The Endless Winter
To say that the lingering snow season in much of the country was frustrating to many is probably an understatement. The SUNY Cortland staff, after two weather-canceled meets in three weeks, put on the “Please Stop Snowing Team Classic” in early April, drawing 7 other teams on a day that the conditions finally let up…
The apparent indoor World Junior Record in the 1500—3:36.05—that was set by Ethiopian Samuel Tafera in January will not be ratified for lack of a drug test. Sadly, this often happens to the U20 crowd, since rarely is anybody expecting them to set a record…
Even in retirement, Andrew Wheating can’t stay far from the track. He is helping coach runners at Madison High School in Portland…
The British government will be investing $95 million into improvements for Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, which will be hosting the ’22 Commonwealth Games. Currently the home of the Birmingham DL meet, the stadium’s seating will be boosted from 12,700 to 40,000 and get a permanent warmup track.
Retired German vaulter Tim Lobinger has been diagnosed again with leukemia…
An armed man threatened the Miami Gardens Xpress while its young athletes were holding hands in prayer. Police later arrested the perpetrator and charged him with aggravated assault with a firearm…
Scratch That Idea
Laura Muir announced that she would be working with Nike Oregon Project strength and conditioning coach Dave McHenry, but did an about-face when many in Britain pointed out the ongoing investigation into NOP and Muir’s own statements about doping…
German authorities arrested 6 people for planning an extremist attack on the Berlin Half-Marathon…
Tennessee Relays organizers recognized sprint great Ivory Crockett for his 100-yard WR of 9.0 from ’74 at the school’s Tom Black Classic. Both Christian Coleman and Justin Gatlin were part of the ceremony, which sadly, did not include an actual 100-yard dash. The fastest time on record is the 9.07 that Asafa Powell of Jamaica split en route to a 9.83 100m in Ostrava in ’10. The best U.S. mark—and the best-ever in a race that ended at 100y—is Charlie Greene’s 9.21 that won the ’67 NCAA title in Provo’s high-altitude.
Miler Riley Masters is marrying Sara Sutherland this September. So of his final stages in the USATF road mile champs at Drake, he says, “I was in second place with about 40m to go and thought, ‘If I win this it’s a lot more money for the wedding.’” He won in 4:03.12, worth $5000.
Atlanta has been chosen to host the ’20 Olympic Marathon Trials on February 29, 2020—the day before the Atlanta Marathon.
Peter Norman, the Australian great who shared the controversial 200 victory stand in Mexico City with Tommie Smith and John Carlos, has been posthumously awarded the Order of Merit by the Australian Olympic Committee.
Former 10,000 WR holder Dave Bedford is stepping down as elite athlete recruiter for the London Marathon after 30 years with the organization.
Jessica Chichester, the surprise 5th-placer at Boston, will not be receiving the prize money of $15,000 for that spot because she was not seeded with the top qualifiers and did not cross the starting line with the elite women. It would have taken a 2:47:50 to be allowed to start in the lead group. Chichester had a best of only 2:53:30 going into the race but finished with a 2:45:23. Two other women also missed out on cash prizes for that reason. “It’s not a time trial,” said a BAA official…
The European Athletics Council is all-in on the IAAF’s coming strictures on nationality switches and is asking that the waiting period be extended from 3 years to 4…
Tracking Football has found that 88% of the football players picked up in the recent NFL draft were multi-sport athletes in high school. Track & field claimed the biggest share, at 59%…
New IAAF rule changes in play this year: in the throws, incidental touches at the back of the circle will no longer be fouls (a little late for Ryan Crouser to grab the London gold); in the LJ/TJ, athletes don’t have to wear bibs on their backs (see Ivana Španović, London); and the exchange zone in the 4×1 is now a full 30m, rather than a 10m acceleration zone preceding the traditional 20m zone. □
