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Guess whose not running anymore? Tyree Washington calls it quits. The standout 400-meter runner is known by many as the best runner to never make an Olympic team. Read BBC
Who could have guessed the latest twist in the Dwain Chambers saga. Since being frozen out by meet directors, Chambers made a dramatic career change to the Rugby Footbal League. Read Timesonline
Oops. Alan Webb’s DNF ended up being a bit embarrassing as 10,000 fans came to see him win. Read New County Times
If you don’t have Anthony “Fam” Famiglietti’s dvd, Run Like Hell, then you should order a copy today because you’re sorely missing out. This dvd gets your heart pumping.
“Fam” is a pro steeplechaser, but what's interesting about the distance runner is that he lives and trains in New York City. How wild is that? The ’04 Olympian is track’s renaissance man with the skills of a musician, visual artist, and filmmaker.
Now, he can add shoe designer to the list. Famigilietti recently discussed on a FinalSprint.com running podcast that he designed Belligerence, a new Adidas cross country spike coming out in time for fall running. Fam’s tattoo is even stamped on the bottom of the spike plate.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist
Jeremy Wariner’s feet are quieting the pervasive naysayers that continue to question his move to break from long-time coach Clyde Hart. The coaching change to Michael Ford is old news at this point, and fans are holding J Dub to a higher standard than found in the coaching carousel in pro sports.
Track discussion boards such as Trackshark and Track and Field News have been hosting misguided discussions about Jeremy Wariner. These sentiments are expressed by “fans”, and in no way are a reflection of Tom Borish at Trackshark and Garry Hill at Trackandfieldnews.com. Both are fab discussion boards that normally host many interesting topics on sport.
Quite frankly, some of the unfortunate comments hurled towards J Dub come out of jealousy, and others are from fans that may not be realistic. The reigning world and Olympic champion typically rocks races with dark black shades and headlight sized diamond earrings.
He’s envied. He is sometimes reviled. He’s the kid from Arlington, Texas who has conquered the track game. Though he’s not yet reached his prime, Wariner could claim to be the baddest 400 runner not named Michael Johnson.
He probably has a 1 million frequent flier miles to globe hop, unlimited amount of the illest Adidas gear imaginable, and as the heir apparent to Michael Johnson at 400-meters reigns supreme at center stage in the track world.
Most of the negative comments are out of emotion. So there is no sense in pointing out that Jeremy is fan-friendly and widely recognized in track circles for signing countless autographs.
As the urban poet Jay-Z says, Jeremy should brush his shoulders off and keep doing his thing, because it’s apparently working.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist
The high school participation at the Texas Relays was down due to a scheduling error that placed the Texas high school sectional meets on the same weekend. It happens.
The pro runners competing at Texas Relays delivered on prerace expectations. The years line up of pros with the assistance of USA Track & Field High Performance Relay Project is arguable one of the best in years.
The Waco All-Stars, featuring Olympians Darold Williamson and Jeremy Wariner, handily won the invitational division of the 1,600 meter relay. Wariner led the Waco All-Stars to 3:00.65, the fastest time run in the world this year.
Coming into Texas Relays conventional wisdom said that USA Red Team made up of Kerron Clement, Wallace Spearmon, Derrick Brew, and Andrew Rock would compete with the Waco All-Stars. However, USA Red Team finished in a distance fourth in 3:04.68. Team USA Blue featuring Tyson Gay on the lead off leg did not finish the mile relay.
The women’s invitational 1,600 meters saw USA Red team win in 3:23.49. The Red team, featuring Natasha Hastings, and Sanya Richards, ran strong from start to finish. Sanya Richards & company beat a talented relay team made up of Torri Edwards, Carmelita Jeter that finished second.
Former Longhorn Sanya Richards ran the anchor leg for the USA Red team that won the women's invitational 400 relay with a time of 42.25, also the fastest in the world this year.
The 400 meter relay featuring Tyson Gay and Mike Rodgers won in 38.63 to edge out the USA Red team led by Wallace Spearmon and JJ Johnson.
