With the final Diamond League in Brussels last week (btw, there was over 50,000 spectators. WOW!) bringing the 2013 outdoor season to a close, here are some things that stood out in 2013 and some things to look forward to in 2014.

• Clean sport??? Fat chance….

Once again, steroids and performance-enhancing drugs captured the headlines this 2013 outdoor season. Just like with football and baseball, track and field walks down the street on keeping up with the ever-evolving steroid and PHD usage of its athletes. In a sport where prize money and appearance fees make up the majority of an athlete’s annual income, winning at a high profile meet helps an athlete gain financial security for at least one more year. When you’re faced with either facing financial hardship because you keep finishing in the bottom of your events or taking a supplement that can help you earn big bucks, I can’t necessarily blame some track athletes for taking a chance and using PHD’s. I AM IN NO WAY SUPPORTING THE USAGE OF STEROIDS, but if I was in a situation where I need to win a big race to help put food on the table, steroids would seem like the easiest route to take. With the likes of Asafa Powell, VCB, and Tyson Gay getting flagged for their usage of PHD’s this season, it certainly put a grey cloud over the whole 2013 season. Ever since the days of Ben Johnson, and yes, I do believe Carl Lewis was just a guilty with taking PHD’s, the sport of track and field has been playing tug-o-war with their testing methods and trying to make the sport clean. While there were many highlights of the 2013 outdoor season, the stories of Tyson Gay and the Jamaican sprinters were certainly ones to throw in the trash.

• Changing of the guard

For the past decade, there has been a core nucleus of global track and field stars that have dominated the sport ever since the Athens 2004 Olympics. Athletes like Dwight Phillips, Angelo Taylor, Jeremy Warnier, Roman Sebrle, Tia Hellebaut, and many others are athletes that I and millions of other fans have looked up to the past decade. These athletes and many more have been on the tail-end of their careers for the past few years and have either retired or just been beaten by younger talent. The “changing of the guard” to this next crop of future track & field Olympians and hall-of-famers was something spectacular to watch. Those athletes helped paved the way for future track athletes and have inspired more athletes than they probably even know. It will be sad to not have those familiar faces winning competitions any more or making international teams, but it’s time for the new faces of track and field to take the stage! The likes of Brianna Rollins, Mary Cain, Tony McQuay, and Ashton Eaton are now the ones inspiring a whole new generation of track fans.

• The ultimate genetic child will soon be born

If there will ever be a more genetically gifted baby since Jesus himself, it will be the offspring of Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen-Eaton. The mega-track newlyweds wrapped up their 2013 (apart from the DecaStar multi-event here in this week) season with a World Champion Gold for Ashton, a World Championship silver medal for Brianne, and what I’m sure was a huge wedding ring that Ashton presented Bri during their wedding ceremony this summer. A combined 11 NCAA national titles between the two and 5 international championship medals, there is no shortage of talent in this couple. When Ashton and Bri decide to have a child, I’m sure the track world will look upon that moment like the entire world did with the royal baby this summer. That baby will have the genetic ability that only exists in video games and fantasy movies. Now the question is…what country will Little Eaton compete for???

Here are some things to potentially look forward to in the upcoming 2014 season

• Inaugural World Championship Relays

This will be the first installment of the IAAF World Championship Relays in 2014. To be held in Nassau, Bahamas, this event was inspired to help countries gain time qualifiers for future international meets and the Olympic Games.

IAAF president Lamine Diack says “The wonderful athletics competition in London has not only reinforced the appeal of our sport but specifically the popularity of relay races, which the spectators find dramatic and exciting.”

The event will be open to all IAAF member countries and have prize money of about $1.4 million. Events will include the 4×100- and 4×400-meter races — traditionally contested at the world championships and Olympics — as well as 4×200, 4×800 and the 4×1500.

This is an event that the world has never seen before and should provide some great excite to what is usually a rather dull season, being there is no world championship or Olympics.

• Bolt to Long Jump??

