Who Will Be The World's Fastest Human ?

The men's 100 meters is THE glamour event at almost any track and field competition. The dragsters of track and field, they cover the length of a football field in some 9.x seconds! Hence the winner of each year's Major is dubbed "The World's Fastest Human".

As if the normal expectations for this race aren't enough, this year's rendition in Berlin is taking on EPIC proportions. Consider that this race will feature:

• The two most recent global champions, Tyson Gay ('07, Osaka) and Usain Bolt ('08, Beijing). Both will be in attendance and both are seemingly at the top of their games.

• The two most recent Athletes of the Year in the sport of track and field Usain Bolt ('08) and Tyson Gay ('07) .

• The two most recent #1 ranked athletes in the 100 meters, Usain Bolt ('08) and Tyson Gay ('07).

• Two athletes with legal 9.7's to their credit this season - Gay (9.77) and Bolt (9.79).

• Two undefeated athletes as neither Bolt nor Gay have lost this year.

• The current World Record holder (Usain Bolt) against the current American Record holder.

Having said all of that however, many are treating this race as a mismatch and foregone conclusion. But that is because memories in this sport tend to become fixed on one or two moments in time, with expectations set accordingly.

For example, Michael Johnson was, and will always be, thought of as the athlete that flashed around the Atlanta track in 19.32 seconds. Maurice Greene was burned into the consciousness of many winning in Edmonton in 9.82 while dragging a pulled muscle the final 20 meters of the race. And the world has the vision of Usain Bolt running clear of the field and thumping his chest on the way to gold in a WR 9.69 in Beijing! A vision that says to many that Bolt is invincible.

But, that vision lacks one important element - the man who 6 weeks before had run 9.77/9.85/9.68w on his way to the US title. So while nothing can take away from the stellar performance exhibited by Bolt, the absence of a healthy Tyson Gay does raise the question: What If?

By this weekend THAT question will be answered! Two days. Four rounds. One champion. And if the gods of conditions are kind, a new World Record. Such is the potential of these two sprinters.

The exploits of Usain Bolt have been well chronicled. A WR 9.72 in New York last year after only a handful of career races at the distance. Followed up with a WR 9.69 and gold in Beijing. He's had a slower start to this season and fewer races than last year, but he began peaking well late with 19.59 and 9.79 efforts in Lausanne and Paris. Both in rainy conditions.

After his superb series at last year's Trials, Tyson Gay spent most of last summer rehabbing and found himself eliminated in his semi in Beijing. Working to get back to form, Gay had a slow start to this season running a couple of 400's before opening up over 200 meters at 19.58. When he ran the 100 he ran 9.75w, 9.77 (=AR) then a final tune up of 9.79w in Stockholm before heading to Berlin. Very quietly Gay has run sub 9.80 in all of his finals when healthy over the past 14 months.

Not surprising (that Gay's times would be similar to Bolt's) when you consider that in spite of their physical differences their race patterns are almost mirror images! Let's take a closer look at these two competitors.

Usain Bolt

Strengths: At 6' 5" and very lean, Bolt has long, powerful levers. To this he adds the ability to turn over with the rapidity of a man 6' 0"/ The result is that he eats up yardage in huge, quick gulps! This gives him a wicked mid race surge and finishing power.

Usain Bolt

Weakness: Poor reaction to the gun combined with those long levers make early rapid acceleration difficult. It typically takes him 30 to 40 meters before his "overdrive" kicks in. He also has a tendency to relax / shut down at the end of races.


Tyson Gay

Strengths: Powerful foot placement and drive against the track. Also has very rapid turnover. His turnover combined with his drive gives him maximum return from the track and better "bounding" action than other sprinters. Thus though short in stature, he gets longer stride action than athletes of similar height. This plus his rate of turnover gives him a "warp drive" effect in mid race. He's also very strong around the finish line and has tremendous focus.

Tyson Gay

Weakness: Poor early acceleration and pick up. Typically takes 30 to 40 meters before his "overdrive" kicks in.

Thus, when we look at these two they are actually more similar than they are different. In addition, the race will have other factors that could affect the outcome. One is the presence of Asafa Powell. While Powell has a very poor record in Majors, he is the world's preeminent starter. As such he could become the "rabbit" in this race. His early pace and who is closest to him through 50 to 60 meters, could play a key role. This makes lane draw extremely critical - how close are Bolt and Gay to each other and who is closest to Powell. Both have displayed the ability to be unaffected by Powell's blitz starts, so proximity to him could provide the "help" needed to run a faster early race than usual.

