USATF vs The World

I know I know I am late as heck but, better late than never.

Over the past month or so a lot has been going on in the world of track and field. Many countries have been getting their Olympic Trials over with and getting their Olympic Teams finalized. ..here’s what the USATF has been up to… (all of this happened at the trials).

The Fam Debacle: Anthony Famiglietti is a very well established runner, 2 time Olympian to be exact. Famiglietti was three spot/less than a second away from the qualifying standard for the 3,000m steeplechase. Being the reigning US Trials Champion, one would have thought he would be able to make an appeal and be allowed entry into the race. So that’s what he did. He paid $250.00 to have an appeal opened and was literally robbed because he had to beat the results out of the USATF. His appeal to run was denied without adequate reasoning. It may have something to do with his previous sponsors, Adidas, Saucony, and he now runs under his own Reckless Running brand. USATF = another name for Nike. USATF MLDR Glenn Latimer called track fans “little wonks” when replying to emails from Famiglietti and his supporters.

Congrats on the son!!

Thank you, Anthony Famiglietti for following protocol, thank you for trying to give track fans what they deserve, a field of the best runners, and thanks for your relentless fight against the “powers that be”. More on the story can be read on Fam’s Blog.

which brings us to…

Alan Webb: Allowed to run in the 5,000m race because he reps the Swoosh on his chest. He was skipped over 10 runners with faster times than his. He was the slowest in the field by over 10 seconds!! How did he get accepted into an event he had no chance of making it to London in? He didn’t even have the A standard in his marquee event (1,500m) and he didn’t make the Olympic team in 2008. How did he get his appeal accepted? He went on to run a 14:01, one place away from DFL in the qualifying round! He then pulled out of the 1,500m.

Alan Webb rockin’ the REEBOK!! *gasps*

Congrats on the daughter!!

Brooks Running: 4 Brooks employees including their CEO were escorted from the US Trials. It was insane, Nike has a monopoly on every market for most major sports, and track and Field is a major sport so why not monopolize it? Nike in London.

 

Brooks = Bad Azz

Read more on the Brooks story here USATF kicks out Brooks Employees.

Allyson Felix/Jeneba Tarmoh: Damn! This was the biggest story at the Trials. Bigger than Ashton Eaton’s WR, bigger than Lolo Jones’ butt scratch that, she has NO ASS!

told ya

You can’t script shizz like this…or can you? Cycle back a few weeks ago to the Women’s 100m Final, Felix in lane 2, Tarmoh in lane 1. BANG, the gun goes off and Allyson Felix has a terrible start (Nike’s worst nightmare seeing how Felix is their poster child). Tarmoh, also a Nike athlete, has an amazing start and looks to be in the lead for the first 30m of the race. Felix’s strength brings her back into the race as she attempts to catch Tarmoh for the 3rd and final spot on the US Olympic 100m team. Just like that it’s over, Jeter in 1st, Madison in 2nd, and Tarmoh in 3rd with a 11.07, Felix came in 4th with an identical time. Fast forward a few minutes later and BAM, we have a tie! NEVER in my life have I heard of a tie on such a big stage for track and field. So what is to be done? Can all 4 athletes go to London in the open 100? Will they have to draw straws? Will there be a runoff? After days of anticipation, Felix and Tarmoh agree on a run-off that will take place on the last day of the Trials. in the meantime, Felix goes on to win the 200m in 21.69!! Tarmoh comes in 5th in 22.35. Regardless of the outcome of the run off both runners will go to London as a part of the 4×100 relay team and since Felix just won the 200m, you would think that she would pull out of the runoff and allow her friend/training partner to have the final spot in the 100m. Weeellll, she didn’t; Allyson was being greedy, do you blame her? Needless to say Tarmoh decided that her heart wasn’t in the right place and pulled out of the runoff herself. A move that made me smile, I must agree.  Not because Felix is now running the open 100m, but because Tarmoh did not let Nike/ABC/USATF make more money off of her; they made such a big deal about it and at the last minute she pulled the plug. Sucks to suck!

tie?

The results as of 7/21/2012

The moral of the post is: if you aren’t apart of Nike, you’re basically screwed. If you are not a top name at Nike, you’re basically screwed, and if you don’t  you may be SOL.

Oh, so that’s how it works

** Will the fans stand up and make their voices louder and presence stronger?  You can make a difference and can change the sport for good forever!  Use social media and your voice to make that happen. Call this office number to directly contact John Chaplin and tell him what you think 509-595-7355.  Email USATF. Email John Chaplin jpchaplin@hughes.net Email Fred Finke.  Email USATF CEO Max Siegel, Max.Siegel@usatf.org  Be the change you want to see in the sport. – Anthony Famiglietti

Definitions (brought to you by UrbanDictionary.com):

• SOL – Shit Out of Luck.
• DFL – Dead F*ckin’ Last.

Womens 400m

I was disappointed to hear that Allyson Felix wasn’t going to go for the triple, she definitely could have made it in the 400m. Such is life, the girls competing for this years spots are by no means slow.

Sanya Richards-Ross (48.70): 3rd in Beijing, 1st in Berlin, 7th in Daegu…she is like a bipolar runner. She runs some of the best times each year but she sometimes has trouble maintaining her steam. She has been running very well in 2012 and seems determined to redeem her 08 mishaps. Trains with Clyde Hart aka Mr. 400m.

when Sanya’s at her best, she’s untouchable

Diamond Dixon (51.09): Diamonds are Forever, or so Kanye West says. Diamond won the NCAA 400m Indoor title this past March and was 3rd at Outdoors. She is right up there with Ashley Spencer leading the 90’s babies in the 400.

Francena McCorory (50.06): She is the one of the fastest indoor runners, ever. Her speed transfers quite nicely outdoors, she was 2nd at Nationals last year to Allyson Felix.

Natasha Hastings (49.84): My most memorable moment of Hastings is when she ran like 95% of Penn relays 4×400 missing one shoe. She isn’t under contract with Nike and since the split her times have gotten slower. She is now with Under Armour and this year might be her year. If nothing else, she is a very reliable relay leg, she split 49.87 in Beijing.

No Shoe Swagg

Jessica Beard (50.56): Went to World Championships in 2011 in the 400 and 4×400. She won NCAA title in the 400 and 4×400 in 2011, she came from way behind in the 4×400 to lead her team to victory. Don’t let the PR fool you, she is definitely capable of a sub-50 clocking. Has run 51.19 this year, expect something faster in a few days.

Ashley Spencer (50.95): Freshman phenom, won NCAA 400m Crown in 2012. Has a lot of upside, has proven herself in rounds, she may be the heir to Sanya Richards-Ross’ thrown in a few years. She was born in 1993!! Damn

My Predictions:

Richards-Ross, McCorory and Beard will be sporting their pearly whites in London.