There have been rumors spreading around since the days of Bolt winning his first Olympic Gold in Beijing that his untapped talent might be in the long jump. The greats like Carl Lewis took their world-class speed to the runway and helped them become more than just a one-trick pony. An article published about two years ago quoted Bolt as to say he would like to try the long jump after the London Olympics. Well Usain, that time has passed and I’m sure I speak for most in that we would all be very interested to see the fastest man to ever live blaze down a long jump runway and just see how far the human body can jump. Bio-mechanists everywhere would be wetting their pants at this kind of opportunity.

•       What will Mary Cain do for an encore?

After one of the most successful seasons in prep & USA history, Mary Cain was nothing short of remarkable for a girl that hasn’t even experienced her high school senior prom. There was virtually nothing that Mary didn’t achieve in 2013, and left me wondering what she’ll do for an encore?? I’m sure Alberto will have her 2014 track schedule be somewhat “light” and the story to watch will be to see in Mary decides to attend college or turn professional. The future is bright for this distance protégé.

•  Breakthrough athletes
  

With 2014 being a non-championship year, many of the sport’s top athletes like to use this season as one to rest, recuperate, and reboot the engines for the next two seasons leading into the next Olympics in Rio. Unfortunately for track fans around the world, the non-championship season usually proves to be somewhat “boring” compared to the previous years. On the flipside, this season provides great opportunity for those athletes that don’t grab the headlines a chance to “breakthrough” and send a message that they are to be a contender in the next few years. Perfect examples of this breakthrough came in 2010 with David Rudisha and Ashton Eaton:

• David Rudisha was ranked #1 in the world by Track & Field News in 2009 in the men’s 800m but his youth and inexperienced left him watching the 2009 World Championship 800m final from the stands. It could have been easy for Rudisha to pack it in for the 2010 and gear up for Daegu in 2011, but what Rudisha did in 2010 was nothing short of remarkable. Rudisha would set the track world ablaze by breaking the World Record in the 800m at 1:41.09 in Berlin; breaking a world record that had not be touched since 1997. He would go on to re-break the record a week later in Reiti at 1:41.01. Rudisha would go on to win the 2011 World Championship in Daegu and would go on to re-break his world record in the London Olympic 800m final. David’s rise to the greatest 800 meter runner of all-time all started in 2010
• Ashton Eaton had experienced much success leading up to the 2010 season. (For more information on Ashton’s story, see “track and field late bloomers” in this blog). Ashton’s 2009 season was full of success; which saw him win both the NCAA indoor and outdoor title and earn a spot on Team USA in Berlin. Even with all that success, Ashton still hadn’t cracked the top 10 World list in the decathlon. Ashton kicked off his 2010 season by breaking the indoor world record in the heptathlon, and winning his third NCAA title in the decathlon. Ashton would go on to finish the 2010 season as the #2 ranked decathlete in the world by Track & Field News. Ashton’s career took off after the 2010 season – which saw him win a World Championship silver medal in 2011 and gold medal in 2013; along with breaking the world record in the decathlon at the USA Olympic Trials and earning an Olympic gold in London.

While it’s difficult to predict the “sleepers” of the sport in 2014, there are a few athletes to keep your eye on that could pull an Ashton or David and help jumpstart their career heading into Rio 2016:

• Adam Gemili (Great Britain)

This 20-year-old from Great Britain spent most of his life playing soccer and has just recently started to develop his track and field talents. Gemili won a gold medal over 100 meters at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona. His winning time of 10.05 seconds established a new championship record and is the second fastest ever run by a European junior. Gemili competed at the 2012 London Olympics where he, after a poor start, came third in the semi-final in a time of 10.06, just 0.04 short of qualifying for the final. He managed to qualify for the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow for the 200m. In his semi-final, he clocked a time of 19.98, the second fastest time of any Brit in that distance. He would go on to finish 5^th in the final. This young sprint star is one to watch out for in the next few years.

