurdles (13.40), a mark that still stands today.

"I've been receiving help from charities and other assistance programs since I was young so it was only natural for me to give back," said Jones.

Doug Logan best described Lolo Jones and her efforts to give back to the community.

"In order to succeed at the world-class level, athletes must be focused on themselves," said USATF CEO Doug Logan. "Athletes like Lolo Jones demonstrate that that focus does not come at the expense of giving back to your community, or to helping people in need. Lolo's generosity of spirit was accompanied by her financial generosity in assisting flood victims in her home state."

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.
Seed Runnerspace

Is Track & Field Ready For Change?

Change is the new vogue?

Change now. Change today. Doug Logan promised change and improvement when he was hired. The newly hired CEO of USA Track & Field has wasted no time in taking initial steps to make improvement to raise the sport back from the doldrums.

Nothing endures but change was written by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus over some 2,000 years ago.

Logan has taken a few months to access the situation and talk to stakeholders in the sport. In Beijing, Team USA experienced dropped batons in the men's and women's 4x100-meter relays and he wasted no time in assembling a panel of experts led by Carl Lewis to investigate the matter and report back recommendations.

The efforts of change do not stop there. Here is what Logan said about his latest move to build a bigger and better sport.

"USA Track & Field's Board of Directors has approved several proposed changes to USATF Bylaws aimed at restructuring how we govern ourselves and how we do business. These proposed changes are the results of countless hours and days of analyzing ourselves as an organization and working together to come up with a blueprint that will put USATF in the best possible position moving forward."

In effect, Logan's proposal will reduce the board size from 32 to 15. Why does this matter you ask? The sports chief is building an efficient organization, capable of moving nimbly to adapt to change as time goes on.

To say that the next phase of change for the sport is an uphill battle is an understatement, and the environment could not be more difficult.

The U.S. sports fan is cash strapped. The current economic environment has forced the NBA to slash 9% of its force or about 80 jobs, and the Charlotte Bobcats were forced to lay off 35 non-basketball positions.

In every cloud, lies a silver lining.

The key is marketing. Logan is well-advised in taking to his blog "Shin Splints," bypassing barriers in order to communicate his message directly with fans, athletes, parents, and the media.

Today the average NBA tickets is $55.95, making a night out cost nearly $400 for a family of four, while track remains affordable. Logan could market track and field could as an "entertainment stimulus package" in relationship to the NBA, NFL, and MBL. Fans can bring the family to night of track and field without having to gett an second mortgage on their homes.

Finally, Logan needs to identify and then develop a superstar athlete that excites fans, becoming a figure with drawing power. Sometimes the best way to deliver change is by working with what you already have.

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

2008 USATF Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

Former 800-meter Olympian Johnny Gray leads the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame Class of 2008.

The new class was announced on Tuesday and also includes Don Bowden, Bill Carr and Bernie Wefers, are joined by contributor Jimmy Carnes.

There are four categories in which individuals may be voted into the Hall of Fame.

The Class of 2008 will be inducted Saturday evening, December 6, at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held in conjunction with USATF's 2008 Annual Meeting in Reno Nevada.

Those categories are: Modern athletes, retired less than 25 years; Veteran athletes, retired more than 25 years or more; Coaches; and Contributors. Each category has its own selection committee that chooses the finalists from the list of nominations.

Johnny Gray: Is the American recordholder in the indoor (1:45.0) and outdoor (1:42.60), and won a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games. During his prolific career he made four Olympic teams, a three-time U.S. World Outdoor team member, and twice, he was ranked No. 1 in the world in the 800.

DON BOWDEN: A 1956 Olympian at 1,500 meters, Don Bowden ran 3:58.7 and is best known for being the first American ever to break the 4-minute barrier in the mile.

BILL CARR: The 1932 Olympic 400m gold medalist, Bill Carr also captured gold at the '32 Los Angeles Olympics as anchor of the 4x400m relay USA team that finished in the world record time of 3:08.2.

BERNIE WEFERS: A three-time USA 100y and 220y champion and two-time IC4A 100y champion, Bernie Wefers is considered one of the most dominant sprinters of his era.