Another key factor to this race could be the element of false starts. Both athletes are notoriously poor starters. So an advantage at the start would be beneficial to both athletes. False starts tend to nail everyone in the blocks. And starters tend to hold longer in Majors than in "Circuit" meets. This could be an advantage to the better of the poor starters.

The most important part of this race will be the section between 30 and 60 meters. This is the peak acceleration phase for both sprinters. After this point I do not believe that either athlete can run the other down without the lead athlete making a major mistake. So the race within the race should be this 30 meter segment - the sprinter that wins the interior 30 meter dual will win the race!

So who wins? For my money it's a coin flip. The man that executes best in that moment will win - I believe it's that close. I give Tyson the edge in intensity, drive and finish - if its close he's better around the finish line. I give Bolt the edge in confidence and what I'm going to call "ground eating ability" - that ability to eat up huge chunks of real estate when in full stride. But at the end of the day I think it will be weakness that determines this race. And so far this year Bolt's start has been a cut below Tyson's. So it is here that I believe the race will be decided - by the man that executes his weakness best. So I am going to hedge and say that Tyson gets the better start and thus crosses the line first - on the lean in to the tape! A narrow, very narrow victory. But then, that is how it should be with these two!

Ten Overlooked Moments From the World Championships

This time of year everyone looks back on their favorite moments from World Championships past. Reading various articles all over I've come across the standard fare. The Tokyo 100 meter final and long jump. Jonathon Edwards' 60 foot triple jump and several other WOW moments from the championships. But in a quarter century there have been many many memorable moments. So many that a whole host of them have been pushed back into the darkness of our consciousness. So, instead of doing another Top Ten list of highlights, I decided to put together 10 moments that I feel shouldn't be forgotten. So without further adieu here (in chronological order) are 10 moments from World Championships past that I think have been overlooked.

1. 1983 - Sergei Bubka wins pole vault at 18' 8.25". This was Bubka's first ever global title. A relative unknown at the time, this was his springboard to what became a phenomenal career. By January of the following year Bubka cleared 19' .5" for his first World Record and there was no stopping him as he won nearly everything in sight through 1995. He still dominates the all time list and is still the holder of the WR at a phenomenal 20' 2"!

2. 1987 - Carl Lewis wins long jump at 28' 5.25 and defeats Robert Emmiyan. Everyone remembers Carl Lewis and Mike Powell at the World Championships in Tokyo. The meet where Powell eventually broke the World Record while Carl Lewis finally jumped 29 ft only to lose. But before Powell was a threat, Robert Emmiyan jumped 29' .75" on May 22, 1987 - beating Carl Lewis to the 29 ft barrier and becoming a serious threat to King Carl's long jump supremacy. Emmiyan never posed a serious threat to Carl, however, as he won easily over the Russian's 27' 11.75" best. Carl didn't meet his conqueror until Tokyo.

3. 1987 - Calvin Smith wins second 200 title at 20.16. Everyone remembers Michael Johnson winning 200 titles in '91 and '95 - mostly because of his super win in Atlanta at the '96 games. But before MJ was winning 200 titles, the then 100 meter WR holder was also winning multiple 200 meter titles. That's right the 100 meter WR holder! Calvin Smith was known as the sprinter that finally took down Jim Hines venerable 9.95 from Mexico City with his 9.93 at Colorado Springs July 3, 1983. But Calvin never won a global title over 100 meters - he kept running into Carl Lewis. He did, however, win titles in the 200 in Helsinki '83, and again in Rome 1987. This title coming by the narrowest of margins in one of the closest 200 finals ever as his 20.16 just edged out the 20.16 of Gilles Guineherve (FRA) and the 20.18 of John Regis (GBR).

4. 1987 - Edwin Moses wins second 400H title in 47.46. That Edwin Moses won another World title was not big news. After all, he was well into what became a 122 race winning streak! What was big news is that the streak nearly came to an end on this particular day as rivals Danny Harris (US) and Harald Schmid (FRG) took him to the wire and a photo as they were 2nd and 3rd both in 47.48! As they came down the stretch and went into the finish line for a brief moment it seemed as if Edwin may have finally lost. But it would be another year before that would actually happen.