• Kori Carter (USA)

After a breakout NCAA season that saw her take down an NCAA record in the 400m hurdles – establishing the #2 time in the world and cementing herself as a favorite for a medal in Mosocw. Kori would come down with a stomach bug that prevented her from running the rounds at USA outdoors and basically shut her season down after that (ran a diamond league meet in London but didn’t show the form that saw her win NCAA’s). Until I looked through the 2013 World list, Kori had basically slipped from my mind and was an afterthought. One thing is for certain, we can expect BIG things from Ms. Carter in 2014 and certain in the years to come. 2014 will be Kori’s coming out party to let the know the world she’s here to play.

Now that the sun has set on the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, let’s give out some “Movie” awards for what stood out, for better or worse, during those 10-days of competition in Russia

In the running for best picture

“Middle-Distance Dominance”

Producer: Team USA

Supporting cast: Ajee Wilson, Alysia Montano, Brenda Martinez, Duane Solomon, Nick Symmonds, Mary Cain, Jenny Simpson, Matt Centrowitz

     This story is sure to be a “box-office” hit with the USA middle distance crew making history in Moscow that no other country has ever been able to do. Over the recent decade, the Africa countries have traditionally dominated the middle-distance and long distance running events at major international championships. The USA usually was bringing up the rear during those races; always celebrating for just getting an athlete into the final – the place meaning absolute bubkiss. Recently, there has been a resurgence of young talent in the middle-distance races for the United States. Over the past few international events, not only has the USA been qualifying individuals for international finals, but making our presence known by being legitimate medal contenders. This resurgence was ignited at the 2011 World Championships when Matt Centrowitz earned a bronze medal in the 1500m run, and Jenny Simpson earning a gold medal in the 1500m run; the first medal in the 1500m run for a United States won since the days of Mary Decker in the 1980′s. I know I was skeptical in thinking it was just a lucky race for Matt and Jenny, and that the USA couldn’t possibly be keeping up with the Kenyans and Ethiopians of the distance world. I ate my words after seeing what the USA did in Moscow. The USA asserted itself as a legit power in the middle-distance world because of this one statistic:

The USA is the only country ever to have a medalist in both the 800m and 1500m for both genders in a World Championship.”

I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard that. USA middle distance crew was arguably the best team ever in a world championships?? No…someone must have us confused for someone else. It wasn’t like we just had one stud in each event that earned their medal and walked off the track; the USA has multiple entries in the finals for each race (besides the men’s 1500m) – including 3 entries in the women’s 800m. Nick Symmonds (men’s 800m silver), Brenda Martinez (women’s 800m bronze), Matt Centrowitz (men’s 1500m silver) and Jenny Simpson (women’s 1500m silver) have brought middle distance a point of pride for Team USA and all of the track fans in the states. The highlight of this blockbuster was the women’s 800m where Brenda Martinez became the first American women to win a medal in the 800m, and Ajee Wilson (19yo) broke an American Junior record. For the first time in a LONG time, the middle distance performances were the highlight of an international meet, and by far out-shadowed the ever-popular sprinting events. I give “Middle-Distance Dominance” 5 stars and two-thumbs up!

Two-thumbs down

“Unprofessional”

Producer: Nike

Supporting Cast: Brad Walker

     This box-office is one that just pisses me off. Being professional in track & field is a very tall task and requires an athlete to maintain a certain level of performance in order to stay sponsored by the certain company they sign with. In some cases, companies can terminate an athlete’s contract without advanced notice and can leave the athlete in limbo. The most recognizable and largest sponsor of track & field in the shoe giant Nike. They have been a great supporter of USA track & field ever since the days of it’s inception in the late 1970′s. They also have very strict, binding contracts that require athletes to maintain a certain level of performance and ranking in order for Nike to keep them under contract. With all the great things that Nike does, the definitely took a nose-dive into the ground with this story. For the better part of the last 8 years, American pole vaulter, Brad Walker, has been the best American vaulter and consistently one of the top vaulters in the world. The American Record Holder has had some recent set backs in the last few years, including a no-mark in the London Olympic final, that has made his contract deal with Nike very fragile, ultimately giving Brad the ultimatum that he could accept Nike’s “gear only” contract or leave the company all together. Walker chose to leave Nike during the 2013 season and competed unattached for the majority of the indoor and outdoor season. After winning another USA outdoor title this past outdoor season, Walker reluctantly signed with Nike before the World Championships; citing that he was interested in the monetary bonus he would receive if he were to medal at Worlds. Back on the Nike train, Walker demonstrated the form that saw him win the World Championships in 2007. While he finished off the podium in 4th place, he definitely put on a great show and represented the USA very well. The story takes a downhill turn when Walker was informed after the competition that Nike dropped his contract on the spot due to Brad placing tape over a defective velcro strap that helped bind his laces down. Nike said that Brad should not have covered up the Nike logo with the tape and thus were terminating his contract.