JIMMY CARNES: One of the leading figures in the formation of The Athletics Congress/USA, as USATF was known when it began operations.

For more information on the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, visit: usatf.org

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Tracking the Problem Down

The results were not exactly what they were looking from the team dubbed the "greatest team ever assembled.” Team USA earned less medals than many were hoping for at the Beijing Games.

The media highlighted the teams baton drops in the men’s and women’s 4x100-meter relay. Last week the organization saw longtime coach Brooks Johnson resign as head of USATF’s High Performance Chair.

Then again with all things considered the 2008 Team had some good moments such as the come from behind victory in the women’s 1,600-meter relay, the 1-2-3 sweep of the men’s 400-meter hurdles, and Bryan Clay’s dominating decathlon victory.

CEO Doug Logan recently announced on his blog “shin splints” the members of the USATF High Performance Panel, which is charged with a top to bottom examination of the federation's high-performance programs by January 12, 2009. The sports chief has promised to publish the report on the USATF website.

The Panel will be composed of Olympic gold medalists Carl Lewis and Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, who also has been a sports administrator; 1992 Olympic men’s coach and USTCCCA Hall of Fame coach Mel Rosen; renowned physiologist and Olympic silver medalist Ralph Mann; and USOC executives Doug Ingram, Steve Roush and Jay Warwick, all of whom have been successful athletes or coaches as well as NGB administrators.

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

New USA Track & Field Boss Sounds Off!

The past days of issues may be left behind. Bill Logan is not offering up any excuses or explanations about the baton drops by Team USA.

Logan is making a great first impression. In past, there have been inquiries (this blog included) about where the Olympic selection process fields the best possible team. The past answers have been "we have done it this way in the past and it has worked."

Well that is no longer the attitude. Here is what Logan had to say late last night.

"In the last week-plus of Olympic competition in track and field, perception and
reality have collided for Team USA.

The perception is that we've managed to muck up several key events. Some people have taken that "key event letdown" and applied it, somewhat unfairly, to the entire team.

The reality is that, at the close of competition Thursday night, we had 20 medals, which was
exactly twice that of the second-best team. We are likely to match our medal
total from the 1996 Olympics Games - one that was considered a huge success for
Team USA - and far exceed that of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Our women, in
particular, have done extremely well. They already have won eight medals, which
more than they won in all of '96 (seven), 2000 (four) and 2004 (six).

But we won't have nearly as many gold medals as we've won the last two
World Championships, and gold is what gets it done.

The other reality is, we could win the gold medal in every single track and field event, but if we
don't win a single thing in the sprints and relays, the public will view our performance as a disaster. When we drop the baton in back-to-back relay races, the public views our performance as a disaster.

The Olympics are about good timing, good luck, good preparation and good execution. All those things have to come together. There is no denying we have had more than our share of
bad luck. Several medal-contending athletes got hurt at or right before these
Games, but they're not the only ones. Think Liu Xiang, Susanna Kallur and Paula
Radcliffe. The public sometimes sees these things and sees only failure, rather
than the nature of the Games.

In the men's and women's 200, I'm not sure there was any stopping the Jamaican juggernaut, at least not when it comes to gold medals. Nobody from any country was going to beat 9.69 and 19.30. The women's 200 was won in the fastest time this century.

The relays and the overall perception of our weak points are another matter.

I have received emails from people across the country, particularly about the relays.
They all say more or less the same thing: the dropped batons were reflective of
a lack of preparation, lack of professionalism, and of leadership. I agree.
Dropping a baton isn't bad luck, it's bad execution. Responsibility for the
relay debacle lies with many people and many groups, from administration to
coaches to athletes. That's why, when these Games are completed, we will conduct
a comprehensive review of all our programs. It will include assessments from
inside and outside the USATF family, and included in the assessment will be the
way in which we select, train and coach our relays.