5. 1987 - US wins 4x1 in 37.90. The time was extremely well for that period in time - just .07 off of the then WR - but that is not what makes this race special. What makes it special is the man on the third leg - one Harvey Glance. Glance was a young upstart in 1976 who was a co-favorite to win 100 meter gold in Montreal. He missed the mark in the 100 but ran lead off on the gold medal winning 4x1.Four years later Glance was a member of the ill fated 1980 Olympic squad - a team that never took to the track because we boycotted the Games! A now aging Glance missed out on teams in '83 and '84. But 11 years later a resurgent, veteran Glance once again mined gold - as the third leg on the Rome relay team. And now 22 years after his final gold medal, Glance is once again on a World Championships team - this time headed to Berlin as coach of the 4x1! Let's hope that his experiences can be parlayed into yet another gold medal.


6. 1991 - Greg Foster wins third 110H title in 13.06. Greg Foster is one of the most underrated and underappreciated hurdlers in history. That happens when you rise on the world stage at the same time as one Renaldo "Skeets" Nehemiah! Fierce rivals in college and then internationally, it seems that Renaldo was always getting the better of Greg. And then just when Renaldo gave it up to play professional football and you think that it was now Greg's world to dominate, poof, there appears Roger Kingdom - who breaks Renaldo's World Record and wins two Olympic titles in a row. But in between it all Greg Foster won the first World Championships 110H title in 1983, and for good measure added the second and third meets to his collection. Only Allen Johnson (with four) would win more.

7. 1991 - Jackie Joyner wins long jump in battle with rival Heike Drechsler. Everyone remembers THE big long jump battle that took place in Tokyo - Powell v Lewis. But unfortunately few remember the OTHER long jump battle that took place between Joyner and Drechsler - perhaps the two most talented female athletes from the mid 80's through the mid 90's. Drechsler competing in the sprints and long jump (WR setter in the 200 meters), Joyner in the Heptathlon and long jump (WR setter in both). They are only two of a half dozen women to ever jump over 24 ft and still stand 2nd (Joyner) and 3rd (Drechsler) all time in the event. Their '91 battle nearly saw both reach 24 ft as Joyner went 24' to defeat Drechlser at 23'11" - Drechsler's performance being the longest losing performance ever in a major.

8. 1997 - Maurice Greene wins the 100 in 9.86. Maurice Greene was a promising sprinter in 1995 running a windy 9.88 and defeating then legend Carl Lewis at the Texas Relays. He made the World Championship team that year, but failed to make it out of his quarterfinal. Injury in 1996 found him sitting in the stands at the Olympic Trials and watching as others made the team for Athens. 1997 was different, however, as Greene had multiple PR's at Nationals before going to Athens and defeating Olympic champion Donovan Bailey in near WR time. Athens proved to be the jumping off point for one of the greatest sprint careers in history as Greene went on to win two more World titles in '99/'01 an Olympic title in 2000, set a WR in 1999 and become the first man in history to run 50 legal sub 10 second 100 meter races.

9. 1999 - Wilson Kipketer wins third 800 title in 1:43.30. Kipketer is best known as the man that put the 800 record out of reach of mere mortals with his super 1:41.11 in 1997. What is remembered less is that he was also a very good championship competitor when he wasn't beset with malaria. Malaria kept doing him in during Olympic campaigns, but he was able to win three World titles - more than any other half miler in history - and unfortunately this race in Seville was the last title he would win. If not for his health, one wonders just how much he would have lowered the 800 record!

10. 2003 - Kenenisa Bekele wins 10000 over Haile Gebrselassie. We often see a changing of the guard in major championship events, but typically it's the young lion beating down the old lion as he struggles to maintain his pride. Not so in Paris. Bekele took the mantle of the world's best distance runner by beating the then WR holder in the fastest 10000 meter final EVER. These two warriors put it out there and went toe to toe for 10000 meters. When they crossed the finish line only a second separated them as Bekele won 26:49.57 to Haile's 26:50.77! No shame in defeat for Gebrselassie who has gone on to become the WR holder in the marathon at 2:03:59 while Bekele currently holds the WR's at 5000 (12:37.35) and 10000 (26:17.53). This was easily the greatest ever championship distance showdown.

Keep your eyes open during this year's edition of the World Championships. You never know when you'll be watching history in the making.