Keep on eye on LSU senior Richard Thompson who won the invitational 100 with a very fast time of 10.0 seconds. This is a world-leading time at 100-meters.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist
The Xavier “X-Man” Carter is not to be left out of talk of fast times from rivals Wariner and Merritt. The former LSU sprinter ran a stellar 10.15 to win the 100-meters this weekend at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainseville, Florida. John Capel ran 10.36 in his come back race on the University of Florida campus. Read IAAF
The former 400m Hurdles World champion Bershawn "Batman"Jackson won the open 400 in 45.55 over Calvin Smith Jr (46.11), the son of former 100m World record holder Calvin Smith. Read IAAF
David Oliver stormed to a 13.10 victory in the 110m Hurdles, pushed by a slight head wind in Gainesville. Oliver, a prodigious racer, indicated that his legal PB of 13.14 set at the Doha Super Grand Prix meeting last year, is under threat. Indeed, many hurdlers consider tailwinds as more of a hindrance than assistance. Read IAAF
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.
Would someone please call the folks in Beijing and tell them to chill the heck out? After the latest series of bad news events from China, U.S. officials and other world leaders are probably waiting for Ashton Kutcher to run up at any moment and tell them that they just got Punk’d.
C’mon, you know how rowdy those wild and crazy Tibetan monks can be. The violent crackdown that resulted in the deaths of at least 10 Tibetan freedom protesters is evidence that the Chinese government is clueless about the extent to which the Olympic Games exposes the host country’s policies to criticism.
The Olympic flame lighting ceremony was disrupted by Tibetan protestors this past week. And to make matter worse, China is blocking CNN, YouTube, and other news organizations from reporting about the Tibetan crackdown.
The rapidly rising tide of negative news stories puts world leaders in an uncomfortable position of defending China’s indefensible, extreme tactics to quell free speech.
Many world leaders now face a growing chorus of voices favoring a boycott of the Beijing games. The ambivalence of China’s response only fans the flames.
While PreraceJitters.com agrees that China’s record on human rights is beyond reprehensible, we believe that an Olympic boycott is a terrible idea. First, China really doesn’t care what the United States – or any other country for that matter – thinks about their domestic policies. Second, a boycott really only punishes athletes around the world – including Chinese athletes – who have worked and suffered for the precious opportunity to represent their country on the Olympic stage.
Beijing Officials are nearing a tipping point where the host city’s issues become a distraction to the spectacle, competition, and pageantry of the Olympic Games and its’ unifying message. Maybe Beijing officials should try taking the high road on these matters. PreraceJitters.com has a prepaid phone card for anyone who wants to make that call.
I’m not saying, I’m just saying.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.
Some of track’s biggest names continue to record fast times in the early portion of this outdoor season. The Bobby Lane Invitation at the University of Texas, Arlington on March 29 was a popular meet for pro runners this weekend.
Jeremy Wariner and Sanya Richards are the world’s top ranked one lap runners, and both were using the sprint races to increase their speed at 400-meters. Spotted in attendance at the meet were Olympian Michael Johnson, Olympian Jon Drummond, and Grammy award winning gospel singer Kirk Franklin.
Jeremy Wariner ran the world’s best time this season in 20.37 beating Olympian Darold Williamson and Darvis Patton, a TCU ex. This is a fast time for Wariner in his fourth meet of the year considering his personal best is 20.19, set back in ’06.
Sanya Richards ran 11.28 in the 100-meters, and she also won the 200 in 22.56 at the Bobby Lane Invitational. By the time the Olympic Trials roll around, in July Richards said she wants to be in the 10.9 range at 100-meters.
"I really want to be on the 4x100 relay team in Beijing, so today was kind of a rehearsal for that,"Richards told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. " In a perfect world, I'll get three gold medals - one individual and two in relays (4x100 and 4x400)."
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist
Everything in Texas is bigger. And the Texas Relays are no exception to the rule. Track and field is not just a sport, it’s a culture in the great state of Texas. A quick check of the facts reveals that, according to the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, the meet brought in 200,000 visitors, $8 million to the city, and is the second largest relay meet in the country.