Ultimately, the athletes on the track are the only ones who can successfully pass the stick
around the track. But they need the proper leadership and preparation. These are
professional athletes who are the best in their field, and anybody who ever ran
a high school relay cringes when that baton hits the track. It reminds me of NBA
players who have horrendous free-throw percentages. All it takes is repetition,
preparation and focus to make a free throw. The same goes for baton-passing. As
an organization, we owe it to our athletes to provide the preparation they need
to succeed. We will do everything we can to figure out what went wrong and to
make sure it doesn't happen again.

In the next three days, I will watch the remainder of track competition as a fan and as the person responsible for leading the programs that produce the World's #1 Track & Field Team.

When the men's marathon concludes on Sunday, we'll still be the World's #1 Team in
terms of medal count. We can be a much better team. And we will be."

Doug Logan is CEO of USA Track & Field. To read more of his Shin Splints blogs, click here.

Reprinted with permission from USA Track and field.

Dear Mr. President, Don't Let Marion Jones Off Signed USATF

In a relatively short period of time, writing letters to the President of the United States has become a new national past time. Not to be out done by Marion Jones, the sports national governing body put pen to paper to address the fallen track stars request for pardon and commutation of her sentence.

"Dear President Bush,

They say you can't always believe what you read in the papers. So, when I read that Marion Jones has applied to you for a pardon or commutation of her federal conviction for making false statements to investigators, I couldn't believe it. She lied to federal agents. She took steroids. She made false statements in a bank fraud investigation - not necessarily in that order. She admitted it. And now she apparently wants to be let off.

As the new CEO of USA Track & Field, I have a moral and practical duty to make the case against her request.

With her cheating and lying, Marion Jones did everything she could to violate the principles of track and field and Olympic competition. When she came under scrutiny for doping, she taunted any who doubted her purity, talent and work ethic. Just as she had succeeded in duping us with her performances, she duped many people into giving her the benefit of the doubt.

She pointed her finger at us, and got away with it until federal investigators teamed up with USADA and finally did her in. It was a sad thing to watch, the most glorious female athlete of the 20th century in tears on courthouse steps.

Our country has long turned a blind eye to the misdeeds of our heroes. If you have athletic talent or money or fame, the law is applied much differently than if you are slow or poor or an average American trying to get by. At the same time, all sports have for far too long given the benefit of the doubt to its heroes who seem too good to be true, even when common sense indicates they are not.

To reduce Ms. Jones' sentence or pardon her would send a horrible message to young people who idolized her, reinforcing the notion that you can cheat and be entitled to get away with it. A pardon would also send the wrong message to the international community. Few things are more globally respected than the Olympic Games, and to pardon one of the biggest frauds perpetuated on the Olympic movement would be nothing less than thumbing our collective noses at the world.

In my new job as CEO of USA Track & Field, I must right the ship that Ms. Jones and other athletes nearly ran aground. I implore you, Mr. President: Please don't take the wind out of our sails."

Respectfully Yours,

Douglas G. Logan

CEO, USA Track & Field

By Jay Hicks.

Doug Logan’s First 100 Days Running USA Track & Field

The answer to the sport’s prayers.

The situation couldn’t be more volatile in track and field today. It’s an exciting, treacherous, and cynical time in U.S. Track and Field, as newly anointed CEO Doug Logan takes the reins of the national governing body.

In his first teleconference on Friday with the press as CEO of USA Track and Field (USATF), Doug came off as approachable and open to the challenges facing him as the organization’s new leader.

In his office, he keeps a picture of himself in a clown suit that was taken nearly twenty years ago to remind him never to take himself too seriously. That sense of humor may come in handy, as the former Commissioner of Major League Soccer gets the lay of the land and develops a plan to address track’s nearly countless areas that need attention.

His experience and business acumen is the reason the USATF Board of Directors believe he is the answer to the organization’s issues and the answer to the sports prayers.

The first 100 days will set the tone of his tenure at the organization. Managing USA Track & Field is no task for an inexperienced executive, as the organization oversees more activities than any of the other national governing bodies, such as swimming and gymnastics. Currently, USA Track & Field oversees youth running, elite running, trail running, road running, and race walking.

“In the first 30 to 60 days, I'm going to be a huge sponge. I will talk to fans, coaches, athletes, officials, members of the press and sponsors - everybody involved in the sport at one level or another,” said Logan. “It would be a disservice for me to jump in and be presumptuous that I have answers before I undergo that process.”