Ten American Stories to Watch in Berlin

Mixed in with the competition, every major championship has its share of stories running in the background. Every event has its share of back stories - athletes looking to over come odds, rebound from adversity, emerge in their event, or simply trying to make their mark. Berlin will be no exception. Following are ten US stories that I think will shape events in Berlin.

10. Jeremy Wariner - THE top quarter miler this decade, Wariner found himself #2 in 2008 after leading the way and winning everything in sight from 2004 thru 2007. Many attributed Wariner's "decline" last year to a highly publicized break from coach Clyde Hart. A break that came to an abrupt end with the announcement at this year's Nationals that they had patched up their differences and would be working together once again. Since then Wariner hasn't been seen much on the track. His times have been much slower than at this point in season's past, though his final tune up race showed a very strong finish in the stretch. Rival Lashawn Merritt has pretty much had his way with the event this year, so the real question now is will Merritt dominate Berlin as he did Beijing or will Wariner return the favor and take Merritt's newly found crown away.

9. Jenn Stuczynski - When you talk about the women's pole vault the name that sticks out is Yelena Isinbayeva - the Russian that has dominated the women's event in much the same fashion that Sergei Bubka once dominated the men's. Since 2004 she has broken records and completely rewritten the all time list in the event. As dominant as Isinbayeva has ben however, Stuczynski has still managed to creep into contention. She is one of only three women to ever vault over 16 feet, and this year their bests on the season are only 4cm apart. And with Isinbayeva suffering a rare defeat recently in London, there could be a chink in the armor. A chink that Stuczynski could be ready to attack. At her best, Jenn can compete with Isinbayeva. The key will be believing in herself and bringing her best on the day. If she is successful she could bring pole vault gold back to the US.

8. Christian Cantwell - Cantwell is the 7th longest shot putter in world history - but you wouldn't know it looking at his championships results. He hit his huge throw (73' 11.5") back in 2004 - a year in which he was the US and World Indoor Champions. But outdoors he finished 4th at the Olympic Trials and missed his shot at Athens glory. And such has been his career - rather inconsistent. Long throws in some meets, mediocre in others. US outdoor champion in '05 (71') followed by a 5th at Worlds (68' 5.75". Adidas Classic winner in '07 (72' .75") followed by a 5th at Nationals (66' 1"). Last year we finally saw him get close to his huge potential as he hit his final throw of the competition in Beijing to take silver at 69' 2.5". This year Cantwell is once again among the top putters at 71' 7.25" - #3 in the world - and after finally having some success last year in Beijing it will be interesting to see if his immense talent will finally carry him to the top of the podium. Cantwell is always a threat to hit a BIG one. Can he finally put it together and hit that big throw when it matters most?

7. Allyson Felix - Felix is one of the best long sprinters ever developed in the US - and she's still only 24. Twice she has come home with World Championships gold in the 200 meters - Helsinki '05 and Osaka '07. No other woman has won more than one World Championship and only three other women in history have won two global titles - Barbel Wockel ('76/'80), Marion Jones ('00/'01) and Veronica Campbell ('04/'08). Felix has the opportunity to become the only sprinter, male or female, to win three World 200 meter titles, and join Michael Johnson ('91/'95/'96) as the only sprinters to ever win three global titles at this distance. Her task will not be easy as she must face the woman that she beat for her other two titles but who beat her in two Olympic appearances - Veronica Campbell Brown. One of these women could make history. The other run valiantly in the attempt. Felix looked to be in fine form with a world leading 21.88 in her final tune up for Berlin. If she can put together a similar race in Berlin she will make history.

6. Galen Rupp - America has had a long and storied tradition in the distance events. Names like Jim Ryun, Frank Shorter, Steve Prefontaine, Sydnee Maree, Henry Marsh, Steve Scott, Rob Kennedy and Alberto Salazar grace the pages chronicling the history of distance running in the US. But those pages have been rather empty since the 1990's. As the African nations have emerged as world powers in the distances, we have seen our fortunes decline dramatically. But suddenly we have the pairing of a once high school star with a once American great, and that pairing of former HS star, Galen Rupp, with former world star, Alberto Salazar has created an athlete that appears to be on the cusp of world level greatness. The story here is less one of medal possibilities than it is of finally seeing a competitive, home grown distance runner show the early promise that made Steve Prefontaine such a legendary figure. I wait not to see him cross the line in first, but to watch him hold his own on the big stage. If he can do this, our distance hopes for the future will take a quantum leap forward.

