BEIJING -- Beneath the stricken faces of the American men's and women's relay runners Thursday night was an odd wardrobe malfunction: The bibs pinned to their chests were hand written.
The letters "USA" appeared to have been scrawled with black marker, unlike the professionally printed bibs worn by the rest of the world's teams. On a rainy night at the Bird's Nest, what used to be the three most-feared letters in sprinting were splotched and runny.
"We didn't get the right ones," women's 4x100-meter relay anchor Lauryn Williams said of the bibs. "I don't know why. It's just another weird thing that happened."
Agreed USA has hit rock bottom especially among the men in the field events hj,lj,tj.
Untitled Comment
06:20, 21 August 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
Id have to disagree. The men swept both the 400 meters and 400 meter hurdles, took 2nd and 3rd in the 200,3rd in the 100,2nd and 3rd in the 110 hurdles. The women took 2nd in the 400 hurdles,2nd in the 200, won the 100 hurdles, and 3rd in the 400. The 4by1 is really hard and unpredictable. THey are still doing well in my opinion
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07:42, 21 August 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
If it wasn't for the incredible talent and heart of our athletes we would not even have the results we have now. Outside of the collegiate system there is no support from USATF and USOC, while other countries around the world are making a dedicated effort to put together teams which can challenge us. Unless things change drastically we will be in the same boat 4 years from now and that is a shame.
Untitled Comment
09:17, 21 August 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
Only one with any sense on the T.V coverage was Bolden
NBC, get rid of the rest now. !! They have been around forever and still know nothing.
Great Job USA Track and Field Assoc. Coaches pathetic
keep favoring the same old same old. It is about the big schools and whomevers bandwagon the so called powers to
be are behind. They blew it in the jumps, selection process changed to make things easier for the bureau idiots. Totally pathetic
MR Bolt please shove it our face one more time, smile and laugh at us as our Track and Field leaders are incompetent
By the way, a relay is about sticks idiots.
Untitled Comment
09:59, 21 August 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
I have to disagree as well. I think we are doing good as a whole. Its just the things that "count" to other people were a lot less than kosher. It's funny how people aren't looking at the things that HAVE happened that were not expected by all the world. Things happen in the Track and Field world. It just sucks that almost everything that could happen, is happening at these games. I applaud my American Team. They are putting their hearts out there. They have worked hard. I don't blame them at all. It happens! This time, its just being watched by the entire world!
Better Coaches and more opporuntinies
10:19, 21 August 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
THIS IS WHY WE DO NOT NEED COLLEGES DROPPING MENS TRACK AND WHY SOME COACHES THAT ARE IN COLLEGES NEED TO STOP COACHING YOU ARE DOING MORE HURTING THEN HELPING. We need to do what we did with mens basketball and start coaching properly and giving the proper advise. I ran D1 track and had in my opinion one of the best coaches in Bill Walton @ JMU. HE NEVER SAID THAT HE WAS THE BEST COACH OR HIS WAY WAS THE BIBLE. You may say who has he coached PAUL LEWIS out of high school he ran 50point and 21.94, before he left he ran 45.78 20.78. A year after he grad Trained with Skeeter Jackson(GEORGE MASON'S old sprint coach) and ran 20.14. THESE COACHES ARE GOOD COACHES BUT YOU WILL NEVER KNOW OF THEM BECAUSE OF, JMU DROPPED MENS TRACK (but they still have womens and now they are going to be cutting the # of athletes he has), AND SKEETER JACKSON WAS DENIED THE HEAD POSITION @ GEORGE MASON. IF you are coaching for the $$$$ stop, and let coaches coach who are trying to make better athletes and people. AND YES I AM THE LAST ALLAME MALE athlete from JMU. Go do the math to find out who i am 2002indoor.
How to fix USA track & field
10:50, 21 August 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
Pick only the athletes that actually medal in their individual events (100,200,400) to be on the relays. There are too many athletes just going along for the ride... The letters USA have been taken for granted by our athletes.. A powerful meeting should be held with ALL track athletes to brainstorm ways to improve. X-Man (Xavier Carter) needs to get his act together, too. This track team reminds me of the '04 Men's basketball team... They have learned from their mistakes!!!!!!!!
Untitled Comment
10:54, 21 August 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
So do we believe that the problem starts in college with coaches that care more about bringing themselves publicity and getting bonus checks then training good athletes and good people? I do agree with the earlier points that we get very little help from our governing bodies in facilitating the talent and growth of every athlete instead of a select few. I believe that the biggest problem in usatf is the track and field politics. We would think that track was a very simple sport that people with the best times would be the ones getting the opportunities but we often times see older more established athletes get prefered treatment and prefered lanes in meets and they also get into alot of meets over faster athletes that they shouldnt be in. I have more to say but i dnt want to fill up the board.
Who said we are doing well?
11:14, 21 August 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
Are you kidding me? The women have been a total disaster. We lost our hero(gay) before it started. Even Benard Lagat wet the bed! Field events were no where to be seen. The only good things have been the 400 and 400h. I'm sure the mens 4x400 will dominate as well. Everything else has been shit. TIme either get back on the drugs or change the Trials format so everyone isn't peaking in June.
Untitled Comment
07:51, 22 August 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
I dont bealive the U.S has hit a complete bottom. you cant deny are prefoirmance last year at the world championships. we won the 100, 200, 400, 400H, 4x100,4x400, 1500 and a few other events. I think honestly the majority of our sprinters just choacked. Now do i think theres any amercan sprinters that can keep with bolt in the 100 and the 200 but we should have second through fourth of in the 200 we should have had second through fifth. ( if tyson gay had quailfied). And any race thats 400 metrs we should absolultly own. on both men and the womens side. And the relays should be no differnt. Dropping a baton is a middle school mistake and should never happen at that level. I dont care how shity the handoff just get the baton in the next guys hand.