**Call me crazy…but I would want to make sure I was in the best position to compete at the highest level. If that means taping down a defective velcro strap so I don’t have to worry about the strap flopping around while I’m running, then so-be-it. NEWS FLASH Nike: Brad is moving too damn fast down the runaway for anyone to see your precious logo on the shoes! Not like people can look at the other 50 Nike swooshes on the uniform and know that Brad was a Nike athlete. We are too busy watching the actual performance of the athlete than worrying about the shoes he is wearing.

Anyways, the uproar that ensued on social media following that news was an overwhelming support for Brad Walker and his situation. Brad added fuel to the fire by auctioning off every single piece of clothing and gear on eBay that Nike had ever provided him. I think I stand for most people that we fully support Brad Walker and will be anxious to see what company he signs with in the future. (I’d think it’d be great marketing for Brad to go to Adidas and team up with Jenn Suhr. Having the American Record Holder in both the men’s and women’s pole vault would be a great sales point). While stories like Brad/Nike probably happen more than we know, I applaud Brad for bring some much needed attention to the reality of professionalism in track & field and how extremely difficult and cut-throat it is.

Going Straight to DVD

“Forgettable”

Producer: IAAF

Supporting cast: All track and field athletes

     While there were many fantastic moments during the 2013 World Championships in Moscow from Bolt adding 3 more world titles to his resume to the fantastic finish in the women’s 400m and epic battle in the men’s HJ – the majority of the meet was somewhat forgettable. From the lack of international stars that were not competing, to the lack of attendance and empty stands, to the once again terrible announcing by the NBC commentators, Moscow 2013 certainly will be a world championships that will disappear from my mind here in about 2 weeks. The lack of star power in selected events – mainly due to injuries and PED’s – certainly made some of the events less exciting. The absence of Tyson Gay, Blanka Vlasic, David Rudisha, Veronica Campbell-Brown and many others made it more difficult for the track & field fan to get excited about certain events when half of the field were athletes that were athletes that probably would not have made the finals of their events in the big-name stars were there. But you could also flip that around and say it gave athlete that don’t normally get the opportunity to run in a finals a chance to make the most of their experience. 

**I think I speak for most people that while I respect Dwight Stones and his athletic accomplishments, he has to go as an announce! His forgetfulness of the athletes and teams on the track is more evident than ever, and his habit of rambling on about events he has no business announcing is very frustrating. His announcing at NCAAs and USAs was embarrassing and Worlds wasn’t much better.

One instance that comes to mind during the USA outdoor broadcast was during the decathlon 400m. Gunnar Nixon had been in the lead after the HJ and was in the same heat of the 400m as Ashton. It is no secret that the 400m is one of Ashton’s best events and his times are by FAR more world class than 99% of the decathletes. While Ashton ran somewhere in the 46.x – Dwight had the audacity to announce that Gunnar was “..really struggling in lane 2 to finish.” Okay Dwight….let’s see you go run a 48.x second 400m in the humid heat like Gunnar did and we’ll see how well you struggle. Dwight Stones needs to go!!

Some observations and events to look forward to after the first 4 days of Worlds

1.) Sleepy Americans

            -Maybe it’s just me, but the first couple of days in Moscow, it seemed like Team USA was sleep walking through their events. I’m sure there are a number of variables to consider with the weather, time difference, etc. but Team USA certainly did not come out ready to make a statement.