The 81st running of the Texas Relays takes places at the Mike A. Meyers Stadium on the University of Texas, Austin campus from April 5 – 8. Races are held in the high school, college, university, and invitational divisions for relays events.
The relay meet is almost surreal for track fans. Texas Relays is an example what track can be in North America. The meets popularity is due in part to the fab meet management operations and marketing by the University of Texas staff. It also helps that the track federation has little to do with Texas Relay.
From the world class runners to the packed stands and runners of tomorrow-- it’s no surprise to those who have attended that the meet continually gets bigger each year. The fervent fans are aware of the key match ups and cheer loudly during the race. The stadium buzzes with speculation on who will win relay match ups.
It’s almost a right of passage for pro sprinters to place their feet on the track. Past legends to have run at Texas Relays include: Michael Johnson, Carl Lewis, Leroy Burrell, and Maurice Green to name just a few.
Some coaches, athletes, former athletes, fans, meet officials, and timers have come to Texas Relays for years without missing a meet. It’s also a social gathering to see and be seen. The Urban Music Festival presented by Dell is back in downtown Austin for a third year featuring Jeffrey Osbourne, After 7, and Trey Songz. Fans are also promised a guest appearance from former Longhorn standout Vince Young. Only in Texas baby!
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a Track Evangelist.
WCSN.com deserves some kudos. For the first time ever, international fans will be able to watch this year’s Boston Marathon by traveling no further than their key boards. World Championship Sports Network (WCSN), the premier destination for fans of Olympic and lifestyle sports, will be offering the first ever global webcast of the 112th running of the Boston Marathon via its broadband network.
Holding its traditional place on Patriots' Day, Monday, April 21, beginning at 9:25 a.m. EST, race fans can go to http://www.wcsn.com/for comprehensive start to finish coverage of the 26.2 mile event as more than 20,000 contenders set stride on the hilly New England terrain including the infamous one-half mile stretch known as Heartbreak Hill.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist
If anyone thinks that they have a reserved spot on the Team USA headed to Beijing they couldn’t be further from the truth. On Friday LaShawn Merritt ran the fastest 400-meters in the world this year with a time of 44.72 at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, NC on March 28. He started this season exactly where he left off last season: crazy fast.
Merritt bested Jeremy Wariner’s 44.82 to lead the list of world best 400-meter times.
The evolution of Merritt began last year at the world outdoor champions in Osaka. The 21-year-old, Virginia native finished second in 43.96 behind Jeremy Wariner, the winner in 43.45.
Merritt led at the 300-meter mark in Osaka last year with the world title on the line but couldn’t hold off Wariner’s late charge in the final 50 meters. Both athletes set personal bests in the race.
The young, explosive runner is arguably the sprinter with enough speed to disrupt Jeremy Wariner’s plans of winning back-to-back Olympic 400-meter titles. It will be telling how Merritt performs against reigning Olympic champion, Jeremy Wariner, in the races leading up to the Olympic Trials in July. Stay tuned this is must see television.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist
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
The University of Texas sprint sensation Bianca Knight has recently signed with agent Mark Wetmore of Boston-based Global Athletics, Inc. Global Athletics also represents pro athletes such as Tyson Gay, Dee Dee Trotter, Jenn Stuczynski, and Liu Xiang.
Pro runners typically earn the bulk of their income on shoe contracts. The track world is waiting to hear the winner of the sneaker battle to woo the services of Bianca Knight. Word is that Nike and Adidas are duking it out to win over the women who blazed the second fastest American time ever in winning the NCAA crown in 200-meters.
If it’s any indication of the market, in 2003 Allyson Felix signed a signed a six-year, six-figure endorsement contract with Adidas just out of high school. Bianca’s legs will make her mad money.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evanglist
Swedish sensation Carolina Klüft has made the decision to not defend her Olympic heptathlon title in Beijing, stating that she was no longer motivated to train for and compete in heptathlons. Kluft will instead compete in the long and triple jumps.
Explaining her decision to local Swedish newspaper the Klüft said: “I’ve done the Heptathlon for a number of years. I really want to try something new. I want to focus on one or two other events. I want to feel fit in my body and not be exhausted week in and week out.”
