SOME THINGS DON’T TRAVEL WELL. Vaulter Katie Nageotte recently had all of her poles broken in transit to a meet. “I’m not going to call out the airline because things happen, and they were great helping me!” she magnanimously tweeted…
Andrei Krauchanka, the ’08 Olympic decathlon silver medalist, went on a hunger strike in support of political prisoners arrested by the Belarusian government. He is also selling his ’11 Euro Indoor heptathlon gold to raise money for the campaign…
After winning the SEC 400H in 48.89, Texas A&M’s Moitalel Mpoke said he’s hoping to eventually break the Kenyan Record of 47.78: “My target is to run 47 seconds. I know it’s a tall order but quite achievable if I keep on prodding and being consistent.”…
Germany’s Ilse Bechtold died in May at 93. She was a longtime member and chair of the IAAF Women’s Committee…
In a bizarre and tragic situation in late May, 21 ultramarathoners died during a 100K (62M) mountain trail race in northwest China. A storm that wasn’t expected struck during the early stages of the run and brought severe wind, cold and rain and hail. Many of the runners died as a result of falls…
After running a standard 200 on a curve in cold and windy Gateshead, Vernon Norwood wasn’t shy in tweeting his opinion about the 200 on a straight street track at the same day’s Boost Boston Games: “Running 200m on a straight is a joke.”…
Caster Semenya still too fast? She got busted for speeding in South Africa in May. She was sentenced to 50 hours of community service…
Brandon Rock, the former Arkansas runner who placed 5th in the 800 at the ’95 Worlds, is now awaiting a second kidney transplant. He dealt with kidney issues throughout his running career and had a transplant in ’08. Now, doctors say, that organ is failing the 48-year-old.…
A prompt doping test is needed for WA record ratification and three recent performances didn’t clear that bar: 14:41 road 5K “WR” by Beth Potter (GB), and potential World Junior records at 400 by Athing Mu (50.24 indoors) and Christine Mboma of Angola (49.24 outdoors) …
A Kenyan newspaper said that if Timothy Cheruiyot wins the Olympic 1500 gold that would put him in line for a job promotion, Chief Inspector Of Prisons to Superintendent Of Prisons…
London’s Crystal Palace, the site of many historic competitions, has been left to rot according to coach John Powell: “As a competition venue it has pretty much expired. The condition of it is a scandal … It’s a shambles and totally at odds with the 2012 Olympic legacy.” Reportedly $780,000 has been set aside by the city for maintenance…
Georgia coach Petros Kyprianou has confirmed that he’s leaving the Bulldogs at the end of the season. After the NCAA he will announce where he’s going …
London may return to the business of the Olympics now that mayor Sadiq Khan has been reelected. As one of his campaign promises, he said that the British capital will make a bid to host its third Games in ’36 or ’40, noting that it will create “thousands of new jobs, boost tourism and solidify London as the sporting capital of the world.”…
Olympic long jump champion (and well-reviewed blogger) Tianna Bartoletta has released her memoir, Survive & Advance. The 372-page paperback is available everywhere books are sold…
Ethiopia chose to hold its Olympic marathon trials over a 35K distance (21.75M) at altitude south of Addis Ababa. The event had minor delays while officials cleared livestock from the course…
WADA has approved the use of the dried blood spot test for doping, with an eye toward having it in widespread use by ’22. It already will be used to an extent in Tokyo…
Two-time shot gold medalist Valerie Adams has a younger sister, Lisa, who is a world para champion in the same event. Coached by Valerie, she has cerebral palsy…
Triple jumper Will Claye wasn’t thrilled by the lack of field event coverage on TV at the USATF Grand Prix in Walnut. After the meet he tweeted, “My apologies to everyone that tuned in to NBC today and didn’t see not one jump. USATF was too busy clout chasing off DK [Metcalf] (I was impressed).” Claye then provided his followers a video of his winning jump…
Whether or not one counts the 1906 St. Louis “Olympics” as an official Olympics, we are going to see the 1000th Olympic track & field event contested in Tokyo, reports historian Bill Mallon. Right now the count is at 977 events, 998 if adding the 1906 competitions …
Stanford has decided to reinstate all 11 of the sports it had been planning to cut. The track/XC programs were not among the threatened teams…
The United States is withholding its $3 million support from WADA in an effort to force governance changes. The figure is about 7.3% of the organization’s budget. The White House is asking for “real progress and a path for more substantial future reforms.”…
UK Athletics and the organization that runs the London Olympic Stadium have reached an agreement after lawsuit threats went flying. This year’s Müller Anniversary Games, which had been planned for July 13, now will be held at an alternate site, as yet to be determined…
WADA has announced that its testing numbers are “quickly returning” to pre-COVID levels. Over 22,000 samples were tested in March, the highest number since the pandemic began, and in fact higher than ’19 levels…
Mondo Duplantis says he’s still in love with his event. “I think these past couple of years have been the most fun I’ve had jumping. Sometimes when I’m out on the track it just feels like I’m jumping in my backyard when I was 7 years old again. I still have a burning passion for it for sure.”…
The school board in San Anselmo, California, rechristened its high school to honor ’36 gold medalist in the 400, Archie Williams. The school had originally been named for explorer Sir Francis Drake, whose position on slave-trading and colonialism has come under fire…
Noah Lyles, noted for his flamboyant sock attire, has announced he’s moving on: “It’s with a heavy heart that I say I will no longer be running with socks and spikes. I will be transitioning to no socks and spikes. I would like to thank all my favorite socks for the great memories.”… □