·         2x time World Long Jump champion Brittney Reese BARELY made the LJ final; taking the last qualifying spot into the final – which needed to go to the 2nd best jumps for Reese and Jimoh to break a tie. Reese would go on to win her 3rd consecutive world title, but she certainly had to scrap from the bottom to make it.

·         The USA decathletes were all over the board on Day 1. Ashton Eaton got off to a blistering start in the 100m as usual but his LJ, Shot, and HJ were all well under his PR’s for those events, and if not for a convincing 400m dash to finish out day 1, Ashton was giving the other decathletes hope that he was vulnerable and potentially beatable at Worlds. Ashton was quoted in his post-400m interview that he felt like he was just going through the motions during the 1st couple of events, and didn’t feel like he was mentally prepared. Ashton snapped out of his funk and would go on to win his first World title. The decathlon also saw 2x defending World Champion Trey Hardee bow out of the competition after a no-mark in the High Jump; citing a hamstring cramp that he was unable to work out during the high jump. Jeremy Taiwo of the USA had to remove himself from the competition after the shot put due to a knee injury. Day 1 was certainly a day to forget for the USA decathletes – except for Gunnar Nixon, who we’ll talk about later.

·         The USA men and women pole vaulters seem to under-perform this year with only Brad Walker and Jenn Suhr making the men’s and women’s final respectively. The qualifying marks for both the men’s and women’s competitions were not overly high and should have been an a doable mark for our vaulters. The pole vault, especially on the men’s side, has been a point for pride for the USA ever since the late 1990′s and early 2000′s, so it’s somewhat disappointing that the USA has fallen off the map in the pole vault world in the past few years.

2.) Youngsters came to PLAY!!

            The bright lights and fierce competition did not seem to faze the youngsters of Team USA; at least not on the outside. Gunnar Nixon, Arman Hall, Octavious Freeman, Erica Bouggard, and Mary Cain all performed like seasoned professionals and showed the rest of the world what to expect in Beijing in 2015 and Rio in 2016. Here is how the Team USA members who are 20 years or younger performed:

·         Gunnar Nixon threw down PR’s left and right on Day 1 and finished Day 1 in 2nd place overall; just 9pts off the lead. At just 20 years old, Nixon was a legitimate threat to win a medal in the most difficult event in track & field. Nixon finished with a solid second day and a new PR of 8312pts – the high score by an U20 American ever. A 2012 World Junior Champion is no stranger to international competition, but I think few expected Nixon to perform as well as he did. With a few more years of growth and physical maturity, Nixon looks to be a medal contender in future world championships and in Rio.

·         The 19-year-old Arman Hall is no stranger to international competition; winning the 2011 World Youth title and earning a 2nd place finish in the 2012 World Junior Championships. The soon-to-be sophomore at Florida ran both the prelims and semi-finals in 45.5x times but was unable to reach the finals. Arman would have needed to break 45.0 secs to reach the finals, but will still play a big role on the USA 4×400 relay team.

·         Mary Cain kicked off her World championships by qualifying to the semi-finals in the 1500, and then followed that up by unleashing her tenacious kick to earn a spot in the 1500m final; something a teenager has not done since the days of Mary Decker in the 1980′s. I’m putting it out there that I think Mary Cain will win a World Championship medal? What kind…does it really matter??

·         Octavious Freeman, the 20 year old from Central Florida (has since turned professional when she signed with Adidas) ran great prelims and semi-finals to make her first international final – being the youngest member in the final. While she finished last in the final, she has gained very valuable knowledge that will help her in the future. Still look out for her in the 4x100m, as the US team looks to take aim at the WR again.

·         Erica Bouggard is a junior-to-be at Mississippi State and competed in her first World Championships. The reigning NCAA champion in the indoor heptathlon and runner up in the outdoor heptathlon made it to Moscow by her 3rd place finish at US Nationals. While she finished in the bottom half of the heptathlon in Moscow, she is still just 20 years old and has a bright future in the heptathlon for Team USA.