5. Sanya Richards - Since Richards joined the ranks of sub 50 quarter milers in 2004 (49.89 best) she has dominated on the clock and in races not called the Olympics or World Championships. She's won more races and run faster than any of her contemporaries, becoming the AR holder in 2006 at 48.70. You have to go back to 1996 to find anyone running faster! One would expect that being that much better than her peers she would have a string of championships three or four globals long. But Richards has had difficulty parlaying her amazing talent into gold medals. A 6th in '04, silver in '05, missed the team in '07 and bronze in '08 has been Sanya's legacy so far in the spotlight. Once again she is the world leader in the event heading to Berlin having run 49.23 this summer. But for Richards the trip to Berlin is not to see how fast she can run, but whether she can outrun her past, and her competition to cross the line in first place.

4. Women's 1500 Meter Crew - When I read the final list of US entries for Berlin my heart skipped a beat when I saw the name of Anna Willard in the 1500 and not the steeplechase. Willard is perhaps the gutsiest of a group of young women that have emerged in the US in the middle distances. With her joining Shannon Rowbury and Christin Wurth Thomas at the starting line, we have the best group of 1500 meter women we have ever sent to any major championship. All three have the potential to make it to the final. And once there World and Olympic finals tend to become all about pace. With THREE horses in the fight, I don't think I've ever been as excited about our prospects in a middle distance event since Johnny Gray and Mark Everett were running wild in the 800 meters back in the early 90's. These women have speed, heart and strong competitive natures, and I'm dying to see how well they do in Berlin. All three have the ability to run sub 4:00, putting all in possible medal contention in the right race.

3. Dwight Phillips - Phillip's story is interesting because of the path he has travelled. Phillips had a three year run near the middle of the decade that was as good as it gets winning the Olympic title in '04 and World titles in '03 and '05. It seemed like the beginning of a run that would last the decade. But if anything is certain in track and field it's that there are always new stars emerging, making the future anything but guaranteed. After getting out over 28 ft during his three year run he suddenly was back around 27 ft and watched Irving Saladino become the world's top jumper - jumping over 28 ft and winning the World title in '07 and the Olympic title last year while Phillips took bronze in '07 and then failed to make the team for Beijing last year. But just when it seemed that Phillips was bottoming out, he returned this year with a vengeance. This year Phillips has had the longest jump since 1991 with his 28' 9.75" jump in Eugene, and has had several jumps over 28ft. He's become more consistent than ever and has beaten all of his peers including Saladino. After a couple of down seasons, Phillips has rebounded and is headed to Berlin looking to regain the World title AND challenge the 29 ft barrier. Now THAT's a turnaround.

2. Men and Women 4x1 Relays - The US annually has the talent to put together sprint relay squads that are capable of challenging for the gold medal. Historically we've won more 4x1 titles than any other country on the planet. If we get the stick around the track we're immediately in contention. Did I say IF we get the stick around the track? I did. Because far too often in recent memory the stick hasn't made it around the track. Bobbled batons have done in either the men's or women's squad in just about every major run this decade! And last year in Beijing after winning both relays in Osaka BOTH squads dropped the baton in Beijing! And to add insult to injury, the men got to watch the Bolt/Powell lead Jamaica team that they beat in Osaka take gold AND set a new WR in the process! Berlin will see both our men's and women's squads take to the track again, and JOB ONE will be to get the stick around the track! With that accomplished the next step will be to beat our Jamaican rivals, and the men will have the added incentive to attempt to regain the WR. Of course it all goes down the drain if the stick hits the track once again!

1. Tyson Gay - Two years ago Tyson Gay was the toast of the track world. He won double gold in Osaka beating then WR holder Asafa Powell in the 100 and setting a meet record in the 200 - breaking a Michael Johnson mark. He finished the year as the sport's #1 athlete for 2007. But what a difference a year can make. The beginning of 2008 saw the emergence of Usain Bolt, and mid season saw him run one of the greatest set of sprint rounds in history at the US Trials in the 100 before succumbing to injury in his first round heat of the 200. A summer of rehab saw him take to the track without a single race since his injury and much less than sharp. He failed to make the Beijing final and watched as Usain Bolt won double gold with double WR efforts. Gay started this season slowly, first nursing a slight injury then running 400's in his first few appearances on the track. His sprint debut however, was with a PR 19.58 in the 200 and though he's raced sparingly he has been awful fast when he has - his legal best of 9.77 equaling his AR and the world leader heading into Berlin. Gay was reported to have a groin injury in July, but he finished up his preparation for Berlin with a 9.79w effort in defeating Asafa Powell once more. THE two headline athletes heading into Berlin are Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt and they are clearly headed for what could be two epic battles. They have supplied the fireworks this summer and will be THE top story in Berlin.