The honeymoon period for Logan will more than likely be extremely short with the Olympics only three weeks away. He will have get up to speed quickly, as his new role at CEO of USATF will require him to meet with the leaders of international track organizations.

Regarding the pending Olympics, Logan stated, “I think we've got a great team, and I look forward to that competition and supporting our team in the best way we know how. Beyond that, we've got a wonderful Olympic Team that I hope to be joining early in the process in Beijing, and hopefully, we will come out of that competition with a number of medals greater or equal to what we've had in the past.”

There are complex issues facing USA Track & Field such as the sport’s doping issue, the board reorganization, and of course, how to grow the sport to soccer moms across America.

“We've got a reorganization going on and a series of meetings. I'd like to offer whatever resources I've got to those organizational efforts,” said Logan. “I've got other stuff to do. I've got a very able staff that Craig [Masback] put together to sit down with and talk to, let them know what doing business with me is all about, and what being my colleague is all about.”

Logan seems unwilling to get caught up in the frenzy coming off the Olympic Trials and the energy leading up to the Olympic Games. He seems to have a sense that all of the momentum will probably not carry over to next year.

By Jay Hicks.

Doug Logan Is Chosen As CEO of USA Track & Field

The USA Track & Field Board of Directors on Thursday approved top sports executive Doug Logan, the former Commissioner, President and CEO of Major League Soccer, as its next CEO.

Logan most recently has run Empresario, LLC of New York, a sports consulting and entrepreneurial firm that in 2001 was a consultant in the creation of the National Rugby League since leaving the MLS.

After three months of an executive search and much consternation from the track and field community, a decision has finally been made. Craig Masback abruptly left USA Track and Field in January for new endeavors with Nike as Director of Global Sports Marketing Division, leaving the organization in a lurch just eight months before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Masback is credited with holding the organization together through arguably the sport’s toughest days during the doping era that brought down some of the biggest names at the time such as Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery, and Justin Gatlin.

Who is Doug Logan, you ask, the man charged with saving the sport from the brink of irrelevance?

For the last twenty years, Logan has been highly respected in sports circles as a very capable leader with extensive experience in the sports management game. He is considered the country's highest-ranking Hispanic American in sports management. By selecting Logan, the USATF Board gets an executive who is well known—a key factor in the relationship-driven world of sports marketing.

Although track and field is a sport, it is also a business, and Logan’s selection reinforces the governing bodies desire for a new business strategy. He transformed Major League Soccer’s television contracts from a time-buy to co-ventures, negotiating five-year broadcasting agreements with ABC, ESPN and Univision that more than doubled the number of national MLS games on the air. During his tenure MLS assets soared from $5 million per team to $20 million per team.

"We have said since we started the process of hiring a new CEO that it was more important to do it right than to do it quickly," USATF President Bill Roe said. "In Doug Logan, we know we have found the right CEO to take us into the next phase of growth. We are so pleased to get a person of his caliber to lead our organization, and we are excited to welcome him to the USATF family."

Logan is a bilingual sports and entertainment leader with a proven track record of generating long-term sponsor partnerships, television outreach and high fan attendance. In 1996, Sports Business Daily named Logan and MLS Sports Industrialist of the Year.

The MLS under Logan's leadership generated $120 million in multiple-year sponsorship commitments from Nike, AT&T, adidas, Puma, Umbro, Honda, MasterCard, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch and Bic.

The news of Logan’s hiring comes as a relief to many who were concerned about going into the Olympic Games without new leadership in place.

In its 29-year history, USA Track and Field has not had a CEO with such an extensive background in developing sponsorships, partnerships, and television deals. At first glance, Logan appears to be an ideal fit for the organization. He may be just what the doctor ordered for the sport.

USATF Board members also picked a seasoned businessman in Logan, who has experience in one of the most persistent challenges facing the sport – how, if at all, to deliver a user-friendly sport to the fan, while growing revenues and exposure in the United States.