3.) We may have seen the best of Usain Bolt.

            The days of 9.5x for Bolt could very well be in the rear-view mirror. At 26 years, Bolt, is running out of time in terms of age. The life span of a sprinter is usually very short (most reach their peak around 26) – due to the high frequency of injuries, the intense demand it puts on the body, and difficulty it is to cut time once you get down below the 10-sec mark. With Bolt being 28 years old by the next World Championships and 29 years old by Rio, Bolt will be on the back end of his sprinting career if the history of sprinting is correct. It will be an even greater task for Bolt to reach the form that saw him break the world records in both 100m and 200m in 2009. There are always exceptions to the life span “rule” – i.e. Kim Collins winning a world bronze medal at age 35, but history is definitely not on Bolt’s side. I think the World Records that Bolt has set will be untouched by him or anyone else for the foreseeable future. **There has always been rumors and talk that Usain will branch out into the 400m or even the long jump, so while we may have seen the best of Bolt in the short sprints, we haven’t seen the untapped potential that lies in his long jumping abilities. With no international finals in 2014, Bolt might begin his experimentation in the long jump. We’ll have to wait and see.

4.) USA Championships wasn’t the only meet with empty stands

            As disheartening as it sounds from an Iowan’s perspective, Des Moines was actually a great way to prepare Team USA for Moscow. The hot, humid air and the half-filled stands is almost a carbon copy of what the athletes are dealing with in Moscow. It’s not something to celebrate or brag about, but has some irony attached to it. For those that are unfamiliar with how track has evolved in the USA, it used to be that the US trials would be in a similar weather conditions and altitude to that of the host city for the Olympics. The best example was in 1968 when the Olympics were held in Mexico City. Being that Mexico City sits at a high altitude, the Olympic Trials were held in Lake Tahoe to give a representation of what the athletes will face at the Olympics – also seeing who could handle the conditions and races in that atmosphere. Although Des Moines shouldn’t be proud of the Outdoor Championships they put on, it turned out to be a good representation of the conditions and crowds that the athletes would compete in Moscow.

There has been some great performances by Team USA and other runners across the board. With all the turmoil of steroids and injuries surrounding track and field more than ever this summer, it’s great to finally put all of the gossip aside and get back to racing. I will be very anxious to see what the next few days have in store. I am most looking forward to the Men’s HJ final. Should be a doozey!!

What’s been your favorite moment of the World Championships so far?? Write your response by clicking “reply” below!

With the World Championships in Moscow just weeks away and most athletes finished with Diamond League meets for now, it’s a great time to take a look at the top 5 story lines going into Worlds and some things to keep an eye on

1.    #Cansanity:

      Stealing the headlines whenever she stepped on the track, Mary Cain has had the most dominate season of any high school track runner since the days of Gerry Lindgren back in the 1960s. She has set 13 records over this indoor and outdoor season – ranging from USA high school national records to USA junior national records and World Youth Bests. Listing all her accomplishments this year would take a week to do, but I’m sure her biggest accomplishment was running her way onto the USA World Championship team with her 2nd place finish at USA Outdoors. Just barely 17, Mary has had little experience on the world stage. She competed in the 2012 World Junior Championships; finishing 6th in the 1500m with a time of 4:11 – a time that was a new national high school record but was broken again by Mary this year at 4:04. While Mary has only raced in the World Juniors and in a diamond league meet in London this year, I’m sure her coach Alberto Salazar will have her well prepared for what I’m sure will be very tactical racing in Moscow. Mary has demonstrated time and time again that she has the “kick” of a seasoned veteran, and I’m sure will pay her huge dividends in the slow, tactical races that World Championships always pan out to be. Do not be surprised to see Mary in the finals of the 1500m if the races depend on a finishing kick. Mary has shown she can drop the hammer when needed – demonstrating said kick at USA Outdoors; closing the final 400m with a 58 second split. Most high school girls her age would be happy to run a 58 second 400m using blocks and having fresh legs. I might be the one to say that Mary COULD be in the hunt for a medal if all her “moons” are aligned and she runs close to her PR of 4:04. Jenny Simpson won the World Championships in 2011 with a winning time of 4:05, so if the race comes down to that kind of time, Mary has just of a fair chance as anyone.  Look out for Cansanity in Moscow!