In the 100 Meters Silver is a Curse

The most glamorous event on the World Championships stage just might be the Men's 100 meters. Along with winning the gold medal comes the coveted title of "The World's Fastest Human". 100 meter champions often become the "rock stars" of the sport and household names. Jesse Owens, Jim Hines, Valeri Borzov, Carl Lewis, Maurice Greene, Tyson Gay, and Usain Bolt all became household names via championship victories in the 100 meters.

But while the gold medalists of this most prestigious event have gone on to fame and fortune, the silver medalists have not been nearly as fortunate. Instead of being the launching pad to the top of the podium, 2nd place in the 100 has mostly lead to a reversal of fortune in subsequent years.

Going back to Berlin and the Olympics of 1936, the name of 100 meter champion Jesse Owens is still strongly etched in the minds of track fans as we head to Berlin in 2009. Ralph Metcalf, on the other hand, repeated his silver medal performance of 1932 with yet another silver behind Owens in Berlin. Twice the Second Fastest Man in the World, Metcalf became a footnote in history while Owens went on to international and long lasting fame with his win.

Track fans remember Bobby Morrow, Bob Hayes and Valeri Borzov, but only die hard fans remember the names of Thane Baker, Enrique Figuerola, and Robert Taylor - their runner ups whose careers went in another direction. That "luck" or perhaps "curse" of being the 100 meter silver medalist has carried forward from the time when there was only one major championship every four years (the Olympics) until today with three global championships in each four year cycle.

Following is the history of the 100 silver medalists since the start of the World Championships in 1983. We will see how last year's silver medalist, Richard Thompson (TRI) fares in Berlin.


1983, Helsinki, Calvin Smith . Injured and failed to make the Olympic team in the 100. Bronze medal in Seoul. Failed to make the team for Tokyo, Barcelona, and Stuttgart.

1984, Los Angeles, Sam Graddy . Left the sport to play professional football.

1987, Rome, Ray Stewart*. Injured in the Seoul final and finished last. Finished 6th in Tokyo, 7th in Barcelona, 8th in Stuttgart, 8th in Gothenburg, and failed to get out of his quarterfinal in Atlanta.

1988, Seoul, Linford Christie*. Finished 4th and out of the medals in Tokyo. Rebounded with gold in Barcelona and Stuttgart. Injured and finished 6th in Gothenburg. False started out of the Atlanta final.

1991, Tokyo, Leroy Burrell. Finished 5th and out of the medals in Barcelona. Failed in attempts to make the teams for Stuttgart, Gothenburg, Atlanta and Athens.

1992, Barcelona, Frankie Fredericks. Finished 6th and out of the medals in Stuttgart. Finished 4th and out of the medals in Gothenburg. Silver in Atlanta.

1993, Stuttgart, Andre Cason. Injured and failed to make the team for Gothenburg. Injuries forced him to leave the sport.

1995, Gothenburg, Bruny Surin. Finished 5th in his semi in Atlanta and failed to make the final. Silver again in Seville.

1996, Atlanta, Frankie Fredericks. Finished 4th and out of the medals in Athens. Injured and did not start his semi in Seville. Did not compete in Edmonton and Paris. Failed to get out of his quarterfinal in Athens.

1997, Athens, Donovan Bailey. Injured and failed to make the team for Seville. Injured and did not make the team for Seville. Injured and finished 8th in his quarterfinal in Sydney. Finished 6th in his semi in Edmonton. Note that Bailey was twice gold medalist in 1995 & 1996 before his silver medal performance in '97.

1999, Seville, Bruny Surin. Injured in his semi and finished last. Injured and finished 8th in his semi in Sydney. Injured and finished 7th in Edmonton.