"I believe the sport is poised for a major leap of growth," Logan said. "It may seem presumptuous for me to express goals at this early juncture. However, I will devote my energies to maintaining and improving the U.S. position at the top of the medal charts in World Championships and Olympic Games, and I will be a passionate messenger in our battle against Performance Enhancing Drugs.”

The first hurdle he will face as the new CEO is the pressing matter of dealing with the USOC’s demands to restructure of the USATF Board of Directors.

In Logan, the sport has an executive who has managed and grown another niche sport in Major League Soccer to the next level. He has been in the board rooms before and sealed some major deals.

That is what you get in Doug Logan.

By Jay Hicks.
Seed Runnerspace

Is The Women’s Olympic 4x100 Winner Already Decided?

With just 50 days left until the 2008 Beijing Games the speculation is rampant. Who will take home gold in the women’s 4x100-meter relay? Are the Jamaican women heavily favored to win? The Jamaicans has some big names, a strong overrall squad, and maybe better chemistry. Over the last 12 months Veronica Campbell-Brown (10.88) is the most consistent 100 meter runner on the planet. The rest of the candidates are Sherone Simpson (10.94), Simon Facey (10.95), Kerron Clement (10.99), and Peta-Gaye Dowdie (11.31).

The American women relay pool has depth, depth, and more depth. Can a loaded Team U.S. hold off Jamaica and a fast-closing Veronica Campbell-Brown? The U.S. relay pool consists of: Torri Edwards (10.94), Allyson Felix (10.93), Marshavet Hooker (10.94), Muna Lee (10.97), Carmelita Jeter (11.07), Bianca Knight (11.11), Lauryn Williams (11.13), and Porscha Lucas (11.15), Sanya Richards (11.26) , and Miki Barber (11.31).

Who do you think will win the 4x100 and why?

By Jay Hicks.

2008 Prefontaine Classic Preview!

Sunday June 8, 2008
NBC, Live, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time

The women’s 100 will again be the race to watch at Pre. Who will win without Veronica Campbell-Brown in the mix? The race is loaded with Lauryn Williams, Allyson Felix, veteran runners Kerron Stewart of Jamaica and Torri Edwards. The always vibrant Carmelita Jeter placed is a baby’s breath away from putting the picture perfect race together. Muna Lee of Jamaica is fearless competitor that will be in the middle of this race.

The men’s 200 feature two men who will be battling for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Xavier “X Man” Carter vs. Wallace Spearmon will go down on Sunday.

Predictions are old hat—unless of course you own the world record. Can Kenenisa Bekele break his 10,000 world record as he predicted? The loaded field will contend every step of this race.

Alan Webb has been located in good health and rested. He is back on the scene at 1,500-meters and will face stiff competition from Daniel K. Komen of Kenya.

The women’s 800 may be the changing of the guard. This will be the last two lap dash for legend Maria Mutola of Mozambique. Mutola has announced her retirement which is effective at the end of this season. This will be one of the last races American fans will get to watch Maria because unlike boxer, it’s doubtful she will come out of retirement. She has won the Preclassic a record breaking 15 consecutive races. High school phenom Chanelle Price is set to run the race after putting down a sizzing 2:02.38.

The men’s 800 will feature rivals Nick Symmonds and Khadevis Robinson. But look out for Yusuf Kamel (Bahrain) and newcomer to the scene Matt Scherer who is running on his home turn.

These two just can’t enough of each other. Bernard Lagat of the U.S. and Craig Mottram of New Zealand will meet in the two mile.

A second Ethiopian will try to break a world record June 8 at the Nike Prefontaine Classic. Meseret Defar will attempt to break her world 5,000-meter mark in a race to be held immediately after countryman Kenenisa Bekele goes after his world 10,000 record, meet officials said Wednesday.

By Jay Hicks.

Usain Bolt's WR Video!

If somehow, someway you missed the Reebok Grand Prix--here is the Usain Bolt's 9.72 world record at 100-meters!

Click here to watch the 9.72 Usain Bolt World World video.

By Jay Hicks.

IAAF Golden League to be broadcast on ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS - American fans can catch all six 2008 AF Golden League meets on ESPN2, the IAAF has announced. Repeat coverage will also appear on a combination of ESPN Classic and ESPN2. In addition to the ESPN coverage, the action also will be webcast on the Sportnet family of websites.