2.    Cake walk for Usain Bolt:

      At the beginning of the outdoor season, optimism was at an all-time high that the men’s 100 in Moscow would be a race for the ages. After the London 100m dash final which saw Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay, and Ryan Bailey all break the 9.85 barrier, experts predicted the same type of race in the finals in Moscow. At the start of the outdoor season, Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin were making statements left and right that they were ready to play this season. Consistently running under 10 seconds and demonstrating the type of endurance it takes to run the rounds in Moscow. The ultimate showdown came at 2013 USA Nationals when Tyson Gay brought the heat -  running a 9.75 to Gatlin’s 9.89. Tyson Gay showed he was back to his old form that saw him win 3 gold medals at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka. But after that meet is when the wheels came off for Tyson, the track and field community, and the showdown in the 100m finals in Moscow.

·         Yohan Blake had been bothered by a bum hamstring most of the outdoor season and had to withdraw from Moscow and not defend his world title.

·         Ryan Bailey, London Games 5th place finisher, had shut his season down fairly early after a few meets due to injury.

·         Usain had run a few races, but not displaying his dominate form like much of the world was used to seeing – an early defeat by Justin Gatlin raised questions as to whether Bolt was losing a step or if he was more vulnerable to defeat than in years past. If there’s one thing that track fans should know is that Usain could give two-shits about “small” diamond league meets; when the bright lights are on, Usain Bolt put his pre-race dance moves into full gear and delivers record performances.

·         The track world came to a grinding halt when it was found that Tyson Gay had tested positive for a banned substance; later found out that it was a DHEA cream that caused the positive test. Along with several other track superstars, PHD’s have been a blemish on the 2013 track and field year. The world leader in both the 100 and 200 was out of the World Championships. The grand showdown that everyone looking forward to since the London 100m final was evaporating in front of our eyes. The top 5 from London “rematch” is now a battle between Bolt and Gatlin. While the 100m will always attract attention because people want to know who the world’s fastest man is, the list of names that will be in the 100m final will probably be names that are not usual “visitors” to a 100m international final. Regardless, Bolt will most likely reclaim his world title again.

3.    Brianne Rollins world record??

      At just 21 years of age, Brianne Rollins has had one of the most dominate hurdle seasons in recent memory. Training under coach Lawrence Johnson at sprint/hurdle powerhouse, University of Clemson, Brianne Rollins has been creeping up the USA descending order list the past few years. She has progressively been getting better each year – with her sophomore campaign ending in a 5th place finish at the 2012 USA Olympic Trials. She kicked off her 2013 indoor season for the Tigers with a new NCAA National record in the 60m hurdles; the record once held by Ginnie Powell (Crawford) at 7.84. The record would be broken 3x by Rollins during the duration of the indoor season – making her the most dominant indoor hurdler in NCAA history. All of this success despite Coach Johnson leaving the program in the winter. Brianne would continue that same success and energy into the outdoor season; running slightly faster than her previous PR in the 100H, but nothing in comparison to what she would show the world at NCAA Outdoors in Eugene. In the prelims of the 100H, Rollins would break Ginnie Powell’s outdoor record – running a blistering 12.47. That new NCAA record also put her #1 in the world in 2013, and making her spot on the USA World Championship team more of a possibility. With the USA women’s 100H arguably to most difficult team to make, it is never a certainty on who will make the USA team. On any given day, there are a least 8 women who have a legitimate chance to make the team. Almost always, the US leaves behind a few hurdlers that didn’t make the team and could easily make the final of the World or Olympic 100H race. Rollins proved her prelim time was not a fluke and ran even faster! Her time of 12.39 in the NCAA final just about blew my mind as well as millions of other track fans. A relatively unknown hurdler just a few years ago was now a legitimate threat for a gold medal in Moscow, provided that she qualifies for Moscow via USA Outdoor Nationals.