Little known is known about Klüft in the U.S., but she is widely considered by many experts to be one of the world’s greatest all-around female athletes. The heptathlon event is a grueling two day event comprised of the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200-meters on the first day. The long jump, javelin, and 800-meters are held the second day.
The 25-year-old, has won every major multi-events title since winning the world championship gold medal in 2003. Overall she has won three world championship golds and gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The Klüft is the European record holder in the heptathlon with a personal best of 7,032 points. This score ranks second behind former American champion Jackie Joyner Kersee.
The absence of Carolina opens the door for a showdown in Beijing to win the heptathlon gold. The top candidates to emerge in Klüft absence are Britain’s Kelly Sotherton and Jessica Ennis. They are both genuine gold-medal contenders in their own right.
Sotherton took the bronze medal behind Klüft in Athens in 2004 and again at last year's world championships in Osaka. Ennis improved on her personal record by 300 points in finishing fourth at the ‘07 world outdoor championships. This shake up increases the chances that the heptathlon will be a hotly contested competition in Beijing.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist
Life continues to get better for Lolo Jones since winning the 60-meter hurdle world indoor title in Valencia, Spain that came with a $40,000 prize. The former LSU star is making a name for her self on and off the track.
Lolo revealed on her IAAF online diary that she recently met Michael Jordan at an Oakley event in Florida to promote the first sunglasses designed specifically for female athletes. Lolo had input into the development of the sunglasses. She explains that she had to get pass the body guards and PR guys surrounding Michael Jordan.
Jones said, “It took quite a while to set up the chance to chat with him but after I was introduced as a World champion he was super-polite and gave me such a strong handshake."
I wonder if MJ gave Lolo some pointers on taking her game to the next level. It’s nice to see Lolo get some well-deserved love since scraping her way past a part-time job to stay in the sport.
She will be in action next in her home town at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa April 24 to 26.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.
Most professional runners are competing in relay meets in April. This is the relay time of year on the U.S. pro sprint scene. These collegiate track meets primarily feature relay races with a limited number of individual events, so the relays make for some exciting performances from pro runners.
Relay meets have an open section for professional runners. No pro outdoor meets are held in the United States at the early stage of the outdoor season.
Running on relays allows pro athletes to evaluate their training and conditioning in a low stakes environment while having lots of fun. Relays races are one of the few chances to have a team experience in what is largely an individual sport.
The meet schedule for the next month is packed with collegiate relay meets such as the Texas Relays (April 2), Kansas Relays (April 16), Mt. Sac Relays (April 18), Drake Relays (April 24), and Penn Relays (April 24) to name a few.
Fans at the 57th TSU Relays were witness to Jeremy “J Dub” Wariner’s 44.2 anchor leg this past Saturday on the mile relay at the Houston meet. This is an incredibly fast time considering observers report that J Dub shut it down 30 meters out.
The heat was definitely showcased on the track in Miami . In the mile relay, Xavier “X Man” Carter lit up the first leg in 44.9 to officially begin his season. Running first leg on the mile relay is very similar to running an open 400-meters, which means X Man is in primo shape.
The first fully pro meet on the Visa Championship Series is the Adidas Track Classic on May 18th.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist
Since last summer fans and pundits alike have been debating who will prevail in a 100-meter show down between reigning 100 and 200-meter world champion Tyson Gay of the U.S. and current world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica.
What’s fueling the debate is that Gay beat Powell head-to-head in the 100-meter finals at the 2007 world championships last summer in Osaka. It was clear to most fans that Powell tensed up and panicked in the final 40 meters, finishing third behind Tyson Gay and Derrick Adtkins of the Bahamas.
Despite blazing times, Powell has struggled at major competitions, missing a medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The 2007 world championship race again called into question his ability to win the big races. Then one month later, Asafa went to Rieto, Italty in a meet that didn't matter much and broke his own world record in 9.74.
Hopefully, the speculating will end soon. Talks are currently under way between the sprinters’ agents and meet directors to solidify at least one, or possibly two, clashes between the track giants. The sprinters are likely to meet after the Olympic Trials and before the Olympic games, which leaves them meeting in July in Stockholm, London, or Monaco.