2000, Sydney, Ato Boldon. Finished 4th and out of the medals in Edmonton. Finished 5th in his semi and failed to make the Paris final. Finished 4th in his heat in Athens.

2001, Edmonton, Tim Montgomery. Finished 4th and out of the medals in Paris. Finished 7th at the Trials and failed to make the team for Athens. Later suspended from the sport for drug use.

2003, Paris, Darrel Brown. Injured and failed to make the team for Athens. Injured and did not compete in Athens. Finished 7th in his semi and failed to make the final in Helsinki. Failed to make the team for Osaka. Finished 8th in his quarterfinal in Beijing.

2004, Athens, Francis Obikwelu. Finished 4th and out of the medals in Helsinki. Disqualified in his heat in Osaka. Finished 6th in his semi and failed to make the final in Beijing.

2005, Helsinki, Michael Frater. Failed to make the team for Osaka. Failed to make the team for Osaka. Finished 6th and out of the medals in Beijing.

2007, Osaka, Derrick Atkins. Finished 6th in his semi and failed to make the final in Beijing.

2008, Beijing, Richard Thompson. ???

(*) - Results changed with the drug suspension of winner Ben Johnson.

Is 30 Medals a Realistic Goal ?

As we head to Berlin I am reminded that earlier this year USATF CEO Doug Logan set a goal of 30 medals in London. This after our 24 medal showing in Beijing. Ever since that goal was set I've been asking myself, and others, if that is a realistic goal?

When looking at our teams on average it's clear that, in spite of what were characterized as "down" performances in Beijing, the sprints and hurdles routinely carry the day when it comes to winning medals in major championships. On average we can count on at least one medal in the 100, 200, 400, short hurdles, 400 hurdles, and both relays for both the men and women in any given major. Often multiple medals in several of those events. So, even being conservative, we can pretty much count on 15 medals in the "short" events before our team is even selected - putting us half way to our goal at the start of each season!

So the real question becomes, can we get 15 more? Or more specifically HOW do we get the other 15?

If Team USA were truly a team - working together year round in pursuit of a common goal - I would divide the load among Departments. I would set a goal of 5 medals for the Distance Department, 5 medals for the Weight Department, and 5 medals for the Jumps Department. It would then fall to each Department Head to prepare his/her athletes to achieve this goal.

The good news here, is that historically we've shown the ability to score 5 medals in each of these "Departments". Unfortunately, the current reality is that in recent years/majors we've had difficulty scoring points in these areas with any regularity.

If we've done it in the past, then what's the problem? Clearly we have talented athletes in this country. We have a HUGE pool of talent to draw from. We have a "feeder system" in the colleges. So why can't we get to 30? Especially since it seems so simple when broken up into Departments. But I think the problem is that we really DON'T have Departments.

You see Team USA is not a true "team". It is a collection of athletes and training camps from all over the United States that meet at a training camp for a few days each year prior to going to battle against the rest of the world at major championships. As such they are a group of independent contractors, so to speak. And like any independent contractor each training group is limited by the resources that it has available. So it is not coincidental that we typically see medals being won in bunches by training camps. The Santa Monica Track Club. The New York Running Club. HSI. The Oregon Track Club.

We can do it in small groups, when those groups have the right resources, chief among them coaching. What we have to do as the larger group is pull the "camps" together into Departments. If we are to pick up those other 15 medals we will have to become more of a "National Team" with regional branches as opposed to individual camps trying to come together once a year. We will have to find a way to get our best resources (coaches) out to our best athletes - regardless of what "camp" they belong to. In short we have to figure out as Team USA how to coordinate resources nationally so that we can nurture our best talent, per event, to develop medal winners across the board!

So, can we get to 30 medals? I think the long term answer is, yes we can. But in order to do so, we will have to stop relying on "luck" and develop a coordinated system. Team USA needs to become an ongoing, year round effort, where resources are shared and results monitored. When medals are determined and won via a coordinated system instead of the haphazard model that currently exists, we will reach and surpass 30 medals.

Until then we will continue to see medal counts in the 20's - depending on which training camps are most effective each year.

Time for the US to Step Up and Host a World Championships

With two weeks until Worlds and no other meets to look forward to, my mind is now fixated on the World Championships and Berlin.

The World Championships have been a staple in Europe since its' inception in 1983. So far eleven renditions of the meet have been held and all but three of those have been on the European continent - the other three were held in Japan (twice) and Canada.

The thing that I find most interesting is that not once has the event been hosted by the United States. In the twenty six years that the World Championships have been in existence the US has hosted two Olympic Games (Los Angeles, 1983 and Atlanta, 1996) and is currently a finalist in the bids for the 2016 Games. But we have yet to play host to the World Championships.

Rather ironic when one takes into consideration that we are routinely at the top of the medal charts come Worlds. We lead the way on the track, its time we stepped up to lead the way off the track. Hosting the World Championships is one way to take a step towards that lead position - not to mention the benefits it would have for the sport here in the US.

Hosting the Worlds would bring the sport's top track and field athletes to the United States. Not just one or two at a time, but an entire week of the best in the world competing right here at home. And with New York and Eugene becoming members of the new Diamond League and these meets moving to the summer, we could see a huge bump in the number of top level athletes participating in these meets as well! The end result would be three VERY high class track competitions taking place on US soil. The level of which is typically only seen in Europe.

There is no greater way to bring the sport to life here in the United States. Soccer experienced a huge rise in popularity in the US during the mid to late 90's - due in large part to the FIFA World Cup being hosted by the United States for the first time in 1994. Since then we have hosted the Women's World Cup in 1999 and 2003 - further strengthening soccer's image in this country and maintaining the fervor that the sport enjoys here. Hosting the World Championships in Track and Field could pay the same sort of dividends in terms of popularity and awareness of the sport in this country.

And now would be a most opportune time to place such a bid. President Obama is a big sports fan and just last week met with the head of FIFA to lobby on behalf of the US effort to host another World Cup. So it is conceivable that his aid could be enlisted in putting together a bid to host the World Championships of Track and Field.

We're long overdue. Our athletes are showcased all over the world, its time to showcase them right here at home. And in spite of our placings in meets all over the world including the Olympics and Worlds, I do not believe that the rest of the world takes us seriously as the "leader" in the sport. Hosting a Worlds would go a long way towards overcoming some of the negativity that has come our way over the past decade and assuming a leadership position internationally. It's time to step up and make that move.

Stockholm is in the Books - Next Stop Berlin

Stockholm closed out the first half of the European Circuit in fine style. Several potential medal contenders competed and gave us some indication of how they might perform in Berlin. Among them:

Jeremy Wariner (US), 400 meters. Wariner won handily in Stockholm. But the time (44.83) and the manner in which he won the race (laid back and kicking in the end) didn't give me pause to believe he can beat Lashawn Merritt.

Allyson Felix (US), 200 meters. Felix gave the kind of performance we saw from her when she won World gold in 2005 and 2007. Fast on the turn, she lead into the straight and easily outdistanced the field down the straight to win in a world leading 21.88 - also a stadium record earning her the only diamond on the day. Anything close to this form in Berlin gives her the gold.

Dayron Robles (CUB), 110 hurdles. Robles is back in form after his bout with the flu. With Liu Xiang out of the picture this year, it doesn't appear there will be anyone in Berlin that an mount a formidable challenge to the WR holder.

Jenny Barringer (US), 5000 meters. Barringer had been missing from the European Circuit, until yesterday. All she did was set a new personal best (15:05.25). She looked fit, confident, and easily repelled the challenge of Russia's Natalya Popkova. Barringer will be competing at the shorter 3000 steeplechase in Berlin. She's definitely fit, let's see if she can get in there and get a medal.

Christin Wurth Thomas (US) 1500 meters. Wurth Thomas may have emerged from the shadows of others like Barringer and Shannon Rowbury yesterday. Christin (4:03.01) won the 1500 over Rowbury (4:05.47) and looked impressive as she powered along on the final lap to secure the win. With times of 4:01.72 and 3:59.98 to her credit, Wurth Thomas has become a real threat to get in the final in Berlin and make something happen.

Tyson Gay (US), 100 meters. Gay has a nagging groin problem and has lost some training time because of it. It didn't seem to affect him yesterday as he once again easily outran former WR holder Asafa Powell with a sizzling 9.79w (+2.6). Gay is clearly on pace to put up a stellar defense of the sprint titles he won in Osaka. Only Usain Bolt (JAM) truly stands in his path.

Stockholm was full of fine performances. Full meet results can be found here.

Now we get a two week break before the start of Worlds on August 15. Lots to review, and ponder before then.