      Rollins continued that energy into USA nationals a few weeks later, once again running blistering times in both the prelims and semi-finals – albeit wind-aided marks. On a sun-filled, breezy day – Rollins decided to turn up the heat on the track by running a new AMERICAN record in an earth-shattering time of 12.26!!! Taking down the great Gail Devers’ record of 12.33 – she was only .05 seconds of the World Record time of 12.21. Just seems like she gets faster and faster every time she steps out on the track, so it’s not that far-fetched of an idea that we could see a world record in the women’s 100H in Moscow provided the conditions are right! Move over Yordanka Donkova! (World record holder from Bulgaria. 12.21 set in 1988)

4.    Men’s High Jump competition for the ages:

      The men’s HJ final in my opinion is the event to watch in Moscow. A jumping match for the ages brings together 4 jumpers that have all jumped at least 7’8 3/4″ (2.36m) this year. Leading the charge and pre-meet favorite, Bohdan Bondarenko for Ukraine, has been by far the most consistent jumper this year. Jumping just short of 7’11″ (2.41 in Lausanne) this year, Bondarenko has taking cracks at the world record of 2.45m in several meets and has been close of several occasions. The World record of 2.45m (8’1/2″) hasn’t been touched in over 25 years and is in serious jeopardy in Moscow.

      Close of his heels is Mutaz Essa Barshim from Qatar. A 2010 World Junior gold medalist, Mutaz has been climbing the ladder in the high jump world over the past few years; jumping an impressive 2.40m this outdoor season at the Pre Classic in June. Don’t let his skinny frame fool you, Mutaz can JUMP!

      The jumper who never fails to bring the “show” – both with his colorful socks and post-jump acting to his actual jumping talent, Erik Kynard of the USA, has been the most dominate jumper in the US in 2013. Reaching his PR of 2.37m this outdoor season, Kynard is looking to round into form in Moscow and back up his silver medal performance in London last year.

      The last jumper who will undoubtedly shake things up is the tall, lanky brunette from Canada, Derek Drouin. While his PR (2.36m) is the lowest out of the 4 jumpers mentioned, Drouin has achieved the most accolades in 2013. After his bronze medal finish in the London Olympics, Drouin would win both the indoor and outdoor NCAA National Championships in 2013, beating Kynard in the process. A Bowerman finalist, Drouin looks to sneak onto the medal stand in Moscow. I normally wouldn’t call a ~7’9″ jumper a “dark horse” but Drouin might just be the dark horse of the HJ final with the other 3 the medal favorites in my opinion. Regardless, this men’s HJ final in Moscow should be an instant classic.

5.    Anyone’s race in the men’s 800m:

      After a sensational London Olympics 800m final which saw not only the top 8 break 1:44, but David Rudisha re-break his world record and inch ever closer to the 1:39 mark. Nijel Amos and Timothy Kitum, silver and bronze respectively in London, were teenagers (U18) at the time and showing great promise for the future of the men’s 800m in international competition. Setting the tone for future 800m finals to come, 2013 will not have the same star power that was displayed with all three medalists from London (Rudisha, Amos, and Kitum) withdrawing from Moscow. This has opened the door for any number of athletes to win that coveted world championship. With Duane Solomon of the USA being the world leader at 1:43.27 and having run consistently great races this whole outdoor season, he has to be considered one of the favorites. The dreaded kick of Nick Symmonds can never be ignored and has to be considered a threat for a medal, and you can never count out Mohamed Aman from Ethopia as a huge threat; one to “de-throne” Rudisha in 2011, breaking Rudisha’s 20+ race winning streak. While the personnel may not have the great credentials that Rudisha, Amos, and Kitum have -  it will surely be a great race in Moscow.

If you have any headlines that you think people should watch in Moscow, be sure to write your replay below!!