The debate, however, will not end until after Powell and Gay race at the 100-meter finals in Beijing. I love it! This star studded rivalry is good for track and field.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist
Being your own food!
The food quality in China is so suspect that the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) plans to drop ship more than 25,000 pounds of meat and other foods to a training camp at Beijing Normal University. The USOC will serve athletes in several locations near the Olympic village during the 16-day event.
Other countries are considering the same thing, and Beijing is somewhat annoyed. “I feel it’s a pity that [the Americans] decided to take their own food,” said Kang Yi, the head of the Food Division for the Beijing organizing committee.
The move sounds drastic, but a look at the food quality issues in China reveals a serious cause for alarm. A caterer working for the USOC told the New York Times about finding a half chicken breast measuring 14 inches long while shopping in a Chinese supermarket. The abnormally large chicken breast could have fed a family of eight.
There’s also the worry that tainted food could lead to a positive drug test. "We had it tested, and it was so full of steroids that we never could have given it to athletes," caterer Frank Puleo told the Times. "They all would have tested positive."
Chinese produced food is, uh, not too appetizing. One seaport in China had 40 shipments of seafood to the U.S. denied by the FDA. China has been polluting their waters to the point of depletion. This depletion is forcing farmers to mix illegal veterinary drugs and pesticides into fish feed to neutralize the effects of the toxic water. Mmm… Mmm…
The USOC has made arrangements with sponsors like Kellogg and Tyson Foods to ship 25,000 pounds of lean protein to China about two months before the opening ceremony. The food shipped in will place an emphasis on healthy nutrition, which officials hope will boost athletic performances.
The moral of the story is that if the air doesn’t make you hack, then the food will get you.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.
Trackshark.com is reporting that Bianca Knight turned professional, joining a growing number of track athletes leaving the college ranks early. She will forgo her remaining eligibility in collegiate track and field.
The world of elite track and field was introduced to Bianca Knight last Saturday at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field championship meet in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The freshman from the University of Texas broke the NCAA meet record at 200-meters in a stunning time of 22.40. The second fastest time ever by an American runner puts Bianca on the level of the world’s elite sprinter.
If Bianca can deliver similar times at the professional level, she’ll be competitive among the world’s best sprinters. To put her indoor time of 22.40 into proper context, just take a look at the results from the outdoor 200-meter finals at the 2007 World Championships: Allyson Felix won in 21.82, Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell took second in 22.34, followed by Susanthika Jayasinghe in 22.63. Runners typically put up much faster times outdoors.
Given the typically short career span of the average professional sprinter, I think Knight is wise to turn pro if she competes with the world’s best at this age.
Good luck Bianca!
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.
The revolution was televised. The black-and-white footage of Jesse Owens defeating Hitler’s Aryan nation still brings a chill. In front of packed crowds, he showed the world Hitler’s theory was a crock of crap. Jesse achieved international fame in winning four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Games in the 100, 200, long jump and 4 x 100 meter relay.
By the summer of 1964, Bob “The Bullet” Hayes was dubbed the original “World’s Fastest Human” at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. The U.S. team was in fifth place when Hayes got the baton in this famous 4 x 100 meter relay — he couldn’t even reach out and touch them.
In perhaps the most memorable 100-meters in track history, he blew away the competition and turned a nine-meter deficit into a two-meter victory. The winning time of 39.0 seconds was a world record, and Hayes' leg was timed unofficially in 8.6 seconds, still the fastest ever. That’s not running, that’s space travel.
Life is short, but great performances last forever. Just after Beamon barely made the 1968 Olympic squad, he unleashed the most fearsome long jump ever, featuring the most perfect combination of running and jumping. Beamon surprised even himself, collapsing when hearing he soared 29 feet, 2 ½ inches. He shattered the original mark by almost 22 inches. That’s as close as man has ever come to human flight. Bob’s record stood 23 years.
