World Track & Field Championship

The track & field championships begin Friday night, from Beijing, China, in the “Birds Nest” stadium, the sight of the 2008 Olympic games.

If you are into free gambling, try the Letsrun.com contest. They have each athlete currently scheduled for every event, along with some of their results over the past few years, in a table. You simply pick the top three finishers in each event for the chance to with up to $20k/year for 10 years, along with many other significant prizes.

Think of the contest like selecting winners at a horse racing venue. How recently did they win? What are some of their recent times? How do they perform under pressure? Any injury issues? 

I did pick local Olympian Jenn Suhr, our pole vaulter from Roberts Wesleyan College, to finish in the top three. I also picked Usain Bolt not to win a gold medal, I think Justin Gatlin will beat him out this year in the 100m and 200m races. I  think Galen Rupp will medal in the men’s 10,000 meter race and Evan Jager will win the first gold medal ever for the U.S. in the Steeplechase. Molly Huddle, from the southern tier of NY (Elmira) will medal in the women’s 10,000 meter race. 

Television coverage of the championships is spotty, with most of the events on Universal Sports, which Time Warner doesn't offer without paying an extra $9/month.

World Track & Field Championships

Our local athletes had mixed results at the World T&F Championships held in Moscow over the last two weeks. Molly Huddle, from Elmira, NY finished 6th in the 5,000m race with a time of 15:05. The top five women were from Ethiopia or Kenya.

Marathoner Jeff Eggleston, a Greece Arcadia graduate, ran a 2:14:23 marathon and was the top American finisher in 13th place. The winner ran a 2:09:51. The beginning temperature was 73 degrees, it seems the Olympics and World Championships don't ever really care about the health of the long-distance athletes. The women's marathon was in hotter and more humid conditions, the 10k races similar.

Jenn Suhr, American record holder in the pole vault, multi-time USA champion, won the Silver medal with a final vault of 15'9 3/4". Jenn grew up in Fredonia, went to college at Roberts Wesleyan and now lives in Churchville.

Lopez Lomong, from Tully High School, south of Syracuse (I saw him run xc in high school, so count him as a local runner), did not advance past the semi-finals in the 1500m race qualifying.

Miranda Melville, from Rush-Henrietta high school, had a pr of 1:34:56 in the 20k race walk (about an 8:40 pace) but was DQ'ed from the event in Moscow.

London Olympics 2012

I love the Olympics! Imagine waiting four years hoping to qualify for your national team, making it, then training to peak for one day, one special race or event. Talk about reality television, it doesn't get anymore real than that!

The first Olympics I remember watching on television were 1968, held in Mexico City, I was eleven years old. I felt horrible for Jim Ryun when he "only" won the silver medal in the 1500meters. The broadcasters and newspapers ripped Ryun apart for not getting the gold. I saw Bob Beamon come out of nowhere to set the world record in the long jump. I remember the tension when sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave the Black Power Salute during the medal ceremony.

Now sports fans wait for the drama to unfold in London. I'm a runner, so the track and field events are my favorite. Here is the schedule. Watch for Molly Huddle, a 5,000 meter runner who grew up near Elmira and competed in the Rochester area many times.(finals 8/10). Of course Jenn Suhr, the world class pole vaulter who graduated from Roberts Wesleyan College, is competing (finals 8/6). The women's marathon is Sunday, August 5 and men's marathon Sunday, August 12.

Western NY people will also be cheering for Ryan Lochte in swimming (he lived in the Bristol area until 12) and Abby Wambach, Mercy High School graduate in soccer.

Other favorite sports to watch are equestrian, beginning July 28, cycling, swimming and the triathlon. The truth is I watch almost everything (except rythmic dancing, sailing, trampoline-when did that become an Olympic sport?, badminton, handball and water polo). I understand a degree of athleticism, years of practice, the difficulty involved, especially water polo, but they aren't usually exciting to sit there and watch a whole game.