Golden League coverage is part of a domestic broadcast schedule that includes USATF's Visa Championship Series and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials programs. The Reebok Grand Prix will be broadcast Live on May 31 at 8:00 pm ET on ESPN2 and will also have a show on June 1 at 1:30 pm ET on CBS. The Prefontaine Classic will be Live on NBC at 4:00 pm ET. In addition, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will have multiple shows on NBC and USA between June 28 and July 6.

The IAAF Golden League offers a $1 Million Jackpot, which represents international athletics' biggest annual payday. In 2008, there will be ten Golden League event disciplines designated to the Jackpot including the men's 100 meters, 400m, 1,500m, 400m hurdles, long jump and javelin throw and the women's 200m, 800m, 100m hurdles and high jump. Athletes are required to win at all six meetings in the series to acquire at least a share of the $1 million payday. American athletes star in the chase for the Golden League Jackpot with Sanya Richards having shared the last two jackpots and Jeremy Wariner earning a share in 2006.

Cities and Dates for 2008 - Golden League

Sunday, June 1 - Berlin, GER

Friday, June 6 - Oslo, NOR

Friday, July 11 - Rome, ITA

Friday, July 18 - Paris, FRA

Friday, August 29 - Zurich, SUI

Friday, September 5 - Brussels, BEL

For more information and a full TV schedule, visit www.usatf.org.

Campbell-Brown, Clement, Hayes join lineup of champions at adidas Track Classic

Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown and Kerron Clement of the U.S., the 2007 World Champions in the women's 100-meter dash and the men's 400-meter hurdles, respectively, will compete at the adidas Track Classic on May 18 at The Home Depot Center on the campus of Cal State-Dominguez Hills. Five other 2007 World Champions - Tyson Gay, Jeremy Wariner, Allyson Felix, Bernard Lagat, and Jana Rawlinson are also in the Classic.

The other new additions to the lineup are Joanna Hayes, the 2004 Olympic 100-meter hurdles gold medalist, and Xavier Carter, who won four events at the 2006 NCAA Championships and is the third fastest 200-meter runner in history. The adidas track classic will be broadcast live on ESPN from 1 to 3 p.m. Pacific Time. Tickets (from $10 to $40) are available by calling Ticketmaster at 213-480-3232 or visiting www.Ticketmaster.com. For group sales, call 1-877-AEG-TICKETS. Visit the event website at www.adidasTrackClassic.com for updates and more information.

Olympic Hopeful Jared Rome Graces Vogue

The big men deserve some credit. It’s not all about size, it’s also about using speed to deliver a huge shot or discus performance.

Discus champion, Jared Rome, held his own in the April edition of Vogue Magazine featuring Hard Bodies Unite. He is featured holding supermodel Raquel Zimmermann rocking Nike gear. Vogue's controversial cover with Gisele Bunchen and Lebron James leads into a series of short interviews with famous Olympic athletes and fashion models including Bryan Clay, Jared Rome, and Allyson Felix.

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

Photos courtesy Vogue Magazine.

Penn Relays Preview

The goal of the Penn Relays Carnival is very simple: to provide the best competition for the greatest number of participants at all levels, ages, and abilities. The meet will be aired April 26, from 2 – 4 pm (EST) on ESPN2.

The professional runners typically run in what is known as the USA vs The World events. These are the premier professional events of the meet which include:

• 1:25 Women’s sprint medley
• 2:05 Women’s 4x100
• 2:10 Men’s 4x100m Relay
• 3:05 Men’s Distance Medley Relay
• 3:45 Women’s 4x400m Relay
• 3:52 Men’s 4x400m Relay

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

Marketing 101: Marketing Track In North America

Char at Sportsgirlsplay.com shared this priceless commercial on parenting and hockey from USA Hockey that is currently playing on the airwaves. Track and field needs to borrow a page from the hockey marketing efforts.

The one universal consensus among all track fans is that the marketing and promotion of the sport must improve.

I hope that the track federation is taking notes on how to elevate the sport in the country.

Click here to watch the USA Hockey commercial.

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

Team USA vs. The World At The Penn Relays

Press Release

USATF News

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

World's top track stars compete at USA vs. The World at the Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA - Nearly all of the world's top sprinters, including Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell, Allyson Felix, Jeremy Wariner, Sanya Richards and Lauryn Williams, are slated to compete Saturday at USA vs. The World at the Penn Relays.

After dominating performances over the last three years saw the home team win five of the six races contested, Team USA will attempt to equal or better that performance Saturday during the first event of the 2008 USATF Outdoor Visa Championship Series. USA vs. The World at the Penn Relays will be broadcast live on ESPN2 from 2-4 p.m. Eastern Time.

Potent lineups.

Nearly 150 athletes from 11 countries around the world will compete at this year's USA vs. The World, held annually at the Penn Relays since 2000 and featuring men's and women's 4x100 and 4x400m relays, a men's Distance Medley Relay and a women's Sprint Medley Relay. Countries challenging Team USA this year include Jamaica, Kenya, Russia, Great Britain, Canada, Bahamas, Dutch Antilles, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, Trinidad & Tobago and the Dominican Republic.

An impressive array of U.S. men's stars led by the world's #1 ranked male sprinter, 2007 World Outdoor triple gold medalist Tyson Gay, 2004 Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Outdoor 400m champion Jeremy Wariner, two-time World Outdoor 200m medalist Wallace Spearmon, 2007 World Outdoor 400m hurdle champion Kerron Clement, 2007 World Outdoor 400m silver medalist LaShawn Merritt and 2004 Olympic and two-time World Outdoor 4x400m gold medalist Darold Williamson will look to keep Team USA on the winning track. Also watch for 2006 quadruple NCAA champion Xavier Carter, 2007 U.S. Indoor 800m champion Nick Symmonds and 2008 U.S. Indoor 60m champion Michael Rodgers.

Headliners on Team USA's women's squad include 2007 World Outdoor triple gold medalist Allyson Felix, 2005 World Outdoor 100m champion Lauryn Williams, 2006 IAAF World Athlete of the Year Sanya Richards, 2003 World Outdoor 100m champion Torri Edwards, 2007 World Outdoor 4x400m gold medalist Mary Wineberg , 2005 World Outdoor 400m hurdles silver medalist Lashinda Demus, 2007 World Outdoor 100m bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter, two-time World Outdoor 100m hurdle champion Michelle Perry, and the Barber twins - 2005 World Outdoor 4x100m gold medalist Lisa and 2007 World Outdoor 4x100m gold medalist Miki - among others.

Powell slated to run.

Jamaican stars expected to compete include men's 100 meter world record-holder Asafa Powell, 2005 World Outdoor 100m silver medalist Michael Frater, 2000 Olympic 4x400m bronze medalists Sanjay Ayre and Michael Blackwood, 2004 Olympic 4x100m gold medalist Sherone Simpson, 2007 World Outdoor 400m bronze medalist Novlene Williams and two-time World Outdoor 4x400m silver medalist Shericka Williams.

Final lineups for the 2008 USA vs. The World at Penn Relays will be determined Friday. For more information on this event and the 2007 Visa Championship Series visit www.usatf.org.

Allyson Felix Launches New Website!

Allyson Felix’s new website is definitely ridiculous! It’s a wonder that every pro runners do not have a website on this level of quality.

Fans can read about her family, faith, and daily life.

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

USA Today Recognizes Ryan Hall’s London Performance

Who would have thought 2:06.17 would not have won the London Marathon? Well, it was good enough to for a fourth place finish while running the fastest time ever by an American-born athlete. For his performance, Ryan Hall, was named USA Today Olympic Athlete of the Week award.

The 25 year-old is heading east to watch the women’s marathon trials April 20 and the Boston Marathon on April 21.

The kid has a major upside, and he showed that big time at his first London marathon appearance. Don’t say you didn’t get the memo on the rising star. Ryan handily won the Olympic trials marathon in New York in November with a time of 2:09:02. and he just ran a bananas time in London.

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