Once upon a time Ethiopian and Kenyan runners dominated the middle distances. Against this backdrop at the 1972 Munich Olympics, 24-year-old American runner Dave Wottle was in last place in the 800-meter finals. Then the tension set in: starting at 500 meters, Wottle starting picking off runners one at a time. Coming down the final stretch, he hit the gas and won the 800-meters by .03 at the finish line. To this day, Wottle remains the only American to win at 800-meters since Munich.
Although an often polarizing figure in the sport, Carl Lewis was a magnificent, daring sprinter. He was a flawless runner and jumper with a keen ability under pressure. Carl Lewis pounced on every step of the 100-meters, 200-meters, and long jump, 4 x 100-meter relay to win every battle in which he competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The elaborately executed performances became an Olympic memory reminiscent of Jesse Owen’s four gold medal feat in 1936.
Between 1992 and 1996, Michael Johnson was track’s most reliable mindblower: winning 58 straight races over eight years. By 1996, the stage had been set at the Atlanta Olympic games, as some of the greatest 200-meter runners ever gathered for the event’s finals.
The gun went off, and MJ stumbled the fourth step. He then covered the first 100 meters faster than any human ever, even out running the NBC track side camera. He crossed the line, and it was immediately evident he was track’s undisputed champ having offered further evidence of his mastery.
It is a gritty road to the top, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee couldn’t compete in a more demanding event than her signature heptathlon: 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m, long jump, javelin and 800m. It’s a definitive test of quickness, strength, and heart.
Her 1988 Olympic appearance produced the still-standing world record of 7,291 points. Not enough to let that victory stand alone, JJK showed up five days later to grab the gold again – this time in long jump, gliding to 24 feet, 3 ½ inches. JJK had the audacity to stake a claim at being the greatest female athlete ever—and then pulled it off.
In 1983, Sebastian Coe had recently undergone lymph node surgery – a situation that his detractors said would sideline him for that year’s World Championships. But the following year, he was determined to win back-to-back Olympic 1500-meter titles.
It wouldn’t come easy – he was facing challengers Steve Ovett and Steve Cram, who was considered the odd’s-on favorite for the gold at the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angles. Coe shocked the critics when he ran a perfect race, pulling away from Cram and the rest of the field in the final straightaway to win by six meters. His determination, style, and pace influenced a generation of runners.
This track queen is an icon on two counts: she gave the first cross-over performance by a female track athlete and gave one of the most mesmerizing performances in recent history. The 1988 Seoul Olympic Games were Flo Jo’s show and she had her own superstar act. Her races included decorated nails, stylish outfits, and stunning looks. In the 100-meter final in Seoul, the 5-foot-7, 130-pound Joyner bettered the Olympic record with her 10.54. She blistered the 200-meters finals, and Flo Jo delivered an amazing 21.34 in capturing her second gold medal. Joyner, who died in her sleep in 1998, still holds the women’s 100 and 200-meter world records.
By the summer of 1996, Carl’s meteoric career had suffered some set backs. Though he won four gold medals at the 1984 L.A. Olympics, he never won fans over, at least in the United States. This time, the King of Track was in a battle with Mike Powell at Atlanta Olympic stadium.
Carl wanted revenge: Powell had beaten him at the previous world championships and broken the long jump world record. An athletic shade of his former self, Carl Lewis delivered big. At 35, he pulled out some mojo to jump 27 feet, 10 ¾ inches, his longest distance in four years. That night in Atlanta was a reminder that others had run faster and jumped farther, but few had sustained such a high level of performance for so long.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.
It’s about time that John Carlos and Tommie Smith finally got some love. Puma is paying a small tribute to the two former track stars with “Tommie Smith" Suede Pack.
During the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City when newly crowned 200-meter champion and record holder Tommie Smith raised his fist on the podium, along with bronze medal winner John Carlos, the controversy jumped off.
The barefoot athletes’ salute was meant to represent the civil rights movement and the struggle of African Americans. Tommie Smith and John Carlos were kicked out of the Olympic village, suspended from the U.S. Olympic team, and summarily sent home from the games.
To commemorate these brave men, a two sneaker collection of Suedes will release later this month with a repeating fist monogram along the upper and include golden accents. Look for the shoes to be available for purchase in August 2008.
By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist
